Arachnophobia...

[Entropy2012]

Okay, this is gonna sound ridiculous but uh... I really REALLY hate spiders. Like man, there's nothing on this earth I can't stand more. heck, gimme a bear/rattlesnake/murderous lunatic any day but walk face first into a spider web and I'll crumple into a screaming mess.

Anyone else have this problem? I'm kinda hoping I'll get over it out there, but if not... well it should be a laugh for everyone else at least (certainly is for my family!). Can't imagine it'll take very long to bag me a trail name.

[sheepdog]

Prepare to crumple a lot. Running into spider webs happens several times daily. I've never been hurt by a spider though. I use my hiking poles to knock the webs out of my way while I hike.

[WingedMonkey]

There are no spiders on the AT.

[RGB]

Ahhh, yes. Spiders.

I hate spiders. I don't really freak out about them as much anymore, but I cannot let them live once I see them. I got over a lot of my arachnophobia much in part thanks to the AT. Unless you're content sitting in a shelter half the day, you're going to be cruising and breaking through spider webs all morning long. Of course, you can always get a spider-stick and wave it in front of you as you move along. But this will slow you down and also make you look ridiculous. I used to make my poor friends walk in front of me to take the webs, but one trip I was alone, and didn't have a choice but to confront my fear. And I just got used to that horrible sensation of going through a web after awhile. It helps to think that virtually every web at that height does not contain spiders whose venom is harmful to humans. And most of the morning webs don't have spiders in them. They're just the left overs of spiders moving about in the night, finding a good place to sit and hunt the next day.

Shelters will have spiders too, but they never leave their webs, for the most part. I used to rid my shelters of spiders, but realized that that behavior was irrational, because they will eat misquitos and other pests that will bite you in the night.

Basically, it will probably be horrifying to you at first. But you'll overcome your fear by immersion. The experience is well worth it and you shouldn't let spiders stop you!

[10-K]

There are no spiders on the AT.

Virginia is flat and there are no rocks in PA either!

[Rocket Jones]

The only ones that really annoy me are the jumping saliva spiders that drink from the corner of your mouth at night. Fortunately, most of them are small enough that you don't actually feel them landing on your face.

I'm joking of course, but I used to be a serious wuss around spiders. I finally decided that as long as they don't startle me, they don't need to die.

[Spirit Walker]

Try not to be the first one on the trail in the morning. A lot of spiders seem to build webs overnight. Let somebody else break the webs across the trail.

[Entropy2012]

Ah, christ. Looks like it's gonna be a rough journey.

At least once I've been out there, everything back here will seem pretty tame. I think the worst we get are wolf spiders the size of your thumb. Which is bad enough!

Maybe I can just walk around in a hazmat suit.

[tolkien]

I understand a certain amount of caution around poisionous spiders, but I never understood fear of bugs. I live near the new river, though, so I pretty much have been forced to adopt a peacful cohabilitation poilcy.

Also, look up on Black Widow habitat. They're nasty.

[Tipi Walter]

Two spider stories:

I had my pack sitting out by a tree for a couple days while I was basecamping, and on the third day had it loaded and flung it on my back. I was wearing a t-shirt and shorts, and a large tarantula-type spider run out of my pack, down my neck and left arm, jumped and went down my left leg. I saw it all but it all happened before I could scream.

Another time I had my shelter set up and had a sierra cup partially filled with tea sitting in the vestibule. At dusk I went back to the tent and bent over to drink the last of the tea and moved the cup to my lips and started sipping when I quickly saw a big butt wolf spider sitting inside the cup. I screamed like a 2 year old and flung the cup 20 feet away.

The weirdest thing I ever saw was a black snake stretched out on the ground with a black widow spider riding his tail. No kidding. At least we don't have funnel orb spiders or Brazilian wandering spiders.

[TnSlowPoke]

I HATE SNAKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I act just as you all do when you see a spiders, I got over the spiders when my loving son lol brought a few (5) tarauntla spiders home a few years back as PETS. I did not know it till I saw them crawling on him. End of story.

[TIDE-HSV]

Virginia is flat and there are no rocks in PA either!

All water is safe to drink, no matter the color, food makes a wonderful pillow, and guys with long knives who mumble about stabbing someone are good company...

[Toolshed]

If you are short and don't hike early in the AM, you have no web worries. If you are either of those 2, be prepared to get a lot of face webs.

[weary]

Okay, this is gonna sound ridiculous but uh... I really REALLY hate spiders. Like man, there's nothing on this earth I can't stand more. heck, gimme a bear/rattlesnake/murderous lunatic any day but walk face first into a spider web and I'll crumple into a screaming mess.

Anyone else have this problem? I'm kinda hoping I'll get over it out there, but if not... well it should be a laugh for everyone else at least (certainly is for my family!). Can't imagine it'll take very long to bag me a trail name.

Someone once calculated that busting through all spider webs on the trail would consume the energy found in four Snickers.

You can save that energy through a simple technique. Never in the morning be the first out of a shelter or camping area. But never lag much behind an earlier person leaving. The plan is to have someone else bust all the spider webs, but to not give the spiders time to rebuild after someone walks through.

It's something like the technique I use when I need to break the highway speed limit. I just find someone going the speed I want to drive and stay just far enough behind that driver to allow the cops to be arresting him as I speed by.

[smokymtnsteve]

how about the policeman sneaking up behind you?

[weary]

how about the policeman sneaking up behind you?

That's why I have rear view mirrors. One can't remove all risks. But every bit helps.

[Wise Old Owl]

Wait how about glasses that look behind you while you are on the trail?

[tolkien]

...and guys with long knives who mumble about stabbing someone are good company...

Ah, I see that thread is spreading.

[Shooting Star]

There's little that's grosser than getting a face web with the spider
still in it. Eeeeeew!

[Walkintom]

I really dislike spiders too.

There is something so very WRONG about a monster with eight eyes, eight legs, and coordination for all of that.

I dislike the webs in the face mainly because I am always wondering if I have the spider on me after I wrapped the web around my head.

When on the trail I mostly just man up and deal with it. Unless of course someone else just happens to be available to collect silk with their face instead.