View Full Version : Do any of you do solo camps?
For some reason im a pansy and wont do an overnighter at my familys own land. Its private and seems safe, but there is something about being out in the night alone in the woods that tweaks me out. Im going to start the Bushcraft school lessons and need to get comfortable with it.
Those that do and have no issue with it; how do you keep yourself busy? What do you worry about, if you worry at all. Do you wander around, or just sit by a fire and find it peaceful?
Heavy Metal
02-13-12, 13:49
Bring a good light and a book. It gets dark early.
Yea I was out there this weekend and my buddies left for a while. I tried to relax by the fire but was pretty sure I was being flanked by some methheads, it was just a cow. There is cemetery on our property, maybe I should just camp there since the chances of being murdered in a cemetery seem low. I have to stop watching "I Survived.."
PdxMotoxer
02-13-12, 14:16
The ONLY time i've ever had an "issue" was when i was a teen and camping, dirtbike riding with a group and hours from camp my chain broke.
My bro said leave the bike and ride back with him and few others and then go back and remove the chain form a friend and we will bring it back The next day, and HOPE my $8,000 custom racing bike was still there.
I opted to wait with the bike even though it was an hour from getting dark. (i was a YOUNG teen and didn't carry and wasn't thinking how fast it got dark... i had ZERO light... and didn't CCW) at least it was summer and i had a riding coat and few protein bars (friends gave me extra bars and drinking camel backs)
but i spent pretty much that full night alone somewhere in the woods and did get scared outta my mind a few times but mostly the WORST part looking back was the minutes ticked like hours.
I made a small fire and listened to EVERYTHING.
But as it was starting to get light i heard a couple bikes and I lived.
I've just never had the desire to go camping alone.
As said bring a few books and light to read by and keep your mind busy or just enjoy the stars.
That's a little more solitude than I desire.
militarymoron
02-13-12, 14:24
i used to go hiking in the mountains with my dog or alone. i'd stay a night or two with minimal gear (sleeping bag but no tent), and just explore trails that i saw on maps. i'd bring a stove for cooking but i wouldn't have a campfire. when it got dark, i always used to feel that a campfire drew too much attention (from i don't know what), and i didn't like the fact that i couldn't see into the darkness. i'd just sit or lay there and look at the stars, noticed the smells, or listen to the sounds (mostly wind or streams). i'd also imagine what it would have been like for the settlers, trailblazers, miners etc a hundred years ago.
i didn't really do much after dark - i just went to sleep early. the only thing i worried about were rattlers or the occasional sound. i always had a handgun or rifle with me, though.
I have camped alone in the Sierras while hunting. And yes you have to really man up when hiking into something like the Ansel Adams wilderness in total darkness at 4 AM. I was waiting for that cougar to jump me at any moment.
Cesiumsponge
02-13-12, 14:33
Nothing beats staring into a clear night sky and letting your eyes dance among the stars. I always get a sense of private contentment when I'm out in nature by myself. It's a sense of calm I can't find in the civilized world.
I'm not going to lie, I worry about the Blair Witch more than what would be considered "normal."
Other than that, not much. LOL
Just go do it a few times the nerves will subside.
Once you get used to it you'll love it. If the weather is right for a simple camp (sleeping bag, no fire/tent) you can just hike until you are good and tired. Kick up a nice bed of leaves, toss away stones, unroll the sleeping bag and have a good dinner. Sleep will come pretty easy after that.
I did alot of camping with my buds as a kid. A handful of times, when noone could go, I went alone. More or less from shear boredom than anything else. And for a kid with a bicycle and a .22 rifle it was a great adventure.
Nothing ever got me or even came close. When you are alone like that it seems your senses are enhanced. You hear every little sound. I'll add that I've heard people say how it would be nice to get out in the wilderness and enjoy the peace and quiet. The woods/wilderness are never quiet. Not even at night. At least not in South Carolina.
I recommend doing it at least once. I would also add that the further off the beaten trail you are, the safer you'd be from thugs. They're mostly a lazy bunch.
Now we didn't have any loins, tigers or bears in SC.....that would change everything. :D
I haven't done it in years but I would have no problem going out by myself nowadays. However, I would get off the beaten path when I setup camp. Years ago some mountain biking buddies and I headed out for a weekend and couldn't get in our normal campground. We found a spot down a fire road (completely legal) and setup camp. Around 1am someone walked into our camp and was trying to get into our trucks and checking the locks on our bikes. Two of us were armed but after a minute the guy walked off so no action was taken. We heard a car door shut in the distance, a vehicle pull away and that was that.
But ever since then we are careful about where we set up camp. I feel safer off the beaten path, away from main trials or roads.
Nothing beats staring into a clear night sky and letting your eyes dance among the stars. I always get a sense of private contentment when I'm out in nature by myself. It's a sense of calm I can't find in the civilized world.
I'm a big old softie. I'd want to share it with friends or my wife. I understand what you are saying though, when I was younger I did the Lone Wolf thing and I really enjoyed the private moments just for me.
Had my bike break down one evening on the ranch. Walked home and about an hour of that was after sunset. Pretty dark... When I got to the ranch house my boss was eating dinner and asked how the job went. Dick!
I enjoy being out alone but have not done it since I started having kids. Might have to take a break this summer and enjoy the solitude again.
I'm a big old softie. I'd want to share it with friends or my wife. I understand what you are saying though, when I was younger I did the Lone Wolf thing and I really enjoyed the private moments just for me.
I don’t consider that being a softie; we are by nature social animals. I enjoy camping more with a close friend, son or wife. Strangely when hunting I often prefer doing it alone … go figure. However camping solo is nice and peaceful, as others have said. A good fire to set beside and watching the night sky is very calming. A good book never hurts either. I can’t remember ever feeling threatened or scared but I was usually armed and knew the area I was camping in.
I've done it in the Adirondacks a few times on weekend trips. Main issues there are black bears, black flies and human weirdos. When solo, I avoided the more popular campsite areas and lean-tos. Once spent a night on top of a mountain watching 4th of July fireworks miles away down below. Since it was above the treeline I just stashed my food sack between some rocks a good distance away from where I slept and figured if a bear wanted it, it could have it. No fires. Just a flashlight, tarp and a sleeping bag.
militarymoron
02-13-12, 18:52
Nothing beats staring into a clear night sky and letting your eyes dance among the stars.
...except doing it through night vision :D
i didn't have NODs when i used to camp solo, but i've spent some nights out in the desert camping with good buddies, passing around the pvs-14 and pvs-7, kicking back in beach chairs after a few hours of night shooting, and looking at all the stars we can't see with the naked eye. its amazing how many more shooting stars you notice as well.
If you are in an area with trees, bring along a double wide hammock to sleep in. Gets you away from some of the creepy/crawlies and is more comfortable than sleeping on the ground (especially the older you get :) )
---
QuietShootr
02-13-12, 19:12
**** yes...several times a year. Blessed silence, I can go as far or as fast or slow as I want to, and nobody's there to give me any shit.
Bliss is 0000 in the depths of the woods, no cell phone, nothing but the gentle hiss of my HF backpacking radio, and a good rifle and pistol by my side.
It's as close to free as you're likely to get any more. I'm doing a solo backpacking trip in Wyoming next fall.
QuietShootr
02-13-12, 19:13
i used to go hiking in the mountains with my dog or alone. i'd stay a night or two with minimal gear (sleeping bag but no tent), and just explore trails that i saw on maps. i'd bring a stove for cooking but i wouldn't have a campfire. when it got dark, i always used to feel that a campfire drew too much attention (from i don't know what), and i didn't like the fact that i couldn't see into the darkness. i'd just sit or lay there and look at the stars, noticed the smells, or listen to the sounds (mostly wind or streams). i'd also imagine what it would have been like for the settlers, trailblazers, miners etc a hundred years ago.
i didn't really do much after dark - i just went to sleep early. the only thing i worried about were rattlers or the occasional sound. i always had a handgun or rifle with me, though.
Yeah, I don't do a campfire after dark either for the same reasons.
eternal24k
02-13-12, 20:38
Those that do and have no issue with it; how do you keep yourself busy? What do you worry about, if you worry at all. Do you wander around, or just sit by a fire and find it peaceful?
I enjoy alone time, it feels natural.
I really do not worry about anything, I live in the North, we do not have rattle snakes or other dangers. We have a lot of black bear, but they rarely bother us. If it is spring-summer-fall I just have a fire and relax, enjoy the time to think/reflect. Winter I use a stove and eat, go to bed early, too much work to try and have a fire.
If you are worried, bring a boom-stick with a weaponlight.
try it, it's a healthy thing to be 1) alone and 2) away from tech
buckshot1220
02-13-12, 22:13
I don't blame ya for not wanting to go off alone for a night.
I rarely do anything alone in the woods, and when I do family/close friends know exactly where I'm going and when to expect me back. That being said, I am a pansy as well. I don't even like going out during hunting season before daybreak, though I do when necessary. I always felt I lost too much vision too feel safe, and constantly doing 360's with a light in my hand is less than enjoyable.
If you're going at it alone, bring a CCW and keep your wits about you. If you're anything like me, though, you'll swear the squirrel off in the distance is a group of meth heads/zombies/banjo types coming for you:help:
LowSpeed_HighDrag
02-13-12, 23:03
I occasionally will pull a solo one-nighter if I bought some new gear and want to go out right away. I let someone know where I am going, when I will be back, and what to do if I dont return. I then pack up, head out, hike in, make camp, and live life. Its a good time to reflect, make feathersticks, practice woods crafting skills, read a book, or even listen to some music (OMG HE BRINGS AN IPOD CAMPING! KILL THE NON-PURIST). I will say this, the nights are creepy and I rarely get a good nights sleep. There was a night when I was 17 where I heard something large rooting around outside my tarp, I was armed with a shitty FIE .38 Derringer (POS) and held onto that thing for dear life. No signs of any intrusion in the morning, may have been the blair witch haha.
Heavy Metal
02-13-12, 23:08
I occasionally will pull a solo one-nighter if I bought some new gear and want to go out right away. I let someone know where I am going, when I will be back, and what to do if I dont return. I then pack up, head out, hike in, make camp, and live life. Its a good time to reflect, make feathersticks, practice woods crafting skills, read a book, or even listen to some music (OMG HE BRINGS AN IPOD CAMPING! KILL THE NON-PURIST). I will say this, the nights are creepy and I rarely get a good nights sleep. There was a night when I was 17 where I heard something large rooting around outside my tarp, I was armed with a shitty FIE .38 Derringer (POS) and held onto that thing for dear life. No signs of any intrusion in the morning, may have been the blair witch haha.
More like the Blair Possum, Blair Coon or the Blair Fox.
TAKE A "PATRICK F McMANUS" BOOK OR TWO WITH YOU, AND YOU'LL BE LYAO, AND FORGET ABOUT BEING SCARED. HE'S A DAMN GOOD OUTDOORS WRITER WITH A LOT OF FUNNY SHORT STORIES.
"A FINE AND PLEASANT MISERY"
"THEY SHOOT CANOES DON'T THEY"
"THE GRASSHOPPER TRAP"
"REAL PONIES DON'T GO OINK"
JUST A FEW BOOKS.
The_War_Wagon
02-13-12, 23:38
Were NONE of you noobs ever Boy Scouts?!?! :rolleyes: Sheesh... I camped in the wilderness COUNTLESS times before I was 18 - with the troop, with a patrol, AND alone. Among snakes, fire ants, and even alligators, in the swamps of Brazoria Co., TX! The ONLY thing that ever prevented a GOOD night's sleep, was the occasional THUNDERstorm; more because of the noise, than the danger.
BEST campout EVER was alone one weekend in the mountains of NC when I was in college... and brought along my little red-headed girlfriend. We don't have a forum here for THAT experience, though... ;)
After I got divorced from my first wife I decided I needed some time alone and took a month off work. I packed my stuff, flew to Alaska and found a float plane pilot crazy enough to drop my ass off in the middle of nowhere and come back and get me three weeks later. Yes, I really did this. I ran out of freeze dried food, shot a few rabbits, a few Ptarmigan and a deer. I drank the clearest, bluest, coldest water I've ever seen to this day. I saw more stars there than I ever did in the Arizona night, and that's saying something. I got the stink eye from a brown bear and had to prepare to repel boarders with my rifle and .44 mag. Thankfully, she decided to go somewhere else. It was a life changing experience and I intend to do it again. I was scared shitless to do it, but I conquered my fear and proved some things to myself. If you can bring yourself to do it and you have the knowledge and skills required, go for it. You won't regret it.
I like camping,whether alone or with family & close friends. As a kid, it was normal to go out with a thousand rounds of 22s and a couple hundred rounds of 6mm I spent all week at the reloading bench putting together and come back with a pile of empty brass and a few rabbit skins that never got tanned.
I've never been scared in the wilderness, even when sitting around the campfire telling ghost stories- not even when Grandpa told us about Momma Big Foot who lost her baby and was looking for a kid to carry off into the wilds and raise as her own. I guess it helped that I never imagined what was making a noise, but would stop and listen until I found out what it was. Heck, I'm more comfortable out stomping around in the wilds than I am in the city.
Growing up, I loved laying under the stars out in Mojave Desert in California and trying to grasp how vast the universe is. The air was so clear we could see the Milky Way, multitudes of shooting stars and even track satellites as they sailed across the sky. The times there was a full moon were very special- the silver light would turn the desert into another world. I am especially grateful my father gave us these gifts, he was the one who took us camping nearly year round, and my grandfather and uncle and their close circle of friends. It's where we learned who the men of our family were and how to become men ourselves
Bring a handgun or rifle. Practice transition drills to keep you occupied.
What helps me get through the nights alone is keeping busy with camp chores - firewood, fire maintenance, food preparation, etc. I also enjoy going to bed when it gets dark, it's a great chance to unwind and catch up on me time.
Those that do and have no issue with it; how do you keep yourself busy? What do you worry about, if you worry at all. Do you wander around, or just sit by a fire and find it peaceful?
platoonDaddy
02-14-12, 08:22
Join the infantry and they will teach you.
Seriously it is a piece of cake, keep yourself busy all day and at night you will sleep like a baby. When you wake up the next morning you DID it.
My children and grandkids love it, start them early. Started them when they reached two years old and they have enjoyed a lifetime of camping and backpacking. My youngest daughter spent her honeymoon backpacking Denali National Park.
Enjoy.
Thanks for the responses. Unfortunately, its a little late for the infantry; but I will do it this spring and update the thread on what made me sketched out. I have camped, hunted, fished, countless days in my lifetime, so its merely the camping alone. But I agree, that I just need to do it and then the subsequent instances will be enjoyable.
Thats fantastic DireWulf, your a regular Dick Proenneke. That takes some true grit in my opinion.
RogerinTPA
02-14-12, 09:48
Two is one, one is none. Solo is Not for me. I'd think about the movie "Deliverance" and worry too much about being captured by mountain men.:no:
DeltaSierra
02-14-12, 12:51
I guess it helped that I never imagined what was making a noise, but would stop and listen until I found out what it was.
As a general rule, animals sound a whole lot worse than they actually are.
I'm more comfortable out stomping around in the wilds than I am in the city.
I feel the same way.
I have gotten pretty used to being alone in the middle of nowhere because of what I do for work, so a solo camping trip wouldn't be too much of a shock for me.
eternal24k
02-14-12, 17:03
After I got divorced from my first wife I decided I needed some time alone and took a month off work. I packed my stuff, flew to Alaska and found a float plane pilot crazy enough to drop my ass off in the middle of nowhere and come back and get me three weeks later. Yes, I really did this. I ran out of freeze dried food, shot a few rabbits, a few Ptarmigan and a deer. I drank the clearest, bluest, coldest water I've ever seen to this day. I saw more stars there than I ever did in the Arizona night, and that's saying something. I got the stink eye from a brown bear and had to prepare to repel boarders with my rifle and .44 mag. Thankfully, she decided to go somewhere else. It was a life changing experience and I intend to do it again. I was scared shitless to do it, but I conquered my fear and proved some things to myself. If you can bring yourself to do it and you have the knowledge and skills required, go for it. You won't regret it.
that's awesome, man
Eurodriver
02-14-12, 17:10
After I got divorced from my first wife I decided I needed some time alone and took a month off work. I packed my stuff, flew to Alaska and found a float plane pilot crazy enough to drop my ass off in the middle of nowhere and come back and get me three weeks later. Yes, I really did this. I ran out of freeze dried food, shot a few rabbits, a few Ptarmigan and a deer. I drank the clearest, bluest, coldest water I've ever seen to this day. I saw more stars there than I ever did in the Arizona night, and that's saying something. I got the stink eye from a brown bear and had to prepare to repel boarders with my rifle and .44 mag. Thankfully, she decided to go somewhere else. It was a life changing experience and I intend to do it again. I was scared shitless to do it, but I conquered my fear and proved some things to myself. If you can bring yourself to do it and you have the knowledge and skills required, go for it. You won't regret it.
details
Cost?
When was this?
Genuinely interested minds would like to know! If this was recent, there's hope. Somehow I feel like this was a while ago and no bush pilot would do ti anymore.
Cesiumsponge
02-14-12, 17:31
Being dropped off in Alaska "just like that" reminds me of Christopher McCandless. Most folks that spend half a year doing the PCT solo wouldn't even consider an Alaskan solo trip. That is insane. The only party story that could top that is "I'm an astronaut". Congrats
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_McCandless
pilotguyo540
02-14-12, 17:31
details
Cost?
When was this?
Genuinely interested minds would like to know! If this was recent, there's hope. Somehow I feel like this was a while ago and no bush pilot would do ti anymore.
Ditto.
I could stand to hit the reset button too.
More like the Blair Possum, Blair Coon or the Blair Fox.
That reminds me of a story. I've been known to take naps when out in the woods while hunting, hiking or whatever. I once woke up to find a opossum staringing me in the face from about 2 feet away. Told my wife about it that night and she geeked! "It could have attacked you!" I had to explain it's a possum, not a grizzly.
City girl. :)
Just say to yourself "If Timothy Treadwell can do it, so can I" :sarcastic:
Anyhow its not bad although I suppose this varies greatly from person to person seeing as how some people cannot be alone in a house, in a good neighborhood, with 911 minutes away, electricity, etc.
For the most part don't do anything stupid, stay busy somehow (read, go survivor and find edible plants/make things/rub sticks to start fires/set traps/hunt/etc, camp chores, what ever floats your boat), and pick a good campsite.
Moose-Knuckle
02-15-12, 02:53
My only fear is once I'm out there I would not be able to bring myself to come back to "civilization". :cool:
Can't ay that I have done it except when I got stuck out there. Wasn't a fan of it either time. I'm too much of a social animal. When I camp I prefer the company of someone to talk to, sit 'round the fire and tell tall tales.
details
Cost?
When was this?
Genuinely interested minds would like to know! If this was recent, there's hope. Somehow I feel like this was a while ago and no bush pilot would do ti anymore.
I bet you can find someone to do it. Take a camera and say it is a discovery special ;)
Seriously I bet if you talk to Alaskapopo (not sure on the spelling) he could put you in touch with someone.
Almost every human being I've ever met has an innate fear of "real" darkness. It's probably instinctive, there used to be plenty of things out there that stalked at night and would kill and eat humans just as readily as any other animal.
When I still backpacked I almost always went solo. The best suggestion I can give you is to carry a really good flashlight and learn a bit about the sorts of sounds certain night creatures make. Once you learn what certain sounds are you will be much more comfortable being alone, and be better able to differentiate actual threat noises. The reality is that today the biggest threat to you out "in the wild" will be other people. To minimize that threat, don't camp in "obvious" sites (i.e. well-cleared and open) and minimize light pollution with a fire pit and small fire.
kaiservontexas
02-17-12, 09:31
I think about doing this, but then I start pondering what if this goes wrong, etc, etc. That causes me to stick to the buddy system . . . besides it is fun sharing the experience.
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