Irrational Solo Fear

When I am camped outside, I generally use a shaped tarp. I can see out underneath the bottom edge in the event that I thought some animal was walking around. Also, if I am in black bear country, I sometimes put up a tripwire. This is made out of strong nylon thread, and it has several metal jingle bells tied onto it. If I string that around the trees and bushes around my camp, then any approaching animal will make a jingle noise, which wakes me up. But, an ordinary breeze doesn't seem to rattle them. Basically, I want to wake up to photograph the animals in the darkness.

–B.G.–

I think everyone had, and to a limited degree still has, this fear. It's like climbing and the fear of heights and falling; it never goes away, you just get a better understanding of yourself and thus better ability to control it.

Ounce a I passed the ~300 nights in the woods mark as an adult, sleeping while backpacking became as easy as sleeping at home. Even after a month or more not doing overnight trips, the comfort level does not seem to diminish much.

It's more that part of the brain that thinks there are things out there in the darkness that makes my nights miserable. I would love for some more animals to come up to my tent, it would be incredible to see a fox or a badger at close quarters!

"I would love for some more animals to come up to my tent, it would be incredible to see a fox or a badger at close quarters!"

In California, about all I ever get is a black bear or a deer. In Idaho, I photographed a wolverine beside my camp in the middle of the night. Foxes are good. Skunks are bad.

–B.G.–

I sleep with no shelter about half the time.

I woke up when a rodent ran across me once.

Biggest fear should be of a human animal.

A lot of times when forced to car camp I "cowboy car camp" when at a regular campground by simply cowboy camping on top of a picnic table. Its flat, and some of the critters don't scamper over you – regular campgrounds seem to have a lot of critter freeloaders in the community. One time in Texas I herd some shuffling underneath the table at the crack of dawn. When I peaked over the edge there were two skunks down there looking exactly like they want to hop up and check things out. I was whispering "nice skunk". Once you are within target range there are limited viable options for shooing them away. Finally they decided they didn't want to join me after all and took off – several minutes later! So some other things are scary, but like the rodent thing, it is mostly in your head. I agree people are the scariest of all.

Sometimes when I am cross country skiing, I will be taking a shortcut through a state park that has picnic tables. However, the tables are covered by three feet of snow. Once, while skiing there, a storm blew up in a hurry, and I needed a quick temporary shelter. I saw the picnic table under snow, so I whipped out my shovel and dug a hole to enter the space underneath the table. It was so comfortable that I fell asleep. When I woke up, the storm had passed, and the squirrels were in the entrance wondering what to do to the human body.

–B.G.–

Just keep going.
David is right….it will diminish with greater time spent outside. Do it enough and you'll start finding it's just too exhausting to be scared.

I look forward to the dark on clear nights. Gazing into the heavens makes sitting alone in the woods on a giant rock hurtling through space seem very inconsequential to say the least.

Foggy, cloudy, pitch black nights are rather boring actually. Boring enough that your mind can play odd games with you. Knowing this, it's fairly straight forward to just keep your mind on something else. Read a kindle, or a book with a low lumen light until you get sleepy, reflect on the days adventure, envision tomorrows plan, etc. Sure, it's easier said than done, but it takes practice, and yes, with time, this too shall pass.

The good thing Joel is this is one fear you don't have to get over. One hikes and camps solo because they enjoy it otherwise go with friends. I can't see any reason to choose what is basically a hobby or entertainment that makes you feel miserable. That doesn't make you a wussy it just makes you choose something else that 'does it' for you.

"Do it enough and you'll start finding it's just too exhausting to be scared."

Fine, I'll get married again. Happy now!?!

Hike till you are drop dead exhausted and it will be easier to fall asleep. Reading a book to distract yourself helps too.
Solo camping scared me a bit, although not enough to stop doing it. After 20 something nights on the CT I got pretty used to the forest noises. My first night back in a hotel was weird actually, sleeping in sheets in a quiet room just didn't feel right.

Once we bedded down and were woke up repeatedly by deer. They'd snort and stop their feet then run away. Apparently we were sleeping right on their favorite bedding spot. They were coming back to see if we'd left.

I prefer solo as it gives more options for regular old backpacking. My first solo attempt was in a drizzle, but a private landowner stopped letting hikers use a right of way. Returning in the drizzle I surprised some pheasant and turkey, .. not sure they would have stay there had I been with a loud group. I used my backpacking gear to car camp, then got new instructions to skirt the private inholding when the ranger station opened (lesson learned). It was still a little spooky but I went right to sleep.

The couple of times I've gotten spooked in the middle of the night, I've gotten out of bed and built a small fire to drowse and read by. Beats the heck out of a night light.

Nice one Doug!

On several occasions I've woken in the middle of the night when a frickin deer tripped on my guyline. I try to avoid camping near animal trails, but in busy places like the Sierras and national parks (where deer grow accustomed to licking salt off packs and trekking poles) this can be difficult.

You mention sleeping in a tent. Not being able to see around you may be a factor. Others have mentioned sleeping without a tent. When you do want one, it may help to use a mesh screen type tent. For example, the BA Seedhouse allows you decent vision when zipped and you can unzip when the bugs go to sleep and get almost a 180 degree view including overhead stargazing.

There is no real answer to this. As you get more experience, the fear goes away. I'm with Dave, I haven't reach the 300 mark yet but sleeping outside is super easy for me even on uncomfortable and uneven ground. I mostly camp without any shelter when its not going to rain.

Thanks for the replies.

Sounds like it's just going to take some time, to be fair I've always camped with friends up until now, mainly because of safety – I wouldn't have trusted my judgement enough to be out on my own, but now that I feel I can stay safe, I just need to learn to enjoy the secluded back country nights!

I would agree with those who have said it gets easier with time. I suspect that even after 5 nights, or so, you will start to feel a lot more comfortable. If not then maybe it isn't for you at the moment, but this doesn't mean that will always be the case.

As a backpacker of great experience and wisdom, I have found there to be two primary strategies for dealing with dangerous animals outside one's tent.

Strategy 1: Big Stick

Realize that you are, in fact, the biggest baddest creature in the woods. If a bear should bother you can leap from your tent and club it senseless with a stick. No bear wants to mess with a pissed off hominid with a stick.

Strategy 2: Fresh urine

As a hunter I have learned that animals claim their territory and kills with urine. You can speak in the language of the animals by warning them off by marking your tent site in the same way, particularly on the up wind side.

On the one occasion where I was placed in the position of having to consciously consider implementation of Stategy 1, I realized my subconscious had already doubled down on Stategy 2.

I like hiking/camping with friends but will do solo if plans can't be made. it does take some getting used to. I do pretty long days anyway so that helps with the sleeping. And if it doesn't work the first night it will certainly catch up night 2 if you didn't sleep well night 1 haha.

Solo I tend to bring my ipod with either music/podcasts or a book on kindle app to read. nothing worse than staring at the roof of your tent not being able to sleep or waking up at 3am and not being able to fall back to sleep.

one of my few solo nights on the Long Trail I had an owl out there somewhere hooting away which I may not have noticed with others.

"Strategy 2: Fresh urine"

Curious if that would still work for those vegetarians out there.

Excellent question Glenn! Will vegetarian urine work to deter wild beasts?

I suspect vegetarian urine would work fine as long as their diet is not deficient in terms of whisky.

>"You can speak in the language of the animals by warning them off by marking your tent site."

Yes and no.

Friends played a great trick on a trip co-leader one time. They all peed around his tent, knowing it would attract the mountain goats in the area. It worked. At midnight, Ron saw shadows and looked outside his tent, surprising a mountain goat. The goat hopped on to a rock, like a 10-inch cobble with all four hooves on the same rock, and then just stared back at him. He said it was as if the goat felt vulnerable on the dirt, but that nothing could harm it if all four feet were on rock.