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I camp in the wilderness with friends pretty often and thought it would be fun to try doing it alone once. I didn't sleep at all, I kept imagining terrible thin

I camp in the wilderness with friends pretty often and thought it would be fun to try doing it alone once. I didn't sleep at all, I kept imagining terrible things in the night coming to get me. Maybe I'll try again in my thirties.

mpaal 6y ago
In 2019 I went on a solo biketour and it involved a lot of nigths in a tent. While campgrounds were rather cosy as just the knowledge that others are there brought me comfort, some wildcamping spots were much more unsettling. For me it was a fear of the wilderness and just hearing some noises in the middle of the night was... tense. Such nights were usually on high alert and quite restless. 10/10 will do it again ;)
munificent 6y ago
A few months ago, I took an overnight trip out to the woods by myself. I slept in the bed of my truck on an abandoned forestry road somewhat deep into a state forest. I went with no pre-planned destination so I just turned onto unpaved forestry roads randomly until I eventually got to a quiet dead end that petered out. My wife knew the state forest I was in, but no one on Earth had a more precise location for me than that. It was a little nervewracking and spooky even though in truth I was only about a twenty minute drive from the edge of the park and civilization. To know that if I slipped and broke a leg or something I'd be screwed for a couple of days until a crew could find me. But I experienced it as a good kind of anxiety. I deliberately wanted to get outside of my comfort zone and spend a little time getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. It was an absolutely rewarding experience and one of the highlights of 2020 for me. I woke up the next morning refreshed, centered, and excited to return home to my family. A quote I think about a lot is J. A. Shedd's, "A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for."
- octoberfranklin 6y ago
  I do this a lot. Get an EPIRB.
  - _rs 6y ago
    Any you might recommend?
    - octoberfranklin 6y ago
      I have the ACR ResQLink 400. Can't exactly "recommend" since I haven't used mine (they're single use only), but I researched this a bit before buying. Just make sure you get one that uses 406Mhz rather than two-way LEO satellites. The two-way stuff requires monthly payments and is far less reliable, won't get through forest canopy. The 406Mhz SARSAT beacons are single use only one-way transmitters (they receive GPS, not 406Mhz-SARSAT, although they still work without a GPS signal). Anything that advertises using it to send SMS messages is junk for emergency use. There's an older, lower-frequency SARSAT band somewhere in the 150mhz-ish range, but it gets so many false positives (like some ATM in Kansas) that it's basically retired. The 406Mhz protocol has a lot more checksums in it. Edit: you want this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Cospas-Sarsat_Programme https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Cospas-Sarsat_...
      - _rs 6y ago
        From some reading I've done, it seems the type of device I'd want is a PLB and not a EPIRB (which you register to a vessel?) It also says PLBs you'd register to yourself and have to update every 2 years - but some articles I've seen say you can use them more than once. (source: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/personal-locator-beacons.html https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/personal-locator-bea...) How much of this is accurate? Also, seeing on https://www.acrartex.com/products/resqlink-400 https://www.acrartex.com/products/resqlink-400 it says "Battery Replacement: After 5 years or after emergency use, whichever is first"
        octoberfranklin 6y ago
        Well, they both use the same satellites and radio signals. It's the same electronics in different packaging. Speaking of packaging, the product you linked to is the buoyant version. Don't get that for hiking, it's significantly larger (physically) than the non-buoyant one. Confusingly, they are both called the "ResQLink 400".
oAlbe 6y ago
I wonder if those type of fears are something we grow out of with age, or if something else is going on there. I really don't understand what's behind those types of irrational fears. Some nights I can't even walk from the kitchen to the bathroom without turning the light on in the corridor. I know there's nothing behind the corner, just like I'm sure you knew there were no "terrible things in the night coming to get you", yet I must turn on the light When I was a kid, I used to think that adults are not afraid of the dark because they are adults. I'm almost 30 now, and I often wonder if I never really became an adult that's never afraid of the dark.
- titanomachy 6y ago
  I bet if I did a few days in the wilderness my need for sleep would overcome the perceived need for vigilance, and I'd probably start sleeping better. I think there's some kind of psychological/physiological feedback loop that goes on in those moments at night where you feel compelled to run to the door or switch the lights on or whatever. Sometimes rationality just doesn't help.
- hombre_fatal 6y ago
  I think fear of the dark isn’t so much childish but rather an antagonistic imagination that triggers your own flight response kind of like a panic attack’s negative feedback loop divorced from any idea that you were in danger. I have a fear of the dark, for lack of a better term. I can put myself in the shoes of characters in horror movies and feel their fear. Meanwhile my girlfriend is incapable of it. Not because I somehow believe in things that go bump in the night (I don’t) and she doesn’t, but rather it’s some sort of mental quirk that she doesn’t experience. I’ve embraced it, though. Whenever I’m doing something like solo camping or running through the woods at night, I like to enumerate terrifying scenarios and then when I get home, jot them into my notes app and sometimes stub them out into short stories that I submit to those scary story youtube channels or r/nosleep. Anyways, I’ve thought a lot about why I would have this fear reflex while others don’t. Doesn’t seem to be much explanation. I’m in my thirties. Embrace the thrill.
dnr 6y ago
Solo backpacking (i.e. in the backcountry, not campgrounds) is a very different experience than with friends. The first time I did a longer trip (6 days) solo, I was terrified for the first 24 hours, but then eased into it and ended up having a really good experience. It can be intense, though. Even after the fear passes, other strong emotions might come up. Overall I prefer going with friends but I'm glad I've done some long solo trips too.
- titanomachy 6y ago
  That sounds like a good experience. I'll have to try it someday.

mpaal 6y ago

In 2019 I went on a solo biketour and it involved a lot of nigths in a tent. While campgrounds were rather cosy as just the knowledge that others are there brought me comfort, some wildcamping spots were much more unsettling. For me it was a fear of the wilderness and just hearing some noises in the middle of the night was... tense. Such nights were usually on high alert and quite restless. 10/10 will do it again ;)

munificent 6y ago

A few months ago, I took an overnight trip out to the woods by myself. I slept in the bed of my truck on an abandoned forestry road somewhat deep into a state forest. I went with no pre-planned destination so I just turned onto unpaved forestry roads randomly until I eventually got to a quiet dead end that petered out. My wife knew the state forest I was in, but no one on Earth had a more precise location for me than that. It was a little nervewracking and spooky even though in truth I was only about a twenty minute drive from the edge of the park and civilization. To know that if I slipped and broke a leg or something I'd be screwed for a couple of days until a crew could find me. But I experienced it as a good kind of anxiety. I deliberately wanted to get outside of my comfort zone and spend a little time getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. It was an absolutely rewarding experience and one of the highlights of 2020 for me. I woke up the next morning refreshed, centered, and excited to return home to my family. A quote I think about a lot is J. A. Shedd's, "A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for."

octoberfranklin 6y ago
I do this a lot. Get an EPIRB.
- _rs 6y ago
  Any you might recommend?
  - octoberfranklin 6y ago
    I have the ACR ResQLink 400. Can't exactly "recommend" since I haven't used mine (they're single use only), but I researched this a bit before buying. Just make sure you get one that uses 406Mhz rather than two-way LEO satellites. The two-way stuff requires monthly payments and is far less reliable, won't get through forest canopy. The 406Mhz SARSAT beacons are single use only one-way transmitters (they receive GPS, not 406Mhz-SARSAT, although they still work without a GPS signal). Anything that advertises using it to send SMS messages is junk for emergency use. There's an older, lower-frequency SARSAT band somewhere in the 150mhz-ish range, but it gets so many false positives (like some ATM in Kansas) that it's basically retired. The 406Mhz protocol has a lot more checksums in it. Edit: you want this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Cospas-Sarsat_Programme https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Cospas-Sarsat_...
    - _rs 6y ago
      From some reading I've done, it seems the type of device I'd want is a PLB and not a EPIRB (which you register to a vessel?) It also says PLBs you'd register to yourself and have to update every 2 years - but some articles I've seen say you can use them more than once. (source: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/personal-locator-beacons.html https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/personal-locator-bea...) How much of this is accurate? Also, seeing on https://www.acrartex.com/products/resqlink-400 https://www.acrartex.com/products/resqlink-400 it says "Battery Replacement: After 5 years or after emergency use, whichever is first"
      - octoberfranklin 6y ago
        Well, they both use the same satellites and radio signals. It's the same electronics in different packaging. Speaking of packaging, the product you linked to is the buoyant version. Don't get that for hiking, it's significantly larger (physically) than the non-buoyant one. Confusingly, they are both called the "ResQLink 400".

oAlbe 6y ago

I wonder if those type of fears are something we grow out of with age, or if something else is going on there. I really don't understand what's behind those types of irrational fears. Some nights I can't even walk from the kitchen to the bathroom without turning the light on in the corridor. I know there's nothing behind the corner, just like I'm sure you knew there were no "terrible things in the night coming to get you", yet I must turn on the light When I was a kid, I used to think that adults are not afraid of the dark because they are adults. I'm almost 30 now, and I often wonder if I never really became an adult that's never afraid of the dark.

titanomachy 6y ago
I bet if I did a few days in the wilderness my need for sleep would overcome the perceived need for vigilance, and I'd probably start sleeping better. I think there's some kind of psychological/physiological feedback loop that goes on in those moments at night where you feel compelled to run to the door or switch the lights on or whatever. Sometimes rationality just doesn't help.
hombre_fatal 6y ago
I think fear of the dark isn’t so much childish but rather an antagonistic imagination that triggers your own flight response kind of like a panic attack’s negative feedback loop divorced from any idea that you were in danger. I have a fear of the dark, for lack of a better term. I can put myself in the shoes of characters in horror movies and feel their fear. Meanwhile my girlfriend is incapable of it. Not because I somehow believe in things that go bump in the night (I don’t) and she doesn’t, but rather it’s some sort of mental quirk that she doesn’t experience. I’ve embraced it, though. Whenever I’m doing something like solo camping or running through the woods at night, I like to enumerate terrifying scenarios and then when I get home, jot them into my notes app and sometimes stub them out into short stories that I submit to those scary story youtube channels or r/nosleep. Anyways, I’ve thought a lot about why I would have this fear reflex while others don’t. Doesn’t seem to be much explanation. I’m in my thirties. Embrace the thrill.

dnr 6y ago

Solo backpacking (i.e. in the backcountry, not campgrounds) is a very different experience than with friends. The first time I did a longer trip (6 days) solo, I was terrified for the first 24 hours, but then eased into it and ended up having a really good experience. It can be intense, though. Even after the fear passes, other strong emotions might come up. Overall I prefer going with friends but I'm glad I've done some long solo trips too.

titanomachy 6y ago
That sounds like a good experience. I'll have to try it someday.