midnight hanging creeps

[Wanderlost]

...

The same as Mimstrel said. I'm more concerned with deer than I am bears. Over the years I've been accustomed to the sounds...except cicaedas. A random encounter with a startled deer, especially a buck, scares me more than anything. Generally, animals keep away. The problem when you have a hiker (or you are the hiker) who accidently sets up over a game trail. A hapless deer tromps along on autopilot and bumps into your set up. If you have never seen a deer thrash when it's startled, it's something. They can whoop your butt just as quickly as a bed..and bucks have more pointy things than a bear. I have a buddy who got pretty beat up by a trapped and frightened deer a few years ago. They will leave a hurting on ya.

[OlTrailDog]

The same as Mimstrel said. I'm more concerned with deer than I am bears. Over the years I've been accustomed to the sounds...except cicaedas. A random encounter with a startled deer, especially a buck, scares me more than anything. Generally, animals keep away. The problem when you have a hiker (or you are the hiker) who accidently sets up over a game trail. A hapless deer tromps along on autopilot and bumps into your set up. If you have never seen a deer thrash when it's startled, it's something. They can whoop your butt just as quickly as a bed..and bucks have more pointy things than a bear. I have a buddy who got pretty beat up by a trapped and frightened deer a few years ago. They will leave a hurting on ya.

One effective way to mitigate this, according to extensive research by NOLS when developing their lightweight version of an electric fencing system for G-bear resistant food storage, is to place a small LED light or lights that lets critters know you are out and about. At times when I have been camping in areas that are rather hinky I have used a small blinking red LED originally intended to help me know where my dog has wander off to at night.

[Chard]

The first 25 seconds of this clip say it all!

[tcar0341]

I served as an Infantry Marine for 6 years. That period of my life allowed me to spend a LOT of time in remote areas of the world. The thing that made those times of hardship memorable and enjoyable was the fact that I was always with a team or platoon. I was never alone and we always took turns sitting up on "watch" throughout the night. It allowed us to sleep soundly and rest our tired bodies.

Out here in "Civilian Wonderland", the thought of spending a night alone in the woods, even in a campground, kinda makes me skittish. I've never actually spent the night in the woods by myself. We are social creatures who benefit from the companionship of others.

That said, it seems that you're having a normal reaction to being alone in the woods. Bringing a dog would be a huge help if you cannot find a human companion. I have no desire to be in the woods alone and I'm comfortable with that.

All the best!


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[dunestunes]

Usually when I hike, it's by myself. Which means that usually when I camp it's by myself. At first it was out of necessity - just started backpacking/camping a couple of years ago, and no one I knew was into the idea of tagging along. But now I really enjoy the alone time. Even enjoy feeling skittish and vulnerable on occasion.

There's something existentially humbling about being totally alone and surrounded by living things that aren't burdened by mankind's pesky self-awareness. They're just going about their business existing, and you almost feel like you can do the same. For me it's a stress reliever. But I guess that's probably because people stress me out... which explains why I'll occasionally lie wide awake imagining some wacko stranger tiptoeing into my camp, but I rarely lose sleep over more valid concerns like a deer blundering into my hammock (has never occurred to me that this could happen) .

But definitely a dog. A dog is the best of both worlds. Comforting companionship without all that stressful, distracting humanity.

[dunestunes]

(I'm a little bit kidding about that very last part. I actually do like people.)

[KYHiker]

Black bears are really not a problem unless you ring their dinner bell by not cleaning up and hanging your food and other scented items (tooth paste and such) up 10ft and 4ft away from a tree trunk at least 50yards/paces away. Widow makers can be tamed by first observing your hang location in daylight (no night hiking to your camping spot) and bringing around 30ft of mule tape. You can tie the mule tape up over your tarp and double it back between the trees. At 1500lb breaking strength or more and doubled up, it will stop most larger branches from thumping you at night. All the smaller 4 legged critters want your food and not you. Your worst adversary are those two legged ones that creep around at night with a butcher knife! .... stop watching the slasher movies! Enjoy the crickets and for heaven's sake don't camp near the whip-or-wils unless you have some earplugs because they go ALL NIGHT LONG...