Beer!Originally Posted by OneClick
Beer!
One of my latest tactics, thanks for Michigandave! I always thought it was too heavy, but he convinced me otherwise.
Yep. Takes the edge off those first night jitters.
I remember my first solo trip about 8 years ago to a local recreation area. Lots of people around the walk in campground but still my wife and family was worried about me. I figured since I had all this gear, no sense waiting for other people to go with me. If I did that, I'd never get out.
Now, I embrace going solo in good weather and enjoy getting out for 3 or 4 day trips. But, for winter trips, going in a group or having a partner is mandatory.
Once you have a comfort level, all is good!
Last edited by michigandave; 09-10-2018 at 20:23.
Winter solo is awesome. Who's gonna follow you in the snow with a tent or a hammock anyway? Very few people.
Last edited by Rouskof; 09-10-2018 at 17:04.
Nice pics Rouskoff.
Around here going solo for winter camping is not optimal. Some of the winter touring trips I've been on we wanted a minimum of four folks for several reasons. Trail breaking is plumb hard work and with several folks you can rotate the chore and have some R and R while you are at the back of the conga line. Safety is another reason for avalanche conditions and other mishaps that can happen on skis. On snow shoes it wouldn't be so critical, but trail breaking can still be a chore.
But the nastiest thing about winter is the way too long hours of darkness, yuck!
Dark at 4:40pm...now what? That's rough, and usually calls for a bedtime on par of a 4-year-old.
Hanging out in camp is the primary reason I go hiking. I hike to camp so when I get to a campsite, the fun has only begun.
First, I take my Sven saw and find as many deadfalls as possible which hasn't been tough given all the hurricanes in recent years. I typically cut enough wood to last at least 6 hours.
Second, I set up my hammock and get the campsite all clean and ready.
Then I light the fire and go get cleaned up for the night. I wash my hiking clothes, take a sponge bath and change into my sleeping clothes.
Finally, the party begins. I bring at least a 1/2 liter of Tito's vodka per night, just in case. I have a little transistor radio if no one is around which is typically the case. I can listen to games out of Atlanta or music from the smaller mountain stations.
Cooking dinner is always fun as I like to be as creative as possible. Cooking can take 30-45 minutes at least.
The point is, I am never just sitting around. After dinner and hanging out, I like to take a 10-11 pm stroll through the woods. If the night is bright enough, I don't even need to use a flashlight.
But as far as fear, what is there to be afraid of? Coyotes and black bears get an undeserved reputation. Never in the history of the U.S. has an adult been killed by a coyote. And black bears are nothing more than big raccoons.
The more you get into the wild, the more comfortable you will become, especially when camping solo. The key is to keep yourself busy and time will fly by.
Last edited by cneill13; 09-11-2018 at 08:24.
I don't think you need to fear black bears but maybe a little more respect than this. Incidents have and do happen. I've never heard of a raccoon pulling someone out of their tent for a snickers bar they forgot in their pocket.
Once you're lost in twilight's blue, you don't find your way, the way finds you.
Not that many threads on Hammock Forums that hold my interest for 6 pages like this one has. I've enjoyed re-reading it, taking something new away every time. It keeps generating new thoughts, which is a mark of its quality I think, and a mark of the quality of this community too.
First, I'd like to acknowledge OP's mention of **** (ha ha the forum won't let me type shorthand for Richard...) Proenneke. If you haven't learned his story and if you appreciate the outdoors, take some time to read and watch. He was like an early bushcrafting Shug, only he had to film in the wilderness with actual film. It makes one appreciate digital media that much more. He spent 30 years mostly alone, so there may be a nugget or two in his experience for others: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJKd0rkKss.
In Shug's video he mentions something that also worked for me when I started to go solo back in the early 90s. For some reason my brain is wired such that after I make a decision, I am usually able to carry forth without constantly revisiting it. And although I am in no way a spiritual or religous person (no belief in fate, karma, or a hand of God, etc.) I do believe that the world is chaotic enough that trying to control everything is a futile pursuit. So the hard part for me is deciding to go out alone. After that, the rest is just stuff that happens, and I have confidence that I am smart enough and tough enough and have prepared enough to deal with it. And if not, so be it. Once you step onto the trail solo, the die is cast as they say, and you just play the hand you're dealt.
I spent a good chunk of my career flying a lot for work. For several years between 150,000 and 250,000 miles a year. I've been on a lot of planes and in that time I've been on a few that didn't work the way people expected them to. While these things were happening I recall being pretty calm ... the nervous part for me is long before I book the flight. Once I decide that the reward for the trip is valuable enough and book the ticket, after I walk through the door of the plane everything else is out of my hands and I am somehow able to not worry about it. I have faith in engineers and pilot training and that the odds of a failure are low. So I sit down, text my family that I love them, and don't let anything else get to me.
The beauty and the curse of a solo trip is that you have control of everything. Feel like giving up and turning around? No one is going to try and talk you out of it. Feel like trying a new trail? No one is going to point out danger that you might have missed. On the flip side, if you just feel like stopping early at a beautiful campsite instead of going all the way to the planned spot, no one is going to complain. And it's that freedom that is the key. OP asked what we do to fill the time and many of us put in all kinds of great suggestions. But if I think about it, I'd go back and answer this way: I do what needs doing. Sometimes a site needs tidying, sometimes it's perfect as is. Sometimes I gather some wood for a fire, sometimes I don't need to. Sometimes I spend time searching for perfect trees and sometimes they pop right out as soon as I stop. Sometimes I read. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes I cook a multi-course meal. Sometimes I eat a granola bar and stare at the stars. In Fall I often look at leaves on the ground and enjoy the colors. One time I decided to stack twigs into piles because twigs were there and needed piling at that moment. I guess if I really think about it, it's learning to deal with true freedom and having confidence in your abilities to overcome obstacles that is hard. Finding stuff to do in the woods is easy.
Last edited by Grumpy Squatch; 09-11-2018 at 09:07. Reason: Forum censorship.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades; shoe makers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch, and the dentist hangs out a gold tooth; but up in the Mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there He makes men.
- Daniel Webster
Originally I gave concrete suggestions for things to do, but the more I read and think about it, the more I believe there is value in doing "nothing" for a time, especially in the woods. But "nothing" = watching, listening, feeling, which is certainly not nothing, and is very beneficial in ways that may not be apparent.
(As an aside, Grumpy Squatch, I just drove through Franconia Notch on the way home from VT, and after reading up on it, appreciate your signature quote even more!)
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