Here is Shug discussing sounds in the night. Occurs at Time Point : 5:17 Very Scary.
Here is Shug discussing sounds in the night. Occurs at Time Point : 5:17 Very Scary.
Like anything, it takes time.
Until you are used to sleeping in the wilderness, you won't be comfortable sleeping in the wilderness.
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"It turns out that what you have is less important than what you do with it"
Just what the doctor ordered!
Great thread you've started here, TheRollingRook.
I'm one of that group that knows that on an outing that my first night will not be as good a sleep as my second or third nights and just accept that. It helps when you hear that bear rumbling through the trees towards you to shine a light and see it's simply just an armadillo sniffing around for bugs.
Like has been said several times quite well already, time and experience can make a difference and knowing yourself and how you respond or react helps too.
The key is to get out, enjoy the time in the woods, and if that means solo isn't the best way, maybe a companion with either two legs or four makes sense.
All said, when in you mind you know you are at the top of the food chain, and the area you are in is secure, either by proximity to others or seclusion from them, there's nothing wrong with a little high carb aid to slumber. I know that a sweet dessert can knock me out almost as well as a cup from my favorite distillery. Almost.
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Hi, Megan!
It took a little adjusting in the first month but I only had 2 mornings when I woke up and had clearly slept wrong, and could barely walk. Except for those 2 experiences, it is the most comfortable sleep I have ever gotten. I cannot make any recommendations of whether or not it will help with your issues, because I have no clue. Though - my two cents, get an over-sized hammock. Keep your bed around for a while so you can bail if you just can't get comfortable while you're getting used to it. Sleep diagonally in it, and experiment a lot. I can now comfortably sleep on my side, stomach, or back. For the first couple months I think it was back only.
So, from my own experience, it takes no more time to adjust to a hammock that it takes to adjust to a tent. Personally I never have learned to enjoy a tent, no matter where (and how hard) I've tried to sleep, there was ALWAYS a rock or tree roots digging into the middle of my back. It's very close to the comfort level you enjoy in a bed. Good luck!
Camping in the forest is terrifying - no way around it. You're out there with a piece of freaking nylon between you and whatever is out there, and you don't stand a chance. Cavemen figured out that this wasn't smart - and that's why they went into CAVES to sleep. You'll never get over it; in fact it'll get worse as your experience grows. I was once surrounded by a pack of 20 starving, wild dogs in the Pine Barrens, and I spent 2 days up one of the trees I hung from. And let's not even get into the psychos that are out there.
It's just practice. My first few nights on the AT were weird and I was conscious of every sound and whisper of wind. By the end of it you don't pay even notice the breeze
I have been solo backpacking and canoe camping for more than 40 years, most of the time in the wilderness areas of the eastern U.S. I have always considered what wildlife encounters I might have and try to use practices that will minimize them, particularly with black bears, which would be most problematic. That being said, the first night out on each trip is always different than the subsequent nights. I rationalize the situation by knowing I have done everything I can to avoid unwanted encounters. I find staying awake after dark, familiarizing myself with the sounds of the forest where I am camped is helpful. I also have a high pitch whistle, an air horn and pepper spray if needed.
"Everyone must believe in something. I believe I'll go canoeing."
- Henry David Thoreau
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