A Night In The Woods...

Justice-One

I just got back from a trip designed to conquer a fear. I have always been afraid to camp by myself in the deep woods, and last week I set out to change that. So I headed WAY out in the mountainess boonies, in the heart of Bigfoot country. (That famous Bigfoot "Patterson footage" shot at Bluff Creek was only about 20 miles away.)

First night was by far the worst. I set up camp, and brought in one crap load of firewood, then set out my perimeter. I put tripwires connected to 7.62 blank firing devices on two main game trails that were very close, and "rattle cans" (coffee cans with .45 slugs in them, connected to tripwires) about 30 feet around the camp at intervals in the brush. All was fine and dandy until the sun began to go down. Then the shadows came out. I sat in my camp chair with my .45 cocked and locked on my hip, and my M14 across my lap. And that is where I was when the sun came up. I did not get in the tent. I figured that it was an expensive 4 season tent, and that if one of my perimeter warnings went off in the middle of the night, I was probably going to rip the hell out of it trying to get out. So I just sat in the chair with the fire in front of me, and the small lantern beside me. I finally fell asleep, and only woke a few times. (And I only jumped up one time when I thought I heard something closeby.) The fire went out, but I let the lantern burn all night. I don't know whether that was good or bad, because of the creepy shadows it caused.

On saturday I scouted the area, and checked out some new areas I had programed into my GPS. It was cool to be able to just set the dang thing, and walk straight to an obscure spot in the mountains.

Next night. - I stayed up late reading. (My Krill 180 really came in handy, as it lights up a whole page.) Then went ahead and got in the tent. It had got pretty dang cold toward morning in that chair, even though I was wrapped in my poncho linner, and I realized I was probably being stupid for not using the tent. So I got in and zipped up, with my .45 on one side, and my rifle on the other. I slept all night with no problems. - Though the one time I got up to take a leak, that dang lantern was still throwing those creepy shadows.

So I survived. I must say that first night was the worst. The moon was only a sliver (God's Fingernail) and it was REAL dark. BTW - due to a forest fire about 75 miles away, there was a lot of smoke in the air. This caused the moon to look orange. It was very pretty. I had a real hard time keeping my imagination in check. But I knew that I had a pretty good perimeter around me, and that helped quite a bit. It also helped to read a quote that I keep in my wallet from the book Death In The A Shau Valley...." A LRRP team was sitting up their NDP (Night Defensive Position) when one of the old timers tries to calm the nerves of one of the FNG's. He whispers in his ear..."Don't worry. We may not be the baddest #@%fers in these woods, but the baddest #@%kers called me this morning - they wanted to make sure we were still friends."

serendipity

Hi Justice one,

was it worth all the work?

jwcol

I'd be more afraid of accidentally shooting myself.

restrangled

It all sounds like paranoia to me, why don't you get yourself a nice dog?

I'm afraid of spiders and would never put my self in a situation to confront them. I do keep a nice sized container of bug killer near at all times. (Problem solved as far as I'm concerned!)

Hope the trip was successful for you.

r.

Justice-One

was it worth all the work?

Work? What work?

Justice-One

It all sounds like paranoia to me,

Which part? I have been surprised by bears in the daytime...I did not want to be surprised by one at night. And though I am a hunter, I have no desire to shoot a bear or cougar unless I really had to. But I'm not going to let my fear of them, keep me out of the woods.

cognizant dissident

Hey, I think that was a totally BRAVE thing to do. I would be terrified too, once it was dark and you really realize you are alone and there is no 911 to call in an emergency. I hate to be afraid of things too, so I say kudos to you for facing your fear and conquering it. I hope I am brave enough to try that one day.

Cog

restrangled

Ok, so if you have no desire to shoot, what is the point of being out in the woods in absolute fear?

I camped many nights with my family in deep woods. The biggest fear was bad humans no animals. Why are you so afraid? You seem very capable of defending yourself.

r.

dilaceratus

Justice-One: I put tripwires connected to 7.62 blank firing devices on two main game trails that were very close, and "rattle cans" (coffee cans with .45 slugs in them, connected to tripwires) about 30 feet around the camp at intervals in the brush. All was fine and dandy until the sun began to go down. Then the shadows came out. I sat in my camp chair with my .45 cocked and locked on my hip, and my M14 across my lap.

As if necessary after the above insanity, more evidence that those with a pathological interest in their firearms are precisely those who ahould be kept the farthest away from them can be found here.

Justice-One: At one time I suffered from sleep apnea. They did a sleep study on me, and found that when I stopped breathing my O2 levels went dangeroulsy low. - Low enough to cause what the doctor called "Hypo Induced Hallucinations." Another name for this is "Night Terror" or "Waking Terror." Very scary stuff. It is basically having a nightmare while you are wide awake with your eyes open. One of my worst was when I awoke to see a man standing over my bed. He seemed COMPLETELY real. I jumped out of bed and took a swing at him, and he disapeared. Another common one was "waking" to see huge spiders all over the bed. Yet another was having the ceiling cave in on me. All VERY real. When I got my CPAP machine, this all stopped.

You do not seem to mention that, along with your other equipment, you brought along a 12-volt car battery to run your CPAP. Or did you not bring it with you? Or do you disagree with the medical literature that states that there is no cure for OSA?

Given your combination of fears, paranoia, artillery, and medical issues, it really appears that--rationally speaking-- those within firing range of you should be the ones suffering night terrors.

purplesofa

Sounds really cool..........I would love to do that some time.

When I lived in Texas, I put my roll away bed on the patio..........

and slept outside one night.

I slept like a baby..........nothing like going out in the woods

I was in the comfort of my backyard.

I read somewhere that when people sleep outside for long periods....I guess maybe due to war, or hunting trips, camping.

that sleeping indoors is difficult for awhile.

Thanks for sharing

purps

A Night In The Woods...

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