Wild Camping Alone

[Man of Malpais]

I was not sure which forum to post this on. This forum seemed the most appropriate

I've just purchased my first hammock + tarp with a view to exploring the increased wild camping possibilities which hammock camping allows. I've done a fair bit of wild camping with friends but now I plan to do something I've never done before - solo wild camping in what wilderness there is here in Ireland. I have to admit that I am both excited and aprehensive about this idea. My aprehension centres around two issues:

1) What happens if I become ill in a isolated location (possibly at night and no phone signal etc)?

Logic tells me that this is unlikely to happen given my health, the amount of time I'll be away and the laws of probability etc but....

2) STRANGER DANGER: What happens if I'm discovered by one or more people (psychos/hooligans) who wish to do me harm (possibly at night and no phone signal etc)

Again logic tells me that I will be camping in remote places, a good hike from the nearest road, where I'll meet few enough people during the day (and most of them are hikers and sound as a pound) and there is very little likelyhood of there being anyone around at night except me. I remind myself that the drink and drug addled, boy-racer, littering scumbags who unfortunately still harbour some hankering for contact with the natural world in their little pea brains, tend not to stray too far from where they can get to in their cars.

but...

But I still have niggling reservations. I know, I sound like a complete chicken but I'm not, Really!! I rode a motorbike for years for God's sake! I'm just a naturally cautious person whose caution has been compounded somewhat by the responsibility of having children. (Oh, and probably over-exposure to an alarmist media)

Anyway, I'm looking for people's thoughts, advice and experiences of wild camping alone. Has anyone ever been discovered and troubled by other people? Anyone ever got ill while they were out alone?

[Martin]

No on both counts. :)

Watch out for the leprechauns though!! Little bleeders will have your throat as quick as look at you!!! ;)

Martin

[jbrown14]

This is what I do when I hike alone:

1) Leave a detailed itinerary with someone you trust including a time by which you will contact them, and the emergency number that that person should call if they don't hear from you at the appointed time. Stick to the itinerary so any rescuers can more easily find you, don't deviate.

2) You answered your second doubt with the paragraph following it. Be assured that the farther you get away from roads and civilized areas, the more likely it is that any folks you do run into will be like-minded individuals bent only on enjoying nature.

As for the other questions:

Has anyone ever been discovered and troubled by other people?
I've met some troubling people when out, but not in the criminal sense... I once had the pleasure of meeting a lovely elderly woman who had been hiking most of her 85 plus years, and had a penchant for nude swimming. I managed to be on the other side of the lake while she partook of the waters.

Anyone ever got ill while they were out alone?
No. When hiking with a group; I've been ill, and had others around me become ill or injured, though. Just be prepared, and have fun. It's not all as dark and foreboding as some would like us to think. :D

Enjoy!

Josh

[Marvell]

You're never really on your own, you're just further away from the next man than normal. The only time you're truly alone is if you're far enough away from contacting someone that you'll die before you reach them, be it in person or by some other method of communication.

The world can become very small if illness or injury are involved. Whilst preparing for a bicycle ride, one might calculate that one is only every about, say, 45 minutes from a road, but this is the wrong metric; distance is the only constant and timings are best taken against walking. A twisted ankle is going to cause much problem here too. I've been writing about this recently. Here's a link to the first article in the series. SAR Starting Points (http://blog.artandscienceofsurvival.com/2012/03/sar-starting-point-one.html)

It's worth considering that there are two ways out, those being Self and SAR. Self rescue requires you to know where you are and be able to get to civilisation, or at least phone signal. Preparation here involves a little research and route adaptation before, as Josh say, you log a route with someone, which more SAR oriented. When planning long treks, I always ensure we have many bug out routes along the way and a clear idea about phone coverage as well as logging a route with what might only be a party member's girlfriend, who we phone in the evening. One has to accept that if one does not want to keep regular contact, then one might find oneself in the cack for a while.

With more preparation, we give ourself a better chance, and the closer we plan for the worst, the better. When cycling, I don't tend to go far off road, but still carry not only a puncture repair kit, but basic tools and a few spare chain links and a link key, having had snappidge before. A well maintained bike should not suffer too badly, but a branch in the chain might cause a bad kink, say.

What's the worst that can happen, you might wonder. Tackle those first and things will become a lot easier. Illness is so unlikely over short trips, but good food and water management will help here. Injury from dangerous activities can me mitigated with safety equipment. Planning for poor weather is simple. Good equipment, good skills and good preparation are all key. First aid kit, waterproofs, warm clothes, map, compass, whistle, etc. are all essential in making the best of a bad situation.

If you're really worried, carry a personal locator beacon.

[Martin]

Seriously, I had chronic diarrhoea at the top of Slieve Donard last year. It was not a pleasant episode but I just had to deal with it. I got myself down eventually, albeit very gingerly.

If we worry about getting ill when we're out, we wouldn't go anywhere. Unless you have an existing medical condition I wouldn't spend any more time worrying about that.

I would seriously be more worried about getting attacked by some yobbo in the middle of town than I would about being attacked in the middle of nowhere. Let's face it, you would have to be pretty unlucky to find the wrong person, at the wrong time and in the wrong place all at once wouldn't you?

If you're planning on taking a hammock, tarp etc I guess you won't be planning on walking too far so your escape route will be the quickest way back to your car. If the s**t really did hit the fan, you just leave your kit behind and walk back.

Hey, what's the worst that could happen? Get out there and enjoy yourself. :)

Martin

[Marvell]

Get out there and enjoy yourself. :)

Damn right!

[AndyE]

I've been wild camping all over Ireland for the past twenty odd years , mostly solo and i've never had any bother at all .
Even camped beside a tinker site at Bannow in Wexford never had any hassle from them . in fact they were very friendly

Andy

[Man of Malpais]

If we worry about getting ill when we're out, we wouldn't go anywhere. Unless you have an existing medical condition I wouldn't spend any more time worrying about that.

I would seriously be more worried about getting attacked by some yobbo in the middle of town than I would about being attacked in the middle of nowhere. Let's face it, you would have to be pretty unlucky to find the wrong person, at the wrong time and in the wrong place all at once wouldn't you?

Yeah. You're right on all counts. I've already had an internal conversation about the balance of probabilities etc.


If you're planning on taking a hammock, tarp etc I guess you won't be planning on walking too far so your escape route will be the quickest way back to your car. If the s**t really did hit the fan, you just leave your kit behind and walk back.
Martin

No. Quite the opposite. I plan to get as far away from my car and roads and car parks as possible. In alot of cases I won't even bring my car. I'll be getting a bus to my starting point and hiking from there. Or perhaps mountain biking it. Either which way, I plan to get as remote as it is possible to get in a small country like Ireland.

[Man of Malpais]

No on both counts. :)

Watch out for the leprechauns though!! Little bleeders will have your throat as quick as look at you!!! ;)

Martin

You can joke but they're real ye know!

[Man of Malpais]

This is what I do when I hike alone:

1) Leave a detailed itinerary with someone you trust including a time by which you will contact them, and the emergency number that that person should call if they don't hear from you at the appointed time. Stick to the itinerary so any rescuers can more easily find you, don't deviate.

2) You answered your second doubt with the paragraph following it. Be assured that the farther you get away from roads and civilized areas, the more likely it is that any folks you do run into will be like-minded individuals bent only on enjoying nature.

As for the other questions:

Has anyone ever been discovered and troubled by other people?
I've met some troubling people when out, but not in the criminal sense... I once had the pleasure of meeting a lovely elderly woman who had been hiking most of her 85 plus years, and had a penchant for nude swimming. I managed to be on the other side of the lake while she partook of the waters.

Anyone ever got ill while they were out alone?
No. When hiking with a group; I've been ill, and had others around me become ill or injured, though. Just be prepared, and have fun. It's not all as dark and foreboding as some would like us to think. :D

Enjoy!

Josh

Yeah. Sound advice. I plan, also, to bring bring a GPS unit and mobile phone and sms my GPS coordinates back to "civilization" every now and then when I can get a signal.

That 85 year old sounds like a great carachter. I was watching the national news on our state run television staion here in Ireland this evening and they did a lttile item on a man who is due to become Ireland's latest centenarian tommorow. He's an amazing man. He could pass for a fit 75. He still drives and brings his dog for walks. They showed him striding to his car (not hobbling). The best bit is that he gave up smoking when he was 75 and drinking when he was 80! In Ireland you get a cheque for a grand from the state if you make it to 100. He's spending his on a big party.

[Tony1948]

But and it's a big but, DONT GET EATEN BY THE BEARS Lol..................TONY. Good luck,and have fun.

[treefrog]

But and it's a big but, DONT GET EATEN BY THE BEARS Lol..................TONY. Good luck,and have fun.

At least you guys don't have that problem over there. Every place we camp over here has no cell phone service and bears.

Hope you get out there and do some epic wild-camping, Man of Malpais.

[happybonzo]

I've only had one nasty experience and that was a Wolverine bumping into the side of the tent.
But I don't think there are many Wolverines in Eire so go out and enjoy yourself :)

[Man of Malpais]

But and it's a big but, DONT GET EATEN BY THE BEARS Lol..................TONY. Good luck,and have fun.

Ha Ha. Unlikely to happen unless I go camping in the zoo! I could fall fowl of an angry badger though.

[jbrown14]

I was watching the national news on our state run television staion here in Ireland this evening and they did a lttile item on a man who is due to become Ireland's latest centenarian tommorow. He's an amazing man. He could pass for a fit 75. He still drives and brings his dog for walks. They showed him striding to his car (not hobbling). The best bit is that he gave up smoking when he was 75 and drinking when he was 80! In Ireland you get a cheque for a grand from the state if you make it to 100. He's spending his on a big party.

Wow! Great for him! Gave me a good smile first thing this morning. Thanks. :D

The old lady I met was quite the character, she was camping near to where I had my hammock set up and came over to visit while I was cooking dinner. I really enjoyed when we both sat with our backs up against a couple of trees and I mostly just listened to her speaking of her experiences in the mountains of New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. She really was remarkable, and still quite active.

As far as being prepared for getting out by yourself, you've got to ride a fine line between common sense and paranoia. You don't want to carry too much kit, but you want to make sure that you'll be prepared for nearly any scenario with the kit you're planning on carrying. It's never so much what you have in your pack, but what you've done and learned before hand that prepares you for the hike as well. Push your limits, but have a plan.

Marvell's article is great. Good example in there of a simple "flight plan." If I'm going on a multi-day hike of many miles, I leave a copy of the map with my wife with the route hilited, the Emergency Dispatch number for the Department of Environmental Conservation (The DEC), and the name and phone number of the Forest Ranger who is in charge of the part of the Adirondack park where I'll be hiking. I tell her, if you don't hear from me by "X" time on "X" day. Call this number and give them the details. I've spoken with the head of the DEC here in New York who says that for the way that their SAR is set up, my method of notification is nearly ideal; short of using a PLB.

Have fun out there!

Josh

[bikebum1975]

But and it's a big but, DONT GET EATEN BY THE BEARS Lol..................TONY. Good luck,and have fun.

Easy solution to that one bring a partner that is slower at running than you are :D LMAO


Meh I never was worried bout the outdoors or scared as some might put it. Not worried bout the 2 legged nuts either I got axes and knives with me when I go out LOL

Go out and have a good time

[comanighttrain]

You'll be fine...they seem to portray the outdoors as some sort of hostile environment where if you get a sniffle you'll drop dead...

1) yep. Nearly had to spend the night in the woods, I was dizzy and nauseus and nearly couldn't make it to the bus (which was several miles away). I'd be fine though as I was prepared with extra food and emergency camp gear... Also it was summer, so a night out would have been pretty tame anyway.

2) You're highly unlikely to meet any "hardcases" in the woods. Strangely enough the lack of warm beds, heated pubs and transport keeps them away.

Get out and enjoy it!

[HillBill]

2) STRANGER DANGER: What happens if I'm discovered by one or more people (psychos/hooligans) who wish to do me harm (possibly at night and no phone signal etc)


These folk you mention believe it or not are more scared of going in the woods at night that we would ever be. They are urban idiots as a general rule, the woods at night is the safest place anyone could be in this country. Yes, i'd say safer than your own home. Unless of course your daft enough to camp under a beech tree in a gale :)