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Is camping alone ok?

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  • #31
    Re: Is camping alone ok?

    Originally posted by stewardc View Post
    Hey all,

    I wanted to clarify my original statement a bit when I said you have to be careful camping. I didn't say, don't go camping, but just to be aware out there. Especially if you are a female. I am a male and if it wasn't for my partner (a female), I would have said don't worry about it.

    But after talking to her and hearing stories about guys following her (stalking her) while hiking and the like it made me change my mind a bit. The second piece of information is my experience talking with fish and wildlife state troopers who always made the point that many of the people they run into out there fishing, hunting and camping have criminal records. That's where my quote "Even convicts recreate" came from.

    I believe that everyone should go camping, but like anything, be aware of your surroundings. Heck we were at a trailhead a couple of weeks ago and someone broke the window of our car to steel our kids diaper bag. Maybe it's out here in Oregon where we live that has more than it's share of wierdo's?

    Goog to be involved in the discussion.

    dave

    Dave, you're being all practical and on topic and stuff.

    We've gotten way off topic here.

    What are friends for? :D

    Comment


    • #32
      Re: Is camping alone ok?

      Originally posted by James. View Post
      No doubt about it. There are lots of benefits to camping alone. A lot of times I just enjoy the solitude and not having to worry about what others may or may not be doing or want to do.
      That is pretty much how it works for me. At first it was a matter that no one else wanted to go with me but now I enjoy and prefer being on my own, by myself without having to deal with someone else's wants and needs. Pretty much why I'm single too.

      I'm female, 5'2". I've traveled all over the country on my own, camped, kayaked, ski..all by myself. I take precautions, carry pepper spray and basically try not to do anything stupid. I also come off as not being all that friendly so I probably scare a lot of people too.

      Comment


      • #33
        Re: Is camping alone ok?

        Originally posted by toedtoes View Post
        Ah, but the HOOK HAND MAN (as well as the Jasons, Michaels, etc.) only go after the horny teenagers. Solo campers are pretty much invisible to such wilderness dangers.
        So true. So true. and, of course, the minority guy is always the first to go so your risk quotient is higher if you are in one of those groups and worst of all if you belong to both group. Cheerleaders always get the worst treatment in the end.

        Comment


        • #34
          Re: Is camping alone ok?

          double post
          Last edited by NYCgrrl; 08-05-2014, 05:26 AM.
          2017:

          July 3 to July 16- annual kiddo trip
          Aug 2 to Aug 14- adult trip to recover from kiddos' outing. Bring on the Campari!



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          • #35
            Re: Is camping alone ok?

            Originally posted by Mike View Post
            So true. So true. and, of course, the minority guy is always the first to go so your risk quotient is higher if you are in one of those groups and worst of all if you belong to both group. Cheerleaders always get the worst treatment in the end.
            Blonde cheerleaders= Jason meat.
            2017:

            July 3 to July 16- annual kiddo trip
            Aug 2 to Aug 14- adult trip to recover from kiddos' outing. Bring on the Campari!



            Comment


            • #36
              Re: Is camping alone ok?

              Originally posted by stewardc View Post
              Hey all,

              I wanted to clarify my original statement a bit when I said you have to be careful camping. I didn't say, don't go camping, but just to be aware out there. Especially if you are a female. I am a male and if it wasn't for my partner (a female), I would have said don't worry about it.

              But after talking to her and hearing stories about guys following her (stalking her) while hiking and the like it made me change my mind a bit. The second piece of information is my experience talking with fish and wildlife state troopers who always made the point that many of the people they run into out there fishing, hunting and camping have criminal records. That's where my quote "Even convicts recreate" came from.

              I believe that everyone should go camping, but like anything, be aware of your surroundings. Heck we were at a trailhead a couple of weeks ago and someone broke the window of our car to steel our kids diaper bag. Maybe it's out here in Oregon where we live that has more than it's share of wierdo's?

              Goog to be involved in the discussion.

              dave
              I think being aware of your surroundings is just a simple fact of life. Being out camping doesn't increase the odds of these things happening over going grocery shopping. I could throw out more examples that happened in my home town than I could things that happened at campgrounds.
              “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

              Comment


              • #37
                Re: Is camping alone ok?

                Being a victim of assault is something like being attacted by a shark. The more hungry sharks you swim with, the greater the danger.

                When you go camping in the forest or even at a campgrounds, the population you are dealing with are so small to begin with that the number of "Bad People" is miniscule.

                You are at much greater risk being in a largely populated city with more criminals than you are in the wilderness.
                Last edited by Mike; 08-05-2014, 11:42 AM.

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                • #38
                  Re: Is camping alone ok?

                  A 9mm in the pocket is worth 2 birds in the bush, or something like that. :-)

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    Re: Is camping alone ok?

                    Originally posted by Malamute View Post
                    I'll just throw this out here,....

                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olEbwhWDYwM
                    Originally posted by toedtoes View Post
                    I think being aware of your surroundings is just a simple fact of life. Being out camping doesn't increase the odds of these things happening over going grocery shopping. I could throw out more examples that happened in my home town than I could things that happened at campgrounds.
                    Originally posted by Mike View Post
                    Being a victim of assault is something like being attacted by a shark. The more hungry sharks you swim with, the greater the danger.

                    When you go camping in the forest or even at a campgrounds, the population you are dealing with are so small to begin with that the number of "Bad People" is miniscule.

                    You are at much greater risk being in a largely populated city with more criminals than you are in the wilderness.
                    Of course it doesn't. The difference is that at he grocery store help is (theoretically) minutes away. When you are out camping the cops are much further away.
                    “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                    – E. B. White

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Re: Is camping alone ok?

                      Originally posted by James. View Post
                      Of course it doesn't. The difference is that at he grocery store help is (theoretically) minutes away. When you are out camping the cops are much further away.
                      True, but the odds of needing the cops (for people-crime issues, not injury issues) are also much lower than at the grocery store (which isn't that high either).

                      My point is that if you don't do things because of a fear of a very slight risk, you won't do anything ever. Travel, camping, etc. isn't any more dangerous alone than it is with a spouse, friend, etc. It might actually be less dangerous (in most cases) because you don't ignore your instincts. A lot of married women think that having a man with them is all the protection they need and they don't pay attention to what's going on around them or they ignore their spidey senses because "no one's going to bother me with my husband right here".
                      “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Re: Is camping alone ok?

                        An incident this past March keeps coming to mind with this thread. I went to a national forest campground for a few days of outdoors. I arrived the first day on my own and was expecting a friend to arrive late on the second day. When I arrived, there were 2 campsites in use - one was packing up to leave. That first day and night, it was just me and a male solo camper about 1/2-way down the same stretch (just one big loop). The male camper stopped by my site and asked if I could keep an eye on his gear as he had to go into town - I said sure. He came back a few hours later and thanked me.

                        The next day, I went about my business. We passed here and there and said hello and chatted a bit. That evening, my friend arrived. Later that night, after dark, my friend and I took the dogs for a walk around the campground. There were no other campers until we were getting towards the guy's site. The site before his was now in use. There was a boat on a trailer, a couple vehicles, and 2 couples sitting out by their fire listening to the radio. As we walked by, they hollered out "hello". We replied and went on our way.

                        As we were passing the solo camper's site, he saw us and came rushing over. He told us that he was packing up and leaving because of the crazy people at the other campsite. He heard their music and saw the large campfire and decided they were partyers and that they were going to come into his site to fight with him. He had packed up everything but his tent at that point. I told him that it was just 2 couples and they seemed to just be hanging out relaxing like we were. After several minutes of discussion, he decided that maybe he would stick it out for the night, but he was very concerned for his safety.

                        As we walked back to our campsite, I asked my friend "should I be more concerned about those campers? As I being careless?" She laughed. The 2 couples did absolutely nothing to make a person think "they're going to get me", but this guy had that in his head from the moment they arrived - without ever even getting a look at them or their campsite. Yet, he had no hesitation approaching me, a solo female camper - he didn't think that I might feel threatened by a stranger approaching me at my campsite; but he was threatened by people enjoying their own campsite.
                        “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          Re: Is camping alone ok?

                          Good points. ^^ (No 40)

                          Many of the bad situations people find themselves in, are the result of letting it be easy for the bad guy (this from the mouths of many bad guys). Simply paying attention to the basic things going on around ourselves can keep you ahead of the curve, rather than trying to catch up and figure out what the heck is going on when things start to go sideways. It's not about "living in fear" or any such nonsense, it simply paying attention to what goes on around us as a regular thing.

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                          • #43
                            Re: Is camping alone ok?

                            Originally posted by toedtoes View Post
                            True, but the odds of needing the cops (for people-crime issues, not injury issues) are also much lower than at the grocery store (which isn't that high either).

                            My point is that if you don't do things because of a fear of a very slight risk, you won't do anything ever. Travel, camping, etc. isn't any more dangerous alone than it is with a spouse, friend, etc. It might actually be less dangerous (in most cases) because you don't ignore your instincts. A lot of married women think that having a man with them is all the protection they need and they don't pay attention to what's going on around them or they ignore their spidey senses because "no one's going to bother me with my husband right here".
                            I totally agree with you. It is all about managing the danger. Obviously a big part of that is recognition and evaluation.

                            You don't want to be afraid of everything (like the guy in your story) but at the same time you don't want to be afraid of nothing. Like it or not there are bad people in the world we have to look out for.

                            I don't own a gun and have never even had a desire to own a gun...until I started camping. Like I said, in the city the cops are minutes away but in the woods you are on your own. To me that means being able to respond with deadly force if I need to protect my family. Most likely it would just be extra weight for the rest of my life.....but better to have and not need than need and not have.

                            Again, to me it is all about managing the risks.
                            “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                            – E. B. White

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              Re: Is camping alone ok?

                              The story goes that when you need cops in seconds, they are only minutes away. True for everywhere we go. Each has to decide for themselves, but everywhere I go that is legal (and that is most places I go), there's a little 9mm in my pocket. Nobody even knows its there, and who knows, it might be useful some day.


                              Saying that, you can't go around being afraid of everything. You are right that there are far less "bad people" out in the woods. But, when they are there, it can be a lot worse than when you run across one in a city environment.

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                Re: Is camping alone ok?

                                The one problem with a gun is that you have to be willing and able to shoot someone (or something) with it. I live alone as well as camp alone and I have come to the realization that for me "getting the heck out of dodge" is a much better survival plan than standing firm with a gun. The gun doesn't make me feel safer.

                                For others, the gun may give them the security they need.
                                “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

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