Fear of going alone to the forest, nature, etc.

[Misty Avich]

I remember one time I was walking with my mum in the woods, on a bright sunny day. The sounds of nature was welcoming.
But then we saw this man lurking about among the undergrowth, where you wouldn't really walk, and he didn't look like he was looking for a dog or anything. He might have just been there to explore, but something about him gave us the creeps and we made our way out of the woods and back into civilization.

My uncle said he was walking in the woods once on a golden summer's evening, just to enjoy the peacefulness of nature. But he came across a group of obnoxious teenagers smoking weed, and although he's a grown man he still felt intimidated by them, as they began shouting rude insults at him, and you have to be careful around teenagers these days because they seem renowned for carrying knives on them.

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

My uncle died solo hiking in the desserts of Peru, it even made the news. If you go out on your own in the wilderness, you're always risking your life.

If you get into a car, you are always risking your life. If you cross a street, you always are risking your life.

The most dangerous parts of the extensive real and true wilderness trips I take are driving to the put-in (canoe) and back.

Aurora, I think Forest Cat had some excellent advice. Just do a little at a time. And increase it as you feel more comfortable. Maybe start with just 10 minutes. (You've made it clear you are already aware of potential problems and how to avoid them.)

 

[Forest Cat]

My uncle said he was walking in the woods once on a golden summer's evening, just to enjoy the peacefulness of nature. But he came across a group of obnoxious teenagers smoking weed, and although he's a grown man he still felt intimidated by them, as they began shouting rude insults at him, and you have to be careful around teenagers these days because they seem renowned for carrying knives on them.

Yeah that's one thing I don't take any chances with, groups of teenagers. Nowadays some of them are worse than hyenas and knives is a problem. It's a real problem these days, too many kids are running wild, feral.

 

[thejuice]

If you get into a car, you are always risking your life. If you cross a street, you always are risking your life.

So what?

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

So what?

So, most things we do have risk. Going into the wilderness is not death as death defying as many suggest. Mostly all people hear about are the horror stories. There are others who do this regularly and it all turns out well. Some people bring children and teens on wilderness trips.

 

[Forest Cat]

Going into the wilderness is not death as death defying as many suggest.

I feel more safe in the forest here where I live than in a couple of crappy neighborhoods in the capital. The forest only has bears and wolves. There is a bigger chance I'll get problems in the capital.

 

[Jeff T]

The last couple of decades have seen quite a decline in remote camping in the regions I frequent. I remember in the 1970s it seemed like every backroad had several truck-campers and camper vans. One issue could be the increase in wildfires and the regulations regarding stoves and campfires? Another could be a more sedentary / computer game oriented society?
I've been camping/exploring for over 50 years, and have little issues with the rare times I've seen other people. A few creeped me out for some reason. I always have the pooches along- they keep a watch on the local territory. Bears etc have never been a problem as they prefer to run away from me in the boondocks- but bears in densely-camped areas ARE a problem. In grizzly country I do camp only in campgrounds tho.
There are a certain percentage of human predators among us. In areas that have a thousand people per square mile, you will have a few close by. In areas that have 3 people per square mile, the chance you have a predator near you is too small for me to get concerned about...?
Remember- if you are concerned about the other people out in the woods, they in turn may be concerned about YOU.

 

[Gerontius]

Forests are less scary for me than being in cities.

There's one place in the woods I don't go at night and it's trails in town. They are on an abandoned railroad grade and under a highway overpass. The homeless population and the drug addicts/gangsters with nothing productive to do will sometimes hang out there.

I do fear people attacking me, or motorists thinking I'm one of the homeless/gang folks, so I usually carry a staff about six feet long and an inch and a half diameter with the bark still on. A sufficient whoopin stick to dish out a whoopin. Knives are not my forte for defense, and pepper spray is best unless the wind is blowing back towards you.

A bicycle, believe it or not, is also good for defense against muggers. You can't get mugged as easily if you are moving at 12 mph and can outdistance him. Add a stick umbrella and if you smack someone with that, it adds the speed you're already going plus the speed of the blow. Essentially, jousting makes an unexpected comeback.

And even when I have met people there, they have never meant me harm and vice versa.

Woods are far safer than, say, a convenience store parking lot during the hours of stupid.

 

[Misty Avich]

I used to think I'd be safe on a bike, but not any more. A few months ago a woman at work got pushed off her bike on her way home from work one afternoon by three thugs, and they took her bike and ran off with it. It was in a quiet place, though not a field or wooded area. The thugs never did get caught and as far as I know are still out there. They steal bikes to sell the parts, probably to get money for drugs.

I never thought that could even happen, to actually get your bike taken while you're riding it.

 

[AuAL]

I worry when I hear these sort of reports. There appears to be a significant breakdown occurring in the social compact between the young and the society they inhabit. When you look at the disparity in opportunities, compared to me at the same age, largely brought about by deliberate political policies, it does not appear entirely unjustified. But compared to my generation (admittedly a very much older one) we would not have dreamt of this sort of violation of social norms. (Other social norms were fair game, but not at the expense of bodily integrity.) I am not a sociologist, so I have no answers as to the specific factors that have brought about this decline in shared social values, but generational disadvantage, I suspect, has a part to play. But when the only solution is to go armed, something has fundamentally broken.

 

[thejuice]

So, most things we do have risk. Going into the wilderness is not death as death defying as many suggest. Mostly all people hear about are the horror stories. There are others who do this regularly and it all turns out well. Some people bring children and teens on wilderness trips.

It all depends on various factors.

 

[Forest Cat]

Forests are less scary for me than being in cities.

I saw a documentary about the forest years ago, it was called "Deliverance", the forest can be a scary place.

 

[Judge]

Interesting thread. For all the times I've ventured into the forest around Lake Tahoe with my cousin, I don't think we ever gave much thought to our personal safety. Despite a very well publicized account of having to coexist with bears. If you're wondering, nope....we've seen a lot of critters over the years, but just not any bears. Works for me!

But venturing out into certain areas of the Reno/Tahoe metropolitan area....sure some of them do carry a higher degree of risk. Not of animals, but our own species.

 

[Misty Avich]

We don't have wild bears in the UK, just obnoxious teenagers and homeless drug-addicts that can make the most beautiful places the most dangerous.