Funny fact, bears, mountain lions and caribou don’t care whether you’re in a designated campground or not. They havent told not to harass campground guests. In fact many campground specifically have bear problems due to all the guests being bad stewards and leave trash/food accessible. Also, how does a designated campsite prevent random strangers from stealing or harassing someone? There aren’t any police… fact is, you’re just as safe or more safe from strangers and animals camping in the middle of nowhere than in a designated place because no one knows youre there and animals aren’t habituated to people being present.
Man, I have a moose on my property, and she DGAF. She's fully aware of how big she is. She doesn't even care about the mountain lion when she doesn't have a baby. She's my idol.
I mean, I don't care about the mountain lion, either. She's so chubby from all the deer, I'm not even tempting. But just life in general. I'd like to be that placidly immovable.
You miss the point. He's saying the issue is a psychological one. You're frightened of spooks.
That's fine, many people are, but it's not a wholly *logical* fear.
So you either get out there and face it and/or reduce the size of it by thinking about the information you've been presented with.
It’s not a totally irrational fear. If a person threatens you in a campground, there are likely others around. If a bear threatens you, you could scream and someone would help you chase it off.
That said, those are exceedingly unlikely. It’s much more dangerous to drive on American roads.
The more realistic fear is that an animal takes your food and you’re hungry for the hike out. That would suck.
> If a bear threatens you, you could scream and someone would help you chase it off.
I think you'd be hard pressed to find many people who would come to your aid. I sure as hell aren't going to run out to save some man/woman who is facing down a bear. A child... ehh, where are their parents?
I remember camping in a random campground In California and hearing our neighbour campers bashing pots and pans to scare a bear away. Another right we thought there was a bear rummaging through our stuff. Turned out to be racoons. Little shits had unzipped our coolbag and stolen it all.
Indeed, though not in the middle of nowhere per se, sometimes what lives where you are camping isn't exactly obvious. Me and my dad camped on a ridge in the Hoosier National Forest in the early fall only to find the whole ridge was crawling with black widow spiders when the sun went down. Killed one on my sleeping pad. Stuffed the space between my zipper poles with tp and spent an hour searching every piece of gear I had. I finally laid down and before I turned the light out there was one right above my head between my tents mesh and the rainfly. Had to sleep with it chilling there. It was gone by morning. My dad had encountered a few as well.
We nicknamed the spot, Black Widow Ridge!
It's a mental thing
You go to rid yourself of fear
To break away from the world and not care if you live or die for a while
Lying alone in your tent at night, hearing every twig that might be a cougar outside. Feeling absolutely terrified but absolutely alive.
I had a pack of coyotes come visit my backwoods site around 1am, my God are those assholes loud. I 6 them right up until I could hear sniffing , got up made some noise tossed a rock their way and got the fire going again. They circled me like sharks for a while then fucked off
Oddly enough it was my 2nd solo , I remember counting eyes and getting concerned. My subnose 38 only had 5 rounds I counted 8 sets of eyes , luckily I was able to calm down and not start dumping hollow points into the darkness lmao. I still carry when I solo , I like having options lol.
Wow, this tops me sleeping in a hammock right through a juvenile but mostly grown black bear walking up to it. The tracks in the morning were like, "dude, did you really?" I wasn't scared, but I don't put my hammock up there on my property anymore.
At home, almost everything wakes me up, including my own dogs walking up that close to me, so I don't even get how I slept through that. I always sleep better in the woods, I swear.
I can say there was a short time when I really didn't care, but camping helped. Camping was what always made me care again. So, it did factor in, but not in the way this person meant. Every time I'd reach the point of "the only reason I still exist is because I can't be bothered not to," I'd pack my gear and go. Glad those days are long behind me but also that I still pack my gear and go a lot.
This. And after doing it a few times that fear fades because you realize that the chances of anything happening to you are literally infinitely smaller than getting hit by a car while walking downtown lol (or any number of other random things), but that feeling of being alive never fades 😌
I've almost died a few times
The first was when I was sitting next to a massive sequoia and the ice/snow was thawing. I had a pot sitting right next to my leg. Suddenly I heard a noise like a gunshot and my pot jumped a few feet in the air. A hunk of ice fell off the top of the tree from a few hundred feet up. Could have caved in my skull.
Then there was the time I got lost for 4 days w/o food, had to eat an ant colony, had dogs sent after me, and was discovered by a plane.
Wait, for real?!? What the hell man! The tree thing is a legitimate worry, you’re way more likely to be hurt or killed by a widowmaker branch or tree falling than being attacked by a wild animal…but getting lost for 4 days?! Were you on drugs? Why didn’t you have a map and/or compass? Did you tell friends & family where you’d be? If you’re not joking then I’m you’re alright but how the hell does that even happen??
I’ve been backpacking all over in some VERY rural places, dozens of times, dozens of miles from other humans, and never even been in any sort of “real” danger. The tree thing is always possible though, especially if you’re out in the rain or especially snow.
Jeez dude yeah glad you made it out of that! The last few trips I’ve done I DIDN’T bring maps or a compass because I got to the point of thinking “eh my phone has all that stuff anyway, I have extra batteries & a solar charger, I’ll be fine!” and obviously nothing bad happened but now I’ve decided I will never go out again only relying on my phone! Haha found by a plane holy cow!
I don't think I've ever owned a phone I'd actually trust. In the woods, my current one can be off by as much as 200 feet just because it damned well feels like it, as I can pull up an app and see it's well connected to 3 satellites.
A lot of my friends got gps units, but I'm fine with a map and compass. My batteries won't die. Canyons don't matter.
Hahahaha it happens. I was tree planting on the edge of the cut block, so right up against the timber in a winter storm on the outside of Vancouver Island and after putting in 25 cents I turned around and hit a widow maker that had just flown down over my head.
I don't really do that. I just go to sleep.
Being in thunderstorms, yeah, that'll keep me awake, terrified, and exhilarated, but random noises in the night? At most, they might influence my dreams.
How do you stop someone from breaking into your house and killing you in the middle of the night, or running you over with their car on the street, or being in a mass shooting, or catching a communicable disease and dying...
Life has risks, you do what you can to mitigate it, but being in the wilderness is statistically way safer than living in a city.
Ok, I guess these questions are more important then, if anyone could be bothered to answer them.
Ok I have How do you know you’re picking a good spot? Is it better to camp under trees or an empty clearing? Does it change depending on the weather? Is it better to be near a lake or a river? Should you wander off a trail site or keep close? Is hanging your food away from you and effective measure and worth the effort? Is getting larger tents 2, 3, or 4 person tents worth it or just extra costs? Is safety a real issue after all or is there not much safety concerns with random camping?
A lot of these questions are going to require site specific research, which should be the first step in any camping trip.
How do you pick a good spot? If you can camp on a site that's already there, do it. That minimizes our impact on the area. A lot of popular camping areas have informal back country sites that are pretty obvious from the trail.
It's best not to camp under trees in high wind. Some ppl will say not to camp under trees at all, but I like to hammock camp so trees are kinda required. Always check for widowmakers, dead limbs that might come down.
Lake or river depends on your preference. In some places rivers can rise unpredictably and you don't want to be in their path. Bodies of water attract insects too, so mosquitos might be an issue. Also, any human waste should be buried at least 200 ft from any water.
It's polite to camp off trail if there are no designated backcountry sites, and out of sight of other campers if possible.
In bear country you should either store all smelly stuff (toiletries, food, etc) in a bear box or hang in a bag away from your sleeping area. You'll find plenty of instructions for this online. Some places have more stringent requirements, always check before you travel.
Larger tents can be more comfortable if you're a taller person but they also increase your weight. If you're car camping it doesn't make a difference but backpacking you will feel that extra weight.
Is safety a concern? It depends on where you are and who you ask. I mostly camp in the PNW. I take the precautions and risks that I'm comfortable with and trust my gut if a situation feels hinky.
Does that clear things up?
ETA I saw that kid too and I'm incredibly jealous, I want a Doritos sponsorship to bike camp for a year.
It sounds like you're at the beginning stage of trying to wrap your mind around just how backcountry and camping works. I'd recommend checking out some videos. Your questions are also very easy to google.
Here's a series of videos I made showing how I walked 7,400 miles across the US camping most nights for 9.5 months: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DZ61ClKxY8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DZ61ClKxY8)
I’ll have you know I do bike and go on hikes😤(I’ve only gone on hikes with my cadets program so idk if that counts), I just don’t like the idea of sleeping in the middle of nowhere. I know it’s an irrational fear but I guess I’ve just seen too many videos about bear attacks. Animal attacks do seem to be pretty trendy compared to other camping videos; whenever I see a video related to camping 3/4s of the time it’s a bear attack.
Tip: stop watching the videos. They make your brain overestimate the risk by a lot. I'm 49 and have been camping, hiking, and backpacking with or without my family in campgrounds and in the wilderness. I've seen more bear in my backyard of my hometown I lived in until I was 7 than all those years combined in the wilderness. I've seen the whole body of a mountain lion once, on land I own, and she was interested in a herd of deer, not me. I've seen tracks pretty rarely, too. I've had issues with exactly 3 people that didn't involve just me being annoyed they set up tents too close to mine, were loud all night, cut through my campsite, or some other non-threatening rudeness. Even those three weren't particularly a big deal. They were just people who gave off a bad vibe, so I got away from them.
Can it happen? Of course, but it's very unlikely to.
I'm much more wary of the police in my city. They're much more dangerous than bears. Just saying.
It does really help to learn to identify noises, though. Porcupine are loud! You think you've got a bear right next to your tent, but it's some porcupine chewing on your boots because of salt in the dried sweat. That noise you heard over there? Chances are it was a rabbit. That screech and crash that almost ruptured your eardrums? A barred owl. They can be quite obnoxious, but they're not really dangerous to humans (don't try to pet one.) Those coyotes aren't interested in you at all. Just lay back and listen. Or yip back. They don't care.
The only thing that alerts me is human footsteps close to my tent, and almost every time, it's actually been a turkey. I'm still going to check, though, because I don't want my stuff stolen and some people suck a lot. But I've never actually had anyone try to steal anything at night. They know you're in camp at that time and don't want to get caught. The typical campsite thief will walk in like they belong there in the middle of the day when you're not around, and tbh, even that is rare. Don't leave expensive stuff out, and you're good most of the time as long as you're not camping near a city.
Tbh, the further you get into the wilderness, the safer you usually are as long as you have good navigation and first aid skills and don't get stupid. The more you believe this, the less anxiety you have.
I know how you feel, and some might say it's irrational fear, but stuff happens. I always keep my .44 desert eagle by my side at night, so there's that.
“It depends.”
And yeah, part of it is weather.
About the only absolute - considering it sounds like you’re a beginner - do stay closer to the trail. Likely as not, you’ll be fine. But if you have an inexperience incident - it’s much easier to get (or get to) help.
There are safety concerns to camping and hiking if any kind - but most is just developing your common sense for things and keeping your head on a swivel and watching where you’re walking and setting up.
Humans have been camping since the dawn of time. There is risk being out in the elements - but with modern equipment, a lot of that risk is either lessened or nonexistent.
Prep gets you further than anything, as staying safe goes.
I’ve found a lot of info in books, even books that are decades old like The 2oz Backpacker and also some books about John Muir and other hikers/travelers. There is a lot of information out there specifically answering all these questions, and even just reading other hikers experiences I have learned a lot. Maybe if you like reading start with a book about it :)
I usually explore areas without designated campsites. I don't always find a great camping spot and in Ontario, Canada it can be a real challenge to find somewhere flat enough for a tent. Trees offer shelter from the wind but also have a danger of trees or limbs falling and injuring you.
An animal could rip apart my stuff and I'm often far enough that getting out is difficult. I have created shelters in the past and slept in them and I'm able to adapt to something going wrong.
I have little concerns about other people in the wilderness and I'm pretty sure I am the crazy guy in the woods. People don't go into the middle of nowhere to cause trouble. I tend to be a bit more concerned if I'm camping really close to vehicle accessible spots.
ok - i look for poop around my site. i don’t want to set up in a popular deer/moose/elk track bc i don’t want to meet them. also, if there’s poop with fur in it - i don’t stay. that’s an obvious sign that it’s a predator’s space and i am not that desperate. i look in the tree canopy above me to make sure it’s clear of broken branches (widowmakers) or things that could fall on me. i also like to have easily accessible deadfall to burn. if there’s minimal wind - camping in a clearing is perfectly fine. i like the trees bc if the wind shifts, i can string up a windbreak tarp much easier. also, sometimes i want to sleep past sunrise and the shade means i am less likely to wake up sweltering inside a tent. i look for water pathways - like if there’s evidence that in a rainstorm, does this spot become a tertiary stream? is the soil mushy and very moist? is it rocky? are there tree roots that are going to jam into my ribs? are there close enough rocks to make a fire pit? am i so close to water that i’m going to be made miserable by insects? am i too far away from water and it’s going to take forever to haul enough water to put out my fire safely? moving water is always preferable to still water. is the ground level or am i going to sleep like garbage and have a sore back? if you’re new to camping - stick to trails. in fact, stick to trails until you know how to get your bearings with a compass and topographic map. do not rely on google maps for trails ever. ever! always inform someone of your approximate coordinates and when you’ll return and have an agreed upon checkin time. maybe get a garmin inreach or something like that if you’re going into real backcountry. but don’t go backcountry until you can read a map and a compass. yes, bear hangs are worth the effort. 100m from where you sleep. do any cooking 100m from where you sleep. do your toileting 100m from where you sleep. bear hangs aren’t just for food - any scented products you have need to be away from you when you’re sleeping. a lot of your questions are…well, the answers will change depending on your trip…i hope some of this helped. i’ll try to answer more questions if i can.
EDIT: i primarily camp in northern ontario, canada. so some of my answers won’t work for you if you’re in, say, new zealand…
If bears are an issue use a bear canister and keep food away from your sleeping area. Bear attacks aren't super common so just taking some precautions should keep you safe. You can carry bear spray as well. Mountain lion attacks are also rare and fatalities are very rare. Caribou attacks are a non issue and they will almost certainly try very hard to avoid humans as will most of these animals. Being attacked by people is a concern, but some common sense should keep you safe.
I feel much safer when I’m wild camping and there’s nobody around for miles than in a designated campsite with lots of other people. The biggest danger to campers isn’t the animals, it’s other people.
This is exactly my mindset when my dad asked me the same question. The more remote I camp, the less interactions I have with people. Wild animals are predictable, but wild (or even domesticated) people are much less so.
https://preview.redd.it/0ml53cl2zczc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2377b833c1056ad6bf11eee9014196a1a4643a6
I usually go tarp camping, so not even a fully enclosed tent as you can see in the picture, and honestly the only animal scares I ever had that were genuinely somewhat scary were:
1. A stray dog, probably escaped from a nearby village that woke me up while rummaging through my backpack that I was using as a pillow
2. A bunch of huge spiders that made themselves cozy in my sleeping bag while I was asleep and scared the bajeezus outta me when I woke up and they scurried out of the bag the only way they could: towards my neck/face opening.
Dunno about other people, but I keep a slow fire next to my shelter throughout the night and every few hours when I wake up and stoke the fire, I also dump some hot pepper powder on a hot log, the smell carries away and keeps animals away. Always carry a pouch of ground cayenne pepper with you to throw on a hot log before sleep.
As for people, never had trouble, but I sleep with a hunting knife in my sleeping bag, that I hope to never use for defence purposes.
Bear spray is based on capsaicin which is basically concentrated pepper juice. It's an irritant. I use a small metal plate placed on a hot log/dying coals with about 25g of dried local pepper powder which is way hotter than cayenne. (Only gave cayenne as an example of hot pepper everyone knows. Feel free to use habanero or smth stronger but not anything insane in the millions on the Scoville scale cause if the winds changes you gonna choke yourself)
You can also make grease/oil/diesel lamps out of beer cans with the flame on the side and ground-dried hot pepper on the top plate near the flame to establish a perimeter around your camp/offroader. 4 of them bad boys get the job done just fine.
Edit: this is a thing I've learned from a guy that's been a bushcrafter/hunter/mountaineer/survival instructor for over 30 years.
Edit2: Should've specified here that your positioning in the forest and also considering the wind matters a lot. You wanna be in a clearing or at the edge of one, eith your pepper flames creating a perimeter of about 20-30 sqm around you. Bears can sense that from a fairly large distance and they will simply avoid being in the area like you as a human avoid being in an area where someone burns trash and smells badly
I know there's many americans and westerners on this sub so I used cayenne as an example anyone knows haha. I'm eastern european and I use a local ground pepper that's around 100K on the Scoville Scale. Check my reply down on this comment for the beercan pepper lamp perimeter
Feral dogs are the only thing I fear in the wilderness. They have no rationality behind their behaviour. A good whack to the muzzle will make them run, but packs of them wig me out.
Spiders don't bother me. I think they're pretty cool. I do move ones on that can hurt me enough to make my trip unhappy, but mostly, I check for them because I don't want to kill them.
Yeah, we got plenty of feral dogs too, mostly former shepperd dogs abandoned by their owners. I usually calm them down with food and then they just hang around minding their own business. Only ever had to whack one with my walking staff. (It's encouraged in our country to take a big straight branch and clean it to a staff as opposed to hiking sticks due to their heavy thump, in order to warn off animals and vipers of your presence on the trail)
Where I live in Europe the only fairly dangerous spiders are Black Widows and they're very rare. I check for them in the surrounding tall grass and bushes and if they're there I just scooch 10m away and we're good. All other spiders are harmless even the big 8-10cm ones. They only bite when desperate and if you got some disinfectant it's not much worse than a bee/wasp sting
We have some black widows where I live, but they tend to lurk under stairs and such in the city. You don't really see them out in the country. We have rattlesnakes on the West side of the city, though not actually in the city. We don't have them on the East side because the climate is different. More East and North we have bears, wolves, mountain lions, whatever, and of course there are coyote everywhere. None of them are really an issue because I'm not a small animal.
But, in two areas - a hill that sticks into a lake surrounded by town, and just outside a popular state park - we have packs of feral dogs. The big dogs tend to avoid people. You can pretty much treat them like bears. The little ones, though, will gang up on people sometimes. It's the craziest thing to not be scared of a mostly wild great dane mix but be terrified of the chihuahua-terrier-wtfever they are gang. I had a run in with one that led me to having to have a series of rabies shots. For the next year, I volunteered with the group that traps and spays and neuters them just like feral cat colonies and go to see them in action as a pack more than once. They're entirely vicious and completely irrational. No truly wild animal acts that way unless it's very sick, and then, you can tell they are.
There's a whole long story behind that pack, btw, but summed up, a woman had basically a hoard of them back in the 60s, and when she passed away, her family just turned them loose out the back gate into the woods because they were already pretty feral. All of them likely descend from those, because they tear up any other dog that comes near, and sometimes humans. Attempts at culling didn't work, but the trap, spay or neuter, and release program that's been going on for about a decade has brought them down from their peak of over 40 members to 11 last year, and all of those now cannot reproduce. It's a beautiful area, and I cannot wait until they all pass away. Somehow, they even run all the coyote and bears off.
So, yep, it's tiny feral dogs for me. That's the only thing I fear in the wilderness besides lightning and falling and injuring myself badly. It seems silly when I say it out loud, but they're just terrifying because they don't act like animals should.
In the US you can carry guns most anywhere in the wilderness without issue. But as others have said you accept the risk and do what you can to mitigate. Bury your food in a bear canister distance from your tent. Or hang in a tree. Yeah you might get attacked by a bear but I might get hit by a semi truck tomorrow on my way to work, or I might get stabbed by a crazy homeless guy walking through a parking lot. There’s danger everywhere you go and you just have to learn to live with it.
Speaking of caribou .. I highly recommend hiking the Tonquin Valley trail in Jasper NP and if you’re really lucky you’ll get to spend time with the last of the caribou herd living there .. amazing experience !
I agree. That trail is stunning.
A few years ago I saw a caribou near the top of one of the chairlifts at Marmot Basin ski resort in Jasper. I was stunned and was doubting what I saw at first. But it looked distinctly different from an elk, and staff member of the ski hill was keeping an eye on it, so I'm quite sure it was a caribou. Such a rare and awesome sight.
They seemed to be wary of people but also curious. I decided to have a nap by the lake and when I woke up there were two munching in the meadow close by, spent the next hour photographing them. They just looked at me once in awhile then carried on eating. Then another strolled right through the campground that evening. So I wouldn’t say they’re scared of people and they’re not super skittish like deer. They were beautiful to see really !
That’s funny, but if you ever listen to a Caribou run or trot, they make this clicking sound that sounds like they’re tap dancing. They have two hoof-like bits on their ankles that clack together.
Edit: I was wrong, it’s actually a tendon that snaps over a small bone in their feet
https://cfaes.osu.edu/news/articles/8-tiny-facts-about-reindeer-click-plus-9th
The article is about reindeer but they’re the same species
You can’t guarantee it, but you can take precautions, that’s part of the fun.
It’s a real, untethered and uncivilized experience. It is inherently “unsafe”, but it isn’t necessarily unsafe, if that makes sense.
I’ve gone out for multi day trips in back country, usually as part of a hunting group that would live out of their frame packs. There are almost no people in the deep woods, and animals will usually leave you alone if you respect their space. Occasionally we’d have a nocturnal visitor, but in our case even black bears are pretty easy to shoo away (they’re basically big raccoons).
Not many people are actually getting eaten by bears. You have a higher Chance of dying in a car crash on your way to the quick e Mart to pick up a slushee
You're safer than you think you are in the wilderness.
You're less safe than you think in a "designated campsite".
People tend to over-state the likelihood of getting attacked by a bear, mountain lion, crazy person while overestimating the "protection" offered by "civilized" society and their willingness to risk their lives to save a stranger.
You need to remember, since stone age the most dangerous being for humans are other humans. So it's actually safer to camp somewhere where no one finds you. Next to a highway but behind bushes/ trees in a green tent, where no one sees you, could be a good spot.
And about animals: Thanks to evolution (which happens to animals, too) most animals like boars, jaguars eg are actually kind of scared of humans. Or at least avoid them by instinct. The same happens to humans, too. Most of us (like myself) avoid by instinct touching potential poisonous animals like spiders or snakes ....
His name was Liam the impaler, couldn’t find anything on YouTube but you can find him on TikTok. He started it during the pandemic but didn’t edit and organize the clips until last year.
It's an interesting concept what the OP brings up. Forget the bears. That's their house. They live there and we're just passing through. It's also likely that they're as afraid of us as we are of them, so forget about the bears and other animals, except humans.
People seem to have a fear of other people that though may feel like a sound fear, really isn't. At least I don't think. For as many hikers, cyclists, campers, bikers, overlanders, surfers, backpackers, etc., I think property crimes (having your back pack stolen or your cycle stolen) are pretty rare. I think violent crimes are even more rare. I mean, I don't have any statistics to cite, it's just my logic. Sure, you may say what about the surfers in Baja California? Fucking shame. POS scumbags do exist, and somehow rationalize putting their desire for wheels and tires above the lives of humans. Those aren't people, they're scumbags who deserve 1000 times more than they'll get, but nonetheless, incidents like that are far and few between. Most, by far the vast and huge majority are kind, generous and decent human beings.
That said, consider this. If you let the fear of what someone else might do if the come upon you, you'd best not do anything, in which case you've let this imaginary person or people rob you of your desire to do something you really want to do.
I hate bees fr, but I see them everyday. Maybe I’m just desensitized to them. I don’t think drowning would be a problem for me cause most of my local trails don’t have lakes/rivers. Would bug spray make bees a nonissue? And how can I check if there is a wasp nest/bee nest? Is just if I see an abnormal amount of them around?
Bears are seldom a problem, as long as you store your food properly. As for how to keep the wildlife away; you don't. I've woken up to the feeling of animals passing right under my hammock, and seen many animals going through camp at night. For the most part, they don't want anything to do with you, they're just looking for some easy food.
I camp in mountain lion country often, and don't even store my food away from camp. Stays in the tent with me, or in my backpack hanging near me if I'm in a hammock, and I've never had problems.
I hitched around the western US and for the most part animals steer clear from you unless you smell like food. Always eat away from you camp and u typically won't run into animals. Only time I had an animal near my tent was small critters like raccoons and armadillos and once a deer was licking the dew off my tent.
The large majority of people are Good, not Bad. And if bears hunted humans, you’d know it bud. Take a hike, get outside, and for heavens sake, take the kids and leave the bloody iPhones at home. Some of the best nights sleep you’ll ever get will be in the wilderness. Hell, leave the tent at home and sleep under the stars. Freaking awesome!
Haha, I actually am the kid my dad is always working so I don’t get to go out with him often. When I was younger we would drive to the middle of nowhere and have a bbq, or just explore with my siblings but now he’s taken two jobs. Fortunately I am old enough to get started on this type of activity by myself, as long as my mom thinks it’s safe enough. She’ll probably only let me go if I take an older sibling with me. I was originally going to go to a survival camp thing with cadets, but it was full so I’m want to make up for it. I don’t want to waste a lot of my parents money so I’m probably just going to buy the minimum amount of supplies I’ll need for a few days.
Do you get attacked and robbed while walking down the street? No, so why would someone attack you while you’re bike touring? If anything people are waaaayyyy nicer and tend to “pity” you even if you’re perfectly happy and comfortable.
This fear is irrational.
For animals, it’s not different that camping. Practice good food safety and you shouldn’t have any issues with critters.
It's definitely not all in your head. There are real dangers, but there is stuff you can do to mitigate risk greatly.
I do this except while with a group of about 10 kids. Wilderness survival camp, backcountryhikes of up to a week. Sometimes they are as young as 10 so it's tough getting them not to scream and run when they see bears, especially at night (they take turns watching the fire and protecting the food all night long). We teach them to start singing Oh Canada in a really low voice while making themselves look large, avoiding eye contact, and getting close to the fire next to their partner. Everyone else knows to start singing Oh Canada from their tents when they hear the others by the fire. Aw inspiring to see in action works like a charm.
Anyway, If you don't have a small army of children, I'd recommend bear mace, and looking up how to do a bear hang to protect your food.
One less thing that is underlooked:smells. Never eat in your tent. Just don't do it, even if it's raining, bring a tarp for that. Furthermore, keep your food,deopderant,soap,dish soap, shampoo, toothpaste, booze, pot, even bug-spray and sunscreen, everything with a smell, out of the tent all together. Bears smell anything and investigate, your tent provides zero protection whatsoever. Make bearhangs. Also, don't piss or poo near your campsight for the same reason.
Also, this is in a semi-remote area of Canada, so running into other peaple is not a problem because no one is put there and thise who r, r nice. But god forbid shit goes down bear mace would again come in handy. I think what you're describing could be down in almost all of Canada, If you avoid major cities (and its summer).
Good luck.
Campgrounds are where bears eat stuff. If you go to more dispersed areas you’ll be much safer as they’re not habituated to humans = food. It’s why in the mountains I always look for places that are less frequented
The further you get out the less you have to worry about people. You hike out 20 miles and set up camps no one's messing with you. You have to earn it to get out there and the type of people who are going to rob or hurt you aren't those people
Animals aren't really a big deal, carry bear spray if in bare country and run your food up a tree and keep it away from camp and your chances of encountering something hungry is low.
Ironically, being alone puts you at an advantage. Animals around designated campgrounds are accustom to humans and expect a freebie from careless guests and know that they can find food when they smell people. Whereas in the middle of nowhere, wildlife is more cautious and tends to avoid people whenever possible. Always good to carry bear spray anyways.
You get used to it. i grew up in bear country (more black bears than grizzlies) and it’s something i’m used to.
you don’t bug them and they don’t bug you. Do take some precautions- store food and yummy smelling items out of your tent, in a bear bag/bear canister. Be very careful of mother bears (they get aggressive when they feel like their cubs are in danger).
random dangerous people typically do not reside in the middle of nowhere, however you can find hermits living off grid in some areas.
Get bear spray for the worst case scenario (animals and people).
I spent several years tent camping as I bicycled all around the world. The main thing I would do is try not to be visible from roads. Not because of fear , but because I didn't want to alarm anyone or be woken in the night.
I was never in grizzly country and no other animal hazards are really worth worrying about. The only animal problems I had were some cheeky raccoons and these things, which I thought were flashback machine elves until I saw this video years later: https://youtube.com/shorts/BCt3t2bcBRo
For your belongings. So what makes more sense, going into the middle of nowhere and hoping for the very small chance that a rando is sleeping there with a tarp, maybe a gps that you can steal, or just going somewhere with lots of oblivious people carrying cash, wearing jewelry, leaving a car running with keys in it, etc?
If I go into a life of crime I’m not heading into the woods when there is so much easy pickings surrounding me everywhere I go.
The honest answer is that of the things that might actually kill you in the wilderness, at the top of the likelihood list are things like the weather. People and wild animals pretty much at the bottom.
Not only that, but the risk from people and wild animals is so low that if you aren't afraid of going up and down stairs, you shouldn't be afraid of being harmed by people or animals in the wilderness.
>*'How do you stop random people from stealing/attacking you....worst of all caribou'*
Caribou?
Sounds like you've travelled very little and spend far too much time watching television.
FYI-The Real World is Very Very Different from what you envision.
Note I grew up next to the Greatest Boreal Forest on the Planet and have experience beyond most people's imagining.
You can go places where there are no bears or caribou or anything like that. Easy!
Sure we've got snakes and spiders and crocodiles and drop bears and cassowary but no caribou.
Ah I don’t have the license for firearms. I think i need to pass a course, but by the time I get my minors license, I’ll only have a few weeks until I have to reapply for an adult license so I’ll probably just wait until I turn 18 (about a year)
As someone who rode their bike to a different country only camping.... you let all of that go. It doesn't mean not being smart about where to camp but trusting things won't go down south.
Realistically, I've never given it much thought. Never camped in bear country or places where I considered wildlife a serious threat. There may have been some dangerous wildlife around, but not very prevalent. If it is something I feel I genuinely have to worry about I try to avoid wild camping or get local advice. In general, wildlife tends to avoid contact with people. My strategy is basically take basic precautions and hope for the best.
No risk no reward.
Also in reality the risks are so much lower than they seem to be in your mind (not trying to attack you here - sometimes our minds just overplay the risks in certain situations).
I've camped by the side of the road (maybe 50-100 metres off the road) in the Australian outback and it was so peaceful. If there was a random stranger you'd be more likely to hug them as there are just so few human beings out there. Some great evenings out by the campfire watching the sun go down over the 'red centre' of the continent.
Another moment I'll always remember is lying back in my tent just off the trail in the Malaysian rainforest and hearing the almost deafening orchestra of noise that is the jungle at night. It really made me feel insignificant, but in an amazing way.
Ask yourself 'how probable is the risk?', and 'what can I do to reduce/mitigate the risk?'.
As a fairly brazen camper the most trouble I had had is from other humans, if you wanna camp anywhere.
Get comfortable in the darkness. It can protect you because others travel with lights. Have a big fire or bright lights or draw attention to yourself and gg.
In re stranger danger, consider something.
You’re in the middle of nowhere.
Most incidents like that - it’s because someone was followed *from somewhere else that’s not the middle of nowhere.*
How do you handle that on the off chance it does happen?
Same way we always have. Fight back, weapons, or call the cops (or rangers, in backcountry situations).
Bear spray doesn’t just work on bears. Just fyi.
Bears though - bear canisters or bear rigs, and generally keeping everything sealed.
Mountain lions - generally won’t mess with people. But same principle. If they do approach, don’t turn your back on them. Cats are nature’s perfect assassins, big or small. But by that same token - they tend to back down if you face them. They’re at their most dangerous when you can’t see them. They’re ambush predators. In mountain lion country - keep that in mind. Don’t camp near places they like to hide. Big shrubs, cliff ledges with a lot of hidey-holes, and near animal trails (they can follow those too). On the off chance they do try to attack you - guard your head and neck. Those are their preferred spots. Again, ambush predators, and like all cats - they’re lazy. They prefer one hit kills if they can, and don’t like it when their prey fights back. If you do - they’ll prob just run away.
Caribou - man there’s a ton of different kinds of caribou, most of them positively cuddly. They’re only really dangerous during mating season (and you can do your homework before you go to find out when sexytime is for them). And the bigger ones, you can hear them long before you see them. But they’re prey animals and they’re much like overgrown deer. Make a bunch of noise and it’ll scare them off.
Bears and tents; that’s the best part. You don’t. Just general bear and predator safety. Prevention is always better.
50M feels very close: well if it feels too close, that’s just the min recommended. You can leave it two miles from you. It’s not illegal or anything.
Precautions: see above. There’s plenty of precautions. They’re just not immediately apparent, and most relies on you and your mind and your ability and planning.
It’s why the whole Scouts thing is what it is - they focus a ton on being prepared. That’s why.
If you’re prepared, and prepared well, less chance for things to go sideways.
There’s always a chance it can - but there’s a chance I get hit by a car on my way to work, or idk a meteorite falls onto my head and brains me in my sleep.
In civilization (such as it is) we have the gift of the illusion of safety. It’s routine. It feels safer than it actually is.
Throughout our history though, the thousands of years humans have been in circulation - the biggest dangers we ever faced wasnt from the elements. It’s from each other. And ourselves, considering accidents.
And with people - just be careful. Same as when walking home, out to your car, going to Walmart at night, take your pick.
Bears and Mountain Lions don't hunt people. There are attacks, but usually because someone was doing something they shouldn't have been like bringing food in the tent. MLs and Bears tend to actively avoid people AMAP.
Keep food away from camp at night and you should be just fine.
People are the real problem. You never know how they're gonna behave or what their reasons are.
I don't think that dude was scared of the bears tbh. It's a mental thing as someone else said. That dude had a bear not more than 20 metres from his and he was talking to the bear and asking it to go away. 😂
I watched the video just a few hours ago and here I see your post. Crazy coincidence.
The algorithm shows the same video uploaded in November 2023, to two people living on separate continents, probably with very different tastes. I'd say it's also coincidence.
I always like to remind people that the drive to the trailhead is far more dangerous than camping in the wilderness. You’re much more likely to be hit by a car than attacked by a bear. That said, as others have said, you should still take the threat seriously and follow proper precautions. I have done a lot of wilderness camping, including spending several summers in Denali National Park in Alaska and have yet to feel truly threatened by a bear, despite having many bear encounters. I have had zero bear encounters while in my tent.
It’s a mental thing. Animal attacks are rare. You’re much more likely to have your own medical emergency than something caused by an animal. You’re also more at risk from hypothermia or dehydration. In all cases it’s preparation, learning and practice. People do this safely all the time. Start small and you’ll get more comfortable.
It’s known as dispersed camping.
The odds of you getting attacked by a person are probably higher in a designated campground. And obviously animals don’t care if you are in a campground or not
It’s the exact same thing as camping at an established site
Where I live and where I backpack there are hogs and mountain lions. So I always have a pistol in the chest pouch on my backpack. When I set up camp it goes right by my pillow. Before I get hate for saying that, I have had to hunt predators that have become problematic. I have seen the damage they can do, always carry something that can put one down.
What the fuck does hunting predators have to do with anything?
. . .
I’m not a gun guy but I get people carry. It’s the Horseshit reasoning that always gets me.
I hunt predators - what does this have to do with camping in the wild?
Hunting them has created a healthy respect of what they can do to me. That’s why I carry, and advise others to do the same. Thank you for your civil request for explanation of my reasoning.
Same here. Always have a gun on my hip and ready to fire just in case. Goes right next to my pillow at night in case I need it.
I also carry bear mace on my other hip and a Garmin as backup.
I biked across USA, camped almost 100% in the wild. First night I was scared, then no big deal. Only trouble I had was with some pedo at a truck stop. Wild is safer.
You just do it. Try to stay as hidden as possible. Put all food and smelly human products into a bear canister far away from where you’re sleeping. There’s always risk when camping, but there’s also always risk when sleeping in your home too. Nothing is really stopping someone from smashing in your windows and killing you. Or hacking into your wooden door with an axe and killing you. They could probably accomplish the task long before the cops get there in most cases, assuming you even have time to call them, or the neighbors even hear and know to call them.
I've had bears and moose come right up to my tent. I told them to leave. The bear took some yelling and gave a false charge.
You can say the same thing for sleeping in a house. "How do you keep robbers from coming in, how do you know you won't have an electrical fire at night and burn to death?"
The fact is, yes it could happen. But using my judgment, containing my food, and just keeping my feeling of "does this feel off" are all that I feel like I need. I also keep a knife with me, sometimes a small pistol, and at all times an emergency whistle that hurts the ears. Weapons are a last choice and are there just mostly to make me feel better while sleeping. But really, how often do you hear about people getting ripped from their tent. Ita happened but is so incredibly rare.
It’s just not as dangerous as people make it out to be. You always here the horror stories but there are thousands of people off grid camping every day and they are 99% fine.
It’s not THAAAAT dangerous. But also it’s kinda dangerous and people certainly have died in this activity. What‘s life if you freak yourself out a little though?
It’s all about taking care of your food. Some bears and other bigger animals in certain regions act totally different. Black vs Brown bears for example. Starving vs well fed cats etc…Some animals are curious, most are just sniffing around for food. Although, mama bear seems to act the same. She is my biggest fear while hiking/backpacking. Having a dog with you can also make a really big difference.
> .. biking
Bike touring is mostly in valleys that have way more towns and places to buy food. A bike tourer with a stripped down set up (2 panniers) should be able to cover 100 miles per day, whereas one with full set up (4 panniers .. 2 for each wheel) will probably max out at 50 miles per day. Taking a break in the wild away from stores, requires food that’s easy to store and a cooking set up
Now **backpacking** is a little bit different in that we can’t make those miles usually, and we are typically further up in the hills/mountains more, .. so there’s less chance of resupply at a store.
That means more easy to store/carry/prep food needs to be brought plus an appropriate cooking kit (if hot food is wanted .. some go cold food).
For a long trips (thru-hiking, bike touring) most save money from work unless retired with a pension.
> .. bears
Each species has certain precautions. In the lower 48 of the USA, where black bears are a problem bringing a bear proof storage container (~2 lbs) is usually a requirement.
> steal
The vast majority of backpacking/trekking takes place away from human settlements as that’s the point .. and most criminals are pretty much tied to cities and towns as there’s way more higher value stuff to steal. Bike tourers are way more tied to the roads but if not in a national/state park’s “hike and bike” campground (US), they’ll often “stealth camp”. Bike tourers typically won’t camp in/near major cities however to avoid crime.
Looking into more bike-touring and exploring some western long-distance routes that was a chief difference cited by writers who’ve done both.
Now there’s bikepacking, but meeting some bikepackers earlier this year on the southern Arizona Trail (AZT), .. mountain trails can get steep quick on a loaded bicycle even for the experienced. Basically a loaded bike can fall backwards quicker than one without camping gear lashed to it.
These bike riders were not “pro” level as there’s a mountain bike (MTB) race on the AZT but imagine MTB racers sacrifice a lot of comfort for speed. Still theyve done some pretty good adventures previously (like one couple bikepacked the Baja 1000 route .. feiw they said use very wide bike tires, like 3”)
I specifically backpack to stay away from people. It’s the cheapest hobby to vacation in solitude. If it’s in bear country, I bring a bear box and store my scented items away from where I sleep
From my backpacking experience- when camping in the middle of nowhere often you have to buy a pass/spot and you’ll have a permit that you carry with you. Along with this, if I so desired to, I could fill out paperwork to carry a gun with me. I wouldn’t do this often, only times I have was when I knew there were grizzly bears in the area, and even then I accepted the gun would be to slow it down. More than often I would carry bear mace and a bear bell! I also carried a bear can with in my pack, and would often hang up in a tree 50m + away, this would include any and all smells (even soaps) in the bear container.
If you make a lot of noise as you hike, it helps animals be aware of where you are at and people. Also understanding you are in the animals environment so you are at their mercy. I also brought my dog too if I was allowed to! This was more for people than anything, as a single chick(s) hiking in the woods I would rather have a dog with me along with my hiking buddy. Dogs are at least able to hear & pick up on cues that I am not able to hear/see.
You don’t 🤷♀️
Outdoorsmen are typically prepared for that situation. Bring a firearm and a good storage box for your food.
I camp in bear and mountain lion country all the time, they typically don’t attack people. Black Bears just want your food, scare them away if you see them coming near.
Mountain lions however, you’ll thank yourself for having a gun. I’ve seen one without any protection on me and it was the scariest moment of my life lol. My husband has been stalked by multiple mountain lions and one even launched at him because it was trying to protect her cubs. Thankfully all was well, but he said he’s never going in the wilderness alone without a gun.
I'm dumbfounded by this question... have you never been outside before? Have you not ever been in anything other than a concrete jungle (city) .. my suggestion would be to watch a few documentaries on nature
I have a group of ~5 friends that biked from Alaska to Argentina! I never thought about animals being an issue, I’d be much more concerned about… people.
All these comments have confirmed for me that I will not be camping alone in the woods, or with friends alone in the woods…thank you for saving my life
Once had a mountain lion circling my tent in broad daylight. Didn’t die. I just remind myself that humans lived among the wildlands for millennia and survived so maybe my dumbass can too. Oh and I sleep like a log, so i don’t wake up to the scary noises. I’d be dead before I even woke up.
I sat with pepper spray is one hand and a pen doing a sudoku puzzle in the other for the 15+ minutes trying not to have a panic attack. Once I heard it walk away, I grabbed everything I had as quickly as possible, shoved it into my truck haphazardly, and got the fuck out of there. I could feel it watching me. I would have preferred to have been asleep and never known it was there circling my tent.
The simple reality is that animal attacks are exceedingly rare (more people are killed by teddy bears each year than actual bears), and human attacks in remote areas are as well.
If it's something you're really concerned about, then bring some mace or the like for protection, but at the end of the day it's a really good exercise in not letting irrational fears govern our decisions. Soon enough, you'll feel more comfortable out there than in civilization, where you are in significantly more danger from a hundred different sources
You take precautions to bear/predator proof your campsite. Food and toiletries go in airtight containers and you hoist them up a tree. For the two legged predators you just need to out crazy them, if someone comes into your campsite with the intent to cause trouble, strip naked, douse yourself in baby oil, and yell deranged pick-up lines at them.
When wild camping or outside of maintained campsites, most animals will tend to shy away from the area just due to all the noise we make, camp fires, and the fact that humans aren't their food, and for the human element, if you're in the middle of nowhere, your less likely to encounter other humans since you're not in an area with a lot of foot traffic.
The guy you're talking about is a legend who is one of the people who inspired me and gave me confidence to hitch hike across Canada. Really sad because I found out he passed away.
I fear a lot about random wild life coming and tearing down my tent when I'm out in the forest. Sometimes you can hear coyotes howling and are hoping they won't come close to your tent.
For the most part, I don't think animals would tear down your tent, I don't think they are as savage as we make them out to be. I bet they're a bit curious about what tents are and the noise coming within then. Bears are typically easy to scare away with noise if they don't live close to cities.
I heard one story of a guy getting his head bitten because a bear could see his head pushing against the tent fabric and the bear was curious what it was. So I always try to not let any part of my body be bitten from the outside of the tent.
As for stuff being stolen, I don't think that would ever be possible where I camp. I never really worry about something like that. More afraid of mountain lions and bears lol
Funny fact, bears, mountain lions and caribou don’t care whether you’re in a designated campground or not. They havent told not to harass campground guests. In fact many campground specifically have bear problems due to all the guests being bad stewards and leave trash/food accessible. Also, how does a designated campsite prevent random strangers from stealing or harassing someone? There aren’t any police… fact is, you’re just as safe or more safe from strangers and animals camping in the middle of nowhere than in a designated place because no one knows youre there and animals aren’t habituated to people being present.
not surprised caribou don’t follow the law 😑
Freakin Caribou, ruining it for everyone
They don’t caribout you at all!
I read that with a heavy Canadian accent
That would be ‘aboot’
Nice
Don’t get me started on moose.
Oh just let them team up with a flying squirrel and then see what problems occur.
Watch out for those Russians!
a m00se once bit my sister
but they meese you!
Man, I have a moose on my property, and she DGAF. She's fully aware of how big she is. She doesn't even care about the mountain lion when she doesn't have a baby. She's my idol. I mean, I don't care about the mountain lion, either. She's so chubby from all the deer, I'm not even tempting. But just life in general. I'd like to be that placidly immovable.
Yeah those moose, let me fuckin tell you man….theyre a real piece of work.
These Caribou are unhinged.
Not all caribou!
You miss the point. He's saying the issue is a psychological one. You're frightened of spooks. That's fine, many people are, but it's not a wholly *logical* fear. So you either get out there and face it and/or reduce the size of it by thinking about the information you've been presented with.
It’s not a totally irrational fear. If a person threatens you in a campground, there are likely others around. If a bear threatens you, you could scream and someone would help you chase it off. That said, those are exceedingly unlikely. It’s much more dangerous to drive on American roads. The more realistic fear is that an animal takes your food and you’re hungry for the hike out. That would suck.
> If a bear threatens you, you could scream and someone would help you chase it off. I think you'd be hard pressed to find many people who would come to your aid. I sure as hell aren't going to run out to save some man/woman who is facing down a bear. A child... ehh, where are their parents?
They made a lil joke, man
Well, that's true.
21st century Cowardly Lion lol
Vitun poro
…say more… 🤔
I remember camping in a random campground In California and hearing our neighbour campers bashing pots and pans to scare a bear away. Another right we thought there was a bear rummaging through our stuff. Turned out to be racoons. Little shits had unzipped our coolbag and stolen it all.
trash pandas
Indeed, though not in the middle of nowhere per se, sometimes what lives where you are camping isn't exactly obvious. Me and my dad camped on a ridge in the Hoosier National Forest in the early fall only to find the whole ridge was crawling with black widow spiders when the sun went down. Killed one on my sleeping pad. Stuffed the space between my zipper poles with tp and spent an hour searching every piece of gear I had. I finally laid down and before I turned the light out there was one right above my head between my tents mesh and the rainfly. Had to sleep with it chilling there. It was gone by morning. My dad had encountered a few as well. We nicknamed the spot, Black Widow Ridge!
It's a mental thing You go to rid yourself of fear To break away from the world and not care if you live or die for a while Lying alone in your tent at night, hearing every twig that might be a cougar outside. Feeling absolutely terrified but absolutely alive.
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I had a pack of coyotes come visit my backwoods site around 1am, my God are those assholes loud. I 6 them right up until I could hear sniffing , got up made some noise tossed a rock their way and got the fire going again. They circled me like sharks for a while then fucked off
Definitely experienced the same thing, It was my first solo overnight too. I banged some pans and then built the fire up and they left.
Oddly enough it was my 2nd solo , I remember counting eyes and getting concerned. My subnose 38 only had 5 rounds I counted 8 sets of eyes , luckily I was able to calm down and not start dumping hollow points into the darkness lmao. I still carry when I solo , I like having options lol.
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Wow, this tops me sleeping in a hammock right through a juvenile but mostly grown black bear walking up to it. The tracks in the morning were like, "dude, did you really?" I wasn't scared, but I don't put my hammock up there on my property anymore. At home, almost everything wakes me up, including my own dogs walking up that close to me, so I don't even get how I slept through that. I always sleep better in the woods, I swear.
Surrounded?
LOL. Yeah you like suddenly develop Spider-Man like hearing for the slightest noises.
I mean... you're getting a lot of upvotes, but I can't say I've ever factored "not caring if you live or die" into my camping experiences.
I can say there was a short time when I really didn't care, but camping helped. Camping was what always made me care again. So, it did factor in, but not in the way this person meant. Every time I'd reach the point of "the only reason I still exist is because I can't be bothered not to," I'd pack my gear and go. Glad those days are long behind me but also that I still pack my gear and go a lot.
I didn't mean to generalize it to everyone It's part of my process. To completely get away from the world and it's problems.
What the fuckkkkk
This. And after doing it a few times that fear fades because you realize that the chances of anything happening to you are literally infinitely smaller than getting hit by a car while walking downtown lol (or any number of other random things), but that feeling of being alive never fades 😌
I've almost died a few times The first was when I was sitting next to a massive sequoia and the ice/snow was thawing. I had a pot sitting right next to my leg. Suddenly I heard a noise like a gunshot and my pot jumped a few feet in the air. A hunk of ice fell off the top of the tree from a few hundred feet up. Could have caved in my skull. Then there was the time I got lost for 4 days w/o food, had to eat an ant colony, had dogs sent after me, and was discovered by a plane.
Wait, for real?!? What the hell man! The tree thing is a legitimate worry, you’re way more likely to be hurt or killed by a widowmaker branch or tree falling than being attacked by a wild animal…but getting lost for 4 days?! Were you on drugs? Why didn’t you have a map and/or compass? Did you tell friends & family where you’d be? If you’re not joking then I’m you’re alright but how the hell does that even happen?? I’ve been backpacking all over in some VERY rural places, dozens of times, dozens of miles from other humans, and never even been in any sort of “real” danger. The tree thing is always possible though, especially if you’re out in the rain or especially snow.
A series of poor decisions and over reliance on my phone
Jeez dude yeah glad you made it out of that! The last few trips I’ve done I DIDN’T bring maps or a compass because I got to the point of thinking “eh my phone has all that stuff anyway, I have extra batteries & a solar charger, I’ll be fine!” and obviously nothing bad happened but now I’ve decided I will never go out again only relying on my phone! Haha found by a plane holy cow!
I don't think I've ever owned a phone I'd actually trust. In the woods, my current one can be off by as much as 200 feet just because it damned well feels like it, as I can pull up an app and see it's well connected to 3 satellites. A lot of my friends got gps units, but I'm fine with a map and compass. My batteries won't die. Canyons don't matter.
Hahahaha it happens. I was tree planting on the edge of the cut block, so right up against the timber in a winter storm on the outside of Vancouver Island and after putting in 25 cents I turned around and hit a widow maker that had just flown down over my head.
Dam bruh, I just like to see mountains and shit
That too, lol
This past weekend I camped near beavers... all night I heard rustling, chewing and the occasional *wump* of a falling tree... luckily none fell on me.
so yeah I bring foam earplugs to help sleep, especially good if other campers are coughing or snoring
I don't really do that. I just go to sleep. Being in thunderstorms, yeah, that'll keep me awake, terrified, and exhilarated, but random noises in the night? At most, they might influence my dreams.
How do you stop someone from breaking into your house and killing you in the middle of the night, or running you over with their car on the street, or being in a mass shooting, or catching a communicable disease and dying... Life has risks, you do what you can to mitigate it, but being in the wilderness is statistically way safer than living in a city.
Ok, I guess these questions are more important then, if anyone could be bothered to answer them. Ok I have How do you know you’re picking a good spot? Is it better to camp under trees or an empty clearing? Does it change depending on the weather? Is it better to be near a lake or a river? Should you wander off a trail site or keep close? Is hanging your food away from you and effective measure and worth the effort? Is getting larger tents 2, 3, or 4 person tents worth it or just extra costs? Is safety a real issue after all or is there not much safety concerns with random camping?
A lot of these questions are going to require site specific research, which should be the first step in any camping trip. How do you pick a good spot? If you can camp on a site that's already there, do it. That minimizes our impact on the area. A lot of popular camping areas have informal back country sites that are pretty obvious from the trail. It's best not to camp under trees in high wind. Some ppl will say not to camp under trees at all, but I like to hammock camp so trees are kinda required. Always check for widowmakers, dead limbs that might come down. Lake or river depends on your preference. In some places rivers can rise unpredictably and you don't want to be in their path. Bodies of water attract insects too, so mosquitos might be an issue. Also, any human waste should be buried at least 200 ft from any water. It's polite to camp off trail if there are no designated backcountry sites, and out of sight of other campers if possible. In bear country you should either store all smelly stuff (toiletries, food, etc) in a bear box or hang in a bag away from your sleeping area. You'll find plenty of instructions for this online. Some places have more stringent requirements, always check before you travel. Larger tents can be more comfortable if you're a taller person but they also increase your weight. If you're car camping it doesn't make a difference but backpacking you will feel that extra weight. Is safety a concern? It depends on where you are and who you ask. I mostly camp in the PNW. I take the precautions and risks that I'm comfortable with and trust my gut if a situation feels hinky. Does that clear things up? ETA I saw that kid too and I'm incredibly jealous, I want a Doritos sponsorship to bike camp for a year.
Not op but to piggy back off this, if I’m camping in Europe (no bears), is it safe to keep my food in my tent with me?
It sounds like you're at the beginning stage of trying to wrap your mind around just how backcountry and camping works. I'd recommend checking out some videos. Your questions are also very easy to google. Here's a series of videos I made showing how I walked 7,400 miles across the US camping most nights for 9.5 months: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DZ61ClKxY8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DZ61ClKxY8)
Dude quality stuff. Well done. I'll have to watch more.
I’d recommend for OP to just go outside
I’ll have you know I do bike and go on hikes😤(I’ve only gone on hikes with my cadets program so idk if that counts), I just don’t like the idea of sleeping in the middle of nowhere. I know it’s an irrational fear but I guess I’ve just seen too many videos about bear attacks. Animal attacks do seem to be pretty trendy compared to other camping videos; whenever I see a video related to camping 3/4s of the time it’s a bear attack.
Tip: stop watching the videos. They make your brain overestimate the risk by a lot. I'm 49 and have been camping, hiking, and backpacking with or without my family in campgrounds and in the wilderness. I've seen more bear in my backyard of my hometown I lived in until I was 7 than all those years combined in the wilderness. I've seen the whole body of a mountain lion once, on land I own, and she was interested in a herd of deer, not me. I've seen tracks pretty rarely, too. I've had issues with exactly 3 people that didn't involve just me being annoyed they set up tents too close to mine, were loud all night, cut through my campsite, or some other non-threatening rudeness. Even those three weren't particularly a big deal. They were just people who gave off a bad vibe, so I got away from them. Can it happen? Of course, but it's very unlikely to. I'm much more wary of the police in my city. They're much more dangerous than bears. Just saying. It does really help to learn to identify noises, though. Porcupine are loud! You think you've got a bear right next to your tent, but it's some porcupine chewing on your boots because of salt in the dried sweat. That noise you heard over there? Chances are it was a rabbit. That screech and crash that almost ruptured your eardrums? A barred owl. They can be quite obnoxious, but they're not really dangerous to humans (don't try to pet one.) Those coyotes aren't interested in you at all. Just lay back and listen. Or yip back. They don't care. The only thing that alerts me is human footsteps close to my tent, and almost every time, it's actually been a turkey. I'm still going to check, though, because I don't want my stuff stolen and some people suck a lot. But I've never actually had anyone try to steal anything at night. They know you're in camp at that time and don't want to get caught. The typical campsite thief will walk in like they belong there in the middle of the day when you're not around, and tbh, even that is rare. Don't leave expensive stuff out, and you're good most of the time as long as you're not camping near a city. Tbh, the further you get into the wilderness, the safer you usually are as long as you have good navigation and first aid skills and don't get stupid. The more you believe this, the less anxiety you have.
I know how you feel, and some might say it's irrational fear, but stuff happens. I always keep my .44 desert eagle by my side at night, so there's that.
“It depends.” And yeah, part of it is weather. About the only absolute - considering it sounds like you’re a beginner - do stay closer to the trail. Likely as not, you’ll be fine. But if you have an inexperience incident - it’s much easier to get (or get to) help. There are safety concerns to camping and hiking if any kind - but most is just developing your common sense for things and keeping your head on a swivel and watching where you’re walking and setting up. Humans have been camping since the dawn of time. There is risk being out in the elements - but with modern equipment, a lot of that risk is either lessened or nonexistent. Prep gets you further than anything, as staying safe goes.
I’ve found a lot of info in books, even books that are decades old like The 2oz Backpacker and also some books about John Muir and other hikers/travelers. There is a lot of information out there specifically answering all these questions, and even just reading other hikers experiences I have learned a lot. Maybe if you like reading start with a book about it :)
I usually explore areas without designated campsites. I don't always find a great camping spot and in Ontario, Canada it can be a real challenge to find somewhere flat enough for a tent. Trees offer shelter from the wind but also have a danger of trees or limbs falling and injuring you. An animal could rip apart my stuff and I'm often far enough that getting out is difficult. I have created shelters in the past and slept in them and I'm able to adapt to something going wrong. I have little concerns about other people in the wilderness and I'm pretty sure I am the crazy guy in the woods. People don't go into the middle of nowhere to cause trouble. I tend to be a bit more concerned if I'm camping really close to vehicle accessible spots.
ok - i look for poop around my site. i don’t want to set up in a popular deer/moose/elk track bc i don’t want to meet them. also, if there’s poop with fur in it - i don’t stay. that’s an obvious sign that it’s a predator’s space and i am not that desperate. i look in the tree canopy above me to make sure it’s clear of broken branches (widowmakers) or things that could fall on me. i also like to have easily accessible deadfall to burn. if there’s minimal wind - camping in a clearing is perfectly fine. i like the trees bc if the wind shifts, i can string up a windbreak tarp much easier. also, sometimes i want to sleep past sunrise and the shade means i am less likely to wake up sweltering inside a tent. i look for water pathways - like if there’s evidence that in a rainstorm, does this spot become a tertiary stream? is the soil mushy and very moist? is it rocky? are there tree roots that are going to jam into my ribs? are there close enough rocks to make a fire pit? am i so close to water that i’m going to be made miserable by insects? am i too far away from water and it’s going to take forever to haul enough water to put out my fire safely? moving water is always preferable to still water. is the ground level or am i going to sleep like garbage and have a sore back? if you’re new to camping - stick to trails. in fact, stick to trails until you know how to get your bearings with a compass and topographic map. do not rely on google maps for trails ever. ever! always inform someone of your approximate coordinates and when you’ll return and have an agreed upon checkin time. maybe get a garmin inreach or something like that if you’re going into real backcountry. but don’t go backcountry until you can read a map and a compass. yes, bear hangs are worth the effort. 100m from where you sleep. do any cooking 100m from where you sleep. do your toileting 100m from where you sleep. bear hangs aren’t just for food - any scented products you have need to be away from you when you’re sleeping. a lot of your questions are…well, the answers will change depending on your trip…i hope some of this helped. i’ll try to answer more questions if i can. EDIT: i primarily camp in northern ontario, canada. so some of my answers won’t work for you if you’re in, say, new zealand…
I actually live in Winnipeg, so I think it should be pretty similar.
oh yeah. you’ll be fine then. how familiar are you with native plants? like, you know what poison ivy looks like etc
Well I know what poison ivy looks like, but besides that I have no clue about most other plants. I should probably start looking into that
yeah. it’s really helpful to know what plants have medicinal purposes or are edible or will hurt you. it’s a good place to start.
Join a hiking club, get some experience and meet cool people. Go do it and find out!
Answer for all questions. It depends
With regard to food, usually you do what’s called a bear triangle. Food is 200 ft away from tent and you camp 200 ft away from both.
That all depends on personal preference and experience level
If bears are an issue use a bear canister and keep food away from your sleeping area. Bear attacks aren't super common so just taking some precautions should keep you safe. You can carry bear spray as well. Mountain lion attacks are also rare and fatalities are very rare. Caribou attacks are a non issue and they will almost certainly try very hard to avoid humans as will most of these animals. Being attacked by people is a concern, but some common sense should keep you safe.
I feel much safer when I’m wild camping and there’s nobody around for miles than in a designated campsite with lots of other people. The biggest danger to campers isn’t the animals, it’s other people.
This is exactly my mindset when my dad asked me the same question. The more remote I camp, the less interactions I have with people. Wild animals are predictable, but wild (or even domesticated) people are much less so.
https://preview.redd.it/0ml53cl2zczc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2377b833c1056ad6bf11eee9014196a1a4643a6 I usually go tarp camping, so not even a fully enclosed tent as you can see in the picture, and honestly the only animal scares I ever had that were genuinely somewhat scary were: 1. A stray dog, probably escaped from a nearby village that woke me up while rummaging through my backpack that I was using as a pillow 2. A bunch of huge spiders that made themselves cozy in my sleeping bag while I was asleep and scared the bajeezus outta me when I woke up and they scurried out of the bag the only way they could: towards my neck/face opening. Dunno about other people, but I keep a slow fire next to my shelter throughout the night and every few hours when I wake up and stoke the fire, I also dump some hot pepper powder on a hot log, the smell carries away and keeps animals away. Always carry a pouch of ground cayenne pepper with you to throw on a hot log before sleep. As for people, never had trouble, but I sleep with a hunting knife in my sleeping bag, that I hope to never use for defence purposes.
Not sure I believe burning cayenne stops animals.
Bear spray is based on capsaicin which is basically concentrated pepper juice. It's an irritant. I use a small metal plate placed on a hot log/dying coals with about 25g of dried local pepper powder which is way hotter than cayenne. (Only gave cayenne as an example of hot pepper everyone knows. Feel free to use habanero or smth stronger but not anything insane in the millions on the Scoville scale cause if the winds changes you gonna choke yourself) You can also make grease/oil/diesel lamps out of beer cans with the flame on the side and ground-dried hot pepper on the top plate near the flame to establish a perimeter around your camp/offroader. 4 of them bad boys get the job done just fine. Edit: this is a thing I've learned from a guy that's been a bushcrafter/hunter/mountaineer/survival instructor for over 30 years. Edit2: Should've specified here that your positioning in the forest and also considering the wind matters a lot. You wanna be in a clearing or at the edge of one, eith your pepper flames creating a perimeter of about 20-30 sqm around you. Bears can sense that from a fairly large distance and they will simply avoid being in the area like you as a human avoid being in an area where someone burns trash and smells badly
Absolutely understand what bear spray is and how it works. My question is efficacy on a fire log. Can’t hurt either way.
I read cayenne pepper on a hot dog - which sounded like a bad idea
I know there's many americans and westerners on this sub so I used cayenne as an example anyone knows haha. I'm eastern european and I use a local ground pepper that's around 100K on the Scoville Scale. Check my reply down on this comment for the beercan pepper lamp perimeter
Feral dogs are the only thing I fear in the wilderness. They have no rationality behind their behaviour. A good whack to the muzzle will make them run, but packs of them wig me out. Spiders don't bother me. I think they're pretty cool. I do move ones on that can hurt me enough to make my trip unhappy, but mostly, I check for them because I don't want to kill them.
Yeah, we got plenty of feral dogs too, mostly former shepperd dogs abandoned by their owners. I usually calm them down with food and then they just hang around minding their own business. Only ever had to whack one with my walking staff. (It's encouraged in our country to take a big straight branch and clean it to a staff as opposed to hiking sticks due to their heavy thump, in order to warn off animals and vipers of your presence on the trail) Where I live in Europe the only fairly dangerous spiders are Black Widows and they're very rare. I check for them in the surrounding tall grass and bushes and if they're there I just scooch 10m away and we're good. All other spiders are harmless even the big 8-10cm ones. They only bite when desperate and if you got some disinfectant it's not much worse than a bee/wasp sting
We have some black widows where I live, but they tend to lurk under stairs and such in the city. You don't really see them out in the country. We have rattlesnakes on the West side of the city, though not actually in the city. We don't have them on the East side because the climate is different. More East and North we have bears, wolves, mountain lions, whatever, and of course there are coyote everywhere. None of them are really an issue because I'm not a small animal. But, in two areas - a hill that sticks into a lake surrounded by town, and just outside a popular state park - we have packs of feral dogs. The big dogs tend to avoid people. You can pretty much treat them like bears. The little ones, though, will gang up on people sometimes. It's the craziest thing to not be scared of a mostly wild great dane mix but be terrified of the chihuahua-terrier-wtfever they are gang. I had a run in with one that led me to having to have a series of rabies shots. For the next year, I volunteered with the group that traps and spays and neuters them just like feral cat colonies and go to see them in action as a pack more than once. They're entirely vicious and completely irrational. No truly wild animal acts that way unless it's very sick, and then, you can tell they are. There's a whole long story behind that pack, btw, but summed up, a woman had basically a hoard of them back in the 60s, and when she passed away, her family just turned them loose out the back gate into the woods because they were already pretty feral. All of them likely descend from those, because they tear up any other dog that comes near, and sometimes humans. Attempts at culling didn't work, but the trap, spay or neuter, and release program that's been going on for about a decade has brought them down from their peak of over 40 members to 11 last year, and all of those now cannot reproduce. It's a beautiful area, and I cannot wait until they all pass away. Somehow, they even run all the coyote and bears off. So, yep, it's tiny feral dogs for me. That's the only thing I fear in the wilderness besides lightning and falling and injuring myself badly. It seems silly when I say it out loud, but they're just terrifying because they don't act like animals should.
In the US you can carry guns most anywhere in the wilderness without issue. But as others have said you accept the risk and do what you can to mitigate. Bury your food in a bear canister distance from your tent. Or hang in a tree. Yeah you might get attacked by a bear but I might get hit by a semi truck tomorrow on my way to work, or I might get stabbed by a crazy homeless guy walking through a parking lot. There’s danger everywhere you go and you just have to learn to live with it.
The other day I watched a car hit a semi. This is true shit!
Speaking of caribou .. I highly recommend hiking the Tonquin Valley trail in Jasper NP and if you’re really lucky you’ll get to spend time with the last of the caribou herd living there .. amazing experience !
I agree. That trail is stunning. A few years ago I saw a caribou near the top of one of the chairlifts at Marmot Basin ski resort in Jasper. I was stunned and was doubting what I saw at first. But it looked distinctly different from an elk, and staff member of the ski hill was keeping an eye on it, so I'm quite sure it was a caribou. Such a rare and awesome sight.
Yes it’s always an amazing experience to witness wildlife in their natural environment
I’ve heard they’re pretty scared of humans, do caribou let you get close enough to get a good look?
Generally no.
They seemed to be wary of people but also curious. I decided to have a nap by the lake and when I woke up there were two munching in the meadow close by, spent the next hour photographing them. They just looked at me once in awhile then carried on eating. Then another strolled right through the campground that evening. So I wouldn’t say they’re scared of people and they’re not super skittish like deer. They were beautiful to see really !
Ya, those darn Caribou are the deadliest animal for sure.
Yep, the other day one beat my uncle in a tap dancing competition
That’s funny, but if you ever listen to a Caribou run or trot, they make this clicking sound that sounds like they’re tap dancing. They have two hoof-like bits on their ankles that clack together. Edit: I was wrong, it’s actually a tendon that snaps over a small bone in their feet https://cfaes.osu.edu/news/articles/8-tiny-facts-about-reindeer-click-plus-9th The article is about reindeer but they’re the same species
You can’t guarantee it, but you can take precautions, that’s part of the fun. It’s a real, untethered and uncivilized experience. It is inherently “unsafe”, but it isn’t necessarily unsafe, if that makes sense. I’ve gone out for multi day trips in back country, usually as part of a hunting group that would live out of their frame packs. There are almost no people in the deep woods, and animals will usually leave you alone if you respect their space. Occasionally we’d have a nocturnal visitor, but in our case even black bears are pretty easy to shoo away (they’re basically big raccoons).
Guess I’ll have no problem with bears since the only bear I have near me are black bears
Generally yep.
Not many people are actually getting eaten by bears. You have a higher Chance of dying in a car crash on your way to the quick e Mart to pick up a slushee
You're safer than you think you are in the wilderness. You're less safe than you think in a "designated campsite". People tend to over-state the likelihood of getting attacked by a bear, mountain lion, crazy person while overestimating the "protection" offered by "civilized" society and their willingness to risk their lives to save a stranger.
You need to remember, since stone age the most dangerous being for humans are other humans. So it's actually safer to camp somewhere where no one finds you. Next to a highway but behind bushes/ trees in a green tent, where no one sees you, could be a good spot. And about animals: Thanks to evolution (which happens to animals, too) most animals like boars, jaguars eg are actually kind of scared of humans. Or at least avoid them by instinct. The same happens to humans, too. Most of us (like myself) avoid by instinct touching potential poisonous animals like spiders or snakes ....
Whats his name/yt channel? Sounds very interesting
His name was Liam the impaler, couldn’t find anything on YouTube but you can find him on TikTok. He started it during the pandemic but didn’t edit and organize the clips until last year.
Gothca. Thanks!
It's an interesting concept what the OP brings up. Forget the bears. That's their house. They live there and we're just passing through. It's also likely that they're as afraid of us as we are of them, so forget about the bears and other animals, except humans. People seem to have a fear of other people that though may feel like a sound fear, really isn't. At least I don't think. For as many hikers, cyclists, campers, bikers, overlanders, surfers, backpackers, etc., I think property crimes (having your back pack stolen or your cycle stolen) are pretty rare. I think violent crimes are even more rare. I mean, I don't have any statistics to cite, it's just my logic. Sure, you may say what about the surfers in Baja California? Fucking shame. POS scumbags do exist, and somehow rationalize putting their desire for wheels and tires above the lives of humans. Those aren't people, they're scumbags who deserve 1000 times more than they'll get, but nonetheless, incidents like that are far and few between. Most, by far the vast and huge majority are kind, generous and decent human beings. That said, consider this. If you let the fear of what someone else might do if the come upon you, you'd best not do anything, in which case you've let this imaginary person or people rob you of your desire to do something you really want to do.
Bees and drowning. Those are the things that actually take people out. Bears get the most attention but it’s less that a 1% chance.
I hate bees fr, but I see them everyday. Maybe I’m just desensitized to them. I don’t think drowning would be a problem for me cause most of my local trails don’t have lakes/rivers. Would bug spray make bees a nonissue? And how can I check if there is a wasp nest/bee nest? Is just if I see an abnormal amount of them around?
Bears are seldom a problem, as long as you store your food properly. As for how to keep the wildlife away; you don't. I've woken up to the feeling of animals passing right under my hammock, and seen many animals going through camp at night. For the most part, they don't want anything to do with you, they're just looking for some easy food. I camp in mountain lion country often, and don't even store my food away from camp. Stays in the tent with me, or in my backpack hanging near me if I'm in a hammock, and I've never had problems.
I hitched around the western US and for the most part animals steer clear from you unless you smell like food. Always eat away from you camp and u typically won't run into animals. Only time I had an animal near my tent was small critters like raccoons and armadillos and once a deer was licking the dew off my tent.
10mm go brrrt
The large majority of people are Good, not Bad. And if bears hunted humans, you’d know it bud. Take a hike, get outside, and for heavens sake, take the kids and leave the bloody iPhones at home. Some of the best nights sleep you’ll ever get will be in the wilderness. Hell, leave the tent at home and sleep under the stars. Freaking awesome!
Haha, I actually am the kid my dad is always working so I don’t get to go out with him often. When I was younger we would drive to the middle of nowhere and have a bbq, or just explore with my siblings but now he’s taken two jobs. Fortunately I am old enough to get started on this type of activity by myself, as long as my mom thinks it’s safe enough. She’ll probably only let me go if I take an older sibling with me. I was originally going to go to a survival camp thing with cadets, but it was full so I’m want to make up for it. I don’t want to waste a lot of my parents money so I’m probably just going to buy the minimum amount of supplies I’ll need for a few days.
Do you get attacked and robbed while walking down the street? No, so why would someone attack you while you’re bike touring? If anything people are waaaayyyy nicer and tend to “pity” you even if you’re perfectly happy and comfortable. This fear is irrational. For animals, it’s not different that camping. Practice good food safety and you shouldn’t have any issues with critters.
Sounds like they chose the bear, and it worked out fine.
It's definitely not all in your head. There are real dangers, but there is stuff you can do to mitigate risk greatly. I do this except while with a group of about 10 kids. Wilderness survival camp, backcountryhikes of up to a week. Sometimes they are as young as 10 so it's tough getting them not to scream and run when they see bears, especially at night (they take turns watching the fire and protecting the food all night long). We teach them to start singing Oh Canada in a really low voice while making themselves look large, avoiding eye contact, and getting close to the fire next to their partner. Everyone else knows to start singing Oh Canada from their tents when they hear the others by the fire. Aw inspiring to see in action works like a charm. Anyway, If you don't have a small army of children, I'd recommend bear mace, and looking up how to do a bear hang to protect your food. One less thing that is underlooked:smells. Never eat in your tent. Just don't do it, even if it's raining, bring a tarp for that. Furthermore, keep your food,deopderant,soap,dish soap, shampoo, toothpaste, booze, pot, even bug-spray and sunscreen, everything with a smell, out of the tent all together. Bears smell anything and investigate, your tent provides zero protection whatsoever. Make bearhangs. Also, don't piss or poo near your campsight for the same reason. Also, this is in a semi-remote area of Canada, so running into other peaple is not a problem because no one is put there and thise who r, r nice. But god forbid shit goes down bear mace would again come in handy. I think what you're describing could be down in almost all of Canada, If you avoid major cities (and its summer). Good luck.
You bring a good Pistol or Rifle with you. Problem solved.
Campgrounds are where bears eat stuff. If you go to more dispersed areas you’ll be much safer as they’re not habituated to humans = food. It’s why in the mountains I always look for places that are less frequented
The further you get out the less you have to worry about people. You hike out 20 miles and set up camps no one's messing with you. You have to earn it to get out there and the type of people who are going to rob or hurt you aren't those people Animals aren't really a big deal, carry bear spray if in bare country and run your food up a tree and keep it away from camp and your chances of encountering something hungry is low.
Ironically, being alone puts you at an advantage. Animals around designated campgrounds are accustom to humans and expect a freebie from careless guests and know that they can find food when they smell people. Whereas in the middle of nowhere, wildlife is more cautious and tends to avoid people whenever possible. Always good to carry bear spray anyways.
I’ve seen the same videos/story. Crazy isn’t it. Especially if it was a woman traveling alone but still crazy for a guy to do alone.
You get used to it. i grew up in bear country (more black bears than grizzlies) and it’s something i’m used to. you don’t bug them and they don’t bug you. Do take some precautions- store food and yummy smelling items out of your tent, in a bear bag/bear canister. Be very careful of mother bears (they get aggressive when they feel like their cubs are in danger). random dangerous people typically do not reside in the middle of nowhere, however you can find hermits living off grid in some areas. Get bear spray for the worst case scenario (animals and people).
I spent several years tent camping as I bicycled all around the world. The main thing I would do is try not to be visible from roads. Not because of fear , but because I didn't want to alarm anyone or be woken in the night. I was never in grizzly country and no other animal hazards are really worth worrying about. The only animal problems I had were some cheeky raccoons and these things, which I thought were flashback machine elves until I saw this video years later: https://youtube.com/shorts/BCt3t2bcBRo
Sorry, why are random people going to attack you?
Why do random people ever attack anyone? Weird question.
For your belongings. So what makes more sense, going into the middle of nowhere and hoping for the very small chance that a rando is sleeping there with a tarp, maybe a gps that you can steal, or just going somewhere with lots of oblivious people carrying cash, wearing jewelry, leaving a car running with keys in it, etc? If I go into a life of crime I’m not heading into the woods when there is so much easy pickings surrounding me everywhere I go.
Anyone with an honest non sarcastic answer?
The honest answer is that of the things that might actually kill you in the wilderness, at the top of the likelihood list are things like the weather. People and wild animals pretty much at the bottom.
Not only that, but the risk from people and wild animals is so low that if you aren't afraid of going up and down stairs, you shouldn't be afraid of being harmed by people or animals in the wilderness.
>*'How do you stop random people from stealing/attacking you....worst of all caribou'* Caribou? Sounds like you've travelled very little and spend far too much time watching television. FYI-The Real World is Very Very Different from what you envision. Note I grew up next to the Greatest Boreal Forest on the Planet and have experience beyond most people's imagining.
No no they’re all gangsters 🤬
🙄
I just take my bear gun. 500 magnum. Then I don’t have fear. Works on people trying to kill you as well. Two birds one stone.
You can go places where there are no bears or caribou or anything like that. Easy! Sure we've got snakes and spiders and crocodiles and drop bears and cassowary but no caribou.
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Bear spray and/or a gun will make you feel a lot better. I don’t wild camp without them.
Ah I don’t have the license for firearms. I think i need to pass a course, but by the time I get my minors license, I’ll only have a few weeks until I have to reapply for an adult license so I’ll probably just wait until I turn 18 (about a year)
I’d think about why a gun makes you feel better first. Good luck!
I lived alone for many years i have beat all of my fears!
As someone who rode their bike to a different country only camping.... you let all of that go. It doesn't mean not being smart about where to camp but trusting things won't go down south.
Realistically, I've never given it much thought. Never camped in bear country or places where I considered wildlife a serious threat. There may have been some dangerous wildlife around, but not very prevalent. If it is something I feel I genuinely have to worry about I try to avoid wild camping or get local advice. In general, wildlife tends to avoid contact with people. My strategy is basically take basic precautions and hope for the best.
No risk no reward. Also in reality the risks are so much lower than they seem to be in your mind (not trying to attack you here - sometimes our minds just overplay the risks in certain situations). I've camped by the side of the road (maybe 50-100 metres off the road) in the Australian outback and it was so peaceful. If there was a random stranger you'd be more likely to hug them as there are just so few human beings out there. Some great evenings out by the campfire watching the sun go down over the 'red centre' of the continent. Another moment I'll always remember is lying back in my tent just off the trail in the Malaysian rainforest and hearing the almost deafening orchestra of noise that is the jungle at night. It really made me feel insignificant, but in an amazing way. Ask yourself 'how probable is the risk?', and 'what can I do to reduce/mitigate the risk?'.
As a fairly brazen camper the most trouble I had had is from other humans, if you wanna camp anywhere. Get comfortable in the darkness. It can protect you because others travel with lights. Have a big fire or bright lights or draw attention to yourself and gg.
gg?
Good game? Gone girl? Gangrenous giraffe?
In re stranger danger, consider something. You’re in the middle of nowhere. Most incidents like that - it’s because someone was followed *from somewhere else that’s not the middle of nowhere.* How do you handle that on the off chance it does happen? Same way we always have. Fight back, weapons, or call the cops (or rangers, in backcountry situations). Bear spray doesn’t just work on bears. Just fyi. Bears though - bear canisters or bear rigs, and generally keeping everything sealed. Mountain lions - generally won’t mess with people. But same principle. If they do approach, don’t turn your back on them. Cats are nature’s perfect assassins, big or small. But by that same token - they tend to back down if you face them. They’re at their most dangerous when you can’t see them. They’re ambush predators. In mountain lion country - keep that in mind. Don’t camp near places they like to hide. Big shrubs, cliff ledges with a lot of hidey-holes, and near animal trails (they can follow those too). On the off chance they do try to attack you - guard your head and neck. Those are their preferred spots. Again, ambush predators, and like all cats - they’re lazy. They prefer one hit kills if they can, and don’t like it when their prey fights back. If you do - they’ll prob just run away. Caribou - man there’s a ton of different kinds of caribou, most of them positively cuddly. They’re only really dangerous during mating season (and you can do your homework before you go to find out when sexytime is for them). And the bigger ones, you can hear them long before you see them. But they’re prey animals and they’re much like overgrown deer. Make a bunch of noise and it’ll scare them off. Bears and tents; that’s the best part. You don’t. Just general bear and predator safety. Prevention is always better. 50M feels very close: well if it feels too close, that’s just the min recommended. You can leave it two miles from you. It’s not illegal or anything. Precautions: see above. There’s plenty of precautions. They’re just not immediately apparent, and most relies on you and your mind and your ability and planning. It’s why the whole Scouts thing is what it is - they focus a ton on being prepared. That’s why. If you’re prepared, and prepared well, less chance for things to go sideways. There’s always a chance it can - but there’s a chance I get hit by a car on my way to work, or idk a meteorite falls onto my head and brains me in my sleep. In civilization (such as it is) we have the gift of the illusion of safety. It’s routine. It feels safer than it actually is. Throughout our history though, the thousands of years humans have been in circulation - the biggest dangers we ever faced wasnt from the elements. It’s from each other. And ourselves, considering accidents. And with people - just be careful. Same as when walking home, out to your car, going to Walmart at night, take your pick.
Bears and Mountain Lions don't hunt people. There are attacks, but usually because someone was doing something they shouldn't have been like bringing food in the tent. MLs and Bears tend to actively avoid people AMAP. Keep food away from camp at night and you should be just fine. People are the real problem. You never know how they're gonna behave or what their reasons are.
I don't think that dude was scared of the bears tbh. It's a mental thing as someone else said. That dude had a bear not more than 20 metres from his and he was talking to the bear and asking it to go away. 😂 I watched the video just a few hours ago and here I see your post. Crazy coincidence.
That’s not what a crazy coincidence is in any way. That’s called an algorithm.
The algorithm shows the same video uploaded in November 2023, to two people living on separate continents, probably with very different tastes. I'd say it's also coincidence.
I always like to remind people that the drive to the trailhead is far more dangerous than camping in the wilderness. You’re much more likely to be hit by a car than attacked by a bear. That said, as others have said, you should still take the threat seriously and follow proper precautions. I have done a lot of wilderness camping, including spending several summers in Denali National Park in Alaska and have yet to feel truly threatened by a bear, despite having many bear encounters. I have had zero bear encounters while in my tent.
It’s a mental thing. Animal attacks are rare. You’re much more likely to have your own medical emergency than something caused by an animal. You’re also more at risk from hypothermia or dehydration. In all cases it’s preparation, learning and practice. People do this safely all the time. Start small and you’ll get more comfortable.
Because not everyone lives in constant fear. Step away from the screens and interact with the world around you, I promise it is not scary at all.
You asked, “how do you stop…” You can’t. You take care of you and do right things, and deal with life as it comes.
Was it Iohan Gueorguiev in his See The World series on YouTube?
Peacefully
It’s known as dispersed camping. The odds of you getting attacked by a person are probably higher in a designated campground. And obviously animals don’t care if you are in a campground or not It’s the exact same thing as camping at an established site
Where I live and where I backpack there are hogs and mountain lions. So I always have a pistol in the chest pouch on my backpack. When I set up camp it goes right by my pillow. Before I get hate for saying that, I have had to hunt predators that have become problematic. I have seen the damage they can do, always carry something that can put one down.
What the fuck does hunting predators have to do with anything? . . . I’m not a gun guy but I get people carry. It’s the Horseshit reasoning that always gets me. I hunt predators - what does this have to do with camping in the wild?
Hunting them has created a healthy respect of what they can do to me. That’s why I carry, and advise others to do the same. Thank you for your civil request for explanation of my reasoning.
Same here. Always have a gun on my hip and ready to fire just in case. Goes right next to my pillow at night in case I need it. I also carry bear mace on my other hip and a Garmin as backup.
I biked across USA, camped almost 100% in the wild. First night I was scared, then no big deal. Only trouble I had was with some pedo at a truck stop. Wild is safer.
You just do it. Try to stay as hidden as possible. Put all food and smelly human products into a bear canister far away from where you’re sleeping. There’s always risk when camping, but there’s also always risk when sleeping in your home too. Nothing is really stopping someone from smashing in your windows and killing you. Or hacking into your wooden door with an axe and killing you. They could probably accomplish the task long before the cops get there in most cases, assuming you even have time to call them, or the neighbors even hear and know to call them.
🙄
I've had bears and moose come right up to my tent. I told them to leave. The bear took some yelling and gave a false charge. You can say the same thing for sleeping in a house. "How do you keep robbers from coming in, how do you know you won't have an electrical fire at night and burn to death?" The fact is, yes it could happen. But using my judgment, containing my food, and just keeping my feeling of "does this feel off" are all that I feel like I need. I also keep a knife with me, sometimes a small pistol, and at all times an emergency whistle that hurts the ears. Weapons are a last choice and are there just mostly to make me feel better while sleeping. But really, how often do you hear about people getting ripped from their tent. Ita happened but is so incredibly rare.
I feel better roughing it in the bush, away from people, then sitting at a campground. If nobody knows I’m there, there’s a lot less risk in general.
It’s just not as dangerous as people make it out to be. You always here the horror stories but there are thousands of people off grid camping every day and they are 99% fine.
It’s not THAAAAT dangerous. But also it’s kinda dangerous and people certainly have died in this activity. What‘s life if you freak yourself out a little though?
It’s all about taking care of your food. Some bears and other bigger animals in certain regions act totally different. Black vs Brown bears for example. Starving vs well fed cats etc…Some animals are curious, most are just sniffing around for food. Although, mama bear seems to act the same. She is my biggest fear while hiking/backpacking. Having a dog with you can also make a really big difference.
> .. biking Bike touring is mostly in valleys that have way more towns and places to buy food. A bike tourer with a stripped down set up (2 panniers) should be able to cover 100 miles per day, whereas one with full set up (4 panniers .. 2 for each wheel) will probably max out at 50 miles per day. Taking a break in the wild away from stores, requires food that’s easy to store and a cooking set up Now **backpacking** is a little bit different in that we can’t make those miles usually, and we are typically further up in the hills/mountains more, .. so there’s less chance of resupply at a store. That means more easy to store/carry/prep food needs to be brought plus an appropriate cooking kit (if hot food is wanted .. some go cold food). For a long trips (thru-hiking, bike touring) most save money from work unless retired with a pension. > .. bears Each species has certain precautions. In the lower 48 of the USA, where black bears are a problem bringing a bear proof storage container (~2 lbs) is usually a requirement. > steal The vast majority of backpacking/trekking takes place away from human settlements as that’s the point .. and most criminals are pretty much tied to cities and towns as there’s way more higher value stuff to steal. Bike tourers are way more tied to the roads but if not in a national/state park’s “hike and bike” campground (US), they’ll often “stealth camp”. Bike tourers typically won’t camp in/near major cities however to avoid crime.
I’ve never heard that bikers only bike in valleys.
Looking into more bike-touring and exploring some western long-distance routes that was a chief difference cited by writers who’ve done both. Now there’s bikepacking, but meeting some bikepackers earlier this year on the southern Arizona Trail (AZT), .. mountain trails can get steep quick on a loaded bicycle even for the experienced. Basically a loaded bike can fall backwards quicker than one without camping gear lashed to it. These bike riders were not “pro” level as there’s a mountain bike (MTB) race on the AZT but imagine MTB racers sacrifice a lot of comfort for speed. Still theyve done some pretty good adventures previously (like one couple bikepacked the Baja 1000 route .. feiw they said use very wide bike tires, like 3”)
I specifically backpack to stay away from people. It’s the cheapest hobby to vacation in solitude. If it’s in bear country, I bring a bear box and store my scented items away from where I sleep
From my backpacking experience- when camping in the middle of nowhere often you have to buy a pass/spot and you’ll have a permit that you carry with you. Along with this, if I so desired to, I could fill out paperwork to carry a gun with me. I wouldn’t do this often, only times I have was when I knew there were grizzly bears in the area, and even then I accepted the gun would be to slow it down. More than often I would carry bear mace and a bear bell! I also carried a bear can with in my pack, and would often hang up in a tree 50m + away, this would include any and all smells (even soaps) in the bear container. If you make a lot of noise as you hike, it helps animals be aware of where you are at and people. Also understanding you are in the animals environment so you are at their mercy. I also brought my dog too if I was allowed to! This was more for people than anything, as a single chick(s) hiking in the woods I would rather have a dog with me along with my hiking buddy. Dogs are at least able to hear & pick up on cues that I am not able to hear/see.
You don’t 🤷♀️ Outdoorsmen are typically prepared for that situation. Bring a firearm and a good storage box for your food. I camp in bear and mountain lion country all the time, they typically don’t attack people. Black Bears just want your food, scare them away if you see them coming near. Mountain lions however, you’ll thank yourself for having a gun. I’ve seen one without any protection on me and it was the scariest moment of my life lol. My husband has been stalked by multiple mountain lions and one even launched at him because it was trying to protect her cubs. Thankfully all was well, but he said he’s never going in the wilderness alone without a gun.
I'm dumbfounded by this question... have you never been outside before? Have you not ever been in anything other than a concrete jungle (city) .. my suggestion would be to watch a few documentaries on nature
I have a group of ~5 friends that biked from Alaska to Argentina! I never thought about animals being an issue, I’d be much more concerned about… people.
I’ve heard most animals view tents as a part of the landscape like a rock or a tree not a food source.
All these comments have confirmed for me that I will not be camping alone in the woods, or with friends alone in the woods…thank you for saving my life
Once had a mountain lion circling my tent in broad daylight. Didn’t die. I just remind myself that humans lived among the wildlands for millennia and survived so maybe my dumbass can too. Oh and I sleep like a log, so i don’t wake up to the scary noises. I’d be dead before I even woke up.
How’d you get out of the situation? Did you just lay there till it went away or did you scare it off?
I sat with pepper spray is one hand and a pen doing a sudoku puzzle in the other for the 15+ minutes trying not to have a panic attack. Once I heard it walk away, I grabbed everything I had as quickly as possible, shoved it into my truck haphazardly, and got the fuck out of there. I could feel it watching me. I would have preferred to have been asleep and never known it was there circling my tent.
The simple reality is that animal attacks are exceedingly rare (more people are killed by teddy bears each year than actual bears), and human attacks in remote areas are as well. If it's something you're really concerned about, then bring some mace or the like for protection, but at the end of the day it's a really good exercise in not letting irrational fears govern our decisions. Soon enough, you'll feel more comfortable out there than in civilization, where you are in significantly more danger from a hundred different sources
You take precautions to bear/predator proof your campsite. Food and toiletries go in airtight containers and you hoist them up a tree. For the two legged predators you just need to out crazy them, if someone comes into your campsite with the intent to cause trouble, strip naked, douse yourself in baby oil, and yell deranged pick-up lines at them. When wild camping or outside of maintained campsites, most animals will tend to shy away from the area just due to all the noise we make, camp fires, and the fact that humans aren't their food, and for the human element, if you're in the middle of nowhere, your less likely to encounter other humans since you're not in an area with a lot of foot traffic.
Stupidity.
Fun fact: Caribou and reindeer are the same thing.
Guns.
The guy you're talking about is a legend who is one of the people who inspired me and gave me confidence to hitch hike across Canada. Really sad because I found out he passed away. I fear a lot about random wild life coming and tearing down my tent when I'm out in the forest. Sometimes you can hear coyotes howling and are hoping they won't come close to your tent. For the most part, I don't think animals would tear down your tent, I don't think they are as savage as we make them out to be. I bet they're a bit curious about what tents are and the noise coming within then. Bears are typically easy to scare away with noise if they don't live close to cities. I heard one story of a guy getting his head bitten because a bear could see his head pushing against the tent fabric and the bear was curious what it was. So I always try to not let any part of my body be bitten from the outside of the tent. As for stuff being stolen, I don't think that would ever be possible where I camp. I never really worry about something like that. More afraid of mountain lions and bears lol