Camping in the Bush on Your Own. Has anyone done it?

I think this is more a mind game.

All sorts of stuff pops in your head with what could happen being out in the bush on your own.

Its crazy. Even thoughts of spirits or UFO's come into your thought process.

Just wondering how many of you have been out camping in the middle of no where amongst the trees on your own?

Joe from Aus
CZ3D, G2, Garrett Sea Hunter M2



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2014 04:04AM by wolfau.

Camping in the middle of no where is one thing , Australia's another!
What do you have there--about 700 species of poisonous snakes and the most venomous insects/spiders that the Creator conjured up---and they all hunt at night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You got frickin' crocs the size of semis and dingos that carry off little kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'd feel better off pitchin' the tent in downtown Detroit or deathrays Stockton.
I'll bend the brim of my hat to you for sleeping on the ground in that country mate!!

Where I am you will find spiders and snakes.

The only concern would be Panthers. There are rumors that there are a few here left by US serviceman

in Vic who left them behind which were mascots.

Theirs sightings of them as well.

I think the safe bet would be to sleep in a caravan camper.

I do it as often as possible! Love hiking with my son into one of our remote canyons. Bears can be a problem,but the illegal dope growers or the schizos are the biggest danger. Love the solitude and getting out in nature man. Unfortunately these are never longer than a few days. When I was in my early 20s I would disapear for a week or two. If I didnt have a family ,etc, I would live out in the canyons for a year.

Deathray how was it your first time? Did you worry about being attacked by people?

I guess not maybe you carry a hand gun with you. In Australia we can not carry side or firearms.

I think its more of a mind thing. Just lay down and sleep and by the time you know it you wake up.

Joe from Aus
CZ3D, G2, Garrett Sea Hunter M2



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2014 04:24AM by wolfau.

Well.. yeah,things go bump in the night,lol. But I have been camping and hiking most my life. Me and my buddies when we where 12 -13 years old spent most of our summers sleeping outside...sometimes in the woods, sometimes just in the backyard.

Quick story...Im a roofer and theres this carpenter im friends with named Curtis. Curtis is 29,long hair,drives a flatbed dodge and carries his skateboard on the headache rack...in other words,a free spirit. Curtis was remodeling his small house and asked me to do his roof. Well Curtis lives on a ridge in the sierra foothills out in the middle of nowhere. When I get there,he shows me around. "Theres where I sleep" . Dude has his king size bed ,outside facing east to wake up to the sun,lol. He sleeps outside the entire dry season. Then he shows me his shower...yep,it too is outside,haha. I think Curtis has a house just to store his toys.

When I was a young man I did a lot of back packing. We had the occasional grizzly bear, black bear, rattle snake, coyotes aplenty in the area. Never had a problem as long as you knew what you were about. There were always people terrified of the thought of what could be, I decided to just ignore them. In those days in those places other humans were rare, just as I preferred it.

Then I took to living on a boat and cruised for a number of years. The naysayers talked of rouge waves, hurricanes, pirates, sharks, you name it. Again, good gear, good knowledge, good time.

Everything has risk, it's how we deal with it. The biggest danger most face is driving on a highway but becase they're used to it they don't give it a second thought. Traveling at sea in a sailboat statistically is way safer but most people think you're crazy. Then you throw in diving around sharks, barracuda, moray eels, etc. and they think you're insane when in truth you live a much safer life then they do.

Know the risks from wildlife and how to deal with it, know good first aid and survival, have good gear and you'll have a set of experiences most city dwellers will never have.

Deathray thanks for sharing the story.

Sailorman thanks for the motivation.

I am blessed i have found this forum.

Joe from Aus
CZ3D, G2, Garrett Sea Hunter M2

Yeah , that sucks about the guns ,,,,I can't believe you guys haven't taken steps to put that in reverse . Good lesson there about giving something up to the gov. Out here in the desert West the big cats still get hunted ---unlike California where they just see a jogger as moving prey-- and they still have a fear of man. I guess if you're confronted by one of your 'panthers' you can always use the stern reproach and fetal position method of defense. A decent fire keeps them away here but that also attracts the rattlers by the heat in the clear cold nights--at least they usually warn you before they strike while your snakes don't. What do you do against a funnel web without hollow points? National Geographic says they can sting through thick leather. Scorpions and black widows are childs play compared to them.

I don't know about you wolfau , but I'd be looking for a Kevlar hammock if I was you

Unfortunately some of the night critters have 2 legs and would advise to do it as a group or at least with a buddie. When the kids were small spent some summers in isolated campgrounds with other campers but always slept with a gun under my pillow. Actually think it would be insane to do it by myself in isolated woodlands especially in todays society...

This guy is blind. Hiked the entire length of the Appalachian trail before he got his guide dog. He's still out there going. He depended a great deal on guidance from those he ran into along the way. Many stretches of this trail are very remote. Look how well he did!

[www.youtube.com]

I've had lots of good experiences in the middle of nowhere with complete strangers.

Not in the same league as the outback camping, but have camped in woods a lot when growing up. Usually with other people. Always relaxing, many times on hunting trips. But my favorite thing has always been to camp at the campground at Ocracoke Island in N.C. People are always friendly, never any worry about anything being stolen. Campers are usually hard working honest people. Never carried a gun at campgrounds. I always take my pond boat and underwater lights. Wade the sound side of the island. Gig flounder in the shallows and catch shrimp at the low tide when they come out of the reeds as the water drops and come to the lights. You will see so much more sea life at night. The occasional coral snake, morea eel, and seahorses, along with the smaller sea turtles, sting rays, and fish feeding on the minnows and crabs attracted to the lights. It can get your heart racing at times as a feeding frenzy breaks out. And the night sky is just amazing with no lights anywhere for miles around. In the day I dig clams, oysters, and sometimes scoops. If I am at the campground a few days I usually get to know some of the other people well enough that we will get together and have a big cookout. I provide the fresh seafood and they provide everything else. We have had some great times and I have made some really good friends while there. The only down side is that it is national seashore so no metal detecting allowed. That is the only thing that keeps me from going there very much anymore. Know your surroundings and prepare properly and every trip is a special adventure that makes life more than you could ever hope for.

I have been a "camper" for most of my life although these days it's limited to maybe 2xs per yr for a weekend get away. I like to camp away from people - don't like KOA type camps or places where 100s of people pull up with their popups & 5th wheels/etc. or any of that

I like national forest type camping in remote areas with limited to no amenities - just a river/stream, me, a tent, fishing gear, detecting gear, backpack, maybe a buddy (or girlfriend if she's the type - hard to find!) and a muttly (dog) as an added protection & camping companion and a 9mm for real protection!

I have however - found myself lost over night in the forest (Manistee National Forest) during a deer hunting/metal detecting 2 day adventure I went on like 15 yrs back - I parked off of a 2 trac miles and miles back in the woods and walked for a mile or so into the forest while bow hunting one day (detector was in truck - had planned on doing a little diggin that day too) but - as the day wore on, and I decided to head back to the truck - I got turned around and lost while hiking back and before I knew it - it was getting dark... I tried to find my truck before it got completely dark but that didn't happen! So I spent the night in the forest with little protection (no tent or any shelter of any kind) - built a campfire and slept as good as I could on a jacket I had in my backpack for a barrier between me & the ground but it was cold (Late October in Northern Michigan at night in the woods lost with limited supplies = not fun) and I was pretty sure a bear was going to jump out at any given moment and make me his diner! Lots of bears in that forest - wolves, coyotes, Michigan rattlers, and other nasty things too!

Morning came FINALLY and 1/2 freezing to death I headed off in a direction where I could hear a quad runner and soon enough I came to a clearing with a 2 trac/trail and a few minutes later a dude came up on his quad and stopped because I was flagging him down - I told him the story of being lost and he was laughing because I was only like 1/4th mile from where my truck was parked at that point. He gave me a ride to the pull off where my truck was and I never saw him again but I never went back to that area of the forest again either! It was an area I was not familiar with which is why I got turned around/lost in the 1st place!

It's a BIG forest out there! You can drive for hrs and hrs down 2 tracs / trails and not come across another living soul - no houses, no street signs, no roads, no nothing but woods, forest and more woods!

Lesson learned = I keep and take many supplies with me at all times (back cab of truck looks like sporting goods store)!

I started using that flagging tape Wayne. Of course a gps is obvious,Ill get one someday. Anyway,if any of yall are serious prospectors,youll know the name Don Robinson...he writes for the international mining journal. Don is 73 I believe,and a friggin BEAST! Dude can outhike most 20 year olds. He got me started on flagging your way with bright colored tape. Beats breadcrumbs! Ray

I'll have to try that one Ray!