Watatoad

Fear is the mind killer and trigger for the body paralysis and an over active imagination its favourite and most preferred food,  the woods and wilds are full of noises which most do not hear and especially so when in groups.

To all people who are new to the dark of the woods and the countryside at night the snuffle of the hedgehog,  the crunch of the badger eating bluebell bulbs,  the hoot of an owl,  the sound of the fox out and about,  the light wind moving bushes and ferns,  the call of the nightingale and  the chirping of even the crickets.  All these unusual sounds and calls and many more are so easily changed into potential night time threats and hazards to those new to the outdoors by their imagination and minds.

I do not know if they are available but perhaps you can get audio cd’s or even dvd’s of the sounds of the woods and countryside at night.

However may I suggest the following without spending a night in the woods approach the night in easy steps if you feel unsure of yourself.  First go for a walk into the woods in the day alone and make or find a comfortable place to sit at the edge of the woods and take a flask and a sandwich with you. Then simply sit and have your food and a drink do this a few times perhaps staying a little later and eventually as it gets a little darker just listening to the sounds of the woods and if you are really still perhaps you will even see some of the creatures responsible for the sounds.  But before it gets so dark that you cannot see without a torch gently and slowly walk back out of the woods perhaps even do this a few times.  Perhaps next you could consider being a little deeper in the woods and repeating the process.

Man in the British Isles has distanced himself from nature and natural sounds either having to or choosing to live together with many others in well light towns and city’s.  To be unsure or nervous or even frightened of the sounds of nature and natural creatures in the dark of the countryside is for most natural and no knock on anyone of any age’s courage because nature and natural things have become strange,  unknown and intimidating because of how and where most in these Islands live.

Next to mans biggest fear which is the fear of fear itself comes mans fear of the unknown,  all my simple suggestions will do is to begin to familiarise you with your surroundings and reduce the unknown dramatically and the silence although once you start following my suggestions you will realise that you only get silence when wild creatures are disturbed by a threat usually of man.

During a night in the woods there are some dangers,  which we must not overlook.  Aside from setting yourself on fire,  your mates deciding to wind you up for a laugh – their laugh – the zip sticking on your sleeping bag just as you desperately need to go for a pee – burning yourself on your cooking fire or pots – cutting yourself most likely because you are trying to force a blunt knife to do a job only intended for a sharp knife.  Or the biggest danger forgetting to pack your tea or sugar or coffee.

Each can be easily overcome.  Use common sense,  don’t tell your mates when and where you are going  but leave the information with others,  checking out your kit carefully before you go,  being careful,  keeping your knife sharp,  have a list and tick each item off as you pack it.

Have any of you who are town and city dwellers considered just how noisy,  scary and intimidating a town or city at night can be to some country living people?

I find it rather hard to understand any fear of the woods and countryside,  perhaps due to me being very young when I was first sleeping out and it just seemed and seems all natural to me.  Perhaps its because I do not have a very active imagination or perhaps its because I simply never read or watch horror stories and horror films and never have.  I just prefer comedy and very simple generally children’s humour films i.e. home alone one or non fiction books,  nor do I have the ability to imagine any things on tv are real,  although unless asked to watch a particular program I must admit I never watch a television program by choice and only a very few dvd’s.  The last film I went to the cinema to see was Grease,  when it was first released and we had to go three times and each time the film broke down.  As it was a 30 mile round trip I decided I would never waste so much money and time again and have not been since and I have still not seen Grease all the way through.

I do want not knock anyone for being uncertain of anything they have not tried or doing something in places that are not their regular habitat or in this case bedroom,  everyone has that feeling of uncertainty over different things and often people put on a brave face or use personal bravado to get through it.  But when you are on your own and alone I can see how things might look and sound from the wind in the trees to the sound of rain hitting the leaves.  The crack of a Beech branch as it falls to the ground which I trust you will remember not to make a camp under as the Beech tree as the branches can fall suddenly and without warning which is why they have been given the name of widow makers by some.

Sure you can just go off and dive in at the deep end and simply do it,  relying on personal bravado and courage or perhaps even grim determination to see you through.  My method will take longer certainly but you should end up with a better night and a much better understanding and insight of the night noises in the countryside.  Perhaps you will even get to like it.  Dependent on  where and when you venture out generally the worst that can happen is if wild camping and you do not have permission is you get told to move off just remember not to go places without permission and be especially careful during the hunting season or when camping near to where game is being reared.

Just try camping out in your own back garden in a town or a city and you may be surprised at the different noises you will hear there,  I’ll bet that will surprise you.

© R Kiddy 2013.