Mines dumping in cold water, its one thing that's hard be totally prepared for, more the shock of hitting the water, been there once and I didn't like it, this was before I ever started going to the BW.

Getting ready for my 1st solo , 10 day trip and if i can get more vacation time id like to extend it, has my brain going through lots of scenarios. That one is the 1st one I always think of. Hopefully June 20th will give the water ample time to warm....

I always go around opening weekend.

no fear. im confident in my skills and decision making.

Dumping in cold water is probably it for me too. Although a heart attack is on the list being as I am not as young as I once was.

quote pswith5: "Dumping in cold water is probably it for me too. Although a heart attack is on the list being as I am not as young as I once was."

Dumping in cold water...I have some control over that and what happens next. A medical emergency, heart, stroke, etc., where you have to push the button if you are capable and then sit and wait. That worries me a bit mostly because I have no control but I don't think it is something I fear.

Either a tree falling on my tent or canoe or a lightning strike. Sleeping around tree roots always makes me nervous in an electrical storm.

Tree falling on my tent is my number one.

Someone deciding to mess with me because I am a solo woman... kind of irrational as I am likely safer in the BWCA than walking to my car after the night shift but I just can't help worrying.

quote TomT: "Sleeping around tree roots always makes me nervous in an electrical storm."

that's something you can never get away from, not worth worrying about.

Fear might not be the right word but the scenario I like thinking about the least:

An accident involving my dog which forces me to make the decision to try and paddle her out to a vet ASAP or put her out of her misery. And the putting her out of her misery solution wouldn't involve anything as tidy as an injection or even a gun.

The thought of a serious illness or injury that leaves me completely incapacitated, in lots of pain, and unable to function around camp, let alone paddle, isn't too appealing either.

But I don't dwell on them, not much point. Though I will admit that when the dog scenario pops into my head it can stick around a while.

I wouldn't call dumping in cold water a fear for me, probably because it's something I have quite a bit of control over and, while I don't relish the thought of perishing, it would be relatively quick and painless.


Alan

My only worry is messing up my ankle at a bad portage landing, or my back. I never worry about swamping, If the conditions look like it might be iffy I generally don't take risks.

Portage landings. Getting in and out of the canoe without falling in the water. With no depth perception I see the water as a foot deep when its really 2 feet deep.

quote kanoes: "no fear. im confident in my skills and decision making."

There's not 1 thing at all you fear.

My only fear is the company ; )

The inexplicable, the uncontrollable, the momentary lapse . . .

I tend to embrace my fear. Keep it close and it'll save yer ass!
Cold water dump, scarry, be more careful. Ax murderers are out there, were they there before or after I started solo tripping?
Stepping into deep water, with my short legs it's always deep! Things that go bump in the nite, any worse than the nite noises outside my bedroom window, that I can't identify? Am I some kind of crazy for doing this alone, most folks I know think so!?!?

Good thing I keep my thoughts boxed, right next to the scary things box is the box of goofy, funny, stuff, and it's is kept closer to hand.

Have a good time out there, say hello to the moon for me!

butthead

no fear here.....just a healthy respect, and care

quote butthead: "I tend to embrace my fear. Keep it close and it'll save yer ass!
Cold water dump, scarry, be more careful. Ax murderers are out there, were they there before or after I started solo tripping?
Stepping into deep water, with my short legs it's always deep! Things that go bump in the nite, any worse than the nite noises outside my bedroom window, that I can't identify? Am I some kind of crazy for doing this alone, most folks I know think so!?!?


Good thing I keep my thoughts boxed, right next to the scary things box is the box of goofy, funny, stuff, and it's is kept closer to hand.


Have a good time out there, say hello to the moon for me! So with " bumps in the night" in mind. Do many folks take a sleep aid with? Not including alcohol.


butthead"

It seems whenever I reply to butthead posts I don't get the bold print!?

quote pswith5: "It seems whenever I reply to butthead posts I don't get the bold print!?
"

Preferential site treatment, seniority advantage! While I like my spirits, only sleep aid is a sense of humor.

butthead

PS: You need to compose a response 2 lines below last line (butthead). bh

i like to keep moving, i often won't begin to look for a campsite until dinnertime. i fear not finding a campsite. when i am lifting my canoe (wood/canvas) i spend several moments making sure that i am totally concentrating on what i am about to do, i want my stance to be rock solid. other than that i am comfortable in my canoe and can't think of anything to be fearful about. big rapids scare me but i would never do that alone on a solo trip.

Falling tree or limb is probably #2. #1 is taking a fishing hook deep. Been involved in that twice (neither was me), and I didn't like it a bit!

#1 is taking a fishing hook deep. Been involved in that twice (neither was me), and I didn't like it a bit!"

I try to avoid using lures with treble hooks and all my barbs are pinched down for that same reason. Never had it happen and don't want to find out what it's like.

Alan

quote kanoes: "no fear. im confident in my skills and decision making."

Famous last words.....LOL

One time, I got a big, fancy, important award at work. Thought I was pretty hot stuff. I returned to my office, sat down in my chair, put my feet up on the desk, leaned back and clasped my hands behind my head. I was pretty pleased with myself and pretty full of myself.

Right at that instant the whole set of book shelves above my desk collapsed on top of me! Four full shelves full of books and manuals. Very easily could have killed me. The funniest thing you ever saw in your life. I'm buried under books and manuals.

I got a bit to big for my britches.

God has ways of making us humble at the most appropriate time.....I still laugh when I think of that day.

So, I don't have one single thing that "scares" me, I just know that whatever goes wrong, it's going to happen during one of those moments when I think I've got this situation under control.

i agreed with a idea of overconfidence. on a solo trip i am hyper-aware of almost everything i do. i may feel comfortable in my canoe, but i am also very aware that one screwed up stroke or wave over the gunwales and i could be swimming. in the tent site i am also aware that one stupid move could equal a big problem. a pine root or poorly placed rock could easily trip me. so i am always very aware but i don't think of this as fear. this supr focus is probably why some of us enjoy solo trips, i think of it as a method of mindfullness.

When solo I find myself very, very aware of my actions and reactions to virtually every move I make. Complacency and over confidence, as mentioned in earlier posts, are concerns I have but overcome through due diligence. jwartman expressed it correctly.."i am always very aware but i don't think of this as fear. this super focus is probably why some of us enjoy solo trips".

I guess I don't have any fears either...just a great deal of respect and anticipation of the "what if".

fear is a strong word that i would save for in camp lighting strikes,tree toppling storms and packs of raging bears.
i do worry about something damaging the canoe beyond repair,falling and injuring myself so bad i can't self rescue and if the car is still safe in the parking lot.

I did my first solo last October. While I was driving up from Chicago everything was going through my mind. If I get hurt, go in water, dog gets hurt getting lost. I had a very aggressive route, I paddled from sunup to sundown every day, I was so focused on getting from point A to point B. I never had time to worry about all the fears I had when I was driving up.

quote pswith5: "A heart attack is on the list being as I am not as young as I once was."

I would much rather die in the BWCA than rot away in a hospital bed.

quote OBX2Kayak: "

quote pswith5: "A heart attack is on the list being as I am not as young as I once was."

I would much rather die in the BWCA than rot away in a hospital bed."

I agree, but the wife doesn't think that way, but we have talk about it and she know I'd be happy.

What I'm afraid of on a solo trip:

1. Bigfoot encounter. They're out there in the BWCA. Saw it on TV

2. Eaten by a Bear. Happens all the time. Saw it on TV

3. Run down by a rabid pack of wolves. Saw it in a movie with Liam Neeson

4. Accidently shot by Dick Cheney. Saw it on TV

5. The drive home............

quote awbrown: "

quote kanoes: "no fear. im confident in my skills and decision making."

Famous last words.....LOL


One time, I got a big, fancy, important award at work. Thought I was pretty hot stuff. I returned to my office, sat down in my chair, put my feet up on the desk, leaned back and clasped my hands behind my head. I was pretty pleased with myself and pretty full of myself.


Right at that instant the whole set of book shelves above my desk collapsed on top of me! Four full shelves full of books and manuals. Very easily could have killed me. The funniest thing you ever saw in your life. I'm buried under books and manuals.


I got a bit to big for my britches.


God has ways of making us humble at the most appropriate time.....I still laugh when I think of that day.


So, I don't have one single thing that "scares" me, I just know that whatever goes wrong, it's going to happen during one of those moments when I think I've got this situation under control."

there is a huge difference between confidence and overconfidence. situational awareness is probably the most important skill when soloing.

no big fears, just a healthy well deserved
respect for wind and waves

I've dumped the canoe in late September and on the fishing opener. As a kid I remember jumping in the water from a log crossing a flooded creek during the spring snow melt and floating down the rapids about fifty yards and getting out running back and doing it again and again. I guess I've never had that fear of cold water but maybe I should-I'm not as young as I use to be. Backpacking the Pow-Wow trail solo creeped me out. The noises around the tent at night and a real fear of twisting an ankle or getting lost during the day. Back before the Pagami creek fire that trail was barely there when you got in deep enough. Canoeing solo I'm pretty comfortable with. I am a bit of a weenie now though-that helps.

Quetico Yetis.

Alzheimers.

there are bigfoot in the bwca, i have several people who would back me up on this. my children think that my solo trips to the bwca are bigfoot searching trips. they might be.

banksiana, if you have early alzheimers i am so sorry. i've had a type of parkinson's disease for 15 years. the doctors now say that i am in early stages of dementia. on solo trips it hasn't been a problem, probably because i am so focused. on group trips things get a bit more interesting, i can't say that they cause me fear, there's not much i can do about it anyways, so i paddle on. when those Alzheimer moments are the real deal they aren't quite as humorous. i refuse to let them scare me though.

oh, my first bigfoot experiences were way before my parkinson's hallucinations.

quote Banksiana: "Quetico Yetis.


Alzheimers. "

You just supplied me with a nightmare!

butthead

#1 Losing my car keys.
#2 losing canoe or paddle. My first solo ever- I had to bring my paddle in the tent. :O)

Having to back to work. Getting lost is close, but even if your lost your still in the wild, doing what I enjoy [does not pertain to backpacking or hiking and deer hunting up north] FRED

Once, on a solo trip, I was portaging the canoe down a steep rock face. I had taken my packs over first, so I was hyper aware of the slickness of the rock. Therefore, when I was taking the canoe over, I was being super cautious, making each step secure.

Still didn't help.

Even before I could register what was happening, I was on my ass. My feet had slipped out from under me, down I went onto my back, hitting the back of my head against the rock and having the canoe land squarely on top of me. All within a split second. Luckily, I was fine. I hadn't hit my head too hard and nothing was broken or bleeding.

However, that did teach me that even when you are hyper aware, super cautious, and very careful, an accident may still happen. Hopefully it won't be too bad. And I did learn from that incident. Now, whenever I have even an iota of doubt about portaging a canoe, I'll find a way to move it without its weight being over my head.

But fear and confidence is really a balance, isn't it? If you are completely fearful, and have no confidence, you probably find a way to get into a jam. And if you are overconfident, and have no fear, then you would end up biting off more then you can chew.

And that's why I enjoy solo trips, either canoeing or backpacking. I get to learn my balance.

Here is the rock face from the tale.

It's funny how when we are young (teens and 20's) we tend to be afraid of irrational and things disregard real dangers. And when we "mature" we focus on the reality of what "could" happen.

I remember my first solo, I was 23 and went for a week off the gunflint. The silence in the evening and at night was something I wasn't used to at all being from a busy metropolis. And yeah, any little sound had me a little freaked out. But then, I don't remember being worried about twisting an ankle or losing or damaging my canoe. I just did the trip without much concern about what could really happen.

These days it's the opposite. I love the silence and trying to decifer what animal is making the noise in the forest. I also am completely aware that a broken hip is a careless step away. Also that tying off the canoe every night to a tree is extremely important.

I guess we really do get smarter with age.

quote WhiteWolf: #2 losing canoe or paddle. My first solo ever- I had to bring my paddle in the tent. :O)"

Did you name your Paddle:)

Last year I took my first solo and, if I'm honest, the only thing I found myself afraid of was widow makers. It seems like an irrational fear, but I suppose that is the nature of fear.

I mean, are my chances of getting taken out by a falling tree greater when I'm solo? What difference would it make if others were around me? Hopefully this year I can rein that irrational side of me in.

I don't really have an "fears", but my greatest concerns are falling on a rough portage and blowing out a knee or ankle and violent thunderstorms that could lead to lightning strikes and/or blowdowns....I can generally control the former, the latter not so much...

"but my greatest concerns are falling on a rough portage",
Thanks for pointing out the advantage of being shaped like a Weeble!

butthead

quote WhiteWolf: "#1 Losing my car keys.
#2 losing canoe or paddle. My first solo ever- I had to bring my paddle in the tent. :O)


"

I ALWAYS have a spare paddle attached to my canoe

quote WhiteWolf: "#1 Losing my car keys."

I never take my keys in the BW.

quote butthead: ""but my greatest concerns are falling on a rough portage",
Thanks for pointing out the advantage of being shaped like a Weeble!


butthead"

Agree, I'm always take extra caution on a portage, no fun having a tweaked limb.

I would have thought that "coming home to all my belongings scattered about the lawn and all the door locks re-keyed" would have made someones "biggest fear on a solo trip" list. You must all have very understanding spouses.

quote MacCamper: "When solo I find myself very, very aware of my actions and reactions to virtually every move I make. Complacency and over confidence, as mentioned in earlier posts, are concerns I have but overcome through due diligence. jwartman expressed it correctly.."i am always very aware but i don't think of this as fear. this super focus is probably why some of us enjoy solo trips".


I guess I don't have any fears either...just a great deal of respect and anticipation of the "what if"."

+1
My #1 concern (not so much fear) is loss of proper focus while interacting with wind, waves, fish, terrain. Sometimes problems happen despite the best planning, skill and execution, but I'd really rather not have a problem caused by not paying attention.

quote AlfalfaMale: "I would have thought that "coming home to all my belongings scattered about the lawn and all the door locks re-keyed" would have made someones "biggest fear on a solo trip" list. You must all have very understanding spouses."

It's her chance to go do what she wants to do, plus I don't eat chicken and she will plan it for about every meal while I'm gone.

quote Hoaf: My #1 concern (not so much fear) is loss of proper focus while interacting with wind, waves, fish, terrain. Sometimes problems happen despite the best planning, skill and execution, but I'd really rather not have a problem caused by not paying attention. "

Yeah, sometimes at the end of a real tough traveling day you get mentally tired as well as physically exhausted. It's in these times I try not to get careless.

And then sometimes we have to learn things the hard way. In my late 20's on my 2nd solo while in Quetico I decided to run a creek after non stop rains made it look easier than taking the 60 rod portage next to it.

My inexperienced self said "portage all the gear then float the canoe down it and that'll be sweet!" Well, I didn't understand the power of water and when I came to a small drop of 2 feet in a strong but shallow current I decided it was best to let the canoe go empty over the drop then catch up to it after.

What I didn't count on was the large rock just under the surface after the drop where the
boat caught itself broadside and wedged itself against it ripping a nice "L" shape tear in the stern at the waterline. It took everything I had to pry it off that rock and then curse myself for my stupidity. Boat was effectively totalled with 6 hours of paddling to Prairie Portage. It was a Sawyer "Autumn Mist" on its maiden voyage.

I learned a heck of a lot that day.

quote Minnesotian: "
But fear and confidence is really a balance, isn't it? If you are completely fearful, and have no confidence, you probably find a way to get into a jam. And if you are overconfident, and have no fear, then you would end up biting off more then you can chew.


And that's why I enjoy solo trips, either canoeing or backpacking. I get to learn my balance. "

Well said.

Enjoyable reading. I appreciate the values of balance and staying alert enough yet getting into the rhythm of the wilderness, of fear and confidence, and keeping the load vertical on less than vertical portages, balance. And I resonate with Buttheads idea of boxing thoughts and selecting the ones more pleasant. We truly give our power to what we think about.

Over the many trips lots of fears have come and gone and new ones show up from time to time. My take on it is I like to go out in the woods alone and get scared at night.

My biggest worry is dumping in cold water as well. I slow down on the portages and if the water looks rough, I'm off of it.

Mine is never having the nerve to take one. It would take me awhile to calm down.

quote AlfalfaMale: "I would have thought that "coming home to all my belongings scattered about the lawn and all the door locks re-keyed" would have made someones "biggest fear on a solo trip" list. You must all have very understanding spouses."

Funny!!

My husband would never do that out of fear that I would just turn around and head back into the woods leaving him to fend for himself with the three boys.

There is a palpable sense of salvation from the male collect when I walk back in the door after a trip:-)

quote luft: "

quote AlfalfaMale: "I would have thought that "coming home to all my belongings scattered about the lawn and all the door locks re-keyed" would have made someones "biggest fear on a solo trip" list. You must all have very understanding spouses."

Funny!!

My husband would never do that out of fear that I would just turn around and head back into the woods leaving him to fend for himself with the three boys.

There is a palpable sense of salvation from the male collect when I walk back in the door after a trip:-)"

Luft, do people think you're crazy? The percentage of men going solo is infinitely small but a woman doing it is ....microscopically? small. I'm gonna say it right now, and call me a chauvinist but lady, you are bad ass.

Mine is not being able to find my way back after a trip in the woods to do my business. :)

quote nctry: "Mine is not being able to find my way back after a trip in the woods to do my business. :)"

hahahaha!!!!

quote nctry: "Mine is not being able to find my way back after a trip in the woods to do my business. :)"

I now make sure I finish before dark, especially at campsites with a lot of diverging paths where the latrine is some distance away . . .:)

That I will convince myself not to come out of the woods.

quote nctry: "Mine is not being able to find my way back after a trip in the woods to do my business. :)"

Bad experience!!! Never worried about that before---------

butthead

quote boonie: "

quote nctry: "Mine is not being able to find my way back after a trip in the woods to do my business. :)"

I now make sure I finish before dark, especially at campsites with a lot of diverging paths where the latrine is some distance away . . .:)"

Scary!!! This would be so easy to do and you would only have the barest of essentials with you at the latrine I would imagine!!!

Not solo oriented, but this is why we have a buddy system after dark especially if the latrine is distant or when there are kids involved.

Not much I can do about it when solo. I scout out the latrine the moment I get my canoe and gear secured at the site. Usually out of necessity after a long day of paddling. I also try to get my business done before dark when solo.

quote jwartman59: "there are bigfoot in the bwca, would that be bigfeet??

quote DanCooke: "That I will convince myself not to come out of the woods."

Last year on my way home after my solo I stopped at the Cracker Barrel on the south side of the cities. I had sat down for 5 minutes and I was ready to head back north. To much civilization at once I guess.

quote KevinL: "

quote DanCooke: "That I will convince myself not to come out of the woods."

Last year on my way home after my solo I stopped at the Cracker Barrel on the south side of the cities. I had sat down for 5 minutes and I was ready to head back north. To much civilization at once I guess. "

my kids used to have to drag me to the car on Sunday nights when it was time to go home from the cabin. Now I live there.

running out of deodorant.

quote PineKnot: ""

Pineknot fears emptiness.

quote nctry: "

quote KevinL: "

quote DanCooke: "That I will convince myself not to come out of the woods."

Last year on my way home after my solo I stopped at the Cracker Barrel on the south side of the cities. I had sat down for 5 minutes and I was ready to head back north. To much civilization at once I guess. "

my kids used to have to drag me to the car on Sunday nights when it was time to go home from the cabin. Now I live there."

It gets harder with each trip to want to come back to reality.

quote kanoes: "running out of deodorant."

Is that fear of stinking in the woods :)

Mother nature is definitely on the top of my list. This May will be my first solo canoe trip but I've done a good amount of solo backpacking and bad weather is something I'm always cognizant of. On a trip a few years ago I got bogged down in a pretty good storm, strong wind and a lot of rain. While in my tent at night a large tree went down outside, judging by the incredible sound I thought the tree went down within 20 ft of my tent, scared me half to death. After a pretty long night I left my tent the next morning to find that the seemingly healthy tree (not exactly a widow maker) actually went down at least 50 yards away. After that experience I wouldn't say I have a fear of the weather, but a very healthy respect for it.

quote mooseplums: "

quote WhiteWolf: "#1 Losing my car keys.
#2 losing canoe or paddle. My first solo ever- I had to bring my paddle in the tent. :O)



"

I ALWAYS have a spare paddle attached to my canoe"

+1!!

quote boonie: "The inexplicable, the uncontrollable, the momentary lapse . . ."

Yup.

Lightning strike.
Tree falling on me.
Getting tangled in a tree submerged under the surface of the water while swimming. I've seen a few from the comfort of the canoe and they scare me silly.

quote Exo: "

quote boonie: "The uncontrollable"

Yup.


Lightning strike.
Tree falling on me.
Getting tangled in a tree submerged under the surface of the water while swimming. I've seen a few from the comfort of the canoe and they scare me silly."

That's the one thing that's hard to plan for, I just make the best decision possible when the time comes and stay calm, bad decisions on a solo aren't good.

quote TomT: "

quote luft: "

quote AlfalfaMale: "I would have thought that "coming home to all my belongings scattered about the lawn and all the door locks re-keyed" would have made someones "biggest fear on a solo trip" list. You must all have very understanding spouses."

Funny!!


My husband would never do that out of fear that I would just turn around and head back into the woods leaving him to fend for himself with the three boys.


There is a palpable sense of salvation from the male collect when I walk back in the door after a trip:-)"

Luft, do people think you're crazy? The percentage of men going solo is infinitely small but a woman doing it is ....microscopically? small. I'm gonna say it right now, and call me a chauvinist but lady, you are bad ass.
"

Ha! Thank you for that complement. Truth be told, I am a huge weenie when it comes to the dark but I just power through.

Most people outside of the paddling community do seem to think it is crazy for me to go by myself. Thankfully my husband has no inkling of what canoe trips entail and is blissfully ignorant of any perceived dangers of me soloing.

quote Exo: "

quote boonie: "The inexplicable, the uncontrollable, the momentary lapse . . ."

Yup.


Lightning strike.
Tree falling on me.
Getting tangled in a tree submerged under the surface of the water while swimming. I've seen a few from the comfort of the canoe and they scare me silly."

Yup... Add submerged trees/logs to my list. They creep me out for some reason.

Interesting that no one has mentioned mine yet -- the wind!

Particularly wind that comes up and generates huge whitecaps that rush into the landing that I need to launch my canoe from.

Wind that comes up while I am enjoying a leisurely walk down the portage.

Wind that wasn't there when I started out that morning, but magically appears and turns the lake to foam.

Wind that brings me to a dead halt in the middle of a travel day and no where near a campsite.

Wind that keeps me shore bound for two days and seems determined to keep me from making my schedule exit.

Oh, and about fear, I'm only afraid of things I have actually encountered and dealt with before. . .

Goat

I had no fears until I read Gage's post about having a scenario where you had to put your dog down.

On all my trips that has never crossed my mind, now I'm dwelling on it.

this is a dangerous thread!

quote Duckman: "I had no fears until I read Gage's post about having a scenario where you had to put your dog down.


On all my trips that has never crossed my mind, now I'm dwelling on it.


this is a dangerous thread!"

Yeah, I didn't need to hear that either. That's a pretty bad scenario and one I hope to never experience. I've thought about my dog getting lost and eaten by wolves and that's not pleasant either. I'll still take her on every trip though. Can't let fear stop us from living.

I worry about an accident concerning my kids. Don't worry at all if it's just me, because, hey, what the hell.

quote OldGoat: "Interesting that no one has mentioned mine yet -- the wind!


Particularly wind that comes up and generates huge whitecaps that rush into the landing that I need to launch my canoe from.


Wind that comes up while I am enjoying a leisurely walk down the portage.


Wind that wasn't there when I started out that morning, but magically appears and turns the lake to foam.


Wind that brings me to a dead halt in the middle of a travel day and no where near a campsite.


Wind that keeps me shore bound for two days and seems determined to keep me from making my schedule exit.


Oh, and about fear, I'm only afraid of things I have actually encountered and dealt with before. . .


Goat"

Wind can definitely change a trip, that's why I carry extra meals.

A group of us were camped on Lynx years ago. While looking out onto the lake I noticed something different... it was in the air. It sort of resembled heat waves, and I realized it was some kind of change in air pressure??? This was otherwise a very calm day. Anyway, it was coming straight at us from across the lake at a good clip. We quickly grabbed anything that could blow away and held onto our tents. When it hit it was like a 50 mph gust of wind. It lasted about eight seconds and was over. The whole point here is that had we been on the water, we'd likely have been blown over with very little warning. Things can happen and it pays to keep looking around, even on calm days.

quote Duckman: "I had no fears until I read Gage's post about having a scenario where you had to put your dog down.


On all my trips that has never crossed my mind, now I'm dwelling on it.


this is a dangerous thread!"

You're welcome. ;)

Alan

My biggest fear is that someone will need my help in a life or death situation and I'll fail them. The scenario that ran through my mind is that I'll be settled down in camp with my dog and someone else on the water capsizes and needs immediate assistance. I'd have to secure my dog to a tree or in the tent, get ready and then make a rescue attempt. I imagine this going wrong in two ways, one is I fail to help the stranger in time, the second way is that I also get into trouble (and die) and my dog is left alone in camp for who knows how long.

Next biggest fear, maybe, is porcupine vs dog: the aftermath.

Far from my biggest fear, I've also worried about getting bullied by a large group that wants my 5 star site.

"Far from my biggest fear, I've also worried about getting bullied by a large group that wants my 5 star site."

I once lost my site to a large group. I was on a day trip and when I got back to my site a group was there and all set up. They thought, because there was so little stuff there, that the pevious group had forgotten some things and so the camp site open. I was not happy, but I moved.

My biggest fear solo is getting lost. I can get confused on large lakes. I have also been on false portages. However, I am here so things couldn't have been too bad. :)

quote Bannock: ""Far from my biggest fear, I've also worried about getting bullied by a large group that wants my 5 star site."


I once lost my site to a large group. I was on a day trip and when I got back to my site a group was there and all set up. They thought, because there was so little stuff there, that the pevious group had forgotten some things and so the camp site open. I was not happy, but I moved:)
"

You handled that way better then I would have.

running out of clonazapam.

Being as careful as possible Im still terrified of getting hit by lightning. A tree falling on my while asleep is a far second.

"clonazapam" Nice wordsmithing!!

I have that saved for future use, thanks!

butthead

quote em8260: "Being as careful as possible Im still terrified of getting hit by lightning. A tree falling on my while asleep is a far second."

Me too. I don't think about it until there's a storm. Then it's like I'm just waiting to get blasted.

I once had one of the solid black cloud fronts roll through in the daytime. All was calm and I could see the line coming my way. All hell broke loose with wind and rain and I sat in the tent hearing branches snapping off around me.

Very vulnerable position to be in and I told myself never again be in a tent when something like that is going on. Better to put on the raingear and find a safer place to wait it out.

Tree falling on tent. We were in a microburst and a tree fell between the adult tent and the kids tent.

quote TomT: "

quote em8260: "Being as careful as possible Im still terrified of getting hit by lightning. A tree falling on my while asleep is a far second."

Me too. I don't think about it until there's a storm. Then it's like I'm just waiting to get blasted.


I once had one of the solid black cloud fronts roll through in the daytime. All was calm and I could see the line coming my way. All hell broke loose with wind and rain and I sat in the tent hearing branches snapping off around me.


Very vulnerable position to be in and I told myself never again be in a tent when something like that is going on. Better to put on the raingear and find a safer place to wait it out."

I agree about being outside, at least I might see a tree come down, It would be a trip changer.