Finished last night, and wore it to work today. The Details if you're interested.
Question to all; I want to go camping this summer, but it looks like I'll be solo. The trip is about 10 days long with a ton of day long hikes into the wilderness to some breathtaking views (for the locals - Strathcona Park). I'm absolutely itching to go, but a little hesitant on the solo thing... what do you think?
- Would I be nuts to go alone?
- If it is nuts, where would I find someone willing to go with me (friends and family already questioned with no takers)?
- If I do go alone, safety tips (bears, cougars, rednecks)? I find I can typically handle my own, I'm honestly not even a bit worried about the camping/night time part, it's the hiking part... alone... in the bushes... alone... how do I make noise to scare away animals when I'm all alone? Will I just look like easy prey to a hungry cougar?
- Ugh, but I really, really want to go... advice?
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3 comments:
Omigod it is beautiful, and I can't believe you are finished already!
Making noises in the woods - get some bear bells. They wrap around your wrists, ankles, backpack, whatever, and have bells, so as long as you're moving, they're making noise. That being said, I think you would be crazy to go alone.
What a marvelous sweater.
You are not nuts to go camping alone. It can be very enjoyable if you don't mind spending time with yourself.
A hint about black bears (the only kind of bears on the Island) is that they adore personal hygiene products like tooth paste and deodorant. It's a sure fire way to get them to come to you, so if you can get along with brushing your teeth with whisky for a few days and smelling like a true camper, it's much better.
I'm not a fan of bear bells, it keeps the timid bears away, but invites the 'problem bears' to come and visit. Bears aren't much of a problem on the island (one reported bear attack ever on the island, and that one was provoked by her victim). In fact, all of the animals that like to eat meat around here are animals that you can intimidate or punch in the nose in order to get rid of them (don't play dead, that's for Grizzly bears). So if you are a confident person, you should have no problem with the animals.
Both cougars and black bears like to eat things that are easy pray or animals that run away from them. So, just stand your ground and look big (raise your arms over your head) and talk loudly and confidently at them. It will show them that you are not easy pray and they will go away.
I think it is nicer to have someone go with you if you can find someone. I don't know if you can get cell phone reception in that park, but it's worth a try. If you go alone, make certain you leave a schedule with someone so that they know where you are and to call for help if you are not back by a certain time, just in case.
Oh, and don't eat any white berries.
My biggest advice (not having visited that part of Canada but camping a lot when I was younger) is to get something to store your food in that will keep it away from your sleeping place. Either bear bags or canisters of whatever is used in that park (I know a lot of parks in the US have a suggestions/requirement for how to store food). Nothing is more annoying than waking up to find a squirrel on your sleeping bag. Looking at you. And then having everyone you're camping with think you're psychotic because you threw a pinecone at it.
I've never worried about big animals because they rarely bother humans (they seem to care more about trash than us), but squirrels are devil spawn.
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