Playing it safe.

Woods Walker

The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
5,433
Location
New England woods.
Technology can be a good thing. I was bushwhacking looking for a spot to camp today.





Started the usual stuff. Water, wood and power is what my shelter runs on.





These hard wood saplings will be more than enough to ride out the storm. There was a winter storm warming but don't generally change my plans based on that alone.





Looking like a good spot. Been here before. It gets sun and water isn't too far away. In fact very near.





Surrounded by Hemlocks which can be a problem in very high winds but not too worried at this point.





Setup with a nice storm pitch.





Then noticed the winter storm warning was canceled. The problem being it was replaced with a blizzard warning on the phone. There is really two things I realistically fear in the New England wood. Ticks and high winds. Read gusts up to 70 miles per hour. That's it. I am out. I have been forced to hunker down from such weather before but this time was within striking distance of the truck. Packed it all up and headed back. Fenix HL50 doing it's job.





Drove back home and did the gas fill up prepper thing for the generator as odds are the power will go out.





Bottom line. Dying isn't surviving. It's just dying. If you feel like something isn't going to end well being someplace else is a good option. I will be heading back out to the same area in a few days. Should be a fun time then.
 
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ssanasisredna

Enlightened
Joined
Oct 19, 2016
Messages
457
I have a K2 from Eureka which will take just about anything you can throw at it, but its really not a single person carry tent. Too bloody heavy. I would like to find something in the 6-7lb range that will take extreme weather for 1 person and some gear.

I am with you though, I would rather be in a clearing in extreme winds than in deciduous trees, even evergreens you have to watch as snow load can bring them down.

Worse thing about being out in that weather can be other people worrying about you. Best to play safe ... and if you did not have your snowshoes, that would have been a long slow haul on the way back.
 

Bdm82

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
May 27, 2016
Messages
1,000
Location
Illinois
Woods, I love reading your posts... inspirational (I plan on doing more camping myself) and educational (more concise gear advice than many places).
Thanks for posting of the excursions!
 

terjee

Enlightened
Joined
Jul 24, 2016
Messages
729
Location
Bergen, Norway
Like a lot of countries, Norway has a couple of guiding rules for hiking/mountain safety. For the past 65 years or so, they've included "there's no shame in turning back". Originally those rules were introduced because too many people were dying needlessly out there. Or in other words: good call. :)
 

Woods Walker

The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
5,433
Location
New England woods.
Like a lot of countries, Norway has a couple of guiding rules for hiking/mountain safety. For the past 65 years or so, they've included "there's no shame in turning back". Originally those rules were introduced because too many people were dying needlessly out there. Or in other words: good call. :)

Thanks for commenting!
 

blah9

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 10, 2011
Messages
2,105
Just came across this thread today. Always a good day when you're safe even if you missed out on some fun/adventure. Definitely hard to realize in the moment sometimes though.
 

Poppy

Flashaholic
Joined
Dec 20, 2012
Messages
8,359
Location
Northern New Jersey
Hey WoodsWalker,
I always enjoy your threads. :thumbsup:

Certainly you have nothing to prove. Been there... done that!
I am glad that you use your experience to share with others, who may still be out there it prove something, that it is OK, and at times... A good thing to turn back.

This weekend I took a group of fresh scouts on an overnight.
Weather prediction... 80F day, 45-50F night. They were WRONG... it dropped to 32F with idk 20 mph winds... a chill that must have brought it into the low 20's.
Believe it or not, weathermen can be wrong. When you got a message that they admitted that they were wrong, and that things are about to get worse, I am glad that you had the ability to get out of there, and back to safety. AND the sense to do just that! :)

At our next meeting, I think I will take a little time to speak with the patrol leaders about being prepared. Suggesting that they impart that to the new scouts.
 
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