Night Time Confidence ?

pitdog

pitdog

Joined
Apr 13, 2007
Messages
12,294
At this time of year all my mid-week forest walks are done in the dark and I got to thinking tonight just what a confidence booster having a trusty knife at hand really is !
Apart from the thoughts of physical threats such as Cougar are at night I also find my mind wandering to thoughts of stuff like the Blair witch etc and as stupid as it sounds coming from an adult I don't know if I could do the walks without a knife as a companion !!!!:o
I still think having my dog with me is the biggest moral boost but a knife comes a close second......does anyone else feel the same ?
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Colt's Govt. Mdl. 1911 .45 ACP, for me. ;)

But, as you're in Canada... a good knife would certainly add to one's nighttime confidence.

L.W.
 
I feel the same way just walking out my door in the morning. I think without my knife (and watch) I would feel naked, like something is missing. With my trusty emerson commander at my side, I get the moral boost to walk through any "street looking crowd" that I might find in the city, and through any outdoor trip that I might be on. I think having a dog with me that doesn't run off would be a big plus especially with their great sense of smell and alertness. My Beagle runs off and I end up chasing her, so it's a collar and leash for her, but she does keep alert.

Knife and Dog, Man's first tool and best friend, best moral booster out there.
 
I'm right there with ya Pitdog. I've been on a few solo backpacking trips, and I know first hand that the imagination can come up with some crazy stuff when you're out in the dark alone. A good blade at your side certainly adds a sense of security.
 
Do some more night walks and you will get used to it :)
Just remember night is the same as the day, you just can't see as well :P
If your not afraid of a place during the day you have nothing to fear from it at night ;)
 
Since we are not allowed to carry guns here (as per Herr Mommy of the Nanny State :jerkit: ), I hike at night with a large knife and a hiking staff.

Walk Softly and carry a big stick, but always carry a knife too.
 
Apart from camping I never carry a knife. I know thats kind of a shock horror thing for these forums but meh its the truth.
 
There's several places you can't legally carry concealed in the lower 48...I try to avoid most, but sometimes it doesn't always work out.

Our first big family backpacking trip was in the Panther Creek National Forest in NE Georgia. We only hiked in about 3-4 miles and set up camp; it was in the middle of the week, so we were all alone which was great. Along with a few knives and our dog, I had my Para Ordnance P12 .45. It was quite comforting when late at night, we heard a bunch of shooting (it wasn't hunting season). So me and Leo (the mutt) spent a few hours stoking the fire and posting guard...nothing happened, but it was comforting.

Now, aside from carrying a firearm, a stout hiking stick is my next line of defense and then my knives...A companion dog is another great asset. A long staff/stick gives you a lot more reach...and my new Paul Chen Viking short bladed spearhead that I wrapped for myself under the Christmas tree may be a future addition when I need to go to "condition red" when out and about...if that Blair Witch can take 20+ rounds of 230gr JHP, several jabs from a Viking spearhead, a few slashes from Bark River EVO1 and the clamping jaws of Leo's Cocker-Spaniel/Chow mix maw...then I'm done:D

Forgot to add that good Flashlight can be a big asset as well. Several of the newer, more powerful LED's have decent run times, excellent throw and some even have a very disorienting strobe...plus you can shine it up from under your face, look into the camera and scream:)


ROCK6
 
xinel said:
If your not afraid of a place during the day you have nothing to fear from it at night ;)
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If you're talking critters, this not necessarily true. Plenty of them hole up during the day and are active at night. The good news is, most of them want nothing to do with you.:)
 
oh, yah, that dog sure looks scary there with ball in his mouth and a smile on his face:D

JK, I love that brindle color by the way. I had a few that same color.
 
Lots of two legged critters "hole up during the day and come out at night, too." And, as often as not, they are not as inclined to avoid confrontation as a deer.
 
Man, I feel for you guys up in Canada. Don't you have to have a "Master Guide" certification just to carry a pistol when hunting? :mad:
 
I always carry my Glock 23 with me on overnight camping trips if I'm alone or not having a big knife is nice for security but I feel more secure with my Glock. The main danger I can face in my stomping grounds at night is coming across poachers they worry me more than any wildlife I may encounter.
 
Living in a rural area there are lots of things that 'go bump in the night' ! When I had my house painted inside I wanted to avoid the fumes so I slept in the car for a couple of nights. In the middle of the night I had to take a piss .Instead of just stepping out of the car I looked down right alongside the car - there was a skunk !!. Had I just stepped out I would have stepped on the skunk !
 
our minds make the dark scary...as humans we rely on sight probably more than any other sense as a means of alerting us to danger, and at night we are deprived of that primary sense...an nice thing about that is that you're on a even playing field with anyone else that's out and about...animals are out there their sense are a kajillion (science term) times more attunes than ours but as was posted previously the majority of them want very little to do with you....if you drink and wear your own pee like bear gryllis than both man and beast will cut you a wide birth.
 
I love night-hiking, and have never needed or wanted a weapon while hiking or backpacking.

In the winter I also end up walking Sadie dog after dark many nights. But we stay in the neighborhood and she's always on a leash.
 
I grew up in a big city, so I was always 'leery' of the woods at night. I wouldn't say it was outright fear, but I was definitely leery and did not think it was a smart idea to do a lot of traveling at night alone in the woods. I think what got me over that was the Marines. In the Marines we lived in the field for weeks at a time, and that pretty much took care of any apprehension I might have had previously. Now I feel very comfortable in the woods in any situation day or night.
 
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