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 Topic: Solo woman camping, safety advice
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04/8/2016 at 11:09pm
Location: North Herts
Outfit: Monterey4 Cabanon E
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Having just returned from a couple of nights solo, I'd reiterate all the advice and comments above. Chat to your neighbours, they are allies, and choose a spot where you are in view of other tents/vans and not isolated.
What I didn't consider was a busy road nearby... but why would someone raid a small c&CC site just to get to a random tent...
The odds are that you will be safe and secure - enjoy your little bit of adventure. You'll feel great once you've done it, and don't be too proud or shy to accept/ask for help if necessary. I put up the tent in pouring rain and although I didn't really need it, accepted a little bit of help from a fellow camper which broke the ice.
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Do campers 'peg it'?
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05/8/2016 at 9:13am
Location: Costa del Wotsit Espania
Outfit: Roadtrek 170Popular.
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Quote: Originally posted by Katieep on 28/7/2016
If getting lost is your concern when walking on your own look at getting an app for your phone. View Ranger is excellent - you can pay to download the relevant OS maps and the gps on your phone tells you where you are on the map. Makes it incredibly difficult to get lost !
Enjoy your holiday, I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time.
I don't mean to knock this good advise, but ... using an app on your phone is all very nice but it will kick hell out of the battery, you would be better off with a modest handheld gps made for the job. Then you still have your phone if you need it.
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Doogle comes too.
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05/8/2016 at 10:53am
Location: wirral
Outfit: Outwell Nevada m Vango sigma 300
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Go for it the luggage. I've been camping solo. It's so quiet at night, you can hear zips on tents. You will be safe, any raucous would wake up whole site.
Enjoy
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New Year: Hesketh Bank
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05/8/2016 at 3:12pm
Location: Cornwall
Outfit: Conway Cruiser
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Talking of walking apps and as the OP is going to Cornwall- I've recently discovered a great little app called iWalk Cornwall. Some great walks, and it bleeps when you get lost!! The app is free, the walks are £1.50 each to download.
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05/8/2016 at 11:23pm
Location: Isle of Mull
Outfit: 2 x Outwells Kairos 400 Caranex
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I might be a Luddite, Katieep, but I also know that there are many places that mobile phones don't have coverage, in which case, knowing your GPS location isn't always helpful - I suggest you ask many of the Scottish Mountain Rescue teams.
The comment was not directed at the OP and I agree that if it makes her more comfortable by using the phone app, I have no problem with that. Where there is a problem is that, if someone thinks it's okay (and unfortunately a lot do) to go on a hike without telling someone responsible where they are going and expected return time and totally rely on technology, it could and has ended in tragedy. It's the general issue I was remarking on, not the OP or her need to feel safe.
Just in case ANYONE thinks I'm being facetious, I've spent nearly 48 hours supporting search and rescue teams on one occasion in the last two years for someone who had no map or compass but relied on GPS and the mobile had no signal. There was around 50 people whose lives were disrupted trying to save the life of this person.
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" When I die I don`t want my life to flash before me in an instant, I want it to be a 3 hour epic !"
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06/8/2016 at 4:15pm
Location: None Entered
Outfit: Xplore 422
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Quote: Originally posted by ficklejade on 05/8/2016
I might be a Luddite, Katieep, but I also know that there are many places that mobile phones don't have coverage, in which case, knowing your GPS location isn't always helpful - I suggest you ask many of the Scottish Mountain Rescue teams.
The comment was not directed at the OP and I agree that if it makes her more comfortable by using the phone app, I have no problem with that. Where there is a problem is that, if someone thinks it's okay (and unfortunately a lot do) to go on a hike without telling someone responsible where they are going and expected return time and totally rely on technology, it could and has ended in tragedy. It's the general issue I was remarking on, not the OP or her need to feel safe.
Just in case ANYONE thinks I'm being facetious, I've spent nearly 48 hours supporting search and rescue teams on one occasion in the last two years for someone who had no map or compass but relied on GPS and the mobile had no signal. There was around 50 people whose lives were disrupted trying to save the life of this person.
I would never go out without a compass and a map and am totally capable of using them as phones canbe dropped, run out of charge, etc.
However, in your post above I think you are talking old style phones with assisted gps. Modern phones are equipped with proper gps and will work fine without a mobile signal - I repeat you do not need a mobile signal for the gps to work on your phone (unless its really old!). The maps are downloaded to your phone too so you don't need a signal to see the maps either. So a phone works as a map regardless of if you have a mobile signal.
I agree if you get into trouble you are not going to be able to phone for help if you can't get a phone signal but that equally applies if you are using a paper or electronic map! If however you are using an electronic map and have a phone signal you can provide a good accurate location probably better than you could with a paper map.
Not telling someone where you are going if you are going for a difficult walk in the mountains, is a stupid thing to do regardless of whether you are using an electronic or paper map.
I found an excellent explanation here: http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/safety/gps-smartphones.shtml
Along with a fab quote 'The root cause of getting lost is usually a lack of adequate navigation skills, no matter what technology is being used. In many cases, walkers do not have the skills to read a map or navigate effectively.'
Post last edited on 06/08/2016 16:36:15
Post last edited on 06/08/2016 16:42:27
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06/8/2016 at 6:15pm
Location: Costa del Wotsit Espania
Outfit: Roadtrek 170Popular.
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Personally I find map reading all part of the experience. I let the OH play with the toys. :-)
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07/8/2016 at 6:52pm
Location: Isle of Mull
Outfit: 2 x Outwells Kairos 400 Caranex
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Katieep, I'm not saying you would go anywhere without map and compass or that modern phones can manage without a signal. Not everyone can afford a modern phone, though (and it's not jealousy speaking here - just being practical with my budget and indeed the viability of mobile reception where I live to make full use of it!). I do not see why I should pay for an expensive piece of equipment that I won't be using overall!
Neither do I disagree with you that map and compass will help in some situations. People climbing Ben More on Mull can easily be led astray by the compasses because of the magnetism in the lavas that make up that mountain and magnetic north there is definitely NOT magnetic north. Some people do not listen!
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" When I die I don`t want my life to flash before me in an instant, I want it to be a 3 hour epic !"
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09/8/2016 at 12:27am
Location: North east
Outfit: lots of tents and other kit
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regarding the map phone location issues brought up in posts whether you like a paper map or not.
I discovered an app for android devices called maverick a few years ago and it very useful if you are a bit lost. Plus you can view OS mapping on it and its free ! Provided you have looked at the area you are going to prior it stores the tiles and works offline if you have no signal.
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09/8/2016 at 8:01am
Location: East Sussex
Outfit: None Entered
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That sounds rather good, I'll look into downloading it tonight.
I'm a map and compass girl, though. It was one of the few useful things I learned at school - that and first aid.
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11/8/2016 at 1:05am
Location: Isle of Mull
Outfit: 2 x Outwells Kairos 400 Caranex
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Quote: Originally posted by fran1000 on 09/8/2016
That sounds rather good, I'll look into downloading it tonight.
I'm a map and compass girl, though. It was one of the few useful things I learned at school - that and first aid.
Well, don't have an android phone but every little helps!
We did map and compass at school too but had already been taught that before I went to primary - my old Dad said I read maps before I read books - probably because I was given maps to keep me occupied on the long journey with the caravan from Essex to the Cairngorms on the old A1/A9; that and being encouraged to look out for landmarks, etc.!! Plus being taught loads of things about finding north when in mist, basic safety and yes, first aid, and aided by, inherited from somewhere, a large spatial ability in my brain. Very handy when you have to take major detours as you have a mental map, but a total PITA as your mates say, well you'll work it out. I've got a mate who is fantastic on things like Memory map - I can't do that - and can find their way on remote forestry and other tracks using it - but gets invariably lost on the way back - brains are amazing.
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" When I die I don`t want my life to flash before me in an instant, I want it to be a 3 hour epic !"
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