[pct-l] Newbie - 'alone in the dark' freak outs on the trail

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

If you can do a solo overnight before you start your thru-hike, it  
might help.

I remember my first solo overnight I was really nervous. I camped  
only about 4 miles from the trailhead. When I set up my camp for the  
evening, it was still daytime and this huge hairy red-headed man  
stormed through my campsite and rushed across the creek and  
disappeared into the bushes without saying a word. I was really quite  
scared by that. I went across the creek to see what was over there  
and I couldn't find a trail or a path or anything. The man never  
returned. I never figured out where he went. Even years later I have  
never found a way to get anywhere on the other side of the creek.  
It's a tangle of impenetrable brush.

In my sleep I had dreams that I get sometimes when I sleep alone.  
It's like I have the sleep paralysis but I think I am awake and can  
hear someone walking in my house and into my room. I try to call out,  
"who's there?" but no matter how hard I try, the sleep paralysis  
prevents it. I usually wake myself from the effort of trying to call  
out, and then I realize it was a dream.

On my solo overnight this happened because I thought I could smell  
gas. I was sure my canister of gas was leaking. I kept trying to wake  
up to fix it but I had the sleep paralysis. I also thought I could  
hear a bear walking in my camp. I tried to call out but couldn't wake  
up.

When morning came, I felt triumphant. I survived. I hiked out to my  
car feeling great.

On the PCT I expected a completely solo wilderness experience. I  
camped alone only one night in the first 750 miles. When I finally  
was alone, I rarely had those sleep paralysis dreams. I got to where  
I really liked being alone. Having other people around me who could  
hear me rustling my sleeping bag or whatever bothered me. Not having  
privacy to pee right outside my tent bothered me, too.

On Jul 10, 2012, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> Hello everybody
> ?
> Another newbie question from me, I am afraid.
> ?
> I have been field working, and camping and such, but it was always  
> with people, or at least in some sort of campground with a few  
> people. Planning to hike PCT in 2013 (thru-hike or sections) I know  
> I will be facing the 'alone in the dark' overnight on the trail.  
> Well, errr, yes although I am old enough, I feel unconfortable to  
> camp alone, and I admit that I even freak out a little bit. I know  
> it is silly, and the experienced hikers out there are definitely  
> allowed to have a cheap laugh ;-)
> ?
> Nevertheless, what are your experiences (when you were still a  
> newbie) with coping with possible 'night freakouts'?
> How did you deal with this? Was it quickly?a solved problem because  
> one is so tired that you just sleep and that's it? Shall I bring a  
> little teady bear with me? Or a little glow in the dark thingie?  
> Are they some 'hiker tricks' that I dont know about yet?
> ?
> Thanks in advance for any answers :-)
> Anne