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  1. #51
    Senior Member leroybrown's Avatar
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    I enjoyed reading this thread. I am always pleased with the quality responses this forum provides. On most any other website, this would have turned into an ugly debate. I'm happy to see that it did not occur here.

    That being said,

    I'm a Paramedic and I see, on a regular basis, horrific things that both humans and animals are capable of - unprovoked I might add.

    I have a license to carry, and I do - not always but often. Here's something I would like the readers to consider. It might not be YOU that may be in serious need of help. Any female that I care about has most likely received pepper spray from me. Its something I'm known for. Being well trained and careful is a far cry from a nervous nellie.

    Have common sense, use hiking poles (liked the post with the paddles, GOOD WORK!!) and forget about your gun even if you have it with you.

  2. #52
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by leroybrown View Post
    I enjoyed reading this thread. I am always pleased with the quality responses this forum provides. On most any other website, this would have turned into an ugly debate. I'm happy to see that it did not occur here.

    That being said,

    I'm a Paramedic and I see, on a regular basis, horrific things that both humans and animals are capable of - unprovoked I might add.

    I have a license to carry, and I do - not always but often. Here's something I would like the readers to consider. It might not be YOU that may be in serious need of help. Any female that I care about has most likely received pepper spray from me. Its something I'm known for. Being well trained and careful is a far cry from a nervous nellie.

    Have common sense, use hiking poles (liked the post with the paddles, GOOD WORK!!) and forget about your gun even if you have it with you.
    Classy post leroybrown.
    Shug
    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  3. #53
    New Member foolhardy's Avatar
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    Well, I survived. Shocking, I know. I was surprised to find that it wasn't scary at all. I made a small sized fire during the light, but after dark I found that letting it die down to just glowing embers allowed me to see, very clearly, all around me for a good distance, so I left the fire as just embers, which still "burned" until I turned in. Is this a common practice that I just now figured out?

    I heard a few coyotes howling, but nothing within 75 yards of my camp, at least while I was awake.

    I setup the hammock with my back to the river and facing the fire so I was "protected" from both sides. I guess I went to sleep at about 11:15 and slept like a rock, because jbiddle called me at 2:40am and I didn't wake up, even with the phone ringing 12" from my head. I slept with my gun on my chest (safety on & decocked), per usual but, like I said, I never woke up or anything so it was unnecessary. I'm also a snorer so that probably kept all of the man-eaters at bay.



    Here's the hammock. I have there in the pouch outside an empty big mouth gatorade bottle for ... whatever.







    Lastly, I camped by a old Native American fish trap. It is a big V aiming down river. The natives would enter the river upstream and corral the fish down into the V where they would spear them. You can kind of see the V from this satellite photo.



    It was a lot of fun and the hammock (hammock-bliss no-see-um-no-more) was Heavenly.

    EDIT: I forgot to mention that this was my first hang using amsteel (1/8" whoopie sling) instead of my previous 7mm 2600lb test utility cord and I was amazed at the improvement. I had always noticed that I would end up 6" closer to the ground (sometimes sitting on the ground) the next morning when I awoke and I thought it was just my hammock stretching or something. After switching to the amsteel I was amazed. Apparently it has been the cord that was stretching because with the amsteel I'm sure that I did not sag at all over the night. In short, amsteel is amazing, not to mention it's 1/10 the weight of the obsolete cord.
    Last edited by foolhardy; 03-22-2010 at 10:32.

  4. #54
    Senior Member bigbamaguy's Avatar
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    Foolhardy:
    Congratulations on the first hang in the "scary" woods. Good to see new Bama folks enjoying and posting about their experiences. I can understand about the built in boogey man deterent system that you have, I too snore like a Husqvana chain saw with a busted muffler!!!!!!!!! I like the camp site you were in, how far outside of B'ham were ya.
    Par Si Vis Pace Para Bellum

  5. #55
    Senior Member Cuffs's Avatar
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    Im not reading 6 pages of this stuff, so Im just interjecting my .02 here...

    I live less that 15 minutes from where you'll be camping. I also have a large farm in Blount county that I camp solo on. I am in more danger sitting on my sofa of some idiot barging into my home than stealth camping in any of these areas. Yes there are critters out there. Deal with it. They are just being nosy, its what they do. They are not going to tear into your tent or hammock. Ive had many a creature walk under me and brush up against my back side. Yea, startles ya, but no need for panic.

    As for the firearms, no Im not some chick who's anti gun. Former law enforcement who carries in public to this day, but has never taken one on the trail and yea, I hike do hike solo... Man up!
    Get busy living, or get busy dying.

  6. #56
    New Member foolhardy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cuffs View Post
    Im not reading 6 pages of this stuff, so Im just interjecting my .02 here...

    I live less that 15 minutes from where you'll be camping. I also have a large farm in Blount county that I camp solo on. I am in more danger sitting on my sofa of some idiot barging into my home than stealth camping in any of these areas. Yes there are critters out there. Deal with it. They are just being nosy, its what they do. They are not going to tear into your tent or hammock. Ive had many a creature walk under me and brush up against my back side. Yea, startles ya, but no need for panic.

    As for the firearms, no Im not some chick who's anti gun. Former law enforcement who carries in public to this day, but has never taken one on the trail and yea, I hike do hike solo... Man up!
    I camped out Friday. It is in the past now.

  7. #57
    New Member foolhardy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bigbamaguy View Post
    Foolhardy:
    Congratulations on the first hang in the "scary" woods. Good to see new Bama folks enjoying and posting about their experiences. I can understand about the built in boogey man deterent system that you have, I too snore like a Husqvana chain saw with a busted muffler!!!!!!!!! I like the camp site you were in, how far outside of B'ham were ya.
    It's about 12 miles north of Bham just off of 65.

  8. #58
    Senior Member LosUno's Avatar
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    Lol

    Just be glad you did not watch the movie Deliverance before you went out!

  9. #59
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LosUno View Post
    Just be glad you did not watch the movie Deliverance before you went out!
    Hey, that was in GA on the SC border! You don't have depraved hillbillies like that over in AL, do ya?

  10. #60
    canoebie's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LosUno View Post
    Just be glad you did not watch the movie Deliverance before you went out!
    I highly recommend clients watch this flick before going on one of my canoe trips. Also, they must practice squealing like a pig.

    I have solo paddled for five to seven days. I have found it to be a life altering experience. I intentionally avoid talking, singing, making any sound, just listen. Good for the soul. I don't pack iron, but do stay especially alert and avoid any unnecessary risk. Because of so many black bears (and documented sightings of cougar in NW lower Michigan) I am considering carrying spray. I am never afraid out there however. I am more fearful on the drive there.
    “Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”
    ― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

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