Should I go "camping" alone or with a friend?

[Bushman]

Used to take girlfriends with me usually, but single right now. When I was in my early 20's I used to go alone all the time. It was a bit more boring though and a lot more eerie at night.

Thinking of taking a friend with me who I've been helping get up on prepping, how to build a kit, etc. He has a good kit put together now but NO outdoor experience. I like to take the NV goggles and such into the woods to practice patrols, etc. I also practice shelter building, fire starting, water procurement, etc. He has 1) no weapon (I can outfit him) and 2) no experience with any of this stuff. He wants to go but I worry...

Not sure if I'd be better off training alone so that 1) I get more used to being alone out there since that's how I'll likely be in SHTF 2) am not slowed down by him.

That said it's more boring and eerie going alone (although I go equipped with NV goggles and infra red "tools" you never know what or who you run into, with the bigger concern being who...) nice to have someone embrace the 22 degree F suck with me lol. Push comes to shove we take separate vehicles and split up at night in different spots? What say ye?

Go alone and toughen up?

Take him with me and embrace the suck together?

Take him with me and split up at different sites if desired, giving me the option of both?

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[MasterChief]

Take your friend and learn together.
Dont give him a gun but try to camp in a place you can practice/teach him shooting.

 

[P7M13]

Take the friend.

1. No better way for him to learn than experience it with an advanced individual like yourself;
2. You learn how to be patient and teach someone who knows diddly about survival camping;
3. Believe it or not, in watching people fumble, I've learned ways to improve on my techniques -- when you watch someone doing what you tell them to do, you also see the inherent inefficiencies or safety issues of your method.
4. if he doesn't have a firearm, you need to unlearn him of that first before doing woods patrols with him.
5. edit to add: woods survival is like shooting, you need to practice to remain proficient.

 

[PaulB47]

Take him out for an overnighter, just to see if he is worth the effort. Don't over-complicate things.

To me, the number one thing to look for, is someone who will just show up.

 

[Bushman]

Take your friend and learn together.
Dont give him a gun but try to camp in a place you can practice/teach him shooting.

He has shot a gun before, but doesn't own one. I taught him how to shoot years ago. He wants to buy one. I got him carrying pepper spray at least, starting about 14 years ago. I've been talking to him about weapons selection, etc. I may have something he can reach if SHTF out there. But going for patrol training in the woods, I would feel bad about him not having a weapon.

I have NV goggles and bought a thermal scope to try out as well. I settled on NV goggles long ago because of the ability to have it head mounted (the commercial thermal monoculars are not setup for head mount) as well as ability to still aim with an infra red laser. I've done patrols with this setup before but figured I'd try the thermal and return it if I don't like it. Will have to pull out once in a while and scan the wood line. Can come in handy when you hear that thumping on a tree in the woods at night like I did going camping one time. Got out rigged up with NV. Thermal would have been better at giving me an idea as to what or where whatever was out there was...

It is safer to take someone, and more fun. I do worry about being slowed down but you're right, it will help me learn by teaching. I taught my gf shelter, food, water and fire techniques. Learned by teaching.

 

[MannyGlocks]

I'm puzzled.

You sound like camping is not enjoyable for you, so why go?

 

[Bushman]

Take the friend.

1. No better way for him to learn than experience it with an advanced individual like yourself;
2. You learn how to be patient and teach someone who knows diddly about survival camping;
3. Believe it or not, in watching people fumble, I've learned ways to improve on my techniques -- when you watch someone doing what you tell them to do, you also see the inherent inefficiencies or safety issues of your method.
4. if he doesn't have a firearm, you need to unlearn him of that first before doing woods patrols with him.

All good points. I did tell him he'd have to come over Friday night first so we can go over safety protocols, immediate action drills, patrolling techniques, hand signals and look at the map for rally points in case we get separated. Also told him we'd do a check of our gear before we go, lay it all out and make sure we have everything we need then do an after action upon return to see what we needed but didn't have, and what we carried but didn't really need. I do this myself usually.

 

[Bushman]

I'm puzzled.

You sound like camping is not enjoyable for you, so why go?

One in every thread...

I go year round because I like it. Mostly to train. It is very boring by yourself though. Sometimes I like that. Sometimes I don't.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

dont go alone. take someone along. if you do go alone, tell someone where and when they should expect to hear back from you

 

[turbo_vanner]

I go camping and backpacking all the time alone, with no guns even. It's really not that dangerous if you are properly prepaired and make good choices.

Sounds like you would be fine alone, your friend, not so much.

Edit - what you describe does not sound like camping to me, so i don't know what to tell you, if you want to squad up, do hand signals, patrols, drills and all that, then i would think you would have to bring somebody else along.

 

[Bushman]

Take him out for an overnighter, just to see if he is worth the effort. Don't over-complicate things.

To me, the number one thing to look for, is someone who will just show up.

Yeah most of my friends are married softies, summer glamping only type of people. I like to go out when it's well below freezing a few times a year to really acclimate and test my gear. You don't really realize what works and doesn't until the oil on your equipment freezes and you hear a click instead of a bang, or your optic is useless in rain....even the BUIS can't work through a wet optic lens, you have to take it off.

 

[Unicykle]

Get a dog.

 

[Bushman]

I go camping and backpacking all the time alone, with no guns even. It's really not that dangerous if you are properly prepaired and make good choices.

Sounds like you would be fine alone, your friend, not so much.

Yeah he has ZERO experience and get's cold easily. Had a BBQ in my back yard one time and he had to come inside and warm up. I dunno. Maybe I should go alone. It will be better training for me maybe?

 

[Bushman]

Get a dog.

Had one, too much energy, had to take it back. Plus the cats didn't like it and attacked it despite it being waaaay bigger. She was just confused as to why they didn't like her. I have a fenced in back yard but would feel bad about leaving it outside all the time in bad weather, even on a covered deck in a heated dog house. Or is that OK?

A dog would certainly foot the bill and be good backup and companionship.

 

[revjen45]

Take your friend and learn together.
Dont give him a gun but try to camp in a place you can practice/teach him shooting.

Good idea.
The last time I went shooting with somebody I didn't know he blew his brains out with my gun. It was most embarassing and inconvenient.
Now I don't go shooting with anybody I don't know real well.

Just an observation: when somebody smokes himself with a .44 Mag the results are spectacular in a real ugly way.

 

[Unicykle]

Had one, too much energy, had to take it back. Plus the cats didn't like it and attacked it despite it being waaaay bigger. She was just confused as to why they didn't like her. I have a fenced in back yard but would feel bad about leaving it outside all the time in bad weather, even on a covered deck in a heated dog house. Or is that OK?

Never mind dont get a dog. Go camping alone but if you bring your buddy along dont give him a gun to carry. I go camping alone ( with dog) seveal times a year and prefer it.

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

Both have pros. If you take pride in teaching or even learning it'd be better to take someoneout and possibly implement SHTF preps you (or he) havent used or tried or perhaps teach him some essential skills.

Various things could include: Actually using a life straw, perhaps water purification (collection/boiling), Starting a small fire with minimal tools, natural shelter building (where allowed) and if not building then perhaps timing tent set up, using/testing certain prep tools we all own but many never use. If he or you think SHTF will happen you could time your bug out (as seen on different tv shows) and see how practical a possible bug out would be and what stuff gets left behind due to time restraints...

Tons of things to do and ways to do it. If you're fmailiar with all those types of things and feel the friend should learn, there is nothing like having a mentor cover some essential survival tips first hand. He'll learn better that way.

 

[P7M13]

All good points. I did tell him he'd have to come over Friday night first so we can go over safety protocols, immediate action drills, patrolling techniques, hand signals and look at the map for rally points in case we get separated. Also told him we'd do a check of our gear before we go, lay it all out and make sure we have everything we need then do an after action upon return to see what we needed but didn't have, and what we carried but didn't really need. I do this myself usually.

Make sure he can read a map. Your trip might turn into S&R to recover him.

dont go alone. take someone along. if you do go alone, tell someone where and when they should expect to hear back from you

One I regularly violate. Found out once in the Jeff Wilderness that I had to register at the ranger station before heading in. "um, I came in at night, and Detroit Ranger Station was closed."

if you are properly prepaired and make good choices.

Good advice, and from experience, I can say it's also a good idea to deliberately leave behind some stuff you regard as essential - you have to learn to make due *without* the stuff you have relied on so much. Camping becomes hard once you have run out of food, cannot light a fire due to rain, and don't have a stove to speak of. Yep, BTDT.

I like to go out when it's well below freezing a few times a year to really acclimate and test my gear.

Absolute truth there.

It is safer to take someone, and more fun. I do worry about being slowed down but you're right, it will help me learn by teaching. I taught my gf shelter, food, water and fire techniques. Learned by teaching.

Some are naturals, some can learn, and some are best left alone.
I've had one GF who was a natural outdoors. The rest were better dropped off at the entrance to Nordstrom's. Up in the Bridger Wilderness in WY, a fellow camper (noob) proceeds to pick up my rod while I'm cooking, whips back as if to cast and hooks me. MF'er! Still have the scar. Reminds me, cooking at 10,000 feet presents its own set of issues.

 

[Bushman]

I go camping and backpacking all the time alone, with no guns even. It's really not that dangerous if you are properly prepaired and make good choices.

Sounds like you would be fine alone, your friend, not so much.

Edit - what you describe does not sound like camping to me, so i don't know what to tell you, if you want to squad up, do hand signals, patrols, drills and all that, then i would think you would have to bring somebody else along.

It's still camping with a few practical activities thrown in for training purposes. It's not sitting around a camp fire roasting marshmallows, doing Sudoku puzzles and playing the banjo all night.

I do like to take some brats and steaks with me when I go.

 

[Bushman]

I think I'll take him, like I said in my OP, if push comes to shove we can split up out there. I can even leave him at the camp when I go on a patrol if needed.

Focus on this trip is:

-Day/Night land navigation.
-Shelter building or finding natural shelter (I'm surprised by how much natural shelter is out there when I go).
-Food procurement.
-Water source finding (easy peasy here!). Test filters, etc.
-Fire starting in harsh conditions.
-Patrol with pack day and night to test ability to clear obstacles safely with heavy pack and NV goggles.