Camping etiquette & security.

[Getitgd]

on the topic of security im intending to head up to the mournes this weekend with my other half and it always makes me a bit more nervous when someone elses security rest on me (dont mind fending for myself so much). has anyone had or heard of any particularly bad or dangerous situations happening while wild camping in the mournes or have any tips on avoiding confrontation?

[Wolf_Larson]

Survival of the fittest   

[Glenn B]

Yeah I know what you mean I got myself into a really bad situation one time I left my bottle of wine in the house. Scared me deep that one.

[Glenn B]

My thoughts on this would be if I was heading for a spot to camp and there was already a group there I would try and go with the old first impressions and take it from there. On the other hand if your already set up and someone or group crash your party well you just have to play it by ear.  Failing that just run about talking gibberish and they will probably leave fearing for their own safety.

[Michael B]

Yeah, good advice. I went and said hi to the others there to see how they reacted and also because I thought it would be rude not to say hi anyway. If I had got a bad vibe from them I probably would have moved on up away from them.

I doubt anyone would walk up there just to cause trouble but unfortunately some people and drink don't mix well so you never know.

[LandyLiam]

One of those licking at your face in the middle of the night don't like the thoughts of it particularly as I've never bivvy bagged before

When i was bivvying on Binnion summit a fox was seen under my tarp while i slept 

has anyone had or heard of any particularly bad or dangerous situations happening while wild camping in the mournes or have any tips on avoiding confrontation?

watch out for the pick axe wielding homicidal maniac 




the only thing you really have to worry about are the man eating midges 

[Getitgd]

if its survival of the fittest then i guess the mrs is in trouble    but yeah ill just play it by ear. need to stop talking to people who dont wild camp, the first thing they do is try to put fear into you. just keep reminding myself that real life is not a horror movie lol.

[Glenn B]

Real life is not a horror movie. Now if that's not an opener for a bloodthirsty wild camping based horror flick I don't know

[twentyclicks]

I wonder would they bother you if you were lying under a tarp in a bivvy. One of those licking at your face in the middle of the night don't like the thoughts of it particularly as I've never bivvy bagged before but would maybe give a go sometime somewhere were there are no foxes. Lol. .

In Corsica I was repeatedly woken in the night with a fox on top of me trying to get at my food! I was using a micro-tarp and had squeezed myself along it's opening to get out of an earlier thunderstorm. The edges were well down and all my gear was behind me. It jumped away everytime I woke up, but he was a bold wee cub and just ran to the next tent on his rounds slipping into the porches. I got a photo of him inside Mike's tent - Mike didn't realise he was there until the flash lit up this orange shadow on the other side of the inner 

[GMB]

A ring of trip wire rigged to four Claymore mines at the cardinal points around the tent...............facing outwards obviously   

[t18con]

a teacher who takes DOE kids told me they pitched their tents at lough shannagh one night, there were half a dozen tents already there, but no one about. they were woken in the middle of the night by a stag party returning from Newcastle, dressed to kill. who would walk that road in their going out gear in the middle of the night whilst full drunk??? so anything IS possible.

[Michael B]

Flip me, listening to all these stories I may end up camping in the back garden in future.