How to overcome your Fear and Anxiety of Solo Overnight Camping 

The scary thing for me with camping alone is not the animals or weird noises. It's the fear of other humans. Im scared that a person or persons are gonna come across me while Im sleeping. And that they wanna screw with me or even hurt me .

'coming home to the wild' . . I Like that, thankyou

Ahh yes, the elusive beer. I once killed 12 of them by myself. After that, I was no longer afraid of overnight camping!

That's good advice to ease into it and go with people at first. I went twice backpacking by myself and scared both times even though nothing happens.

Thank you so much for making this video. Ive been struggling for years with falling asleep at night due to my hyper-focus on sounds.

It is a good thing you address a real, but unsexy topic like this. I'm not used to solo camping at all, so I had adjust quite a bit during last September's road trip - and that was sleeping in a camper, not even under a tarp. So definitely something still to learn. Thanks for your take on it!

Is that the Keb shirt? I always get the creeps in my hammock, kind of feel like a ready to go burrito!! Got used to it now though. Woke up one morning in the new forest, UK with a horses head staring right at me, not justva head, rest of the horse was attached. Ear plugs are a good shout.

Im scared coz here in our country there are a lot of urban legends about ghosts and fairies who protect their forests😭

Bears and wild animals I just try and prepare for, but yeah humans are always the wild card because they are so unpredictable. If it’s an insane person wanting to do some stuff at your site you’re gonna have to be ready to fight like you’re the third monkey on the ramp to Noah’s ark and it’s starting to rain.

My fear,not animals but humans..

Falling trees and branches while sleeping, that's what I'm most worried about. Love the content too

My perspective is that I have a worry, not something I'm scared of. For me, rats are always a problem but how I stow my gear is up to me so if I get inundated it's pretty much my fault. I'm in New Zealand so maybe rats are more of a problem here than other places. As for people problems, I haven't had to bury anyone yet so, mehh.

Great advice Ted. My fear will never go away to be honest as the region where I hike and camp are full of predators like Tigers, sun bears, pythons, panthers, wild boars, poisonous snakes etc. I can’t carry gun too 😅 good to be well prepared with essential survival tools. Cheers

Animal encounters are the main thing that I freak myself out about. Studying the animal types that I have where I plan to camp and learning how to handle the encounters with them is helping me. The other thing that bothers me when I am solo camping is being in a strange place that has even minor dangers that I cannot see through the dark or walls of my tent. So one thing that I did was sleep in a tent right in front of my vehicle with the key fob next to me so that the headlights will shine all around when I press the lock button. This was just training wheels for the next increment to acclimating myself to solo nights in the wild. Helped too because it allowed me to retreat to my vehicle if I must. Next for me is to pack bear spray in my tent the whole time. For any encounter.

We own a bit of land in the norther part of Värmland and Im been thinking about building like a more permenant camp site to make it easier to start solo camping. Last time I was solo out in the woods was during my time in the army and now days I find to many reasons not to do it so thought this might be a way to adress that. Dont want to make anything to permanent but maby a fire place, a fire wood storage and a good path back to the homestead if I need to get back "home".

I feel and completely agree on your sentiments of how good it feels to get back to the outdoors in any capacity. The peace and enjoyment is so nice. We are designed to be in nature. There is that slight thought of fear, and I feel it's more an aspect of trusting yourself but with cautiousl confidence. Sleeping at night can be really strange, with all the nighttime animals scurrying around. I'm always trying to figure out what they might be. Great video as always. Fire up those pancakes.

Might be all in the mind but I'm scared of making some eldritch forgotten God of the forest mad and yeah 😂

I worry about crazy people wanting to hurt you since your alone and vulnerable

Overcome your fear solo EASY carry a magnum revolver and a 8" blade survival knife. Also I always carry a proximity alarm(Ebay < $15) and solar garden light with motion sensor as well as a bright flashlight, first aid kit and mini cherry bomb firework. When I hear a noise I light one and throw it out of my tent if the bang does not scare whatever is outside then it is magnum time.

Great advice Ted, thanks for sharing. Exploring the surroundings of your camp is the best piece of advice for me, it helps the imagination to calm down...! I'm hoping to do more solo camping soon. Congratulations on the Fjällrväven ambassador role. Cheers, Adam

Hey Ted, been watching the video's of you on the Fjällräven channel and been enjoying them. Real nice to see you get the opportunity to hopefully reach even more people. With all the viral crazyness going round I have had al lot less time to get outdoors, especially to go camping, but you're video's are always inspiring me to find some time to get in nature. Keep up the good work!

For a second I thought you said 'hawks' and not 'hogs', so I was picturing birds running after you with their little feet 😂

0:37 "Let's talk about fear", and you flashed but voice continued and somehow sync with your motion, my friend, that's fear.

Learn to build a perimeter around where you’re camping. Kinda like a defensive fence. Paracord or nails and a portable hatchet can help you achieve that. So while you’re sleeping there’s a barrier between you and animals. Making it less likely they will mess with you. It’s a new concept I took to camping rather than building backwoods sheds which takes much longer and more skill. Hope that helps

Was the eerie music necessary? It ruined the video for me .

you sound so peaceful. thank you for your tips

Here in the Southern US we have to be aware of bears and people. My biggest fear when camping in Appalachia is that there are a lot of food conditioned bears due to tourists and/or less than diligent campers. For peace of mind I make sure to hang my clothes and food at the same time and change into my sleeping clothes. I also have a bush knife and bear spray with me at all times. This helps me get a good night sleep 'cause 'what else can I do?'

I see mouse, 7:30 upper right side of the video :D

I don’t know mate. Having a gun and leaving it at home seems like a horrible advice. Why would you leave your main protection behind? Bears don’t leave claws at home. If you can, get a good handgun. It’s what gave me confidence to backpack, lol

I tried solo camping twice last year but had to turn around at the trail head. I don’t understand it, I’m not scared of the dark, I want to solo camp, think about doing it all year but I keep getting hit with this huge anxiety when I’m about to head out. Anyone have the same problem?

It's all beautiful and great till the woods fall silent and you get charged by a cougar from behind it's a terrifying experience also scary when you get between a sow and cub foraging along a trail .

What ever you do....do not watch Deliverance before you go.

You are very pleasant to watch and listen to! As a woman who does hiking and wild camping on my own I find this vid helpful.Most of the time I love being in nature but there are moments when anxiety spikes up and you are left with your own fears and noone to soothe and protect you but each time I go back home, I feel stronger

I binge watch cold weather, winter camping. It helps my depression and anxiety Soo much. It's something I REALLY want to do after watching for Soo MANY years. We camped all the time as a family. Thenni camped with my two Best friends in my 20s on overnights at the river. But Ive never Solo camped. Humans is what I'm afraid of. Biggest predator here in Oklahoma would be a bobcats in my region. I don't even own camping gear, but maybe go to garage sales and find stuff. I really wanna go this fall when it's cold. I think it will be Soo good for my mental health. Maybe I'll do it this year. Thanks for the tips and advice.

Love this video... I'm going to make my first solo overnight kayaking video tomorrow. I'm pretty experienced in the bush, have camped solo many times alone near civilization but this will be a first for me. I like the firewood tip about gathering wood and and exploring your surroundings during the day... Good tip that I can relate too

Do y'all Carry ? I do on overnight stay in the mountains by myself

Living in Germoney you don't have to think about things like that. Camping is illegal, except in campsites. Not to mention having a campfire, not even on campsites.

Very thoughtful , mindful. video. Rings a lot of bells . My first solo camps were punctuated with moments of anxiety but now they are my go to places to find peace . I personally didn’t change or even reflect , just sort of transitioned on its own . Great video

Your voice is so calm and confident that my fear goes from 100 to 0 real quick

ALWAYS CARRY A FIREARM! That’s the only thing that puts you on top of the food chain. Especially if you are a woman.

Thank you for this good video last night i balled out on my overnight camping. I had everything going good and set up. I got my campfire going god and cook me some hot dogs over the fire. as it got darker i decided to drown out my camp fire and pack up at 7;30 and left. even though there other campers in the area i had my own spot but I still felt very alone. in the past I've never slept good at night in my tent cause of animals bears and weird noises that was very disturbing. Don't know if i can bring myself to try it again.

Your amazing, you helped me get over the fear of sleeping nights when there is a school trip

Great video, but "middleaged 30 years old"...Dude...

I gave you a thumbs up because I appreciate the effort. You had me until you said leave the guns at home. I have to say, you are completely incorrect about that part. Not only do they relieve your fears and give you confidence. They also make you brave enough to stand toe to toe with that predator and not run...if you run, you are food. As an experienced hunter and outdoorsman I can promise you if you run from a bear or wolf you will lose that race and then you become a snack. That's how mother nature works. That does not mean you have to shoot the predator, but, a well placed volly across the bow as they say often times will send that predator running and if they choose to disregard and go after you anyway, you do have an extremely effective form of protection. Bear spray only works if you are up wind. Try it when your down wind and it is just seasoning. I think it is reckless to advise your viewers not to take the best form of protection with them in the woods. A gun is just a tool, one you use to protect yourself. Something you should remember.

The tick does not forget about his predator he is silent and very dangerous if you forget not to constantly check for them. Are you north in Sweden? I'm south in Germany I envy you, so much more you can do in the woods without getting in trouble.

Checkout is at 10.am tomorrow night I'm camping out. Lost my family home dogs cars I job I'm homeless in colorado .i I don't have food gear or food water all I got is my backpack and my bike I don't even have pocket knife. It sounds like I'm not ready to do this ...your right twhen I'm slomehis sucks. Ingorgoy convention ..im scared of the dark to o. Especially

My experience is different. Have no fear of camping alone. Just get very overwhelmed and lonely. So i just leave campsite.

I'm an army helicopter pilot. I've flown many hours without doors unafraid off heights. Tall buildings or bridges make me shiver.

When I lived in Skåne I was never ever afraid of going into the wild. Unfortunately, in the US I'm terrified :-( everybody's got a gun here, even mentally unstable people :-( So many people disappear on the trail each year, it's crazy! Going solo is really a big deal here. Too bad I'm so scared now because North America has the most amazing National Parks to offer.

Just did my first solo overnight trip a week ago, could have used this video before lol, being alone, exposed, with only your thoughts to occupy yourself, in bear country with noises in the pitch black was terrifying ngl. Stayed in my shelter as soon as night came, woke up with a squirrel on me so that was cool but I’m definitely gonna take some more precautions next time to feel a little safer.

Ted, how do you in Sweden deal with Brown Bears? You can't carry bear spray like we do here in the USA right? In Grizz country here, we usually carry a weapon. Annika and I want to hike Abisko North... :) I know when I lived there, the hunters told me you never see them or ever have to worry about them.. Hhhmmmm Brown Bears are super dangerous here... :( Thoughts?

Thank you very much for this calming and thoughtful video.

hi Ted ,i can see how much it means to you to be able to do these trips ,and talk about and share some of your tips with use many thanks .

Great video and great advice.I want to get over my fear of solo camping so I can thru hike.I love hiking during the day but being out there at night scares me because of bears and coywolves.I tried last summer to camp in my backyard but unfortunately that was the night a coyote decided to chase a prey animal right past my tent yippin and howlin.I ran inside in a blind panic 😂coyotes are so cool but not 5 feet away.Anyways going to try again this summer.If others like yourself can get over their fear for their love of nature I think I can too.

Amazing advice, I feel like you make a lot of sense when you mention how to remain calm considering you are going back home. Very interesting stuff.

Interesting topic. I have been doing a lot of solocamping and I think it is always one self that starts off any negative feelings like fear. Like you said learning about the habitat and the dangers within that combined with learning some bushcraft skills will make you enjoy the night more. But sometimes I can get an feeling for the spot I have choosen that tells me to move on to another place without knowing exactly why. I usually follow that feeling but in the cases I have stayed, my night turned out not so enjoyable and that is mostly because of my own thoughts.

"that's a fantastic noise" 🙌🙌🙌

TY for this.

Thanks for the tips

Great tips all around. Although I prefer to hear what’s happening around me. :) My favorite is to get acquainted with your surroundings. That makes a huge difference for me. Take care!

Nice surroundings looks a bit like the local walks I go walking in and thanks for sharing your experiences with us

Checked out the KEB Eco Shell Jacket and ended up on this video somehow. I spend a lot of time outdoors photographing wildlife alone and have spent nearly my entire life camping (with others) but camping alone is something I will push my self to do.. I live in grizzly country so that bothers me a bit but its really just sleeping alone where I feel completely helpless. Lol I do need to conquer this fear though because its something I really want to be able to do. Thanks for the thoughts on the subject and all the Fjallraven reviews. Very helpful, subscribed. BTW; should I purchase the Fjallraven KEB Eco Shell or the Skogso jacket? The only thing that I worry about is sparks from my fire. Will this easily burn the eco shell? I feel like Maybe i would be better off with the Skogso and a poncho if wet weather strikes. Would like your thoughts. Thanks again.

I bring my dog with me to keep me company. Lol

Thank you I still need to do my first solo.

Looks like you're still rocking those trekking tights. I love mine.

Awesome video as always brother 👍🏻

Idk how can I thank you, thank you

Thanks 🙏 for the great insight!

9:33 a mouse shows up behind Ted's left shoulder. Runs around for a bit.

Great Video !!! Thank you

I love solo hiking and camping.

Whats your take on fire at night. Is it a beacon to guide unpleasant people to your campsite, or is it good protection that keep wild boars and other predators away?

i am afraid of monsters of course. i am planning a trip alone. just walking to the coast and then back again if i feel like it. sleeping outside. Honestly i am just going to bring a sturdy walking stick and it will work as a weapon. soothes the fear a bit.

Plenty of solid advice here Ted. Keep em rollin' ! 😊

I’ve been thinking about camping alone so that I can clear my head and get away from being responsible for others for a few days. The idea sounds great but it’s recently occurred to me this very thing, Being alone. For me it would be some weirdo wandering along the trail or my campsite while I’m asleep and doing something to me before I even knew they were there. I know it’s a remote possibility but tell that to your imagination when it’s just you and the voice in your head sitting there for hours on end. I think car camping might help, as it gives you a hard shell between you and the outside.

That was an amazing video, Ted!! Very genuine. If I may; I had to get to the mountains bad. It was a calling if U will! I had to go hiking & camping in Colorado. That was the determined destination, just my wife & I. It was April too. It was still pretty chilly @ nite...there was 1 nite it got real damn cold!! This was my/our 1st experience really hiking & camping like this. We didn’t know what we were doing. Guys, I had on jeans, & my 1st little pack, a Teton hydration pack. We over packed it w/ Tupperware & all kinds of BS we thought we needed 🤣 super uncomfortable to carry. There’s snow all over the ground, don’t forget, mind U we’re from Dallas, TX too, it’s the middle of April, & we set out to hike up Pikes Peak, 🤣 we didn’t get but 100 yards up the trail & my wife was slipping off the side of the mountain! We turned around & started back to the car. The jeans...U can imagine the combo of snow & jeans, & how well they pair together 🤣 never again! I currently rock the Abisko Lite Trekking trousers!! Thx to Ted.

Good video. On a solo trip, one thing I have learned is to move slowly and with caution. For example, stepping over rather than jumping over that fallen tree on your path. Jumping over that fallen tree might mean a twisted ankle which is not a lot of fun if your 20 kilometers from the start of the trail. Getting lost is always a big worry of mine. Besides knowing how to use a map and a compass do you recommend any handheld GPS devices? Also guidebooks for Sweden, Norway, and Finland. I am hoping to get back to Scandinavia once this COVID-19 is under control I usually find a good trail guide goes a long way in helping to find your way along the trail

Fear and anxiety of overnight solo camping? Don't go then, it's not for you. The whole point of solo camping is quite the opposite really. A longing for solitude and release of anxiety. Yes, safety is of utmost importance, but doing your home work about your gear, park guidelines (if necessary), local people, plants and wildlife, weather, navigation, protection and emergency response..etc is quite basic. Do your due diligence and the willingness for seclusion and self reliance should outweigh the rest. That is if you're genuinely up for it.