Things that go bump in the night…

INTRODUCTION
I love being in nature and feeling comfortable in it. For me it is one of the best feelings in the world. It is something that I want to share with other people and I became curious about why people some people have such a cautious attitude to spending any longer period of time in nature.

As a female apprentice at Woodland Ways I cannot help but be aware of how the bushcraft community is changing. Even just a few years ago there were comparatively few women and families involved in bushcraft compared to now. It got me wondering what holds people back from trying bushcraft? To write this blog I haven’t done any formal research nor am I a psychologist but I have listened a lot, asked a lot of questions and listened some more. Of course some people will like things other than bushcraft but with bushcraft having such a wide range of skills there is something for most people.

WHAT?
I found through talking to people both on courses and in other areas of my life, that the main reason preventing people from being in nature are their fears.

WHY?
So why would I like to look at this. I feel that bushcraft has so much to offer. Appreciation of traditional skill, builds self-belief and resilience, as well as understanding how resources come from the natural world and need to be looked after. This brings a deep connection with nature and when we care we are more likely to respect and protect our environment.

BENEFIT?
So from my ethos I love to share what I love, and also I believe not only helps people as individuals but also protects our planet through a much deeper and personal relationship with it. In bushcraft we are not merely passing through the landscape we are becoming part of the landscape in a sustainable way.

WHAT PUTS PEOPLE OFF?
All of the things that put people off are types of worries and fears. There were a wide variety of things that people had concerns or fears about. However, all fell into a few main categories.

1. The unknown
2. Known or learnt fears
3. Fear from misinformation
4. Phobias and other strong fears
5. Fear of vulnerability
   • putting ones health/life at risk
   • looking foolish

There are many ways we deal with our own fears and often we know what works best for us, so why write this blog? I feel that if we open up this discussion about fears then it will help people know it is ok to talk about them and find a way to enjoy being in nature and or partaking in bushcraft.

The unknown
All things that are unknown are things that we can learn and educate ourselves about. Mostly the unknown comes into two categories. Having a generalised fear knowing that we are out of our depth and that our current knowledge wouldn’t keep us safe. The other is specific fears about the way animals behave, for example, or if there are any specific dangers or risks we don’t know about.

Known or learnt fears
Sometimes we have experienced something unpleasant or worse. As a young child I unknowingly stood on a wood ants nest and the ants came to defend their nest (rightly so, from some great beast crushing their home) and I received a few stings. For a while I was cautious about any small mound in nature as I didn’t want to be stung again. Luckily I was with people who were willing to show me, on many future occasions, how to identify what different type of ants nests looked like and where I was most likely to find a wood ants nest. I was also encouraged to learn how close I could get to a wood ants nest before they found me a threat to observe their behaviour and know when to move away. I  came to understand and respect wood ants and know their part in the woodland. And due to learning further I lost my fear and have never been stung again. More information was extremely helpful in this case and enables me to have even more enjoyment in the woods.

Other fears come from misinformation or only having part of the information
As a very young child I loved the sea with complete abandon, for many years I would rush into the sea with no fears and have intense and absolute delight, luckily I had someone closely watching over me as the sea is something to be respected. My first fears of the sea came when I learnt about jellyfish and I worried if they would be hiding in the seaweed. With learning more about jellyfish I soon overcame this fear and know what to look out for and how to treat a sting should I ever get one in the UK. If you live in a part of the world that has deadly types of jellyfish then it is wise to learn about them and how to treat them, for example, it is advised in Australia to only swim in designated swim zones.

Later I heard dramatic teen horror stories about rip tides. For a while I was concerned enough about my lack of knowledge I was quite put off the sea by the idea. But I educated myself about what conditions cause this and how to find out about local information and I became confident again in being in the sea.

Phobias and other strong fears
I am only going to touch on phobias as this is something that often involves an element of therapy and it is beyond the scope of this type of blog, other than to say that if you suffer from a phobia and you have concerns around booking a course then picking up the phone to discuss your situation before booking is always be welcomed. This can give you a very clear idea if the course work for you and/or if the company is able to put in place any supportive accommodations. For example, visiting a climbing wall to work 1 to 1 to overcome a fear of heights it would be an easy accommodation to put in place. To go mountaineering on a route your team will attempt to climb sheer rock faces it wouldn’t be possible to put in so many accommodations as your team will be relying on timing to hit specific camping locations. Having straight forward conversations can go a long way to finding if there is the support you need. 

Where someone has a strong fear but it is not a phobia some people find it is better to try not to think about the fear or focus on it at all and distract themselves with more pleasant thoughts, focus or activities. For example, whilst I am swimming in the sea I don’t focus on thinking about the Jaws movie as that would take away from my enjoyment, I would focus on what was happening in the moment and what I was enjoying, trusting the knowledge in the back of my head to evaluate safety situations if and when they arise without it impinging on my fun.

Some things like heights I have worked on being comfortable with for a long time and focusing on the height has never helped. Learning ways to overcome the sensation of fear has, and so has learning to relax, but it is something that still takes some effort to master.

Fear of vulnerability
Fear of vulnerability when it comes to how weak of fragile we actually are as humans compared to the immense forces that nature can throw at us is, to some degree, what keeps us safe. Knowing our limits, driving us to learn about the environment we are in so we are able to stay safe. So a measured sense of fear is beneficial to us and it is important to recognise those initial feelings of discomfort and or disquiet so we are able to attend to potential threats like an incoming storm etc. Learning to trust ourselves comes from experience and knowledge and to some level a willingness to remain humble and adjust plans.

Some feelings of vulnerability are about our fears of looking foolish.

In my personal opinion, if we are working with people where it isn’t ok not to know or to make a mistake and learn from it then we are working with people who are unable to keep us safe. It isn’t safe emotionally if we are likely to be ridiculed but even more so if we are with people who ridicule when people don’t know something or make a mistake then they are also the type of people who won’t risk acknowledging when they don’t know something and therefore are much more likely to put others at risk by pretending they do know.

So, in my opinion it is important to test the waters and take that risk for looking foolish and the risk of being ridiculed in order to establish whether the people you are with are people who you actually want to be working with or out on expedition with. In my experience the most competent people are the most humble. Also by asking questions it draws out peoples knowledge which has two benefits one you will know them better in their personality and two you will know there skill set better and that is always good to know when working in a team or out on expedition. But from my point of view as Brene Brown talks about in her studies on vulnerability, our ability to be vulnerable in the presence of others also enables us to have a stronger connection with others and more meaningful relationships with them.

To add to those benefits of allowing others to know our vulnerabilities when we are with people who listen it helps us to feel a lot less vulnerable as we know people have our backs.

We have now established types of fears and a few general principles of working with them, all of which are helped by communicating with others.

Whilst as I am sure you can imagine we have extensive risk assessments which we take very seriously both at a company level and as individuals. What I am going to now talk about is not risks and how to mitigate them but the fears that many people have and how we support people so they are able to enjoy an outdoor environment however alien it may seem to some.

Most people who come into bushcraft at some point have had a fear about doing some aspect of bushcraft whether that is fear someone may stumble across you in all your glory whilst trying to relieve yourself, fear of the dark or wild animals or just fear of the unknown and awareness that you don’t want to accidentally kill yourself through ignorance. I thought it may be interesting to know how we at Woodland Ways support you to become confident in the woods, in nature and on expedition.

Many people when they first come to the woods feel it is an alien environment and even within a weekend course there is a huge transformation and by the Sunday morning often people are rekindling the fire and confidently making a brew.

Where a fear is caused by lack of knowledge or experience this is easy to resolve as you are guided through your time with us teaching you how to have confidence and become comfortable in an outdoor setting. Some of the most common examples of this are covered below. The fears that have been learnt are slightly more tricky to overcome but usually through a bit or re-education and realising what the risks are and how to mitigate them, these sort of fears are usually considerably reduced. To overcome a fear like heights, for example, can be a lot more challenging…. but we are a company that allow you to choose your level of involvement in all things when it comes to fears or concerns as long as you let one of the team know we will be able to help support you at your own pace, (small caveat here… if you are on an expedition you will still need to pull your weight so it is important to discuss this with a member of the team prior to booking). If you have very big fears or phobias it is worth a call prior to booking so we can make sure if it is possible to put the support you need in place. Many times we come up with creative solutions to support someone who is very fearful. However, if we are unable to support you in a particular way we will communicate this with you.

First and foremost life has risks. Most of them we don’t think about because they are things we understand and know how to evaluate and mitigate the risks. Statistically we are most likely to hurt ourselves at home or within 3 miles of our home. But we still get out of bed, most of us walk down stairs and many of us go out and deal with some kind of transport. We don’t think about it too hard.

When you arrive for your first course with Woodland Ways you don’t know exactly what to expect. You may not be able to imagine the location even if you have been to a woods before, all woods are different.

On arrival you are greeted and once the time for the course to start a safety briefing is undertaken. If everyone arrives early then this starts when everyone has arrived. What to expect is covered, checking that you have brought your kit and the items on the kit list given and a personal first aid kit. We also double check if there are any health issues that we should be aware of. At this point our most important concerns are making sure that you are not going to be at risk of suffering from exposure later on in the day or overnight and that we have assessed any risk from health issues.

The first thing that we are very clear about as a company is that we are here to facilitate you learning skills and becoming comfortable in outdoor settings. At Woodland Ways we will encourage you to take part and step out of your comfort zone but we will never push anyone to do something that they don’t wish to. We are teaching skills not testing your survival skills. With a lifetime of spending many hours and expeditions outside I have never found myself in an extreme survival situation where every decision under duress counts. Much of this is because I know how to consider mine and others safety and comfort. I know my kit and how to use it, I have checked the weather forecast and I know my skills but most of all I know the limits of my knowledge, skills and ability to physically endure in a variety of situations.

On the short walk into camp you are shown landmarks so you can easily find your way to a few important locations such as the toilets, your car and the instructors. As well as access to the phone number for the instructor in case of emergency.

Below are some common fears that people express when they are new to the woods and common safety things that instructors pay attention to, often participants initial fears are very different to what may cause an instructor a concern.

Toilet facilities – all sites that we use in the UK have compost toilets and separate urinals with clear information given as to how to use them to keep them hygienic and functioning well. Where wild wees are permitted there is clear guidance about where is acceptable, so personal privacy can be maintained.

Hygiene – another blog has been written about this so if you wish for further information on that please click here.

Feminine Hygiene – there are bags and a bin for this purpose and if you unexpectedly need some there are always some additional ones available in the toilets. All the instructors, male and female, are comfortable and open to talking about women’s needs and if you have further questions and would prefer to speak to a female instructor in advance then phone and ask if it is possible to speak to a woman. We won’t assume it is about this, there are many reasons that a woman may prefer to speak to a woman. However, the course may or may not have male or female instructors as it depends on their expertise and availability as to which instructor is on the course.

Privacy – this is easy to manage. Somewhat with the proximity to other shelters, the style of shelter and tarps can be made into many configurations. Many people will change underwear in their sleep system but it is easy to adjust to have more privacy with how you hang your coat from a ridge line. If you are needing complete privacy, for example certain types of washing more private areas of the body there are several solutions. Some people wake early naturally and wash before others are up, but a billy can wash can be taken pretty much anywhere, on a bed roll, in a hammock or small tarp with a flannel and warm water from a thermos just squeeze it out well if there is a need for more privacy for example additional hygiene needs due to medical needs this can be easily resolved in advance by popping up an extra tarp or something similar.

Asking for help – this can feel like an enormous challenge initially because most times we only have a resistance to asking for help because we worry that others will see us as inadequate in an area that we already might think we are. My journey with Woodland Ways has taught me many things and one thing it has taught me is that it is ok to ask for help. Asking for help and helping, create stronger team bonds, it helps me realise where my strengths lie when someone asks me for help and that the team has my back when I do need help. But most importantly when on expedition working as a team is essential. Knowing someone’s strengths and weaknesses make assessing any situation more accurate than if they think someone is stronger than they are…. In fact this very attitude of toughing it out and not asking for help that can ultimately put the whole team at risk on an expedition.

Thinking you need to be tough – this can cause all sorts of challenges. First it will make it more difficult to have fun. Why? Because you will be constantly pushing beyond your comfort zone, less likely to pace yourself and possibly worrying about if you can cope and because of all of that you are more likely to be in physical discomfort and have a higher risk of injuring yourself.

Fear of not being strong enough or fit enough – take things step by step. Get to know yourself, what you are capable of and your limits. Your limits will change depending on your current health and level of skill. Start with a day course, or a weekend course before working up to expeditions.

Dangerous animals – many people when they first camp out fear large predators. In the UK we have no animals that are likely to attack humans unless you are cornering them and terrifying them. In the woods there are no places to corner them and they are on their home ground and will keep out of the way. Where there are risks from animals we fully inform you on the precautions you need to take to keep yourself safe.

The dark – this is a natural fear of the unknown, but maybe surprisingly it is rarely that dark when camping. Maybe in your tent, but under a tarp or in your debris shelter it is not often pitch black. Obviously there is sometimes the light of the full moon is there but even on a clear moonless night there is some light and it is possible to see silhouettes against the night sky. The darkest nights are likely to be when it is raining, and animals tend to do what we do when it rains…. hunker down. So the unknown on the darkest nights becomes known… it is rain. It is useful to have a head torch with spare batteries and to use it on green or red light so we don’t lose our night vision completely as we can with a bright light. It can take about 20 minutes to regain our night vision. Using the bright light for those rare medical emergencies, signalling for help or reading a book. Before bedding down for the night on your first sleep in the woods we discuss the types of sounds that you may hear at night and what makes them.

Whereas, things that cause instructors concerns are…

• Inclement weather and if we need to change our location for safety reasons
• A medical emergency or situation where someone’s health is deteriorating during the course of expedition.
• Ensuring all relevant safety information has been communicated in its entirety to all customers.

There are others that are course or expedition specific but these three are across the board. On all of these we have training to be able to confidently assess the situations and take appropriate action. We know what backup we have, we know our skills and we have a close team where we are able to continually improve our own learning and have regular discussions about safety aspects. I hope for those who already love bushcraft that talking about fears may help them encourage their loved one who may feel more cautious about partaking to come with them and share so many beautiful moments and partake in things that we have done as humans for millennia. And if you are reading this as someone who has had fears about coming to the woods I hope that it has opened the doors for you to take a step into the places I love and know that it is ok to talk about your fears so you to can come to enjoy being in the woods, around a campfire, learning skills that boost your resilience, confidence and connection to nature.