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Thread: Fear of camping

  1. #1

    Fear of camping

    Heres a new one. I somehow have a fear of camping. Reason is i feel trapped at night. It happened a few years ago, went camping with a friend. All was good until bed time. We wete way in the forest, no one else around pitch dark and he decides to go to bed early. He knows nothing about my anxiety issues, so i lay down and had the worse panick attack. It dawned on me i cant even walk around it was so dark and i didnt feel safe leaving the site. It was so pitch dark and i just freaked. I wound up having panick attacks all night praying fir dawn. It literally gave me ptsd it was mind scarring. This year i tried it again, same friend and same result. All good til bedtime. Super dark, closed in tent felt completely trapped and didnt feel like i could tell my friend what was happening. If i was alone of course id leave, i think him being there of course is what makes it so hard. What do we do? Wake up our friends saying were freaking out and have to pack up at 1am and leave?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Posts
    516

    Re: Fear of camping

    Hi there! x.
    i used to have a fear of camping but recently went to a language camp to teach some french people some Cornish ad was there for 14 days, it was hard at first and i ended up going home after two days, stayed at home for one and came back for the rest. it is really hard but i guess what helped me was trying it in small doses and the fact that there was 24 of us and i like peace and quiet so i'd get up on purpose and have a walk around with my torch or lantern x
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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Posts
    280

    Re: Fear of camping

    Well, outdoor camping at far off sites isn't for everyone. Maybe settle for camping in houses where there is electric lamps or at least kerosene lamps?

  4. #4

    Re: Fear of camping

    I've managed to overcome my fear of camping after struggling for many years.

    It all started in 2010 when we got dogs. We stopped going abroad, using hotels etc. because we wanted to holiday with our dogs. So we tried camping.

    On one of the early trips, I had a panic attack in the middle of the night. The tent was a small pop up type tent, with just enough room for the two of us to sleep snugly together on an air bed, in a double sleeping bag. I remember waking up (barely an hour after hitting the sack) and feeling suffocated. It was pitch black, I couldn't move my limbs, I couldn't find the sleeping bag zip, and didn't want to wake my partner. I started to hyperventilate quietly, was sweating badly, and honestly felt as though I was suffocating. I managed to wriggle out with difficulty, waking my partner, because it became unbearable. I sat outside on a picnic bench for a few hours, and then went to the car when I became exhausted.

    We changed to a bigger tent after that, but I still struggled at night. One time we were pitched on a slight slope, and I felt dizzy and disorientated on the air bed. The pitch dark wasn't helpful, nor was the fear of waking my partner.

    Finally, we've got a bigger tent, 100% cotton so the tent breathes. We have a small night light on, and use separate air beds, wider than the typical single. I don't sleep in a sleeping bag - instead I unzip the sleeping bag and use it as a duvet. I also sleep without pyjamas (I find that they tangle and restrict me). We also have some solar lights outside the tent so that it isn't pitch black if I have to go out for some reason eg the toilet, or to toilet the dogs.

    I now sleep better camping than I do at home - the fresh air, the silence, the darkness all help. It's a pity it has taken so many attempts to get the conditions right, but I'm glad that we persisted and have overcome the problem practically. I think if you are claustrophobic or agoraphobic in any way, then I would definitely recommend:

    1. A breathable cotton tent
    2. A full height tent where you can stand up properly throughout the tent
    3. Not using sleeping bags
    4. Use an extra-height air bed so you don't feel too low to the ground and 'sinking'
    5. Pitch level
    6. Use soft night lights inside and outside the tent

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Posts
    3,250

    Re: Fear of camping

    This was always a thing with me when we went camping with the children when they were younger. It was a nightmare for me because of my severe claustrophobia...but I won't bother listing all the crazy situations that resulted in over the years here

    I can well remember the disorientated panics, struggling to get out of the tent if I woke up in the middle of the night and it was pitch black . I was so happy when our camping holidays changed to hotel holidays

    ISB
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  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Posts
    4,918

    Re: Fear of camping

    My husband keeps trying to get me to go camping, but I've told him I don't 'do' tents. I'm far too posh and delicate for that mither!

    Caravanning was my compromise, but if his attempts at putting up an awning is anything to go by - I'm good with my decision not to let him loose with a tent!

    Me: I don't think the awning's supposed to look like that Dear!

    Hubs: *comes out with more swear words than a Chubby Brown gig*

    Bloke slopes over from opposite caravan, Him and his Mrs have been watching us newbies try and put the awning and he literally can't talk for laughing! He shoves the bloody thing up with zero effort in 5 minutes flat, then saunters back over to his 100 birth van, and massive awning - complete with fairy lights (and flag)

    I now have a fear of being in a confined living space with my warthog-snoring other half - especially when the awning's shite!
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  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2021
    Posts
    2,736

    Re: Fear of camping

    This did make me smile NoraB😁😁

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Posts
    4,918

    Re: Fear of camping

    Quote Originally Posted by Catkins View Post
    This did make me smile NoraB
    Good to hear. X
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    A thought is harmless unless we believe it.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Posts
    4,918

    Re: Fear of camping

    Quote Originally Posted by TipTok1 View Post
    To eliminate this fear, you need to gather a larger company of people and go camping with them.


    What if you're a social phobic?

    Personally, I would rather pitch up the flimsiest tent in the world next to a bear's cave than go camping with a shit load of people..
    __________________
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  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Posts
    999

    Re: Fear of camping

    I’d rather camp near a bear cave then near a mob of killer Roos.

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