Is it safe?

[Kevdan]

I too am an ex squaddie - been on many exercises in dark sites, and stagged on etc etc and I would have given my rifle and rounds over to any terrorist in exchange for a blumming big torch!

I'm such a poof in the dark

clear skies, Sandra

And wasnt it fun trying to get the next dead asleep up out of his/her pit to do the next stag?

Kev ex 3RHA D Btty

[gooseholla]

I'd find a couple of locations and do a walk about/ investigation first. Do people happen to go by it a lot at night?

also, i'd always tell people that i'm going, and when I expect to be back. Take a telephone, etc. Make sure it is easily accessible, no dangers when walking (so you don't fall and break gear etc.)> but, i'd always try, if possible, to take someone with me, unless it was an extremely safe dark spot - say a field somewhere or a bit of a farm, if you could arrange with the farmer or owner, etc.

[laser_jock99]

I used to go out alone to observe in the Midlands a few years back. I had (well still own) a 4x4 which enabled me to litteraly get well 'off the beaten' track. I used to check the OS maps for green lanes, do a trial drive though during daylight to make sure the lane was passable and then come back to observe later.

I found some good sites in this way and never saw another soul. Being away from roads and normal traffic routes increases the isolation no end. That said some off road routes are prone to nighttime greenlaners - so don't be surprised if six landrovers covered in spotlights come past. Night time greenlaning, whilst legal is somewhat frowned upon by some offroading organizations as being slightly anti-social towards those who live along these routes.

You can just see the roof of my truck in this image!

[MjrTom]

MjrTom - I was at the top left hand corner of the main field along with girlfriend and my little boy - 3 pitches along from Moonshane (a good point of reference I think as just about everyone there got to view something through his Dob!)

Ah I know now

I got a lift from Uplooker who was on the pitch next to you, now you say I remember us having a conversation about your C9.25 and its history

[sanmatt]

And wasnt it fun trying to get the next dead asleep up out of his/her pit to do the next stag?

Kev ex 3RHA D Btty

Oh what the 2 on, 2 off drama? God almighty I hated all that. I was forever on blumming stag, and forever on blumming ROPS aswell. I was 18 and had a gob like the Channel Tunnel and I never learnt to keep it shut. Bit different now like, pushing 40 and semi respectable scientist haha

But I do remember exercise out in Germany in winter and being so afraid of the dark (an excellent Marillion album 'A of the D' btw) that me and the girls would widdle in the stag trench rather than go find somewhere else (equally A brilliant Marillion album 'Somewhere Else' lol). Sloshing around in pee, we didnt care. And I do remeMber thinking 'I do anything for a torch right now'. Man I was scared!

Sandra ex - WRAC/RCT/8 Regt - 12 Sqn RLC