Would you go to the forest alone?

[trynda1701]

As part of your recce (access, litter or lack thereof, mating rituals of the teddy bears and rampaging sabre tooth badgers mentioned earlier!) and letting people know where you are, be sure to check that your preferred spot can GET cell phone signal!

Mark

[kirkster501]

I'd be much more scared at turning out time in Nottingham City Centre than being alone in woods. Why be scared in a wood at night? Nothing is different to what it is during the day, other than a few photons of light! Think of it that way.

I put all my astro stuff in a trolley and wheel it to a field ringed by trees which is pitch black away from everyone. Smashing. Get away from blasted people for once for some piece and quiet! People are a damned nuisance.

[cathalferris]

After years of growing up in the country and stargazing on my own from pre-teens onwards, to walking around at night on my own (winding down after a stressful evening at the office) I've absolutely no problem being out in the quiet by myself.

I've properly scared other people though as I can pretty much blend in with my surroundings when I am sitting with a black scope. I'll try to pre-warn other walkers on the paths I observe from, keeping the red headtorch lit so people are aware that I'm ahead of them. I'm not a weak-looking guy so I really try not to scare people at night - scared people become unpredictable.

Sometimes it has been pretty cool to show some of the sky sights to the other nightwalkers, making their night

[jonathan]

Pepper spray is legal here for bears,dogs etc. that is an option too if no other choice,but check your laws.

Fortunately there are no bears or dogs, unless they are brought along by humans, it's the yobs I'm mostly concerned about. I think the safest approach for me would probably be to go down one of the intermediate forest tracks which the public don't normally use, if I have my lights off then it's likely nobody on the main routes would even know I'm there. Just need to find one with a bit of a clearing otherwise I'm limited to viewing at the zenith.

[Macavity]

I put all my astro stuff in a trolley and wheel it...

Yes, I was certainly enthusiastic re. being a "trolly astronomer" once - An idea well worth trying. Even took a TAXI with the thing once! But then I discovered that somehow I'd managed to cram 60lb of stuff onto the thing. My ambitions are slightly lower, these days... <gasp, wheeze>