14 hours of darkness and no sign of daybreak

Writing another post has got me thinking. In the plane crash episode Les beings to sweat so he decides to walk the 14 hour night. I never really thought of that, but how intese would that be? Honestly its really freaky being in the middle of a forest when its pitch dark. Not only that but walking 14 hours, that must have felt like the longest day of his life.

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"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

Anyone got any thoughts?

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"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

It's be like a death march!

You would have to not think about it. You stop, you freeze, you die. It's not the forest that kills you, its your own mind... or a hungry grisley..

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Never explain. Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe you anyway.

Or me.

umm, but yeah, even when i just walk out to my bush to set up to camp in the dark it scares the hell out of me. We usually get a nice fire going before we attempt to put up a tent in the dark though Very Happy

I agree but it only normal to get scared, its a human reflex.

We arnt scared becuase of danger, we are scared because we dont know what lie ahead. It is like being blind, it is only normal to get freaked out. When i am alone in the dark with no one around, i do get freaked out because it is intimidating with no light. But i dont get intimidated because of a certain thing i fear, its just normal to feel that way. The feeling of uncertainty

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"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

14 hours of hiking in the darkness i dont think would be a " Freaky " thing.
It doesn't bug me personaly. Your eyes will ajust in approx 5 minutes.

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A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Yeah that is true. But 14 hours would honestly feel live forwever. Thats like me driving from Ottawa to Chicago (done many times) it feels liek forever. Walking half and hour would get borning, not to mention 14 hours. And even if your following the tracks, your still not 100% sure in your mind where your going because its a very differnt atmosphere when your in such a situation.

And yeah dave, the adusting thing is cool. I once went to my lot and it was like 8:00pm, very dark, I was leaving so i got in my car. I turned off the lights and couldnt see anything. After like 5 I could see everything near perfectly, even with no moon, it was pretty cool.

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"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

No matter what: Hiking 14 hours through the night after a long day is going to be a killer! I think though, at that point you kinda go into "autopilot" mode. You keep walking, but you stop thinking about it. Know what I mean?

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The liver is evil, it must be punished!!!

yea it's one of those things that you just do it and don't think about it.

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Never explain. Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe you anyway.

	CedroneS wrote:
	No matter what: Hiking 14 hours through the night after a long day is going to be a killer! I think though, at that point you kinda go into "autopilot" mode. You keep walking, but you stop thinking about it. Know what I mean?

I do that alot. but yeah, after a little while, you would be use to it, so it wount be as scary. but still, 14 hours is so long/

I wonder what he thought about for 14 hours.

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Never explain. Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe you anyway.

Huh, I guess you guys don’t do a lot of night hiking?
There were times I’d work all day, come home and pack up, drive a couple hours to where I wanted to go backpacking and then set out on the trail at 10-11 pm.
Even when I hike during the day I still usually go out on a night hike. Sometimes even farther than I walked during the day.
You just have to be familiar with were your hiking to not get lost. If I find I’ve lost the main trail I just back track until I find it again.
Hammock tents are great for night hiking. You just need two trees far enough apart to string up the tent. I’ve done it on the sides of hills and in swampy ground. Places where a regular tent wouldn’t have worked to well. They set up a lot quicker than a regular tent too.
I’ve hiked through some real spooky Shocked

places at night too. Places with old fox holes from the civil war, swamps and even old cemeteries with graves from the 1800’s to early 1900’s.
Give night hiking a try sometime. You get to see all the animals you don’t normally see during the daylight hours. Great fun!

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How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

Yeah I guess night hiking would be fun, since i'm a night guy, but I dont think i'll be hiking through any cemetaries...

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"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

It woudlnt' be the fact that it is night that woulda made les's 14 hours hard, it would be in all that snow just make'n it difficult to walk. i duno about you guys but the thought of trudging threw the snow for 14 hours isn't too appealing. I'd rather walk an extra 4 or 5 miles on a nice trail then to walk a shorter distance in deep snow.

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Never explain. Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe you anyway.

TommasisX wrote:

Huh, I guess you guys don’t do a lot of night hiking?
There were times I’d work all day, come home and pack up, drive a couple hours to where I wanted to go backpacking and then set out on the trail at 10-11 pm.
Even when I hike during the day I still usually go out on a night hike. Sometimes even farther than I walked during the day.
You just have to be familiar with were your hiking to not get lost. If I find I’ve lost the main trail I just back track until I find it again.
Hammock tents are great for night hiking. You just need two trees far enough apart to string up the tent. I’ve done it on the sides of hills and in swampy ground. Places where a regular tent wouldn’t have worked to well. They set up a lot quicker than a regular tent too.
I’ve hiked through some real spooky Shocked

places at night too. Places with old fox holes from the civil war, swamps and even old cemeteries with graves from the 1800’s to early 1900’s.
Give night hiking a try sometime. You get to see all the animals you don’t normally see during the daylight hours. Great fun!

That would be spooky to find an old cemetary. id camp in it though haha.

If you stay outside at dusk 'til it gets dark, with no artificial light, you can see real well. When I had to feed horses in the dark it was just becoming dusk and after it got really dark I could see really well. Very Happy

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The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. - Psalms 53:1

it is crazy how much you can see after your eyes adjust at night, especially if the sky is clear so the moon/stars light up things a little bit. In the deep woods, though, the trees can cause shadows that block the night lights.

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Never explain. Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe you anyway.

	Daffy wrote:
	In the deep woods, though, the trees can cause shadows that block the night lights.

Or create "bears" out of tree trunks. Shocked

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The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. - Psalms 53:1

	Daffy wrote:
	it is crazy how much you can see after your eyes adjust at night, especially if the sky is clear so the moon/stars light up things a little bit. In the deep woods, though, the trees can cause shadows that block the night lights.

Ya thats true.

I never really understood this until last year. I was at my lot and it was nighttime. I was returning home and I decided to try something. I turned off my ligghts on the road and just sat there for 15 minutes relaxing. It was pitch dark, i couldnt see anything. After that time I was able to see basic shapes the road, etc. Its incredible

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"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic