After five years full-time on the road time – most of it camping on her own in remote bush locations – solo traveller, Robin X, rightly considers herself a hardy, self-reliant soul.
Yet, for all those hundreds of nights spent in the isolated places that she loves so much, Robin still freely admits that when she closes her caravan door in the evening, she immediately starts yearning to see the dawn light again.
“I’m pretty much always free camping as deep in the bush as I can get and as soon as the dark hits, I just lock down and make sure no lights can be seen,” she said. “It’s not so much that I’m scared, it’s more a feeling of ‘getting it over with’ I guess.”
Robin says that once she is asleep she is fine and that, when she wakes up in the light, she just thinks ‘goodo … all is good’.
“I don’t think I could travel like I do if I was scared every night,” she said. “The only time I’ve ever been frightened in a free camp was when I’d left a plastic bag outside and I could hear it shifting in the gentle breeze and I thought it was footsteps!”
She says she gets the heebie jeebies in some places worse than others, and sometimes she is totally comfortable.
“I’m certainly not awake all night with fear or anything – maybe just more careful that I don’t do anything after dark, such as using the gennie where I’d have to go out and turn it off,” she said. “I make sure everything is done so I don’t have to go outside again until daylight.”
While the Australian bush is notoriously full of scary creatures ranging from snakes and spiders to crocodiles and dingoes, Robin says it’s not them that bother her.
“It’s just the humans who have the potential to be there and up to no good that enter my mind at times,” she said. “I don’t watch scary movies now, and I don’t leave anything at all identifying outside or tell people on the road that I’m alone or where I’m headed.”
While an allergy means it’s impossible for Robin to travel with a dog, she now has a ‘barking app’ on her phone just in case anyone is out there one night. However, she admits she would ‘have kittens’ if there ever were someone, or if someone knocked on her door.
“I do rarely see anyone, just day to day, so the chances of someone stumbling across me and something happening are pretty remote I’d say,” she said. “I’m always happy living this blissful life … it’s just that I still like daylight better!”
Hi Al
Have a shed with a caravan on a bush block. No neighbors nearby. No power or lights.
In the van early summer one night I heard a rustling noise outside the van in the shed. Had close encounters with the deadly brown snakes before. Big ones and small. Only ever had one big one have a go at me. All the rest were Ok. Thought I could go out and get rid of it but …no lights. He might get me first before I spot him.
Was I scared…Nahhhh… I was tough… and had a loaded double barreled shotgun !
Got up in the morning and found a blue tongue lizard had walked across newspaper on the floor of the shed. That lizard looked pregnant. Put it outside the shed to go on its way.
Could have had holes in the shed at night with that shotgun.
We all have fears eg safety security health or medical problems
Sometimes I think of traveling with someone or more but than to loose independence I would be tempted try this if I find web site if there is for solo nomads
ROD
Hey,
Nervous at nights and travel quiet places.
Get yourself a nice MID sized dig.
My last one was a Bull terrier\Mastiff.
Short, stocky. WILL love you and your kids to death.
AND die for you.
Just get a good muzzle. They do NOT like other dogs unless living with them.
Mine lived with 5 cats+ 2 dogs. and din’t eat one of them.on the farm.
3 horses. 5 geese and a zillion rats in feed store.
Seriously.
Get yourself a decent sized companion. Lovely company. and good protection.
Mentally as well as physical. Ferget the rat breeds.
As personal protection.
I didn’t tell you this. but go to feed stores. farm agents.
and buy yourself a “short” handles cattle prod.
the long ones give other person too much leverage.
THAT. will deter anybody that comes close, if it ever eventuates.
Coupla cans of WASP spray too.
They good for 15 plus feet.
These all mainly mental preparation.
99.9% of time you’ll never need them.
Same as the shotgun.
You never. REALLY. Expect to use it.
Most wouldn’t.. Some of us would.