Camping scare stories.

[Jambo]

Not a ghost story, but...

I was hiking on a section of the A.T. several years ago with my Brother In Law, his kids, and a friend of his. I (wisely?) chose to carry a one man tent, while they had a four person tent. One night I'm awakened by the sound of something sniffing around the tent. I can hear it snuffling all around, and it sounds BIG.

In my half awakened state I may or may not have grabbed a Glock 27 and hunkered down thinking "well, he won't get in THIS tent. That layer of silicone nylon will keep him out". What can I say, I was half asleep. Eventually I dozed off fully, no shots fired.

The next morning on of my fellow campers mentioned that I must have gone out that night to pee. I told him no. He said "sure you did, I heard you up and about and shined my light over your way and I saw your eyes reflect back".

He was a long time hunter, so I was surprised to have to tell him that people eyes don't normally reflect flashlight. "It was a bear", I said.

"But the eyes were about as high as yours are now" he replied.

I hope the bear was standing on its hind legs - meaning, I hope it was a bear.

 

[rightway1974]

I thought about ball lightning later on, but it sped up and keep pace perfectly along side of the truck.

 

[rightway1974]

My parents built our house when I was 12. From the time we moved in, I would swear someone would walk across the front porch at least once a week. I would be laying on the couch watching tv at night and around 11 pm I would see it pass the windows. It was just a dark figure in the outline of a person. I initially would open the front door and nobody was ever there. I never mentioned it to my parents while I was living there. I asked them a couple of years ago if they ever experienced the same thing and my mom said yes. She said she still sees the shadow weekly. Nothing ever bothered me and the land has been in my family since the 1800's. I now live next door and my dogs stare at something I cant see sometimes but they dont growl. I figure it cant be bad if it doesnt scare them.

 

[mountainmoped]

About 20 years ago we took my 350 pound mother in law camping with us. We went to Carter's Lake in our 32 foot motor home and parked at a campsite in the Doll Mountain Campground. Gertrude took the queen size bed and refused to allow my wife to sleep with her. My wife slept on the couch that also served as a bed and I slept on the dining table that doubled as a bed. Gertrude need the cushions from the table to prop up her legs so I slept on the bare wood benches and table top. Gertrude barely fit thru the bathroom, door and wouldn't fit in the shower, but it didn't matter because she seldom bathed. When she sat on the toilet she couldn't stand up so I had to pull her up while holding my breath. By the third day our food was running low, the black water tank was full, and my back was hurting so bad I could hardly walk. We had planned to stay a week and took enough food to last even longer. The trip home would have bearable if the motorhome hadn't smelled like the bathroom at a Pakistani owned gas station. As soon as my back stopped hurting I sold the damn motorhome.

 

[Longboi1984]

About 20 years ago we took my 350 pound mother in law camping with us. We went to Carter's Lake in our 32 foot motor home and parked at a campsite in the Doll Mountain Campground. Gertrude took the queen size bed and refused to allow my wife to sleep with her. My wife slept on the couch that also served as a bed and I slept on the dining table that doubled as a bed. Gertrude need the cushions from the table to prop up her legs so I slept on the bare wood benches and table top. Gertrude barely fit thru the bathroom, door and wouldn't fit in the shower, but it didn't matter because she seldom bathed. When she sat on the toilet she couldn't stand up so I had to pull her up while holding my breath. By the third day our food was running low, the black water tank was full, and my back was hurting so bad I could hardly walk. We had planned to stay a week and took enough food to last even longer. The trip home would have bearable if the motorhome hadn't smelled like the bathroom at a Pakistani owned gas station. As soon as my back stopped hurting I sold the damn motorhome.

So she’s fat??

 

[ricksconnected]

wow. what did your wife think about it all?

 

[lostchild]

About 20 years ago we took my 350 pound mother in law camping with us. We went to Carter's Lake in our 32 foot motor home and parked at a campsite in the Doll Mountain Campground. Gertrude took the queen size bed and refused to allow my wife to sleep with her. My wife slept on the couch that also served as a bed and I slept on the dining table that doubled as a bed. Gertrude need the cushions from the table to prop up her legs so I slept on the bare wood benches and table top. Gertrude barely fit thru the bathroom, door and wouldn't fit in the shower, but it didn't matter because she seldom bathed. When she sat on the toilet she couldn't stand up so I had to pull her up while holding my breath. By the third day our food was running low, the black water tank was full, and my back was hurting so bad I could hardly walk. We had planned to stay a week and took enough food to last even longer. The trip home would have bearable if the motorhome hadn't smelled like the bathroom at a Pakistani owned gas station. As soon as my back stopped hurting I sold the damn motorhome.

Now that is a scary horror story.

 

[ricksconnected]

ok my turn.
this isnt a camping story but we kinda got away from that and heard some other very interesting situations.
back in about 90/91 maybe. i was hitch hiking from WV to Fl. i was barely in my 20's and was chasing a skirt to Fl.
the girl was a good bit older than i was and had her own arobics show on tv and asked me to come down.
HELL YEAH!

it was middle of the winter and i had nothing holding me back ok. so i packed a big duffle and left everything in my apt
setting as if someone still lived there. i told only my best friend my plans and NOBODY else.
i got out on the interstate and put my thumb out. the duffle was very heavy. probably close to 100lbs.
kind of a military type.
i got a few rides over to lexington KY and the real hike begain. no rides for hours. i bbelieve i was on 75, not sure as im not looking at a map as im writing this.

so eventually i walked upon a truck stop just outside of Lexington. finally warmth and a place to rest. it was cold, very cold outside and the sleet was coming down hard. i was soaked to the bone. my bag had gained weight as it had become soaked as well. im telling you, this bag was heavy from the start.
i managed to get to the restroom and find some warmer clothing. lucky as most stuff was a bit damp.
after i got dry and warm i set out by the door but on the inside asking truckers if the were headed to Fl or at lest close.
nobody could help. nobody headed that way. that was bs but whatever right.

so after a few hours i finally found a ride. said he could take me as far as jacksonville. i was game.
we jumped into his truck and off we went. finally a ride. so after about 40 minutes or so of just BSing he started asking me
about why i was going to fl and other just kinda nosey but kinda close to odd questions. even questions about things like
who knew where i was at? did i keep contact with my people as i was traveling? was i broke of did i have enough cash to get me going once i got to Fl? see whats going on here?
i was careful to answer things right. i stored my money between my layers of socks but kept about $20 in my pocket
as grab and go cash for when i hit gas stations. i had a bit of a map on me that i had torn out of a map book that
showed my route i had planned to take and not much else.
i had been this way to Fl a few times and pretty much knew my way but had it just in case.

well time goes on and it starts to get dark. the hum of the big truck motor and my journey had me sleepy. i fell asleep on accident. i dont know how long i was out but i crashed. i often wondered since if my drink was spiked. once or twice we pulled over for a road side piss.

i wake up and its pitch black outside and we are on some side road. not at all where i knew we should be. i asked him
where we were he said he had to make a "pit stop" and we werent far off the highway. we are in the mountains of Tenn but i dont know where. its cold as any day i can remember out and the slush is coming down so fast the wipers cant begin to keep up. we road for about 20 minute more and he pulled over to this closed gas station out in the middle of Gods nowhere.
said he had to use the payphone and would be but a minute.

we pull over and he crosses this 2 lane road to reach the phone. no traffic. no lights. just darkness blacker than ive ever seen since. my heart started racing fast. something wasnt right.
every bell in my spirit was going off like a fire alarm. my blood was pumping like nothing ive ever experienced.
i kept my eye on him. he had his back to me but kept looking over his sholder towards me and the rig. i had to act fast.
as soon as he looked back toward the phone with his back towards me again i knew i had but seconds. this voice
inside my head shouted GO GO GO. i popped open the door and threw my bag out to the ground and shut the door enough that the light would go off. as i jumped down to the ground im facing like i was looking out the window. there was a guard rail
and a steep hill that led down into this ravine. off i went carring that heavy ass duffle, wearing a thin members only leather jacket. i was running like i was on hot pavement too.

i got down the ravine and a good ways up the other side to where i was just above level with the view of the truck. i could see
him just hang up the phone and he was looking all around like he was trying to see if anybody was watching him.
he came over to the truck and hopped inside. he noticed i was gone and quickly jumped out of the truck and looked up and down the road then came over to my side and looked over the guard rail. he didnt see any track because the sleet was coming down so hard and it was pitch black out.

i found a big pine tree that had a nice bit of over hang and crawled up under to hide and get out of the sleet.
i quickly broke away some branches so i could see towards the truck clearly. after a quick check around his truck
he took off like lightning headed in the direction he was going. i stayed tight to my cover for several hours freezing.

i started to notice a car passing here and there but that voice inside me told me to stay hunkered down. it wasnt safe.
again i fell asleep shortly and when i woke up the sleet had stopped and the gas station was open. the sky told me it was close to mid morning. i laid low and just watched the flow of things at the gas station. wanted to see how things were operating
ya know. it wasnt long before i got the feeling i was in the clear. back down the ravine i went and back up road side.
i left my bag in the bushes there as to not attract attention to myself as though i was traveling to everybody that noticed me.

i got inside and made change for some quarters to call my brother who was down in Fl expecting me. i asked the girl behind the counter what town i was in. she told me but i dont remember the name. i took out my map in the bathroom to see
were i was. it wasnt on the map. i was confused but knew that not every pot hole of a town was on a map so i called my brother.
told him the situation and told him where i was. he had never heard of the place even though he had live in Tenn for about 5 yrs. i went back inside and asked the girl what road i was on. she told me. i got a map book off the rack and asked her to point to where we were. she looked at me odd but did as i asked. holy **** we were on the very other side of Tenn West.
hours away from where the guy told me we were. i stuck my thumb out and started my way back. i left my bag in the bushes
until i got a for sure ride out of that place. i did so in case that guy or somebody he could have sent to look for me didnt realize i wasnt a local.

got my ride finally and got back on track. made to to Atlanta Ga. i dont know where exactly as its been a while ya know. its a shame because thats where i live now lol. i got a ride in a small car with 3 young dudes my age. told them where i was headed
and what had happened to me. they drove to the guys parents house that was driving. offered me a solid warm meal, washed my clothes, got me a bath and made me fit for the rest of my journey.

the other 2 guys headed home and wished me luck. the driver said he would get me back on the highway and down the road a piece as it wasnt safe to hitch through Atlanta. if i remember correctly he took me just past Macon and let me out.
before we parted ways he offered me a small pistol. said he knew i didnt have much money but would let me have it for $30. it was a small 25. small enough for my back pocket and unseen. i didnt take him up on the offer because i knew if i got caught with it i would be in serious trouble. i shook his hand with as solid of a grip i had ever given. i told him i was grateful for all that he had done for me and offered him gas to get back to Atlanta. he told me no that to be careful as i could be.
i watched as he drove off because i had never witness such kindness from a total stranger as he had extended to me that day. cant say that i have since either. ive often wondered if ive crossed paths with that driver since ive lived here. wouldnt know him if a saw him.

there is no question in my mind that truck driver had seriously bad intentions for me that day.
if i had to quess i think he was gonna kill me. everything of my being still tells me
to this day that thats what was gonna happen. im older, im smarter, and ive heard very similar
type stories over my yrs all ending the same way.

well guys thats my story. its as true as anything ive ever known.
its of no question to me whos voice that was telling me to GO GO GO back in them hills in Tenn or
whos voice that was that kept my heart still under that pine tree that early morning.
if you know that voice too can i get a "A-men" if you dont just ask cause i'll tell ya.

 

[ricksconnected]

GR8 stories, Enjoying the thread.
Sorry I don't have any SCARY stuff to add.
Don't be in the Woods much after Dark. They are CREEPY!!!!

your adding just by coming in here are reading and giving us a comment.
none of us can ask for more than that. and thank you.

 

[rightway1974]

Imagine how many people that degenerate truck driver caused harm to.