“Creepiest backpacking story? Summer camping in a forest with creepy guy blocking the trail”

Hi everyone. I just had a relatively creepy backpacking experience this last weekend which got me curious about what other folks have encountered while backpacking.

Follow-up comment by u/tofu1312:

Last year in summer I decided to spend one night in the wild in a nearby forest. So I packed my stuff and some food and went to the place in the evening. It was only 0.5h walk from my flat, and it wasn't the first night out in the wild on my own without a tent. So I ate some dinner and put my sleeping place up. When it was dark I started to sleep. But the night was very uncalm. Somehow I couldn't get very good sleep, woke up all the time. Probably because it was quite close to the city and I could still hear cars and people partying. So at around 4 o'clock I decided, that I will pack my stuff and go home, so I get at least some good sleep.

When I was on my way back, still in the forest, I saw a person (probably male) standing on the path I wanted to go. He was just standing there with the back to me not moving or walking. This already was scary. So I tried talking to him, asked who he is and if he could turn around. But he didn't moved at all. I continued talking to him, that he should please talk to me, or turn around, or do anything. I tried it in 2 languages, but he didn't react at all. He was just standing there not moving. I waited and talked to him for at least 10 minutes, really scared. Than at one point he started walking very slow the direction I wanted to go, too. So I know, if I go the same way, I rather had to walk very slow, or overtake him and be close to him at one point. So I decided to walk another way, which was a detour of at least 30-45 minutes. In the end, I knew that our paths will cross one last time, but at this time I could already see the city. But luckily I didn't meet him again.

Probably he was high, but it was very scary since it was in the night and dark and he wasn't reacting or moving at all

Katie’s comments:

• Location: woods