Stop Look Listen: From "The Secret Naturist Handbook"
When naked outdoors, or for that matter, indoors as well, it can be difficult not to try and get from A to B as quickly as possible, working on the assumption that the shorter the period of time spent in the open, the lesser the risk of being seen. Okay, in some situations this might hold true, but as a secret naturist I want to do more than move as quickly as possible from one spot to another. I want to take my time and enjoy the experience, to undertake my nude activity as if I were fully clothed. This is where stop, look & listen comes in.
Stop, look & listen is an adopted policy to essentially force me to take my time and be more aware of my surroundings. My stopping regularly, having a good look around while at the same time listening, I can expand my awareness of the surrounding area considerably. As you travel naked, you have much to think about. Where to place your bare-foot to avoid hazards, your senses are alert for the slightest of sounds or movements ahead and even trying to make as little noise as possible can take up much of your concentration. My stopping you can give you full attention to the surrounding area.
The technique of stop, look & listen can best be explained by example. At one of my local patches of woodland, the return journey is often the most risky, especially when leaving an area of cover for a trail leading back to the car. At locations like this using this technique can tell you much of what is happening ahead.
Before breaking cover, stop and listen for any signs of movement. Voices are the most obvious as people tend to talk constantly, although individuals might not. The rustle of clothing can also be detected, particularly some modern fabrics.
Footsteps are also indicators of activity in locations where the ground surface is suitable, for example, gravel or dry leaves. Nature can also provide warnings and indicators, for example, rabbits feeding up ahead can mean a lack of disturbance. The warning call of a pheasant being disturbed could mean people or just a fox, but should be noted and acted upon just the same. Crows are also good indicators of activity or lack of. Listen also for the sound of vehicles.
When reasonably confident that you can emerge from cover, exit and crouch down in a spot with as good a view of the surrounding area as possible but also pay heed to keeping yourself out of sight. Now you need to have a good look all around. And it is very important that you do not just have a quick look, you must look and see what is there. Start by scanning the immediate area, looking for movement or anything out of place. Then move your gaze to the middle ground and finally to the limits of your view.
Look for movement such as people or farm vehicles, particularly land-rovers and quad bikes. Look for patches of colour different from the natural surrounding that might indicate a possible treat. You then need to decide what steps to take with respect to what you have seen. Ask yourself, can I be seen from that distance?, what direction are they moving?, are they already aware of my presence? and so on. Finally, plan you next action and continue.
There are no fixed rules where to stop, look & listen, other than the obvious ones such as changes in terrain or when breaking cover. Other spots would be when views open up, when you hear something such as a car door closing, a natural alarm call and so on. Even without any good reason, simply stopping to look & listen every so often can be beneficial.
