One of my favourite places to walk naked is through the forest. There are so many things to see and plenty of places for cover. In denser parts of the forest it is possible to pass quite close to other people without them even being aware of my presence. Many forests have public trails set out which makes it easier to walk but increases the chance of meeting someone. The best time to visit a forest is on a weekday morning when there are few people about and the trails are quiet.

Sometimes I will carry a pair of shorts to slip into in an emergency and on other occasions I have left a spare set of clothes in a strategic location. But for the most part I just go naked. Away from the main public areas there are plenty of secluded places where clothes can be hidden and will remain undisturbed. Here there are also pathways used only by forestry workers and firebreaks which can be followed for miles. Sometimes there are public trails that have been forgotten about or are so seldom used they have become overgrown. This is a good sign because it means that there is nobody about.

Once I did meet someone, a man on a mountain bike. He shot out from behind some trees so fast I didn't have time to move. The trees must have muffled the sound of his approach as I didn't hear a thing until I saw him. I was walking through a small clearing enjoying the warmth of the sun on my naked skin. I had nowhere to go and nothing to cover up with. He looked a little surprised but didn't slow down. I continued walking as if everything was completely normal. We passed with a nod of acknowledgement, and then he was gone.

On another occasion I encountered a couple with an Alsation dog. I had been lost in my thoughts and not paying attention to where I was going. The path had become wider and obviously used by vehicles. I'd hidden my clothes and had no back up. Suddenly the dog came running around a corner and I momentarily froze to the spot. I realised that there would be someone with it and dashed for cover but it was too late, the dog had seen me. As I made my way into the darkness of the trees the dog followed and began to bark. Behind me I could hear it's owners calling it. I pushed on further into the darkness not looking back. Eventually, the dog gave up and went away. I have no idea whether they saw me. I suspect that they thought their dog had disturbed an animal.

Another scary moment took place one evening as I wandered back to where I thought I had left my clothes, only to discover that they weren't there. I searched everywhere but concluded that I had returned to the wrong place. Retracing my steps I tried again but it was getting dark and when forests get dark they are totally dark. Everywhere looked different and I began to panic that I would not find my clothes. I was wearing nothing but my shoes and the prospect of spending the night in the forest was less than appealing. Eventually, I found my clothes only a few meters from where I thought they should have been but in the fading light I had been looking behind the wrong tree.

On the whole though forests are good places and the density of trees so close to the pathway means that you can't be seen by, for example, traffic on nearby roads, or farmers working in adjacent fields. The occasional clearing among the trees provides an idyllic oasis for sun bathing and the various streams and pools offer great skinny-dipping potential. If by chance you do encounter others who might be offended by your state it is very often possible to find camouflage among the trees and wait till they have passed by, oblivious to your presence.