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  1. #101
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    Alright RS, who's Dave?

    I'm just sittin' here reloading a few weapons. Ha.

  2. #102

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    Quote Originally Posted by Winds View Post
    Alright RS, who's Dave?

    I'm just sittin' here reloading a few weapons. Ha.
    I haven't a clue? on that one,guess will have to wait for it to boil over.

  3. #103
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    Ok thanks. I was just curious who Tang wants to stay clear of?

    Alrightythen, back to sharpening my trail Bowie and machete blades.

  4. #104

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    Quote Originally Posted by Winds View Post
    Ok thanks. I was just curious who Tang wants to stay clear of?

    Alrightythen, back to sharpening my trail Bowie and machete blades.
    Yikes.........

  5. #105
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    Quote Originally Posted by Winds View Post
    THREAD SUMMARY – Continued from post #54

    Additional learning to this point:

    26. I’m hilarious.
    27. Police officers (retired or active duty) can’t legally carry a concealed weapon the entire A.T. during a thru-hike. (If you don’t wish to look this up, trust me. OR better yet, BET ME!)
    28. Don’t pack your fears and your calves are better firearms.
    29. Less than 0.1% of people carry items to use as a weapon.
    30. Papa D has a bowling ball for a left calf muscle and probably needs surgery.
    31. Fionna is not insanely hot that anyone will go into a rape frenzy.
    32. Modern women don’t need guys with weapons supporting them.
    33. Karl never knew he had to worry about his personal safety.
    34. No one really answered the cheese spoilage question, shame.
    35. Winds is too ignorant to answer the cheese spoilage question, shame.
    36. Rape has nothing to do with sexual attraction.
    37. Some people never got to add their names to completing the trail.
    38. There have been rapes and murders everywhere.
    39. You can drown in your bathtub.
    40. You can die in an airplane crash.
    41. We are to “live and let God” on the magical trail.
    42. Rational people don’t let irrational fears govern their conduct.
    43. Bigcranky wants an RPG launcher.
    44. No one has a crystal ball, and some folks live into their 100’s.
    45. Illegal stealth sites are ok if you are trusting your gut.
    45. Yesterday there were over 220 million unreported incidents of non-violence in the US.
    46. People who look for trouble often find it.
    46. Be cheerful and you won’t find trouble.
    47. Lemon b doesn’t want an eye-poke from a branch while falling.
    48. Every guy is trying to pull something when interacting with a pretty attractive woman.
    49. Sassafrass Lass’s husband may be targeted by men and sex has something to do with it.
    50. Millions of criminals don’t obey laws.
    51. Guns are tools like toothpicks.
    52. Mikey Appleseed creeps out a lot of fellow hikers with a hachet.
    53. Finn wants the perfect 2 person / 2lb tent for under $100.
    54. Gun accuracy improves if your dad was a commanding officer in Special Ops.
    54. Problems can happen on the trail.
    55. The Double Rainbow might not have enough headroom.
    56. A cheery orange tent is nice to sit in during storms.

    You’re welcome, hike on!
    That's just awesome : )

  6. #106
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    Quote Originally Posted by Finn&Fionna View Post
    Recently I have been falling upon these articles and posts about people who were mugged, killed, or assaulted on the trail. Even a few people who steal your gear while you sleep. I know this is few and far between, but it has me a bit worried. I am still definitely going on my AT thru in 2013, but I do have serious concerns about my safety and moreso the safety of my wife. The fact that the name "pink blazers" even exists tells me there are more than a handful of guys with less than great intentions towards female hikers. If, say, there were 100 guys like this on the trail (especially in the beginning) I would think 1 or 2 of them (if not more) have their mind in a place that doesn't bode well for women in the woods. Hopefully seeing 6'4 215lb me walking beside my wife will deter them, but that's not a guarantee. I know there's a minuscule chance I'll be in a situation where I need to defend my wife or myself from some creeps, but its enough that I'm considering options.

    Is bringing some form of personal defense equipment (I won't list them here) completely out of the question? I don't really want to be the guy who brings a fist to a knife fight should it come to that.

    or are my fears totally ridiculous?
    Look, if you take a hike on the AT you're probably going to die, it's just that simple.

  7. #107
    ME => GA 19AT3 rickb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Finn&Fionna View Post
    or are my fears totally ridiculous?
    For every 2500 thru hikers who have reported completing their thru hike to the ATC, the police have reported one thru hiker who couldn't because they were murdered in the middle of it. Fact.

  8. #108
    Registered User oldbear's Avatar
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    Historically speaking the greatest threat to my personal safety has always been my own stupidity

  9. #109
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    Quote Originally Posted by stranger View Post
    Look, if you take a hike on the AT you're probably going to die, it's just that simple.
    This is the one statement from this thread that is 100% true. I can guarantee with 100% certainty that every single person who has every hiked or ever will hike the AT, either has died, or will die at some point in the future.

  10. #110
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    Can you site sources? I know at least a dozen people still living. I'm sure 1 of them has hiked it at least a little

  11. #111
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    Just give them a little time.

  12. #112
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    Quote Originally Posted by rickb View Post
    For every 2500 thru hikers who have reported completing their thru hike to the ATC, the police have reported one thru hiker who couldn't because they were murdered in the middle of it. Fact.
    Are you basing that statistic on all murder victims on the AT being thru-hikers?
    The trouble I have with campfires are the folks that carry a bottle in one hand and a Bible in the other.
    You never know which one is talking.

  13. #113
    ME => GA 19AT3 rickb's Avatar
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    No. Five thru hikers have been murdered on the AT in the middle of their thru hikes.

  14. #114
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    Quote Originally Posted by rickb View Post
    For every 2500 thru hikers who have reported completing their thru hike to the ATC, the police have reported one thru hiker who couldn't because they were murdered in the middle of it. Fact.
    Fear-mongering at its finest.

    The ATC estimates between 2-3 million hikers on the AT per year. If we said all 5 murders occurred in one year (they did not, as the first was in 1974, almost 40 years ago), when 2 million hikers were on the AT, the intentional homicide rate per 100,000 people would be 0.25. If we said 1 murder occurred it would be 0.05 per 100,000 people. The last year for which there are statistics (2010) puts the intentional homicide rate across the US as 4.8 per 100,000. So your odds of being murdered in the US in general are almost 100 times more than they are of being murdered on the AT.

    If you don't walk around every day worrying about being murdered, then with almost 100 times less risk of that on the trail why would you worry about it?

  15. #115

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    I don't think rickb is fear-mongering; this is just a subject he has an interest in, always posting about it. He's not trying to scare anyone, he's just showing some math.

    Also the millions of hikers that visit the AT every year, I believe, is misleading. I wonder how many of those hikers are simply walking the trail from a parking spot to a very close scenic view point during the day time and in an area that is packed full of tourists.

  16. #116

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    Fear sucks, my best new hiking weapon, medication. Happy times ahead.........WHOO HOO! (we have a live one)

  17. #117
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    Quote Originally Posted by john gault View Post
    I don't think rickb is fear-mongering; this is just a subject he has an interest in, always posting about it. He's not trying to scare anyone, he's just showing some math.

    Also the millions of hikers that visit the AT every year, I believe, is misleading. I wonder how many of those hikers are simply walking the trail from a parking spot to a very close scenic view point during the day time and in an area that is packed full of tourists.
    OK, perhaps the intent is not fear-mongering, but using the number of completed thru-hikes as the denominator is certainly misleading. And if the ATC overstimates the number of hikers on the AT by an order of magnitude, the AT is still 10 times safer than the US in general, even if there were one murder on the AT per year (and there is not). There are much more likely risks to worry about than that one.

  18. #118
    Registered User Moose2001's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by oldbear View Post
    Historically speaking the greatest threat to my personal safety has always been my own stupidity
    AMEN! Been there and done that!
    GA - NJ 2001; GA - ME 2003; GA - ME 2005; GA - ME 2007; PCT 2006

    A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will.
    —SPANISH PROVERB

  19. #119
    Not committing until I graduate! Sassafras Lass's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jeffmeh View Post
    OK, perhaps the intent is not fear-mongering, but using the number of completed thru-hikes as the denominator is certainly misleading. And if the ATC overstimates the number of hikers on the AT by an order of magnitude, the AT is still 10 times safer than the US in general, even if there were one murder on the AT per year (and there is not). There are much more likely risks to worry about than that one.
    And yet it is still foolish to say that being murdered while hiking is completely beyond the realm of possibility.

    I bet poor Mr. Scott Lilly thought the same as everyone else - the trail is safe, just take the usual precautions, it's paranoid to think you need to protect yourself out there. And look where he is now - that small percent, even though it is indeed a small percent, swallowed him up.

    Like I've said before - just once would be enough.
    Formerly 'F-Stop'

    If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one.

    ~ Dolly Parton

  20. #120
    ME => GA 19AT3 rickb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sassafras Lass View Post
    And look where he is now - that small percent, even though it is indeed a small percent, swallowed him up.

    Like I've said before - just once would be enough.[/FONT]
    If 5 fellow thru hikers had perished in lightening storms (none have) or had perished as the result of contaminated water (obviously none have) or had drowned crossing rivers (one or two maybe) the entire tone would be different.

    We wouldn't be talking about fear and denying those deaths. Rather we would simply acknowledge there are some inherent risks to everything.

    And then we would be talking about what makes reasonable sense to minimize those risks and/or deal with them.

    Five thru hikers have been murdered on the AT. A long distance section hiker was killed last year. Last year a thru hiker was ambushed and beaten by a couple of locals laying in weight. This month 5 thuhikers (I think they were thuhikers, not 100% sure) were forced to their knees at gun point. This past year a man was arrested for raping a woman at traildays. Another was arrested by the secret service for threatening Obama -- but he had threatened hikers too. And what of the report of the guy goomg for a record only to be dragged out of his tent and beaten on the middle of the night! Is that on true? Who knows. And what more have I missed?

    These are facts. Talking about them doesnt have to be about fear. Not any more than talking about the inherent risks about riding motorcycle has to be about fear. Accepting risk is part of life. That said, smart people know that sometimes a helmet is in order.

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