Daughter hiking alone

[OzJacko]

I'm hiking with my 25yo son starting late March.
Your daughter will not be alone.
My son WILL behave himself!

[daddytwosticks]

Surpised nobody has mentioned about carrying a (fill in the blank) and hiking at a (fill in the blank) rate.

[OzJacko]

Surpised nobody has mentioned about carrying a (fill in the blank) and hiking at a (fill in the blank) rate.

23yo female. Shouldn't have to worry.
Lots of people will offer her anything she is missing.

[lemon b]

Of course, any parent is going to worry. Thats normal.
My 20 yo niece is on the trail alot and has never experienced any people trouble.

[Another Kevin]

Tell her to bring rubbers.

To erase the mistakes when she's writing in shelter logs?

[Grampie]

As a father of three daughters and a past thru-hiker I would not hesitate to give them my blessings if they wanted to thru.

[atmilkman]

Tell her to bring rubbers.

They're about as usless as gortex. Your feet are gonna get wet, get something that will dry quick.

[kombiguy]

Stop worrying. She's an adult, or should be. For goodness sake, at 17 I left home to join the Marines.

[GoldenBear]

Your daughter is 23 and already has the self-confidence and maturity to attempt this.
Too many people -- male and female -- would, at that age, consider themselves unable to handle ANYTHING by themselves, beyond the controls of their video games.
And some people NEVER develop the idea that they could handle life without someone else making the decisions.

I congratulate you, on raising a daughter who already has gone way beyond that.

[TheYoungOne]

Tell her to bring rubbers.

That is old school Gore-tex boots are better




Like JAK, my oldest daughter is 13 years old . I don't know how you raise your girl, but if she has basic "street smarts" she will be OK. I also like the idea of her carrying a one person shelter, every thru hiker should carry one anyway. Never assume you will have room at a shelter I would also think about carrying a pocket knife and/or some pepper spray. She is going to need a knife anyway for cutting open packages and food. There was another thread recently on WB about pocket knives. Something lightweight with a blade 3" or less that she can open one handed should be fine and is legal to carry in your pocket in every state along the trail. PM me if you want suggestions. One of those small Pepper spray sprayers that they sell for under $20 is just handy to have.


Otherwise the trail is safe, the vast majority of thru-hikers are great people and look out for each other. People will talk about "playing the odds" that the AT is safer then driving on the highway, or being a student in college, and they are correct, but I don't like playing the odds. However, as long as you have a good head on your shoulders, and know the basics on how to avoid or get out of a bad situation when the odds don't go your way, you will be fine.

[Nean]

Tell her to bring rubbers.

NO class whatsoever.

[Velvet Gooch]

Buy her a gallon of wolf urine

[bear bag hanger]

Reminds me of a girl I met on the AT in 1997. She was 18 and had argued with her mother for over a year about whether she should be allowed to hike on the AT when she turned 18. Finally, she told her mother when she turned 18 she was allowed to make her own decisions and she was going. So, he mother asked if she could drive her to the start, which the daughter said yes. After seeing her off, the mother sat at the top of Springer Mtn for three days and showed a picture of her daughter to anyone who looked sort of trustworthy and asked them to look out for her daughter "Boo Boo". Poor girl couldn't rid of that trail name to save her life!

[CarlZ993]

Of course, any parent is going to worry. Thats normal.
My 20 yo niece is on the trail alot and has never experienced any people trouble.

Worrying comes w/ the territory. Someone told me that the first 40 years of being a parent were the hardest. So far, that's ringing true.

[Many Moons]

My daughter is 23 and she is wanting to thru hike the AT by herself. As a parent I am worried about this and would like to hear others thoughts on this matter.

Tell her to get a pistol and practice using it. HaHa! She should be fine from how the first 100+ miles looked this past spring. Hike On!!!

Miller

[Hill Ape]

no class for suggesting rubbers? i hope you aren't a health teacher or medical anything, attitubes like that are why HIV is still being spread by people who just think its "the gay disease". some of you folks are really thin skinned. 23 yr old solo female on the trail, hell yeah she should have condoms.

[JAK]

The more I learn about people the more I think we are already in a zombie apocalypse.

[OzJacko]

Long distance hiking with its associated unhygenic and odorous issues would have to be one of the most asexual pastimes I have experienced.
I'm sure with the younger set it goes on but I can't believe it's hard to avoid.

[Mags]

Come on....the OP asked about his daughter's safety and the topic veered off into the deep end.


I've seen 13 year old pimply boys with more restraint.

Thanks!

[Kerosene]

I've done week-long section hikes with my now-22 yo daughter. She is not the most street-wise woman around, nor is she physically daunting (5'5", 108 lbs), but she has the mental fortitude to thru-hike, especially on a social trail like the AT. I suggested that she consider a thru-hike, or at least a multi-month section. She was surprised that I was comfortable with letting her go alone, but I believe she would be much safer on the AT than most other places.