How does a female prepare mentally for a thru hike?
I understand the physical preparation for the hike. However how does a female properly prepare mentally for solo thru hike?
About the same as you would prepare any solo adventure. If you are not fully confident in yourself, start finding ways to build confidence. Talk to other women who have traveled solo, whether in the woods or through the world. And know you won't be alone on the AT. There is more support for hikers by hikers that you could imagine. Love yourself, love your decision, and have a kick azz hike!
Gender has no bearing on preparing to hike. Please stop perpetuating such nonsense.
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime; give a man religion and he will die praying for a fish.
Have you been on any solo overnights, hiking trips or anything like that? I think that might help in anyone's preparedness, male or female. Believe in yourself, trust yourself, and practice so that you will be comfortable. Or are you thinking about things that pertain only to women such as periods and boobs? Or things that mostly pertain to women such as encountering sexual predators or something like that? If you haven't already--read Becoming Odyssa: Adventures on the Appalachian Trail by Jennifer Pharr Davis . awesome book . (wow--copy and paste and your font goes crazy)
“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” Kahlil Gibran
Great question and thank you for the book suggestion. I have been hoping to do a thru hike in 2016 but now I am so busy I can't even get out for a day hike.....Missing the trails greatly and torturing myself reading blogs and journals. Need to find the time for myself again and just hike...Does wonders for the soul.
Tracy "Noah" Ruth
Just trust your instincts and be comfortable being alone.its amazing what some solitude can do for ones confidence.have an awesome hike and best of luck
I highly recommend In Beauty May She Walk by Leslie Mass and The Barefoot Sisters. They are my favorite memoirs of AT hikes by women.
I just finished reading the Barefoot Sisters Southbound. You are right--AWESOME books. Now I want to see if I can find their northbound book.Originally Posted by PJT
“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” Kahlil Gibran
Has anyone considered camping close to shelters? if you're not staying in them at least.
I am a guy, regardless, I would never be out long distance backpacking without a tent.
On a NOBO AT thru hike the shelters are packed.............hanging out and where you sleep to me is two different things.
This is a great book to help with the mental stuff too: http://appalachiantrials.com/ It's Appalachian Trials by Zach Davis. It's nothing that's mind blowing, but a solid guide to walk you through some helpful tools. One of them is sitting down and making a list as to why you are hiking and how you would feel if you quit. My husband and I did this and we plan on bringing that list with us on the trail to look at on a tough day
How do you prepare? As a suggestion, take stock of skills and personal qualities you may already have, ie creating and working towards achieving goals, research, project management and implementation, perseverance, etc. Likely you know what you're good at and can do well. Likely at least some of these are transferable to a long distance hike.
As mentioned in other comments, take little steps to help support your dream.
Hiking does involve some preparation - get out and walk in all weathers, and see what does and doesn't work my you. Have a hunch that through this process you'll learn what you need to know.
Trust your instincts - you'll know what's best for you.
Hope to see you on the trail, and good luck with everything!
Don't over think it. Every day will present its own set of challenges. "Prepare" to be flexible.
I understand what you mean about mental versus physical preparation. And I did a lot of thinking about what I could do to be mentally prepared. Here's some of what I did. Before my thru, I camped in the woods by myself several times, just to make sure I could be comfortable doing that. You might not spend a single night alone on an AT thru hike, but I knew I'd be going alone and I didn't want to have to rely on anyone else. I ended up spending 14 nights alone on my thru hike - not that many!
I also thought of all of the things I was scared of - bad weather, lightning, bears, crazy people, freezing to death, running out of food, getting lost, etc. and then I thought about what I would do in each of those scenarios. I read a lot. I prepared as best I could. And then I had an amazing hike. I did get cold and wet, never got lost for more than a minute or two, I never ran out of food, all 13 bears were beautiful and often running the other way, and I was lucky with lightning and storms even though there was a lot of rain. And I didn't have any super-scary encounters with people, and the very few I met who seemed a little "off", I passed by. I managed my energy carefully around other people, I had an amazing time, and I wouldn't trade a single one of the experiences I had.
When I ran into difficulty, either physically or mentally, I just dealt with what was happening in the moment and did my best with what I knew, and it all worked out. Best wishes to you as you plan your hike!
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" - Mary Oliver
http://wildandwhiteblazing.com
Thanks guys, took many of your suggestions and started doing over night camping, and long solo day hikes and the more that I did/do them the more I can't wait to start.
Thank you.
Sounds like you are off to a good start. Make mental notes of anything you would do/pack differently on the next hike. Spend time between camping trips/hikes doing the research and the prep. Having the desire to be out there (and on the trail) is the number one thing nobody else can help you with.
Wishing you all the best!
woo hoo!!!! you rock!
“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” Kahlil Gibran
Lots of people tent/hammock near shelters. Some people prefer to be away from potential snore-ers. I was far more comfortable in my hammock than on the shelter floor, but I liked the company of others in the evening. Some nights I was too tired to set up my hammock or it was raining, so I stayed in the shelter. You'll figure out what works for you and it may change from night to night.
+1 on this. Very good book and one of the very few that deals with the before, during & after mental aspect of this challenge.This is a great book to help with the mental stuff too: http://appalachiantrials.com/ It's Appalachian Trials by Zach Davis. It's nothing that's mind blowing, but a solid guide to walk you through some helpful tools. One of them is sitting down and making a list as to why you are hiking and how you would feel if you quit. My husband and I did this and we plan on bringing that list with us on the trail to look at on a tough day
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