Thru-hike and safety concerns

[ObliviousToLife]

I don't mind hiking by myself so much as my parents. I want to go alone, but I still see their concerns. Anything could happen. I have a lot of experience backpacking (though not by myself) and I want to hike as safe as possible for my parents' sake. I have hiked a lot of the southern portion of the trail.

So here are my questions...

How safe is a thru-hike for an 18 yo girl?
Should I go when it is crowded or when there are few people? I want to go NOBO.
Should I just find a hiking partner even though I want to go alone?
1-10 what is the difficulty level up in New England?

Thanks! :)

[egilbe]

Go if you want. You are 18. You can make your own decisions. Your parents are always going to worry about you, but that is their cross to bear. Live your life. You can't remove all risk from your life, or you aren't living. The Southern part is not as difficult as the Northern part, but its not that much easier where you are going fail to complete any hikes you set your mind to.

[bemental]

I'm currently reading Southbound, about the Barefoot Sisters. And while it is a book about going Southbound they do a great job detailing the difficulty of the North East, as well as talk about considerations to hiking the trail as a woman.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00318D0VY/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1

[egilbe]

And barefoot :-)

[ObliviousToLife]

Yeah, I already read it! At least they had each other! My sister would never want to come with me...LOL

[egilbe]

If you hike in the bubble, you will very rarely be alone. The trail is safer than the real world.

[ObliviousToLife]

If you hike in the bubble, you will very rarely be alone. The trail is safer than the real world.
I guess another thing is getting hurt when no one else is around. I wasn't really thinking of all the possibilities.

[egilbe]

You can sprain an ankle stepping off the curb. If you spend all your energy thinking about what could go wrong, you would never leave your bed in the morning. Dont worry about what can go wrong, but plan for the eventuallity and hope for the best.

[ObliviousToLife]

Yeah, I really just want to go and be out in nature and I wasn't scared until my parents kept talking about all the things that could go wrong. I'm still not scared, who cares if I fall off a mountain, sounds like a pretty cool way to die anyways :P

[egilbe]

"What ifs" are a bad way to go through life.

[Traveler]

Welcome to Whiteblaze!

So here are my questions...

How safe is a thru-hike for an 18 yo girl?

Safe is a difficult question. Are 18 year old women safe where you are? Is it due to not ever having any crime (as in very rural with few people) or do you have to be aware of where you go or who is around you? Since the latter is pretty normal for most people, provided you pay reasonable attention the AT is as safe as most any other environment you may find yourself in. Be reasonably aware of who is around you, if you get a "feeling" things aren't right act on it and move on or change the circumstance, don't leave your gear unattended, and don't tell strangers specifics of where you are headed for the night/day. Mostly what you probably do now.

Should I go when it is crowded or when there are few people? I want to go NOBO.

That depends if you like lots of people around you, if you prefer only a few known people around you, or don't want anyone around you. I am not sure if having a lot of people around is any safer than a few or none, though I'm sure opinions will vary. If you leave anytime in March to April, you will have company for a while so the question is already answered for the most part, you may have to work to find solitude unless you enjoy the social aspects of shelter life. A lot of people enjoy social time at shelters to make meals then move up the trail a half mile or so and find a quiet place to pitch a tent/hammock and get away from people and noise when local regulations limit you to campsite areas or shelters.

Should I just find a hiking partner even though I want to go alone?

You will meet folks on the trail, some you will hike with for a while who will eventually move faster than you want to, or you will out pace them or not make town stops where they do, etc. Unless you have someone specifically in mind who you have some trail hiking experience with, I would suggest not to do that so you can hike alone with others along the way. That way you are not bound to someone you feel responsible for (since you asked them to come along) and you can make your relationships as you move up the trail.

1-10 what is the difficulty level up in New England?

The full scale would fit New England, it depends on where in New England, the weather, and what shape you are in. Though by the time you reach CT, you should be in pretty good condition and what would be hard for you on week 2 won't be by month 4. That said, the going does get more difficult as you move into NH and ME. I would say CT would be 3 - 7, MA would be 2 - 8, VT would be 3 - 8, NH 4 - 10, ME the same. But thats a very subjective scale for a response to your questions. Others may be able to frame the scale better.

Bottom line, if you have the funds, time, and ambition, there is no reason not to make the attempt due to these issues. You may find some better answers to gender safety, etc on the Female Hiking Forum here on Whiteboard.

[ObliviousToLife]

Thanks! I think I might go alone in a year or two! I am in pretty good shape so I guess it won't be too bad! I just want to get away! :D

[scrabbler]

What's your health care situation - still covered on their plans?
What's your money situation - have enough saved, or need to call them for more?

Not asking for answers, just something for you to think about if you havent already.

[ObliviousToLife]

...that's why I kinda have to listen to them... D:

[MuddyWaters]

Nothing is totally safe.
People are really bad at assessing risk and misplacing worry.

You may start alone. For a normal nobo, you wont be alone more than 1/2 of the first day unless you want to be.

Chances are you wont make it out the parking lot without a new friend or two. Seriously. You will meet others that are doing it because they want to, just like you, and rapidly bond with them. Its difficult to explain, but trust that making friends happens automatically on trail.

And...the interesting part, is that for most part, there are no age or sex barriers. Your best trail buddy could be a 70 yr old man. It mostly depends on hiking speed, town preferences, etc.

[Tipi Walter]

My buddy Patman does about 40 backpacking trips a year and he's a self-reliant sort but carries a personal emergency beacon to placate his wife and it's something could consider for your parent's sake---and for overall peace of mind---

https://www.google.com/search?q=hiker+emergency+locator&biw=1280&bih=839&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjS1Zmwjf3JAhWGpB4KHUshAgwQ_AUIBygC

[ObliviousToLife]

That sounds like a good idea!

[ObliviousToLife]

If anyone else has any other viewpoints about this I'd like to hear them!

[jefals]

Well, I'll just say it heartens my soul to find a young lady truly sensitive about her parents' concerns. I don't know if you can really understand the depth of parental worries for their kids' safety, until you have your own.
How about this - do some planning with your folks. Ask them what their concerns are, and do some research with them. One big one, for example, is going to be the fact that you're a young lady hiking alone, and they may figure you're going to be an easy target for perverts out there.
So, research this with your folks. You will probably find that you won't really be all that alone - that people tend to meet on the trail and hike together...., and also that these types of incidents are rare.

Then, maybe they'll be worried about bears. So, study that with your folks - let them see that you are taking it seriously, and you are taking steps to be as prepared as possible, for this and all their concerns.
Now if they're like me, they're NEVER going to stop worrying :) But they are going to know that they have a thoughtful, respectful, very special daughter - and that alone will mean so much to them! (at least I think it will :) )

[Praha4]

you'll love it....there are a lot of young women who hike the AT these days....and if you go NoBo starting in March or April you will always have other hikers nearby and likely make friends quickly. It's safer than most areas of society these days. I've been amazed how many young women I've met doing the trail by themselves or in small groups.

go for it NH and ME are tougher, but by time u get there you should be fine if take your time and pace yourself.

[Water Rat]

:welcome to White Blaze!

The truth is the trail is a far safer place for an 18 yr old female, than any college campus. Life (in general) can be dangerous. The trail is far more safe, and the trail community is far more likely to take you under their wing if you get out there and realize you need some help along the way. Are there things to fear? Yes, but the trail shouldn't be one of them!

Think back on your backpacking trips - What were your fears/weaknesses? What were your strengths? Identify concerns, do your research, and then apply your knowledge to the trail. A great book to have in your library would be Appalachian Trials, by Zach Davis. It deals more with the psychological training for your hike. You have some experience, but this will prep you for a longer hike, where you are reliant on yourself. If you end up not hiking the advice can also be applied to many aspects of life. http://appalachiantrials.com/book/

On Zach's website, you will also find lots of wonderful information to help you get started in researching more for your trip and finding the answers to the questions you (and your parents) have.

Good luck & have a wonderful hike!

[TJ aka Teej]

My daughter was solo hiking big sections at 16 & 17. Yoyo'd the 100 Mile at 18. She's safer on the trail than on a college campus.

[Kristeninmb]

thank you for you post at the age of 18, my mother is the same way and I am 45. I am a newbie and most think I am crazy. I have so much faith in myself and so should you. the sage wisdom above made me want to get out there now to meet "my kinda people". good luck and maybe we will meet on the trail.

[rickb]

:welcome to White Blaze!

The truth is the trail is a far safer place for an 18 yr old female, than any college campus.

I am not planning on paticipating in this thread beyond a single observation.

That is the simply to say "the trail" can be a very different place depending on when you are hiking it.

While this poster may believe her risk assessment holds true whether one is hiking in the northbound bubble vs hiking as late starting southbounder (for example) at a minimum, the relative risk will be different to some degree.

[fiddlehead]

I believe it is up to the person doing the hike.
Some are more street-wise and comfortable in unorthodox situations than others.

My cousin's daughter travels by herself all over the world.
She came to visit me in Thailand and proceeded to lose her wallet and all credit cards.
I would have been stessed out to the max.
She didn't seem concerned at all and borrowed my phone to call her credit card companies and had new cards delivered to my house.
Once here, she left for Vietnam and Cambodia, again by herself.

Other's are fearful and wouldn't know how to handle situations like this and would be calling Mommy with a "what should I do?" worry and stress everybody out.

So, it's not only about your hiking experience and whether you like to walk and sleep on the ground, it's also about how you handle yourself when under duress.

As far as the trail being safe?
Safe from what?
Weather? NO
Loneliness? NO
Access to help? YES

As others have pointed out, the trail is safer, crime-wise, than most streets in the USA.

I'd carry some bear spray or something for protection if I was an 18 year old girl. (and not necessarily for bears either)

Good luck and have Fun!

[Mtsman]

I believe it is up to the person doing the hike.
Some are more street-wise and comfortable in unorthodox situations than others.

My cousin's daughter travels by herself all over the world.
She came to visit me in Thailand and proceeded to lose her wallet and all credit cards.
I would have been stessed out to the max.
She didn't seem concerned at all and borrowed my phone to call her credit card companies and had new cards delivered to my house.
Once here, she left for Vietnam and Cambodia, again by herself.

Other's are fearful and wouldn't know how to handle situations like this and would be calling Mommy with a "what should I do?" worry and stress everybody out.

So, it's not only about your hiking experience and whether you like to walk and sleep on the ground, it's also about how you handle yourself when under duress.

As far as the trail being safe?
Safe from what?
Weather? NO
Loneliness? NO
Access to help? YES

As others have pointed out, the trail is safer, crime-wise, than most streets in the USA.

I'd carry some bear spray or something for protection if I was an 18 year old girl. (and not necessarily for bears either)

Good luck and have Fun!

This thread is right on the money in my mind. It depends on the hiker, the needs of the hiker, and how collective the hiker is under any type of stress. As far as being an 18yr old female, a small can of mace proudly displayed on the shoulder of your pack should do wonders for anyone trying to get where you don't want them to.

[swjohnsey]

The trail is not nearly as dangerous as living in Pittsburg. If it was easy lots of folks would do it.

[RangerZ]

The trail is not nearly as dangerous as living in Pittsburg. If it was easy lots of folks would do it.


I agree that, because of the sense of community/relative remoteness from urban areas/etc, the AT is safer for a woman than Pittsburgh, PA (or the other Pittsburgs). Most of all I think that an awareness of surroundings and circumstances is very important, if it doesn't feel right - get out.

[ObliviousToLife]

Well I don't live in the city... more like in the middle of no where :P thanks for the replies everyone! I am more confident to go and do it now!

[Water Rat]

I am not planning on paticipating in this thread beyond a single observation.

That is the simply to say "the trail" can be a very different place depending on when you are hiking it.

While this poster may believe her risk assessment holds true whether one is hiking in the northbound bubble vs hiking as late starting southbounder (for example) at a minimum, the relative risk will be different to some degree.

My post was from the standpoint of a female, who has been in many different situations throughout her life. I tend to travel solo and started doing so at a young age. I have been on many trails, in different countries. I have also spent time in many different cities, countries, college campuses... My post was an observation based on my experiences as an 18 yr old female (back in the day) who hiked and also went to college.

Can the trail be a dangerous place for a single female? Yes. So can walking down a sidewalk in broad daylight. However, in general and in terms of other people on the trail, the trail is a safer place to be than most cities/colleges/streets in Anywhere, USA. My post was not to convey the message that the trail is a safe and secure place that is free of danger... It was merely to put things in perspective. It was posted that the parental units were worried about their daughter hiking by herself and it sounded like it might be helpful to offer a different perspective from one who has been there.

Life is not without risk. The trail can be dangerous if one does not do their research, or sets themselves up to be in a bad position. Common sense goes a long way toward keeping one safe. Does that mean the OP should live her life and be controlled by her parent's fears? Nope. Just means that the fears need to be acknowledged and dealt with in an appropriate manner. Just because someone is 18 and female, does not mean they NEED to hike with someone else, or need to hike at certain times. Bad situations can happen anywhere. I was simply pointing out that the situations (in terms of other people) were less likely to happen on the trail, than they would on a college campus.

And I believe my risk assessment to hold true no matter where a female is, on any trail. I also believe anyone can take steps to put themselves in a better position to stay safe through awareness, research, and experience. The world can be a dangerous place for anyone these days. Avoiding backpacking is not going to make it any safer.

[KDogg]

How about pitching a SPOT device to them. I haven't used one but they seem to open up many solid communication options. You also might check out "homemade wanderlust" on youtube. She thru hiked "alone" this year. She posted many videos that will show you what it was like for her. If you contact her I'm sure that she would answer any questions that you or your parents may have.

[Jake2c]

Jefals, great answer. I would second that. I don't know if your parent know much about hiking or not, but they probably do know a bit about life in general. Yes they will always worry, but that fact does not invalidate those worries. Maybe some of the things they brought up are worth taking into account when planning, Jefals recommendation of planning with your parents is a good idea. If you have good parents, and it sounds like you do, they probably have some unique qualities when it comes to you; like no hidden agenda and they want the very best for you. I have a daughter who is now 24. She has studied overseas alone so her mother and I don't stop her from doing things though we do talk about being safe.

[RockDoc]

As someone else said, I think you will find that trail life is safer than life in the urban or suburban world. Trail culture is very strong. Other hikers will watch out for you, and 99.9% of people on the trail are kind and friendly. The misfits are pretty obvious to everyone, so you can avoid them.

IMO the biggest safety risk on the trail is not assault, it is tripping and falling on the trail.

BTW I did 1000 miles on the trail when I was 17-18 (male). Greatest thing I ever did.

[cfaulkn]

I'd give New England an 8 or 9 in difficulty but I'm old and that changes my perspective. I'm sure there are mountains in CO that warrant that high rating more. There is plenty out there that is worse but you have nothing to fear. If this old woman can tackle it so can you! (Btw-I'm afraid of heights too! Haha). Hope to see you out there.


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[Gambit McCrae]

Things to worry about:
Hypothermia
Heat exhaustion
allergic reaction
overhanging dead trees
lack of water
road crossings
water born illness'
hiker spread illness'
Getting your permit for GSMNP
Will there be trail magic today?

Things not to worry about
Rattlesnakes
Bears
Lightning
Tornado's
Worrying parents

That's about it

[4eyedbuzzard]

Things to worry about:
Hypothermia
Heat exhaustion
allergic reaction
overhanging dead trees
lack of water
road crossings
water born illness'
hiker spread illness'
Getting your permit for GSMNP
Will there be trail magic today?

Things not to worry about
Rattlesnakes
Bears
Lightning
Tornado's
Worrying parents

That's about it

Good list. I'd add things to be careful of (but not worry about):
Slips, trips, and falls (the most common AT injury)
Blisters
Burns, both from sun and stoves/cooking

The most dangerous critter in the woods is the tick. Use permethrin on clothing and DEET on skin.
The most dangerous large animal is the moose. Respect their space.

Don't camp near road crossings. Don't camp near partying locals. Be careful when hitching rides.

[Tipi Walter]

Things to worry about:
Hypothermia
Heat exhaustion
allergic reaction
overhanging dead trees
lack of water
road crossings
water born illness'
hiker spread illness'
Getting your permit for GSMNP
Will there be trail magic today?

Things not to worry about
Rattlesnakes
Bears
Lightning
Tornado's
Worrying parents

That's about it

The biggest concerns on my backpacking trips out of your list are:
** Overhanging dead trees---a real problem now with all the dead hemlocks.
** Lightning is always a concern especially atop open balds where I like to camp.
** I was out during a couple tornadoes. One in 1995 split the aluminum tent poles on my old North Face tent (due to wind swaying) and another in 2011 caused me to do a 12 mile detour hike to get down a mountain and into a river valley and set up by a rock ledge with protection from possible falling trees. I heard it coming from my little radio.

** On a recent summer trip I saw 3 rattlesnakes and 1 copperhead---all in the same trip---they are underfoot in season and pose a real risk.

Probably the main thing to worry about is falling and hurting yourself. Careful foot placement comes after a couple thousand falls.

Oh and bee stings (your "allergic reaction") are always gonna happen in the right season. Every year I feel lucky if I only get 5 or 6 stings.

[lemon b]

Tipi is right on the money. Also regular positive reassuring phone calls to loved ones are all good.

[Gambit McCrae]

Tipi is right on the money. Also regular positive reassuring phone calls to loved ones are all good.

If I have good cell service, I use the Guthooks App which you can share your location from, this feature is free and can put posted on FB, Text, Email etc. This is reassuring to folks that care about my safety.

[kimbur96]

Oh and bee stings (your "allergic reaction") are always gonna happen in the right season. Every year I feel lucky if I only get 5 or 6 stings.

not trying to hijack the thread but just reading every thing and learning for my own upcoming hike. Are there really that many bees??? I was allergic as a kid and went thru de-allertization shots for a year. I have never been stung since then but would hate the first one to be on the AT not feeing 100% with the de-alertization.

[Traveler]

not trying to hijack the thread but just reading every thing and learning for my own upcoming hike. Are there really that many bees??? I was allergic as a kid and went thru de-allertization shots for a year. I have never been stung since then but would hate the first one to be on the AT not feeing 100% with the de-alertization.

There is the potential of bee sting of course, however small it may be. I hike with someone who always has an EpiPen with them due to reaction allergy to bee stings. That may provide a level of comfort to have with you.

[kimbur96]

There is the potential of bee sting of course, however small it may be. I hike with someone who always has an EpiPen with them due to reaction allergy to bee stings. That may provide a level of comfort to have with you.
i carried one in the Grand Canyon due to fire ants. Allergic to them too, turns out there venom is very similar to bees. Your right for my comfort it's worth the extra weight. thanks

[Tipi Walter]

not trying to hijack the thread but just reading every thing and learning for my own upcoming hike. Are there really that many bees??? I was allergic as a kid and went thru de-allertization shots for a year. I have never been stung since then but would hate the first one to be on the AT not feeing 100% with the de-alertization.

It really all depends on the month of the year you will be hiking. Yellow jackets---ground hornets---are the little bastardos you have to worry about, and they are most active in September and October and especially when the weather starts getting cool. Then again, I stepped in a nest on Upper Creek in Pisgah NF in July and 5 zapped me very hard and fast.

If you're lucky you will see their ground nests beforehand as big open holes in the ground by the trail. Some animals like bears and pigs like to dig these nests up and eat them and I have seen hundreds of such holes and inactive nests---though some will be clearly active. If you keep your eyes open you should see these nests beforehand. It's the nests you can't see which pose the most "danger".

One time on a recent trip I was humping the terribly steep and rocky Panther Creek trail in the Cohuttas and paused for a breather when I saw hornet activity on the ground in front of me. An active yellow jacket nest right in the middle of the trail!! Luckily I saw them flying about and pulled a detour.


There is the potential of bee sting of course, however small it may be. I hike with someone who always has an EpiPen with them due to reaction allergy to bee stings. That may provide a level of comfort to have with you.

I was camping atop an open bald in 2012 when a woman backpacker and her husband got stung coming up the Nutbuster trail: Upper Slickrock Creek #42. She had a crisis and the Graham County NC rescue squad had to use ATVs to reach her and take her out.

https://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpacking2012/TRIP-137/i-NK3D2m2/0/L/TRIP%20137%20045-L.jpg
Rescue squad in action with hornet-stung woman though she wasn't as bad off as initially thought.

Thing is, she told me later that she knew she was allergic and should've been carrying an Epipen. Oops. Guess what? On a follow up trip she had . . . uh . . . an epipen.

[MuddyWaters]

If someone is known allergic, not carrying an epi-pen is incomparably stupid.

[jefals]

[QUOTE=Tipi Walter;2028559]Oh and bee stings (your "allergic reaction") are always gonna happen in the right season. Every year I feel lucky if I only get 5 or 6 stings.

Having never been stung by a bee in my 69 years, until I started backpacking this past fall, I did some research and found that the little critters are attracted to bright colors - like the bright yellow of my rain fly (OH GREAT!), and the bright orange of my guy lines. ( well, at least I could change the lines without too much trouble )

[Tipi Walter]

[QUOTE=kimbur96:2028736]

Having never been stung by a bee in my 69 years, until I started backpacking this past fall, I did some research and found that the little critters are attracted to bright colors - like the bright yellow of my rain fly (OH GREAT!), and the bright orange of my guy lines. ( well, at least I could change the lines without too much trouble )

Many people get stung by yellow jackets at home when they mow the yard as the little motards live in the ground and HATE vibration. I never correlated stings to clothing color---more the vibrations I make on the trail. And since I use use a bright red tent, well, they don't bother me. Of course, they are friendly little cusses as individuals but hate me as a group around their nests.

The worst encounter was taking out a treat---a canned ginger ale on a backpacking trip---and dangit if the bugger didn't fall into the soda and I took a sip and it stung me inside my mouth. OW.

[MuddyWaters]

[QUOTE=jefals;2028779]

Many people get stung by yellow jackets at home when they mow the yard as the little motards live in the ground and HATE vibration. I never correlated stings to clothing color---more the vibrations I make on the trail. And since I use use a bright red tent, well, they don't bother me. Of course, they are friendly little cusses as individuals but hate me as a group around their nests.

The worst encounter was taking out a treat---a canned ginger ale on a backpacking trip---and dangit if the bugger didn't fall into the soda and I took a sip and it stung me inside my mouth. OW.

We were camping when my daughter was about 9, she took a sip of a soda can and there was a yellow jacket inside, stung her lip. It swelled up like a marble, but went away amazingly quick as well.

Around my hunting lease, its been when i make multiple passes thru an area and get them riled up that I get hit.

Then its war and I destroy the nest, bury it, burn it, etc. If they leave me alone, I generally leave them alone.

[Tipi Walter]

[QUOTE=Tipi Walter;2028786]

We were camping when my daughter was about 9, she took a sip of a soda can and there was a yellow jacket inside, stung her lip. It swelled up like a marble, but went away amazingly quick as well.

Around my hunting lease, its been when i make multiple passes thru an area and get them riled up that I get hit.

Then its war and I destroy the nest, bury it, burn it, etc. If they leave me alone, I generally leave them alone.

I was pulling a backpacking trip into the Bald River wilderness in TN and stood at this spot on the Bald River trail and got zapped by a couple hornets. Later in the trip I met up with the Crosscut Mountain Boys (and girls) who do trailwork in the Cherokee NF and I snitched out the nest to the ranger in charge and he had a can of spray and wiped out the on-trail nest.

Should we therefore carry wasp spray? Naw, but it's crossed my mind many times.

https://tipiwalter.smugmug.com/Backpack-2014-Trips-152/Bald-River-Backcountry/i-zkvcpZp/0/L/Trip%20158%20084-L.jpg

[Heliotrope]

In a remote place anaphylaxis can really ruin your day. I stepped on a yellow jacket nest while hanging my bear bag and was stung 5 x and quickly realized how far away help would be if I reacted strongly. Luckily just local swelling. Now I always carry Benadryl. Definitely epi pen if you know that you are prone to anaphylaxis.


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[BonBon]

I also like how sensitive you are about your parent's concerns. Even though I hiked the trail, I would still worry if my 19 year old wanted to do it-but not about people, just about the general potential hazards. (snakes, bears, lightning, ticks) I would be very comforted to know, however, that she would meet up with people who hike at her pace within hours or days of beginning, and that that she could camp with them etc. The people she would hike with would become her trail family and those are very special relationships. The benefit of the experience far outweighs the risk, in my opinion, and 99.9% of the people I met in your age range were wonderful people and they really looked out for each other. You probably won't ever be able to make your parents not worry- but I am in the camp of IT IS SAFER ON THE TRAIL than off.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Honorable mention: Crossing the Palisades Interstate Parkway in NY during rush hour. :eek: :D

[Traveler]

Bees can be a big threat, or.... just big....

https://sp.yimg.com/xj/th?id=OIP.M1f5a79929fd98a32c4a9f13efa7f2142o0&pid=15.1&P=0&w=280&h=183
I understand with some butterbeans and grits they aren't bad.

[bemental]

+1 for a DeLorme or similar device. Peace of mind for family is important, if they need it.