View Full Version : Feeling safe
6's and 7's
02-03-2006, 13:49
I am a strong and independent person, but I've gotten pretty freaked out by strange men when I'm hiking alone a few times now. They were day hikes so I booked it back to my car ASAP, but I'm planning a thru-hike this year and I dont want to let this fear ruin any of my trip or worse end it. My dad bought me pepper spray when i went to college, I'm considering carrying it thinking i may feel better just knowing it's there.
What do you guys do though?
icemanat95
02-03-2006, 14:35
Pepper spray is one alternative and it is legal in most places. A few states regulate who can carry it (Massachusetts for one, requires a firearms ID card specifically for pepper spray (doesn't actually cover firearms).) But, if you're not acting like a jerk with the stuff, no cop in his right mind is going to do more than confiscate it if they catch you with it. In most states it's not an issue at all.
Make sure you put it somewhere you can get to it easily, and where it is unlikely to become seperated from you when you go to fetch water, attend to calls of nature, cooking, sleeping, etc. A truly determined predator is going to wait to catch you off guard and vulnerable...so don't give him any un-necessary advantages.
All that said, it's pretty much a non-issue. Yes there are occasional tragedies, but they are real rare. If you keep your eyes open and minimize your alone time to sections well away from roads, you'll be fine with or without pepper spray.
After you've been out on the trail for a while, you are going to have some new tools to work with from a defensive point of view. You'll be in far better condition. Your awareness of your surroundings will be far better, you will be able to tell between a hiker and a non-hiker out for a walk by look and smell. You'll be a lot more comfortable out in the woods than most potential attackers and you will be somewhat hardened to pain and discomfort, enabling you to function better should something happen.
Some other things to prepare yourself against the extremely unlikely case, is to constantly look around you at the objects within arms reach or within a step and armsreach and think about how they might be employed to distract someone or cause injury. Literally everything falls into one of those two categories, all it takes is a mental shift to turn a pen or a handful of leaves into an effective weapon of injury or distraction.
None of the above is a guarantee, just some tools in the toolbox that may give you a fighting chance. AND, it is highly unlikely that anyone reading this will ever need any of it on the trail.
Above all trust your gut. Hike in a group till you get your trail legs and senses. The thing about hikers and non hikers is good advice. I don’t mean to get all warm and fuzzy, but the hiking community is probably one of the most honorable groups around. In tune with nature and therefore other people and their feelings. I know I sound mushy but it is usually pretty true. But the pepper spray and a little self-defense training is not a bad idea either.
Well myfelf not trying to make a joke out of it but if some guy comes up to me making remarks aobut wanting to do things I just play along with him and tell him something like yeah I would too, it's to bad I got herpies last week and can't do any thing untill it clears up
That will scare most gyys off they don't want to take the chance and find out if oyur joking or not
Frolicking Dinosaurs
05-17-2006, 16:24
In my younger days I was hit on a lot by older men. I used to get all wide-eyed and ask them if they were friends of my Dad playing a joke on me. That took the wind out their sails rather quickly.
I assume 6s & 7s is concerned about sexual assualt and being killed on the trail. I note you are 20 yo - many of the hikers you will be with have children your age or older. They will be watching out for you as will other hikers. Stay with the group until you get your hiking legs - and mention the group you are with to anyone who approaches you alone and frightens you - even if you are not with a group. Mr Scary won't know if you are bluffing or not.
There will be many women on the trail and they also tend to look out for each other.
Common sense and the "gut feeling" are sure necessary, but I would suggest some good backup defense--like bear spray. I would not trust the little mace containers you get at the local store. My experience is their spray time and quantity is minimal.
In my younger days I was hit on a lot by older men. I used to get all wide-eyed and ask them if they were friends of my Dad playing a joke on me. That took the wind out their sails rather quickly.
I assume 6s & 7s is concerned about sexual assualt and being killed on the trail. I note you are 20 yo - many of the hikers you will be with have children your age or older. They will be watching out for you as will other hikers. Stay with the group until you get your hiking legs - and mention the group you are with to anyone who approaches you alone and frightens you - even if you are not with a group. Mr Scary won't know if you are bluffing or not.
There will be many women on the trail and they also tend to look out for each other.
WHAT! 20 where did you get that idea
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
I just turned 46 yesterday
WHAT! 20 where did you get that idea
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
I just turned 46 yesterday
I thought you were 20 too. Your first post says age is 20.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
05-18-2006, 08:37
6s & 7s is 20 - Yo-yo is 46. Yo-Yo, I was talking to 6s & 7s when I mentioned being 20 yo. I had gathered from some of your other comments that you were closer to my age than 20.
I'm off to Trail Days - see y'all when I get back.
6s & 7s is 20 - Yo-yo is 46. Yo-Yo, I was talking to 6s & 7s when I mentioned being 20 yo. I had gathered from some of your other comments that you were closer to my age than 20.
I'm off to Trail Days - see y'all when I get back.
OH, sorry, you had a Yo in there and I thought you were just calling me Yo for short
got a aunt that calls me Yo for short
ACK!! I'm so confoooooosed!!! sorry:confused:
nyushka42
05-23-2006, 19:28
I'm 25, and until I strained my achilles tendon, I was hiking alone (for 2 weeks). I did meet some "interesting" people, but luckily enough, I'm pretty unattractive when sweaty and gross, so I got no come-ons. Of course, this wouldn't detter phsycopaths. However, the only time I felt unsafe on the trail is when I was hiking from Neel's Gap, and had left too late in the afternoon to get to Low Gap shelter. If I'd known it was a pretty easy hike, I woulda continued on, but at 6:30PM I decided to hike down to Whitley Gap Shelter, 1.2 miles off the trail, down a steep decline. I was there alone, with a firepit full of trash. I did my best to clean it up, and string the trash onto the bearline, & then huddled down for the night. I don't think I've prayed that hard in a long time, thinking what kinda people might be out there. The only thing that comforted me really was the fact that it was foggy & rainy, and even creeps would be staying home tonight. Even so, I kept my knife close by.
The next morning I booked it out of there double time & did my first 14 mile day to Blue Mountain Shelter, where thankfully there were other hikers, most of whom I'd met before.
I've never felt in danger at a shelter, and usually they were pretty crowded.
Hana_Hanger
05-24-2006, 01:48
Practice in your mind how you will react, if taken off guard...and usually if harm is the intent...you will NOT be aware of it till it is on you, or you will have only seconds to react.
I am by no means bragging here..but I have been robbed at gun point five times and by a knife once to my throat and once pointed at my chest, while in my 20's (on the job)
Almost kidnapped when younger (10 and 12 yrs old) and almost raped twice in my teens. I kept eye contact and postive and talked and talked, and at times ran my way out of these situations.
Think fast...talk a lot, scream if need too...and yes I do now carry tear gas/ pepper spray combo...but funny thing is, if I would try to use it I am sure I would get just as much spray on me as on them!
We would both be down and crawling around in pain and tears.
My hubby bought it for me, because it makes him feel better that I have it. I figured it would work well on a bear if needed on the West Coast.
I have it on a lanyard around my neck along with a power whistle...blast that in someone's ear! I use to be in high risk security here on the islands...fight dirty...(forget the groin...they are expecting that). I also hike with a REAL wooden pole...Dogwood, I love it. I have hit the bushes a few times when I thought a wild pig was there hee hee turned out to be a stray dog.
Practice a few moves, and handholds...such as grabbing fingers and bending backwards...poking eyes and hitting throats. Sorry just talking about life threating situations only. Not just because you see someone looking weird at you or seems strange.
LISTEN to your gut feelings and sometimes it means changing directions and quickly.
THINK Postive thoughts that is for sure. Get use to the natural sounds of the woods or forest around you.
Most of the time I would say someone wanting to rape or kill will find a lot easier target then having to HIKE on a trail.
There are a lot of classes out there now (self defense)...take one to build up your confidence. It will set your mind at ease, and make your hike more enjoyable.
I guess getting older and fatter has a few rewards...
Brrrb Oregon
08-25-2006, 17:56
I also hike with a REAL wooden pole...Dogwood, I love it. I have hit the bushes a few times when I thought a wild pig was there hee hee turned out to be a stray dog.
This is a good idea. Thanks!
I would recommend playing up your confidence (i.e. little psychological things): deepening your voice a little, standing up straight w/good posture, keep your chin up, look people straight in the eye, don't show your emotions too much. It sounds silly, but just acting self-assured and strong can make you less of a target to predators--they tend to mess w/women who appear less of a threat.
Earl Grey
10-11-2006, 12:51
You could get a water gun and spray paint it black. Then if someone tries to mess with you just point it at them, they wont know the difference but this wouldnt work on bears.
The Weasel
10-11-2006, 13:22
While thinking things through in advance is always a good idea, this whole thread is a recurring one on the AT, and largely overblown. While there are jerks everywhere - even on here, as one idiot thinks he can pick women up on the trail - there is very little assaultive behavior on the AT. And particularly during thruhiking season, this is not a solitary "Walk in the Woods" - it's fairly full of people, and particularly if you make friends at shelters who know you're somewhere between Points A & B on an 18" path, you'll be pretty safe.
The Weasel
Chances are you will be very safe on the AT, I felt safer there than I do in any city.
But do remember to SING if needed: Stomach Instep Nose Groin
And a friend of mine recently escaped being raped by lieing to the guy claiming she had AIDS.
Oh my friend who was nearlly raped was in NYC, no where near the AT.