learning to stay safe on the trail

[Wise Old Owl]

In light of the recent tragic events in the dissapearence of Meredith Emerson, there were some threads about personal safety on the trail about traveling alone. I remember a thread advising traveling with a weapon. Most of the posts prior to this event were clear, you were statistically in more danger off trail, than on the trail. Meridith is not the only hiker missing this week. Many of you posted ho-hum “not worried about it” posts prior to Meredith's dissaperence. What I have noticed about the average Joe, is that we rally about the concern for six months and then we go back to not being concerned anymore.

Please stay on topic here. What would you do differently to stay found. Pilots are asked to file a flight plan. Would you leave a note and report with people as to your intentions? What would you included with your report and what would you take with you for your personal safety?

http://appalachiantrail.blogspot.com/2007/11/elderly-hikers-missing-in-north.html

[4eyedbuzzard]

What I have noticed about the average Joe, is that we rally about the concern for six months and then we go back to not being concerned anymore.


Works that way for most things. We have a short attention span. We take shortcuts, break "rules" and nothing usually happens. So we get complacenet and that behavior becomes the norm. Our wake-up calls are usually very tragic.

Leaving an itinerary and "not to exceed" check-in times has been pretty standard advice for years, and I think still a very good one. I also think cell phones, bear spray/mace(mostly for dogs but adaptable), and anything else that could be used to save one's life are a good idea. I carry a handgun frequently, but this is not a solution for many due to personal reasons, state laws, etc.

Not hiking alone? Well, excluding the current situation, of the 9 murders on or near the AT from '76 to '96, 6 victims were parts of double homicides. With one exception, the murder of a single male victim, all the murders involved female victims in their 20's.

Personally, I don't view the AT or other woods/trails as any safer than anywhere else.

Just be careful - EVERYWHERE!!!

[rafe]

Please stay on topic here. What would you do differently to stay found. Pilots are asked to file a flight plan. Would you leave a note and report with people as to your intentions? What would you included with your report and what would you take with you for your personal safety?

Well, for starters, I carry a cell phone these days and I check in with my wife at least once a day, or when possible. We both benefit from the call. I may not be able to call from camp every night, but there's always at least one place on the trail, on any given day, when I can get a signal and leave a message on the answering machine at home.

Be wary around strangers, and in particular don't divulge your itinerary if they ask. Nobody ought to be asking, anyway. If a stranger asks, be vague, or just lie -- and make some distance between yourself and that person. (Obviously, this doesn't apply to thru-hikers who have known each other for days or weeks.)

If a person or a scene doesn't feel right, move on.

Having a buddy or two helps, as does knowing some self-defense. Oh, and don't camp near roads or any other point of easy access to the trail.

[Sly]

No need for me to file a flight plan and I don't really have anyone that could do anything to file one with . By the time it's known I missing it will most likely be too late. Plus, I tend to stray from trails and take alternatives.

[doggiebag]

IMHO
To stay found from a long-distance hikers perspective. My general check in times are noted in my trail journals as I proceed with my trek. When I meet folks who are weekending they have no problem with signing my guest book informing folks where and when they ran into me.

Even when I'm not staying at a shelter - I try to make a point of signing the registers.

If I'm setting up camp off the trail I usually set up close to a water source (that's just my habit).

With regards to the information I leave with the folks back home. I usually tell them that I can be up to a week late in making a spot report regarding my schedule. I always try to ensure that they at least know of my last location and estimated date of arrival to the next town.

For my personal safety - I used avoidance and constant vigilance as my primary means of self-defense. I would avoid easily accesible areas. I would setup camp with enough cover so that anyone walking the trail at night would not even know I'm there. My trail-dog is always tied up near my hammock and is instrumental in detecting people or other animals way ahead of what my eyes and ears could detect.
The temptation of carrying a weapon is strong. But I rely more on hyper awareness and avoidance as my primary means of staying safe. I want to hike - I'm not out there to get into a fire fight. I'm too old for that stuff.

Regards.

[dessertrat]

As a man, I think I've always felt less threatened than women must feel.

In terms of self-defense, the real world is not concerned with tournament Karate. You should instead learn five or six basic moves down cold, and be able to do them fast and hard without stopping to plan them. Such as a fast left elbow to the jaw, a thumb-- or hiking pole-- in the eye, or a knee to the groin. In the real world, there's no such thing as fighting fair when someone is trying to hurt you.

The other important thing is that a woman, especially, should never let someone else get her into a corner or into a motor vehicle. If someone threatens force, even points a gun at you, run and scream immediately. This scares the perp off more often than one would believe, and statistically has produced good results versus going along with the criminal and letting him get you confined or out of range of help.

Ultimately, it is all a judgment call, and people have to follow their instincts, but playing their game is usually the worst choice. Immediate resistance or flight is more likely to be successful.

I don't want this to turn into a "carry a weapon" discussion, so I'll leave that out of it, and hope others do likewise.

[maxNcathy]

If I were a young lady in particular I would always hike in a group of 3 or more.
Most girls do just that and have not been hurt.

[take-a-knee]

As a man, I think I've always felt less threatened than women must feel.

In terms of self-defense, the real world is not concerned with tournament Karate. You should instead learn five or six basic moves down cold, and be able to do them fast and hard without stopping to plan them. Such as a fast left elbow to the jaw, a thumb-- or hiking pole-- in the eye, or a knee to the groin. In the real world, there's no such thing as fighting fair when someone is trying to hurt you.

The other important thing is that a woman, especially, should never let someone else get her into a corner or into a motor vehicle. If someone threatens force, even points a gun at you, run and scream immediately. This scares the perp off more often than one would believe, and statistically has produced good results versus going along with the criminal and letting him get you confined or out of range of help.

Ultimately, it is all a judgment call, and people have to follow their instincts, but playing their game is usually the worst choice. Immediate resistance or flight is more likely to be successful.

I don't want this to turn into a "carry a weapon" discussion, so I'll leave that out of it, and hope others do likewise.

Excellent advice, I'll repeat it:

DON'T LET ANYONE FORCE YOU INTO A VEHICLE! IF YOU DO, YOU ARE AS GOOD AS DEAD!

It doesn't matter if he has a gun, I have more than a few friends who've been shot by handguns, they are still alive, and they even have scars for bar stories. Pistol wounds, especially from less than expert shooters, are usually NOT FATAL. Do not give up your mobility, RUN LIKE HELL before someone can take it away, if he runs after you, it doesn't matter, it takes a tremendous amount of training to accurately fire a handgun from a slow walk, and it is impossible to do so on the run.

[tazie]

I always practice safety and self-awareness, wherever I'm at; on and off the trail. I feel more threatened in today's malls and other public places than I ever have on the trail. That being said, I'm not foolish. I let everyone in the family know when I'm going out, how long I should be, WHERE I'll be, and estimated return time. Carry the cell phone. Keep my head on a swivel, and keep my wits about me, on the trail. Hone in to my sixth sense. I do hike with my lab, and he always senses other hikers and/or animals coming up on the trail before I do. I'm more afraid of the 4-legged animals out there that I may encounter, versus the 2-legged. Still, it's all good advice and true, you can't be too careful.

[rafe]

I'm more afraid of the 4-legged animals out there that I may encounter, versus the 2-legged.

Hmm. Seems backwards. The four-legged ones may know hunger, fear, surprise, intelligence, (of sorts) and excellent hunting skills -- but not malice. Only two-legged critters know malice.

[Landshark]

I do not have a trail journal. However, I read somewhere, possibly here, that frequently updating your trail journal as you go can be a safety risk in itself. Especially if you are updating it in "real time." Picture this scenario, for example: A woman hiking the Long Trail alone, updating her trail journal, says, "Gee, here I am at Sucker Brook Shelter, I haven't seen anyone the past few days. Well, I hope to make it to Skyline Lodge by this evening!" And, the profile includes a picture of herself as young and vulnerable-looking. And maybe in a previous post she mentions "gee, hitching alone wasn't as scary as I thought." Mr. Weirdo now knows who she is, where she is, what she looks like, that she is traveling alone, and where she will be the next night!


This doesn't apply to the particular case of the hiker missing in GA but it is something to think about!

[Appalachian Tater]

I think there is more danger on the trail from ticks than people so I would take DEET or another repellant for ticks. That said, there are some crazy hate-filled rednecks out there, so I would carry a small pistol, and shoot them between the eyes, at least three shots.

[tazie]

Hmm. Seems backwards. The four-legged ones may know hunger, fear, surprise, intelligence, (of sorts) and excellent hunting skills -- but not malice. Only two-legged critters know malice.

In their defense, the 4-legged critters are usually more afraid of us than we of them..and scurry out of the way...I hike on the AT in Maryland and have heard stories about a wild and wooly raccoon near Pine Knob shelter, and an over-friendly bear in the Gathland area. I was hiking to Annapolis Rocks today and the only scare I got was the guy from DNR out with his German shepard citing people for hiking with their dogs off leashes. He was having a busy day.
Not to be off-topic, but terrapin, you a Maryland grad or transplant?

[doggiebag]

Common sense should apply to using Trail Journals. It would be ill advised to put yourself at risk with too much detail. It is also easy enough to put misinformation on the page if you feel the need.

[wrongway_08]

Never underestamate ANYONE.... old, young, really old, female or male...... they can all kill.

People that seem to be tryn to be too nice, seem to have too much in common with you or try to get you to "check this route out instead"....... there is usually a reason for this..... Red Flags should be popping up.

If you start to get a "feeling or vibe" from someone, dont hesitate to turn back the way you came or know where people are. If it starts to get weirder.... make some noise..... draw attention to your self.

[FatMan]

I will be walking the trail on Monday in Union County. Although the recent events are awful, they will not affect how I hike. I have always felt safe on the trail and do not intend to have my sense of comfort and freedom altered by this SOB. I refuse to walk in fear. The day I walk with the slightest fear is the last day I walk. And that day will never come.

[doggiebag]

I will be walking the trail on Monday in Union County. Although the recent events are awful, they will not affect how I hike. I have always felt safe on the trail and do not intend to have my sense of comfort and freedom altered by this SOB. I refuse to walk in fear. The day I walk with the slightest fear is the last day I walk. And that day will never come.
Well put Sir.

[take-a-knee]

I will be walking the trail on Monday in Union County. Although the recent events are awful, they will not affect how I hike. I have always felt safe on the trail and do not intend to have my sense of comfort and freedom altered by this SOB. I refuse to walk in fear. The day I walk with the slightest fear is the last day I walk. And that day will never come.

I'm a year your junior, I've been in fear a lot in my life. I was afraid in Iraq, especially on MSR Tampa. Every time I leaped out of a C-130 from 800ft, or 25,000 ft, I was afraid, and I did that for twenty years. You can ride fear like a wave my friend, and it can be a blast. Courage is not the abcense of fear, but merely the conquest of it.

[River Runner]

Meridith is not the only hiker missing this week.
http://appalachiantrail.blogspot.com/2007/11/elderly-hikers-missing-in-north.html (http://appalachiantrail.blogspot.com/2007/11/elderly-hikers-missing-in-north.html)

I'm not sure if I am reading this wrong, but the Bryant couple went missing in October. Mrs. Bryant was later found dead, killed by beating.

Some speculation has recently been made, wondering if the same person might be responsible for both their disappearance and Meredith Emerson's.

[wrongway_08]

I will be walking the trail on Monday in Union County. Although the recent events are awful, they will not affect how I hike. I have always felt safe on the trail and do not intend to have my sense of comfort and freedom altered by this SOB. I refuse to walk in fear. The day I walk with the slightest fear is the last day I walk. And that day will never come.



My life would be dull without fear, everytime I tackle a huge down hill on my mountain bike..... body surf rapids....... kayak a large rapid........ try a challenging climb........ jump the dirt bike........ take the Jeep at such a angle it rolls into a tree...:)...... talk about fear..... tumble down the side of a hill...... I wouldnt truly live without fear, life would be booooooring!!

[4eyedbuzzard]

I do not have a trail journal. However, I read somewhere, possibly here, that frequently updating your trail journal as you go can be a safety risk in itself. Especially if you are updating it in "real time." Picture this scenario, for example: A woman hiking the Long Trail alone, updating her trail journal, says, "Gee, here I am at Sucker Brook Shelter, I haven't seen anyone the past few days. Well, I hope to make it to Skyline Lodge by this evening!" And, the profile includes a picture of herself as young and vulnerable-looking. And maybe in a previous post she mentions "gee, hitching alone wasn't as scary as I thought." Mr. Weirdo now knows who she is, where she is, what she looks like, that she is traveling alone, and where she will be the next night!


Very good advice. Lots of predators find their victims using the internet.

[wrongway_08]

I'm a year your junior, I've been in fear a lot in my life. I was afraid in Iraq, especially on MSR Tampa. Every time I leaped out of a C-130 from 800ft, or 25,000 ft, I was afraid, and I did that for twenty years. You can ride fear like a wave my friend, and it can be a blast. Courage is not the abcense of fear, but merely the conquest of it.


X2 I've only sky dive 1 time, it was a rush - your lucky to have been able to do all those jumps !! Glad you got through everything (Iraq and all) safe - thanks for all you did over there.

[Sly]

X2 I've only sky dive 1 time, it was a rush - your lucky to have been able to do all those jumps !! Glad you got through everything (Iraq and all) safe - thanks for all you did over there.

Y'all used a shute? Check this out! :eek:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F9RJSPnf8A

[wrongway_08]

I have been watching that for years.... freaking awsome!! Would love to get a chance to try it.

Have you seen the guys that ski off mountains with the "wings" on? They fly from high points, land on the down side ski to gain speed and then fly some more, its crazy !!!!!!

[doggiebag]

Y'all used a shute? Check this out! :eek:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F9RJSPnf8A

Outstanding! :banana That's something else. Makes me feel like a caveman with the dope ropes we had to use.

[fiddlehead]

One of my most memorable and enjoyable hiking experiences i ever had was hiking all of Montana on the CDT in '98 alone

[fiddlehead]

wow, hit the shift key and it posted. oh well.
i'll continue with what i was trying to say.

hiked the 700-800 mile part of the CDT that is Montana alone. Saw 2 other hikers, a couple in their 30's who were fishing and gave me some fish.

I was perhaps a little scared of being alone that long before i had this experience but once i had it, I was not only no longer afraid of being alone, but preferred it.

Perhaps being a little scared isn't a bad thing. Yesterday, while hiking up the steepest mtn here in Phuket, Thailand, I decided to see if i could go up this rock face. (I enjoy rock climbing as a hobby here also) only to find out that what looked like rock (it really looked like granite) was in reality only sand or a conglomerate of break-away sections.

So, once again i was scared and it was not easy getting back down. But if i wouldn't have tried it, how would i know?

Of course, i'm a guy and don't have to worry about getting raped (i hope)
If i was a girl, i think i'd do things slightly differently. At the least, i'd take a Muay Thai course (kick boxing) or carry pepper spray, or a tazer? Not sure, as i haven't been in that situation.

I too (like Sly) enjoy being off trail. Perhaps off -trail is safer than on trail. I know it is a lot more fun. As far as getting hurt while hiking alone, i've never had much reason to think about it as i've never gotten hurt besides a few scrapes and cuts or bee stings and 2 brown recluse spider bites. Non of those every kept me from doing what i like.

[doggiebag]

Fiddlehead

I just wanted to complement the picture you took in Nepal which you shared here on WB. In between rock climbing and Muay Thai. I'm quite sure you are not in need of a workout. Be safe.

[Sly]

One of my most memorable and enjoyable hiking experiences i ever had was hiking all of Montana on the CDT in '98 alone

Yeah, I hiked about 600 miles alone on the CDT this year. Even though they had nothing to fear, I'm sure most I met were more worried about me than the other way around.

[jaiden]

I've heard it recommended to leave a boot/shoe print in your car to assist SAR (step on aluminum foil in softish ground) .

[canerunner]

For those that keep a trail journal, it's not very difficult to develop a code based on the trip plan you've left with someone you trust (parents, best friend, significant other, etc.). Instead of giving specifics of where you are and where you're going to be that night, you can simply say that you are on schedule. If you're making better time, you can say, "I'll be at my destination for day three tonight, instead of tomorrow night." Don't give the information people need to stalk you.

If you want to relate specifics, don't give exact times or other information which can be used to locate and target you. Young women should specifically use disinformation as much as needed to protect themselves. Accurate reports and changes to the basic plan should be cimmunicated either in phone calls made in private, or by some other means that is not subject to being overheard by some unknown person.

It's easy to keep a written journal and transcribe it far enough after the fact that you aren't subject to being a target. Even transcribing it at the end of the following week separates you enough to make you very difficult to target.

Make sure that those who care about you know what progress you're making, but don't make it so that others can pinpoint your position or destination for the day.

Protect yourself. Think. Plan, Be SAFE.

[rafe]

For those that keep a trail journal, it's not very difficult to develop a code based on the trip plan you've left with someone you trust (parents, best friend, significant other, etc.).

I do keep a journal -- on a small spiral-bound pad that I carry in my pack. Nobody sees it but me... at least till the hike's done. I agree, a web-based journal that's too specific is probably a dumb & dangerous thing.

[Egads]

The topic of this thread is "Learning to stay safe on the trail" so it is important to focus on the leading statistical causes of death and severe injury on the trail, not the emotionally charged and tragic cases of abductions which are extremely rare but receive the media's focus.

All of us at Whiteblaze mourn the loss of Meredith Emerson and our sympathy goes out to her family and friends.


The top 3 causes of hiker deaths are falls, drowning, & heart attacks.

We have the ability to prevent falls and drowning by assessing the risks and taking appropriate precautions.

We do have some ability to reduce the odds of becoming a heart attack statistic by our personal choices. We can control our diet, frequency and intensity of exercise, stress level, response to the symptoms, whether we hike alone or in with others, but we cannot control our family history.

Egads

[dessertrat]

Excellent advice, I'll repeat it:

DON'T LET ANYONE FORCE YOU INTO A VEHICLE! IF YOU DO, YOU ARE AS GOOD AS DEAD!

It doesn't matter if he has a gun, I have more than a few friends who've been shot by handguns, they are still alive, and they even have scars for bar stories. Pistol wounds, especially from less than expert shooters, are usually NOT FATAL. Do not give up your mobility, RUN LIKE HELL before someone can take it away, if he runs after you, it doesn't matter, it takes a tremendous amount of training to accurately fire a handgun from a slow walk, and it is impossible to do so on the run.

It's also very hard to hit a running target. Running while firing at a running target? That's for the movies.

[CoyoteWhips]

It's also very hard to hit a running target. Running while firing at a running target? That's for the movies.

Amen to that. If you think somebody is going to shoot you with a pistol, move! It's hard enough to hit a stationary target. One that's bobbing around is ten times as hard.

[Texasgirl]

The topic of this thread is "Learning to stay safe on the trail" ...
The top 3 causes of hiker deaths are falls, drowning, & heart attacks.

Egads

Thanks Egads for the facts on the ground. Instantly reminded me to keep things in perspective (but I'll still remember to be smart, think, leave info with family).

[oldfivetango]

I think there is more danger on the trail from ticks than people so I would take DEET or another repellant for ticks. That said, there are some crazy hate-filled rednecks out there, so I would carry a small pistol, and shoot them between the eyes, at least three shots.

I note that Tater can make outrageous statements like this and it is
just fine with the moderators but my simple challenge to his logic
keeps "disappearing."

If you want me to go away,just have the decency to send me a PM to that
affect-OK?
Oldfivetango

[mudhead]

Yeah, I hiked about 600 miles alone on the CDT this year. Even though they had nothing to fear, I'm sure most I met were more worried about me than the other way around.

Amusing. It is pretty easy to get rough around the edges when you have no one to please but yourself.

I am more suspect of too tidy people in the woods. I have never yet met anyone with a meticulously trimmed mustache that was 100% trustworthy.

Awhile back Karen Berger had a book on Gorp that while geared at females, was worth reading by all. I don't recall the name of the book or how long ago this was, but the salient points were keep information to yourself, and separation from the "threat."

Anyone recall the name of this book?

[Lone Wolf]

Amusing. It is pretty easy to get rough around the edges when you have no one to please but yourself.

I am more suspect of too tidy people in the woods. I have never yet met anyone with a meticulously trimmed mustache that was 100% trustworthy.

Awhile back Karen Berger had a book on Gorp that while geared at females, was worth reading by all. I don't recall the name of the book or how long ago this was, but the salient points were keep information to yourself, and separation from the "threat."

Anyone recall the name of this book?

www.hikerwriter.com

[mudhead]

I rooted around for a bit and did not locate it.

I recall that it was not written by her, but she valued it enough to post the whole thing on Gorp. I don't recall the event that triggered this, it may have been the two that got hit in the bag on the West Coast.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Amusing. It is pretty easy to get rough around the edges when you have no one to please but yourself.

I am more suspect of too tidy people in the woods. I have never yet met anyone with a meticulously trimmed mustache that was 100% trustworthy.

I knew I should never have invested money with that stockbroker I met at the Mashipacong shelter.


Awhile back Karen Berger had a book on Gorp that while geared at females, was worth reading by all. I don't recall the name of the book or how long ago this was, but the salient points were keep information to yourself, and separation from the "threat."

Anyone recall the name of this book?

Michael Bane wrote a book called "Trail Safe: Averting Threatening Human Behavior in the Outdoors". Available at Amazon, etc. I think that's probably what you're thinking of.

[oldfivetango]

I think there is more danger on the trail from ticks than people so I would take DEET or another repellant for ticks. That said, there are some crazy hate-filled rednecks out there, so I would carry a small pistol, and shoot them between the eyes, at least three shots.

OK,here I go again for the third time since my previous two Gosh Awful
posts identical to this one were deleted by someone...............

How would you have profiled a nice looking young law student like
Ted Bundy?

All villains are not rednecks and all rednecks are not villians.

Gee,I hope that observation was not too obnoxious or offensive to other
members of the WhiteBlaze community.

And here's another Tango Zinger-use your brain and trust your gutt,
they are two of the greatest weapons you have.And carry something,even
if it is only a rock,with which to defend yourself.
Oldfivetango
(man,what a rant):D