View Full Version : Daughter hiking alone
abbykat234
12-10-2012, 20:02
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.
grateful 2
12-10-2012, 20:06
She will be okay because she will find others to hike with when she gets on the trail. I am curious how you can be 22 years old and have a 23 year old daughter?
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.
I am just a weekend section hiker, but I can guarantee that if she starts in GA in the spring she will not be alone.
I recommend you read the book "Becoming Odessa" it is about a woman your daughter's age hiking the AT alone.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
atmilkman
12-10-2012, 20:08
She will be okay because she will find others to hike with when she gets on the trail. I am curious how you can be 22 years old and have a 23 year old daughter?
I'll bet it has something to do with cybergenics.
grateful 2
12-10-2012, 20:12
Not even P90 X could do that!
I'll bet it has something to do with cybergenics.
I am leaving March 5 and worry about my safety. She has to be smart and recognize dangers. There will be plenty of people to chose to hike with. Not feeling comfortable with someone she only has to find someone else she feels safe with. Just saying
Odd Man Out
12-10-2012, 20:49
Are you worried about her driving a car or going to college by herself? Do you think those activities are significantly safer than going for a long distance hike? I would hazard to guess that every year, any given large University has multiple students who are crime victims and that every year, every major highway has multiple drivers who are victims of auto accidents. What do most parents do in those situations? Mostly, they teach their children how to drive, how to behave responsibly, send them off to college, and then worry.
I have two son's, 21 & 18, would be concerned, but pretty excited, if my (young) daughter wanted to do a thru hike alone.
Would definitely get her a lightweight one person tent, to me not having that freedom would be a big miss. Many of the shelters are really "skeevy", crowded, mice, etc. If she gets to a shelter and is not comfortable, move on! Tenting would be the option.
Hiking poles can be used for more than walking, plus they will be needed to pitch her tent.
The AT in Spring is busy and social. She will not be alone. Hikers look out for each other.
Wise Old Owl
12-10-2012, 21:34
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.
As a group we totally understand - and although your bio is a little confusing. Many folk here post about there personal fears. The trail is just walking ... so its 2000 miles. So what, this is one step at a time,your daughter wants to discover something that is missing in her life, that is the discovery. If she has something that she cannot solve she will reach out to you, otherwise just be there as a guide! Time now to hang up parenting and understand how to be there other than helicoptering. As a parent - you need to look at what is in store for you and your child and understand and support the endeavor... Discover other ways of participating and supporting her, she is in no danger.
quilteresq
12-10-2012, 21:40
I'm a mom of kids in that age group, and hiking this year as well. I wouldn't worry about it too much. I worried plenty about my daughter driving the I-95 corridor between New England and DC to get to and from college. First off, there are plenty of folks on the trail. If your daughter has any sense, she'll know when something or someone isn't right, and just hike on. Second, she'll likely find a group of folks her age to hike with in pretty short order. They may not spend every minute of every day on the trail, but there will be folks to worry about her and keep track of her day to day. Which is not the same thing as saying there are no dangers out there - snakes and Lyme disease probably being the worst of what is out there.
HikerMom58
12-10-2012, 21:52
+1 on the hikers looking out for each other. +1 on the bio a bit confusing. If you need to talk to another mom who has/had the same personal fear, PM me anytime. :)
hikehunter
12-10-2012, 22:34
In everyones first aid kit should be a whistle...when it blows anyone within hearing knows that someone is in trouble....you are more safe in numbers....it is true the spring start on the AT is very public... do your prep and you will be fine...
Spirit Walker
12-10-2012, 22:37
I thruhiked the AT twice as a solo female. I understand your fears, but my experience is that AT hikers quickly meet other hikers who become friends, partners, and sometimes trail families. There are a lot of other people starting the trail at the same time. She won't be alone, unless she really works at it.
abbykat234
12-10-2012, 23:21
She will be okay because she will find others to hike with when she gets on the trail. I am curious how you can be 22 years old and have a 23 year old daughter?
FYI my dad posted from my name. He asked if he could ask the question on here to get feedback.
CarlZ993
12-10-2012, 23:25
A good friend of mine's daughter hiked the AT solo NoBo in 2012. She's around the age of your daughter. She told me the main thing that made her uncomfortable was some guy walking into a shelter with wet clothes and immediately begin stripping out of their clothes. She said she wished they say, "Hey, I need to get out of wet clothes... Do you mine turning around so I can change?"
Other than that, she just hiked with a 'trail family' she met (about her own age) and kept going north w/ minimal problems.
rainmaker
12-10-2012, 23:55
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.
She's a grown woman. Turn loose.
Slo-go'en
12-11-2012, 00:03
Although hiking is not entirely without risk, it is still much safer than many activites no one thinks twice about. Like driving. Woman probably account for at least a 1/4 of the hikers out there these days. Many are older woman.
MuddyWaters
12-11-2012, 00:10
She wont be alone, except possibly for the first couple hrs if its a slow starting day.
Odds are she probably hooks up with some other hiker at the parking lot even on day 1.
bubonicplay
12-11-2012, 00:20
Tell her to bring rubbers.
I have a daughter, 13, and think about safety. She weighs 80 pounds. In 3 years she will be driving. I have been trying to teach her to be autonomous, in life and in sports. She participates primarily in individual sports, like running, hiking, sprint kayaking. She benefits greatly from coaches and instructors, but I am trying to teach her to coach and teach herself. Her kayak club, like most of them, focus almost entirely on coach lead sprint training on a relatively short course, close to shore, up and back, up and back, with a coach boat on the water, and dry land training when it is 'rough'. When not at the club with her friends I encourage more adventure based 'training', longer more scenic paddles, where the motivation is to cover a route, destination to destination, and to enjoy whatever nature throws in your way. So of course I have to train her more than her friends, or even her coaches, about water safety, deep rough water self rescue, and so forth. Her boat needs to be fitted out a bit differently, more like a surf ski, and she needs to practice self rescue, and gradually take more and more personal responsibilty for her clothing choices, her boats design, construction, and maintenance, and her physical fitness, knowledge, and skills. It's a different approach, and most parents would most likely call me negligent, I suppose. There are always inherent risks, when I take her out on the water with me on an adventure, and if something ever happens, heaven forbid, I suppose the press might have a field day. Still, in my heart, I feel I know what I am doing, and it's safer than driving her someplace on the highway, or letting her drive herself when she turns 16. We have a higher tolerance for motor vehicle accidents I suppose. Not sure why.
I'm hiking with my 25yo son starting late March.
Your daughter will not be alone.
My son WILL behave himself!:D
daddytwosticks
12-11-2012, 08:14
Surpised nobody has mentioned about carrying a (fill in the blank) and hiking at a (fill in the blank) rate. :)
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.:D
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
12-11-2012, 09:47
Tell her to bring rubbers.
To erase the mistakes when she's writing in shelter logs?
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
12-11-2012, 10:28
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
12-11-2012, 10:33
Stop worrying. She's an adult, or should be. For goodness sake, at 17 I left home to join the Marines.
GoldenBear
12-11-2012, 16:33
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
12-13-2012, 12:07
Tell her to bring rubbers.
That is old school Gore-tex boots are better ;)
http://www.rubberboots.com/images/rubber-boots-faq.gif
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.
Tell her to bring rubbers.
NO class whatsoever.
Velvet Gooch
12-13-2012, 13:07
Buy her a gallon of wolf urine
bear bag hanger
12-13-2012, 16:26
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
12-13-2012, 20:29
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
12-13-2012, 20:48
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
12-14-2012, 00:27
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.
The more I learn about people the more I think we are already in a zombie apocalypse.
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.
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
12-14-2012, 13:50
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.
don't worry so much - your daughter will have plenty of people to keep an eye on her within a few days of being on the trail..
Taking a light weight tent will give her sleeping options if she's not comfortable in the shelters, due to scurrying little feet more than crazed fellas...
Nothing wrong with condoms, they're a sensible option , truth is that most people stink so bad on the trail that there is very little sex going on without mutual consent!!
Good luck to her!
Seatbelt
12-14-2012, 14:11
don't worry so much - your daughter will have plenty of people to keep an eye on her within a few days of being on the trail..
Good luck to her!
I agree with this. most male hikers are in somewhat of a protective mode when it comes to female hikers, heck even the girls watch out for each other as well.
MuddyWaters
12-14-2012, 14:49
truth is that most people stink so bad on the trail that there is very little sex going on without mutual consent!!
I would sincerely hope that there is NO sex going on without mutual consent.
Perhaps you meant " by mutual consent" or other such wording.
Brings to mind the riddle from Skywalker's AT book:
"Whats the difference between a possum and a female thru-hiker?"
Seatbelt
12-14-2012, 15:27
I know how they are alike.....they'll both eat almost anything.:)
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.
I'm sorry, I thought we were talking about a 23 yr old woman. Do you really think the father/daughter wanted/NEEDED to know about rubbers? Some of you folks are really thin on the brain. Crude humor has its place I will agree; this thread wasn't it. Again, poor taste, not funny, not helpful, no class.
at 20 my daughter was an exchange student for a year in Hong Kong - during the 5 week winter break she traveled through N and S vietnam, cambodia, thailand, indonesia, and malaysia - alone, not on a tour - in mostly rural areas where there was no common language shared - in the 5 weeks only 1 night was spent in a place that had hot running water
to come home she went around the world the other way - first to Beijing, then the trans siberian train to Moscow - flew to new york - greyhound to Chicago - suburban commuter train to Joliet - then the neighborhood bus, and walked into the house with only 2 small school type backpacks
put it in perspective - the AT is tame
And Nean - remember humor is subjective, just because you did not find it funny does not mean that is true for everyone - this was not put in the straight forward category so there is room for some variety of input - besides, the reality is that condoms may be more practical for distance hiking than the pill - as far as hiker smell stopping nature - you go into town, get clean, do some drinking, maybe have a real bed - things will happen, why not have a plan ?
Country Roads
12-15-2012, 21:56
I expect she would be safer thruhiking the AT than most other places she could be. She will learn a lot about herself. She will become more self reliant. She will be more organized. I have never felt unsafe on the AT. A person just has to use common sense. Trust your instincts.
Hill Ape
12-15-2012, 21:59
no class and thin on the brain.. tell us how you really feel nean
Keep the pissing contests to private messaging..thx! :)
Further posts of this type get dancing Twinkies...
Go out, have fun...
Winter is coming! ;)
18442
Hill Ape
12-16-2012, 00:05
Keep it to PMs :)
Don't even need to read the thread. Your daughter will be just fine. it's a close nit community and what male hiker isn't watching out for the women? I bet within a week or two she has several new friends!
Keep it to PMs please :) -PM
Hill Ape
12-16-2012, 14:24
Yes..you do need to go for walk :) -PM
BarFight
12-16-2012, 15:22
I hiked when I was 23. I felt safe as part of the community. I am also grateful to this day that my father was one of my biggest supporters and never gave me all the hassle that so many women seem to get from their families about hiking.
MuddyWaters
12-16-2012, 22:52
As previously stated repeatedly, by so many, she will be fine.
Everything in life involves some risk unfortunately.
Its unnavoidable.
But the worst thing you can do... is to do nothing ...because of that.
I solo thru-hiked at 18. Your daughter will #1 meet good people and #2 be very safe and just fine.
Keep it to PMs please. -Thx! :)
flemdawg1
12-19-2012, 13:47
"Whats the difference between a possum and a female thru-hiker?"
IDK, what is the difference?