Women Should Not Hike Alone

[Appalachian Tater]

http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/...not_hike_alone

Yes, yes I realize I’m old fashioned to think of women alone in the woods as targets. In some warped and soulless men that is exactly what women are. And yes, I know statistics prove that for the majority of women who hike alone it is perfectly safe.

That is small comfort indeed for women such as Karen Styles, killed a few years ago in the woods, or Meredith Emerson, one of the victims Ms. Davis is memorializing.

The fact is, contrary to what good and idealistic people may think, there really are goblin-like men who literally haunt out-of-the-way places to do horrible things to women. Especially women who think statistics will protect them. These men love to torture and kill. It is more than a mere thrill. It is the very thing that keeps them going.

I would no more advise my 34-year-old daughter or any woman for that matter to go alone in the woods than I would advise them to take a nice leisurely stroll through an inner city neighborhood at 3 in the morning.

[Walkie Talkie]

The problem isn't women hiking alone. It is the men who stalk them. Your post should be "Men should not harm women".

[BR360]

Men should be men enough to not prey on women...

Be that there are predators out there, women should be prepared to defend themselves when they go hiking alone.

It used to be called wilderness because it was wild, uncivilized. The "law of the wilds" rules here, and only the thin veneer of civilization that people take with them protects any of us.

Unfortunately, predators are social deviants, psycho-pathically incapable of compassion, and see women (or children, or sometimes just the weak) as prey. The thrill of the hunt, and the twisted gratification of dominance imposed on victims drives them.

Hard to stop that in the wilderness. That's why one needs to be prepared to defend oneself, mentally and tactically. (Whatever that means to you...)

[NICKTHEGREEK]

Men should be men enough to not prey on women...

Be that there are predators out there, women should be prepared to defend themselves when they go hiking alone.

It used to be called wilderness because it was wild, uncivilized. The "law of the wilds" rules here, and only the thin veneer of civilization that people take with them protects any of us.

Unfortunately, predators are social deviants, psycho-pathically incapable of compassion, and see women (or children, or sometimes just the weak) as prey. The thrill of the hunt, and the twisted gratification of dominance imposed on victims drives them.

Hard to stop that in the wilderness. That's why one needs to be prepared to defend oneself, mentally and tactically. (Whatever that means to you...)

You can't possibly be referring to the AT as a wilderness.

[Phreak]

What a crock.

[Sly]

Yanks have a reputation as being lousy lovers? What his wife tell him that! Stephen Black needs get a grip and hike his own hike.

[Pedaling Fool]

Yanks have a reputation as being lousy lovers? What his wife tell him that! Stephen Black needs get a grip and hike his own hike.

I don't know who Stephen Black is, but if that's a pic of him in the link, then he just needs to get out and hike. Weather it's his hike or someone elses' hike, just get out there and hike-off some of them pounds

[dessertrat]

The problem isn't women hiking alone. It is the men who stalk them. Your post should be "Men should not harm women".

And there should also be no wars. Why does anyone think that broad exhortations to "be good" have any effect on evil people?

[emerald]

Thinking thusly is sure to make such individuals vaporize!

[rubyvermonter]

The author equated hiking alone on the AT to strolling through an inner city at 3 a.m. That is not an accurate analogy. Neither women nor men are safe walking in an inner city at 3 a.m. I have hiked alone several times. I feel safe on the trail and when off the trail I avoid hitchhiking alone and going to bars. This past August, when I hiked for 18 days from PA to VA, I read in the shelter logs about two incidents of concern earlier in the season -- one man had been mooching food and gear off of people and about a family which had been the victim of theft (food and gear). I did not read of anyone reporting negative behavior towards women. I'd like to encourage male hikers to note in the logs any suspicious men they encounter on the trail.

Rubyvermonter

[Roots]

This article is a load of crap.

[Blue Jay]

What a crock.

I second that. Americans love being afraid and trying to make others afraid. We're all going to die, many just like to stop living long before they stop breathing.

[Old Hillwalker]

I second that. Americans love being afraid and trying to make others afraid. We're all going to die, many just like to stop living long before they stop breathing.

Amen -

[Tipi Walter]

I second that. Americans love being afraid and trying to make others afraid. We're all going to die, many just like to stop living long before they stop breathing.

I was gonna post something earlier about our culture of fear but you beat me to it. The news media-jackals are experts at instilling fear but it's all been said before. Anyone that does a lot of something(like backpacking), laughs at the trembling fears of those standing outside the backpacking world and what they see and spew with their quivering Nanny State hot air: Bear fears, lightning fears, cold fears, soloing fears, copperhead fears, woman-alone fears, etc etc etc. Some of the worst non-hackers are the pinhead wrinkled weathermen. If the temps dip to below 30, they warn about staying indoors as it will be "dangerously cold." If it's a sunny day they applaud and howl in glee whilst the region is in a serious drought and 26 inches behind in rainfall.

"Don't do that!" "Stay away from there!" "Wild animals will bite!" "Don't go out in winter!" "Watch out for the heat!" "Good god! There's bears out there!" "Ain't that a rattlesnake!" "You'll get lost!" "What if something happens and you're all alone!"

On and on. It's the mother you thought you left long ago now returned and henpecking us to death.

[take-a-knee]

removed

[Ender]

What a crock.

This article is a load of crap.

The problem isn't women hiking alone. It is the men who stalk them. Your post should be "Men should not harm women".

I agree completely. Apparently the author feels that women should be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen as well... full-scale douschebaggery.

[doggiebag]

I don't know who Stephen Black is, but if that's a pic of him in the link, then he just needs to get out and hike. Weather it's his hike or someone elses' hike, just get out there and hike-off some of them pounds

The dude does look like he's got the capabilities and reflexes of an aging panda, if it comes down to a survival situation -
I'm betting on the female hikers I've met than panda man to come out on top. I think the guys projecting some personal issues.

Stephen Black

[smokymtnsteve]

I second that. Americans love being afraid and trying to make others afraid. We're all going to die, many just like to stop living long before they stop breathing.

why BJ what makes you think we are all going to die??...hehehe ...I'm here to stay!

be afraid ..very afraid ....and watch out for those wild Alaskan women ..they can really hurt you!

[MOWGLI]

Neither women nor men are safe walking in an inner city at 3 a.m.

That's not true either. Manhattan, excepting a few neighborhoods, is safe at 3 AM. It's the city that never sleeps.

But people who have never been there and who need fear in order to advance their agenda will surely tell you otherwise.

[smokymtnsteve]

That's not true either. Manhattan, excepting a few neighborhoods, is safe at 3 AM. It's the city that never sleeps.

But people who have never been there and who need fear in order to advance their agenda will surely tell you otherwise.

still in NYC huh mowgli?