How safe is it for a female alone

[Trailweaver]

I hike alone most of the time and have never had a problem. One night I did camp (by accident) close to a road and a group of unruly drunk locals came in and set up camp below me in a campsite close to the road. I just stayed where I was until they pulled out in the a.m. and everything was O.K. Trust your instinct, stay smart, and let the trail take care of you! You will find the most amazing people are actually on the trail.

[Blissful]

Just be smart. Don't linger at road crossings or camp by them. Don't tell people your itinerary. Don't hitchhike alone ever. Use your intuition. If things don't feel right to you, move on. I also prefer camping at other spots rather then hanging out in shelter areas.

[AzWildflower]

I forgot to mention Blissful's trail journal. She had an excellent adventure hiking with her son!!

[WILLIAM HAYES]

I have found that hikers look out for hikers -just trust your instincts about people and don't stay near road crossings

[Aim1030]

I agree with 1Pint... who I befriended the first night of her section this year. If you're smart and don't make dumb choices, you have nothing to worry about. That being said, I carried pepper spray in the pocket of my hipbelt "just because". It made me feel better knowing I had it, although in 2,178 miles I never once felt the need to take it out of the zipped pocket.

-Wags
NOBO '09 (I'm aware there's someone else with the username Wags on whiteblaze)

[tuswm]

Im male with a hiker GF. Why does everyone say not to stay near roads? sorry for the newb ?

[Disney]

Im male with a hiker GF. Why does everyone say not to stay near roads? sorry for the newb ?

Most dangerous/unsavory/unwelcome people are lazy. They may walk a half mile into the woods, but they're not going to go 10 miles. The farther you are from the roads, the less likely it is that those folks are going to park and stumble across your campsite.

[Bati]

Also be a bit wary of other hikers who may seem very safe (and are) but are too impressed with the fact that you're hiking alone to keep it to themselves. If you've ever walked into a site and had a stranger say "you must be so-and-so and you're hiking alone" you'll be less apt to admit to hiking alone and far more prone to confusion about which direction you're headed and how much further you expect to make it that day. Be cautious about what you write in registers, but be aware that authorities may search the registers to facilitate searches.

It's a good idea to take additional precautions such as sleeping with your money in a shelter, and placing valuables on you (not in your pack) when you hitch.

Remember that hiking partners don't always hike next to each other and feel free to remind strangers that your hiking partner forgot his hat at the lunch spot/never starts hiking before noon/started hiking at 5 am/and you got in a major fight this morning and need some solo time/etc.

I spoke to someone who had an encounter with Gary Hilton. Her comments included "trust your instincts" (she had), and "be careful", but I noticed that she never said "don't hike alone". I also noted that she had continued to do the same job she had the day she met him.

[Saffirre8]

Pink- i am also a solo female hiker. i am not scared to hike alone nor do i fear the people on the trail or bears. But, to be on the safe side i carry a 6 inch blade in the side of my pack where i have easy access to it. Just incase, cause you never know.
The trail is very safe and you will meet intresting and awesome hikers along the way.

[quasarr]

I haven't read the thread so maybe someone has pointed this out but...

There have been 9 murders on the AT since 1974. Charleston County, SC (where I live!) had 21 murders last year.

[JustaTouron]

I have not thur hiked but based on my backpacking/camping experince I would say it is probably no less safe nor anymore safe than a male hiking alone.

Risks like tripping and breaking ones ankle, getting lost, attacked by wild animal, setting yourself on fire with your own stove apply about equally whether your sex organs are internal or external. And all are much more likely than being raped (the only real difference in risk between males and females.)

For somethings females are at less risk because for the most part they are less likely to do stupid risky things. That is why you have lower car insurance rates.

The biggest risk that is enhanced for females vs males is getting lost during a bathroom break. Most females travel further from tent/trail/shelter than their male counterparts to relieve themselves in an effort to maintain modesty. This traveling further away increases the likelihood they they will get lost returning. Also increases the risk they will trip and fall in a location they are unlikely to be found by another hiker or will be outside of screaming distance of others if they need help.

My daughter has gotten lost three times this way. Fortunately she had the whistle I require each of my kids to carry. She blew her whistle. I blew mine and she knew what direction to travel to rejoin us.

My advice:

*Always carry a whistle (especially on evening bathroom breaks)
*If you are with others let one of them know in which direction you are traveling for your bathroom break. So if you hurt yourself and don't return they know where to go look for you.
* If you are not with others there is no reason to travel beyond sight distance to the shelter or tent as nobody is gonna see you.

Or do what my daugher has done recently -- use a poncho. She has figured out that she can squat while wearing a poncho and maintain her modesty while in full view of others. She also uses it for rain gear. And for changing clothes in front of others without compromising modesty.

[gipcgirl]

Your comment about using a poncho as a modesty shield is a great idea. I hike in a skirt with a fair amount of fullness in it ( gathers ) so when I squat it falls very nicely and covers all. So easy and discreet. Also no chafing when hike.
It always surprises me when out hiking that I don't see more women hiking in a skirt.

[gipcgirl]

I am also a solo hiker and have done many many miles and have never felt in danger. Yes I have sometimes moved on from a shelter because the vibe did not seem right. Use your instincts at all times and be aware of others around you.

[JustaTouron]

Your comment about using a poncho as a modesty shield is a great idea. I hike in a skirt with a fair amount of fullness in it ( gathers ) so when I squat it falls very nicely and covers all. So easy and discreet. Also no chafing when hike.
It always surprises me when out hiking that I don't see more women hiking in a skirt.

I can count the number of times my daugher has worn a dress or skirt in the past few years on one hand. Me and my wife joke she will be wearing a white pants suit to her own wedding. So how I don't think she is gonna take up skirt hiking any time soon.

It would not surprise me if the reason for the low number of skirt hikers is the fair intersection between girls who hike and girls who are somewhat of "tomboys"

But it is damn funny to watch people's puzzled looks when she pulls her poncho out of her bag and puts it on on sunny days without a cloud in the sky. I have also used her poncho to change out of a wet bathing suit in the beach parking lot. It works great.

[solace]

Its like a family out there.. and really, most hikers watch out for one another... its a Trail Bond that extends for miles and miles.. and you may even find a section partner?!?! Happy Hiking

[mtnman777]

Thats true. Well said. I just llike people to feel safe and comfortable out there. When we lose that then whats the point.

[Dancing with Kali]

It's doubtful that families of those who were victimized on the AT would assess safety details as "worthless" or "stupidity".

The AT is relatively safe, but my life's experiences tell me that my inner prompting to post is not without reason. If you don't know how to read between the lines, then read this: my perception is that it would be good for people to bring added awareness to the AT. That doesn't mean to be fearful. It means to be more alert.

The shadow side of the trail ain't pretty, but to say "Be careful" is not enough. There was a time when I hardly knew what it meant to be careful or to use instincts and intuition. I learned by trial and error. I learned that it's easier to stay safe by becoming more aware of instincts and intuition and * following * their guidance.

If you are someone who has learned to be a survivor, let me ask you this: How would you feel if you had potentially lifesaving info but didn't take time to disperse the details and later learned that someone died who maybe could have survived if those details had been made available? How would you feel?

If you think that I have never come across dangerous people out in the woods, miles from nowhere, then think again. That's why I'm not going to gloss over safety issues. I think it's important to be armed with as much safety info as we can find.

I won't resist this parting shot: No matter Who your number one Bodyguard may be (there are many), let's not forget these words from Lt. Howell Forgy: "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!"

[Lilred]

[QUOTE=JustaTouron;963029]The biggest risk that is enhanced for females vs males is getting lost during a bathroom break. Most females travel further from tent/trail/shelter than their male counterparts to relieve themselves in an effort to maintain modesty. This traveling further away increases the likelihood they they will get lost returning.[QUOTE]

It's true, I had to go in the middle of the night and it took me forever to find my tent. Since then, I carry an extra LED light with me. I'll leave my headlamp hanging off my tent, lit or flashing, and use the small keychain LED to find a place to go.

[WalkSoftly33]

Has anyone seen the movie Signs with Mel Gibson and Jauqen Phoenix The last words Mel's wifes character said to him before she died sound earily similar to Kali's comments "Baseball Bat, Swing Away"

Any how she does make the same point that most have made about trusting your instincts and observing your surrondings...just in a unique way, slightly exagerated I hope.

I dont want to start a religious debate either but since it was mentioned...

The tale of the guy who was stuck on a roof of a house during a flood, a boat came by offering to help, he says "no the lord will save me" a second boat comes buy again he responds "no the lord will save me"...the guy dies in the flood...when he gets to the pearly gates he ask god "why didnt you save me from the flood?" god responds "I sent you two freakin boats" (pursuit of happiness maybe)

Moral of the Story - regardless of your belief system, dont wait on a miracle, reality is infront of you, be as independent as you can be, be aware of what is around you, and as others have said trust your instincts but give trust to the people you meet and you will recieve it back. A few bad apples are not worth the loneliness of always protecting yourself and never trusting a sole. I like to treat it like the justice system trust until proven otherwise. I have only weekend hiked parts of the MA, NY sections of the AT, met some great people on the trail. My adivce is more how I try to live but applies to the AT I feel. I am a guy so I do not have the the sames concerns but all the same for the most part I think.



-Walk Softly and Carry a Big Spirit

[WalkSoftly33]

Yes I did just reference two movies in one post