Safety Safety Safety

[clairep1791]

As I've been planning my thru hike, I've been hearing a lot about robberies and other things like that happening on the trail recently. I'm pretty young, and the parents are already a little uneasy about letting their "little girl" go hiking for about six months. Is all the hullabaloo about these different types of trail threats true? If so...what is a youngin' like me supposed to do about it? HELP.

-Claire

[Bronk]

The hiking community takes care of their own...you'll acquire a new big brother every time you pass a hiker on the trail. Its safer on the AT than it is in the town you live in...really.

[10-K]

Do a search on "safety". Several relevant threads will come up, many specific to females hiking alone.

The concensus seems to be a) The AT is safer than the "real world" and b) trust your instincts if something doesn't feel right.

[johnnybgood]

You need to remain vigilant while using common sense , no different than walking across your neighborhood street by yourself .Make friends at the trailhead . Hike with someone else or a group to start out with.
Hiking with a group ensures that everyone will watch out for one another.

The "other things" comment is vague so I'll just reiterate with keeping everything in perspective , the AT is a microcosm of the real world , only difference is your hiking companions will help keep a watchful eye out for you.

[bigcranky]

Let me add that you don't need to find a partner or group to start the trail -- you'll meet other hikers from the very first day if you do a northbound thru-hike. Hikers do indeed watch out for each other; you'll be fine.

My daughter is a sophomore in college, and I worry far more about her there than I would if she were thru-hiking.

[weary]

I agree with the above advise completely. I've spent decades on the trail. And around the trail community. Bad things happen every few years, unlike every few weeks or months, at home. The trail is about the safest place you can be for the next six or seven months, I suspect.

[shelterbuilder]

I've also been hiking for many decades, and can attest to what Weary has said - you are safer on the trail than you are in your own hometown. Yes, when something "bad" happens out there, it gets LOTS of media coverage - but that's precisely because it IS so much safer on the trail than in most hometowns: when something bad does happens it seems worse because it's NOT the norm. (When was the last time that a mugging in Memphis got weeks and weeks worth of national media coverage? Answer: it doesn't happen, because people get mugged in big cities ALL THE TIME. But, let something like that happen on the trail, and it's a media circus because of the rarity of the event IN THAT SETTING.)

Use common sense. Don't volunteer lots of information about yourself to strangers. Lie a little if you have to ("My partners are a few minutes behind me, they'll be here any minute"). Listen to your "gut feelings" - if something doesn't "feel right", just quickly move on.

And, yes, the hiking community DOES take care of its own - you won't be alone out there...enjoy the trip!

[DapperD]

I agree with the above advise completely. I've spent decades on the trail. And around the trail community. Bad things happen every few years, unlike every few weeks or months, at home. The trail is about the safest place you can be for the next six or seven months, I suspect.

Unfortunately spending "decades on the trail" has little to nothing to do with the original poster's request of other's "hearing a lot about robberies and other things like that happening on the trail RECENTLY".

[Bags4266]

If you start on the "sweet spot" when others are you will be in fine company!

[Tinker]

The problems you run into on the trail are often in or near towns.
As the above posters said, make friends with fellow hikers and stay close. It doesn't hurt to begin your hike with someone you know, either. Try to meet other hopeful thruhikers before hitting the trail to get a feel for who you might like to hike with.

[shelterbuilder]

Unfortunately spending "decades on the trail" has little to nothing to do with the original poster's request of other's "hearing a lot about robberies and other things like that happening on the trail RECENTLY".

Having NOT heard much about these things happening RECENTLY on the trail, I suppose that we shouldn't have posted anything - even with my personal intention being to give the young lady (and her parents) some feel for the general "safeness" of the trail experience.

Do bad things happen? Yes, occasionally. Have I heard of anything happening RECENTLY? No. Should the young lady ruin her trip by being paranoid about what "might" happen? Never. Should she use the same intuition to stay safe both at home and on the trail? Defintely!

'Nuff said.

[Appalachian Tater]

To set your parents' minds at ease, consider having them drive you to the hostel in Dahlonega and meet the other thruhikers staying there or have them see you off from Springer and meet them there.

The danger on the trail from other people is extremely exaggerated. Worry more about Lyme disease or infected blisters.

[Blissful]

Several threads on this very subject. Also check out the women's forum on safety issues. But you are safer in the woods then walking down the street

[clairep1791]

You guys are great! Advice taken. :]

[Spokes]

As I've been planning my thru hike, I've been hearing a lot about robberies and other things like that happening on the trail recently.......

My experience is you usually hear these "things" from people who've never hiked or spent time on the AT.

Let the hyper-paranoid folks go back to smoking their Pall Malls and watching the Biggest Loser.

Now go hike.

[sbhikes]

You know what's a really good exercise in perspective? Go out and read the Lonely Planet guide to some place foreign to you. There will be all kinds of warnings about not flashing your money, keeping your belongings close, watching out for pick-pockets and you'll get the feeling that a lot of foreign places are really dangerous.

Now go out and read the Lonely Planet guide for the US. The same warnings will be in there. How often do you take a trip in the US and feel the kind of paranoia that is encouraged by these books? You know as well as I do that there are lots of friendly people all over this country and travel here isn't dangerous.

Hiking a long trail is similar. There's lots of fear because it's foreign. But it's even less dangerous than taking a trip by car around the US.