Originally Posted By: dougwalkabout
Originally Posted By: Dagny
Originally Posted By: Sherpadog
Originally Posted By: Dagny
Dangerous to hike alone.

I have been doing solo hikes for too many years to count and can name 50 different outdoor activities that are more dangerous then hiking alone.

While hiking alone, you need to be prepared, mentally, physically and gear wise. If you meet and continuously follow all three of these requirements, it is a pretty safe activity in my view...



Are you a woman?



Not sure where you're going with this, Dagny. It could be interpreted as an inappropriate comment.

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Inappropriate? Women I know are more concerned about being raped than any man I know. The genders tend to have different perspectives on personal safety.

I am a woman who frequently camps at a campground near where two women backpackers were murdered by a lone male on the Appalachian Trail a decade ago.

I also live in a city and while walking home alone from work was attacked by a man at 7:00p.

So I have reasonably concluded that hiking alone on the Appalachian Trail and walking alone after dark in the city is dangerous, especially for a woman.

If my daughter wanted to go hiking on the AT or a more remote trail, I'd very strongly urge her to hike with a group. And definitely not hike alone.

Hiking alone is perilous not just because of a random serial killer or rapist (rare but out there) but the risk of injury from a fall. I have one bum knee and two bad ankles so I'm not comfortable hiking alone for that reason alone.

God bless solo hikers, but I think it's safer to hike with others. And I think it is dangerous for a woman to hike alone.

So shoot me.





Edited by Dagny (02/04/09 04:18 PM)