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Published: 22.11.2020
Last Updated: 29.09.2021
Solo hiking in the wilderness can be intimidating.
What if you get lost? Or injured?
Who will help you put up your tent in that howling storm?
But this is outweighed by how empowering and peaceful it can be.
There are plenty of pros and cons of hiking alone, but if you’re a female there’s an extra layer of things to think about.
46% of men and 54% of women agree that it’s much riskier for women to go hiking alone than for men.
But if you do a little research into crime statistics and talk to seasoned solo hikers, you’ll soon realise this opinion is unfounded.
In fact, trails and national parks are pretty safe spaces to traverse alone.
The risk of being a victim of a violent crime is thousands (sometimes hundreds of thousands) of times lower in a national park than in the country as a whole.
The cause of this is the fear-gender paradox – whereby women report a much greater fear of violent crime than men do, because of how society has raised us.
Women are taught that being alone is unsafe and that staying in well-lit and well-trafficked places is key.
But dangers of the city are less prevalent in the wilderness.
What we’re saying is that it is the fear that is holding women back, not the reality.
Women are evidentially not in any more danger in wild spaces than men.
Unfortunately women often perceive themselves as being less then they really are.
Less physically and mentally strong, less backcountry-savvy and more vulnerable. But they have no disadvantage to men.
The same risks remain for both sexes.
Changes in weather, unexpected environmental conditions, gear failure and injury are the biggest threats to any backpacker.
If you’re planning to go hiking alone, there’s a good chance you’ll receive more scrutiny from family and friends that your male counterparts might.
The best way around that is plenty of planning and preparation.
Do your homework – check the route details, camping facilities and locations, water points and weather forecasts.
Give your plan to a partner, parents or friends.
Alongside preparation, self-confidence plays a major part in appeasing fears around hiking alone as a woman.
This comes in part from knowing you’ve done the groundwork ahead of your backpacking trip and also belief that you have the right skills and experience under your belt.
Start small to build up that feeling of confidence in the outdoors.
Perhaps try hiking with a friend at first, moving from short hikes to multi-day adventures and then progressing to solo day hikes.
Alternatively, jump right in walking alone. A good place to start is somewhere you’ve already been or places you know will have a lot of people around.
Make sure you know how set up a tent, cook meals on a camp stove, carry all your own gear and repack your backpack, treat water, etc.
From here the natural progression of doing a night camping or at an overnight shelter will soon have you working towards your first major thru-hike.
And one of the best parts of going out alone is that your plan is yours alone, so you can change up your agenda as you need.
If you feel unsure, there is no shame in turning back or adapting your plan.
Depending on where you’re planning to walk, there are some other little tips and tricks that might make you (or family members) feel a bit more relaxed whilst you’re out on the trail.
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