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I worry more about meeting up with a bad guy than about ending up at the bottom of a ravine somewhere--not too many ravines here in Florida, anyway! <g>

Ha! =) Yeah, I guess ravines aren't a big issue in Florida.

But seriously, if statistics are to be believed, you're far more likely to need help from self-inflicted injuries (sprains, broken bones, and other medical issues) than being attacked by a "bad man." In fact, you're probably more likely to be attacked walking down a street in a populated place than you will be on the trail.

Which doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful about strangers, but do put the threat in proper perspective. I met several woman who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail by themselves and never managed to get themselves attacked. And the one I know who was attacked was actually in a hostel with a room full of other people, alcohol abuse being a contributing factor. If you asked her later what her biggest fear was--it wasn't hiking alone--it was in towns where such bad things are more likely to happen.

The fear people have of going outdoors alone just gets under my skin, sometimes. It's like people who have a fear of flying to a destination, but wouldn't think twice about driving. The chances of something bad happening are far worse if you drive, thus it's completely irrational that someone would have a fear of flying.

It's like that outdoors. You're far more likely to die in a car accident on your way driving to the trailhead, but no, everyone is scared of the much lesser risk of being attacked on the trail. But they'll happily tailgate, run the yellow lights, or other risky behavior. Priorities seem screwed up, and I'd rather remind people to drive safely than to hike with a partner.

-- Ryan

I go alone all the dang time. Probably over ninety percent of my boxing adventures have been done solo. I, too, worry about the bad guys but I figure that you are more likely to meet one of them in an urban area than in the sticks. A predator is more likely to hang out where the prey is plentiful.

I actually feel much safer miles out on a remote trail than hiking in a wooded city park. There, the thought of cougars is always on my mind but I carry a hiking staff and figure being eaten by an apex predator would make a pretty cool story to tell at my memorial service.

However, I do realize that I'm hardly typical, having ridden my motorcyle alone coast to coast and camped the entire way. I've also done a fair amount of international travel by myself and I travel solo for business almost weekly. I enjoy traveling with other folks but I've never allowed the lack of a buddy to cramp my style. Funhog

I letterbox alone most of the time, and actually prefer hiking alone to a group. I've camped and hiked alone in the woods of Michigan's U.P. for many years and although my mother still worries about bears and "bad men," I have very seldom felt unsafe. I would agree with the previous comment that if somebody is looking for a target for foul play, they aren't hanging out on seldom-traveled trails in the woods.

That being said, I do take some precautions:

1) I never advertise my plans for solo hiking ventures in a public forum -- I shutter sometimes when I see somebody mention they hike alone and then in the next sentence note they will be headed to XYZ park tomorrow.

2) I carry a first aid kit and pepper spray (although I admit it is not readily available most of the time).

3) When going on a trip or for a full day, I leave an itinerary either written or in an e-mail.

4) When I am within cell phone service area, I call home at regular intervals during the trip, particularly before setting out on a long hike, and leave a message on the answering machine as to my whereabouts.

I figure knowing my itinerary and approximate last location, somebody could track me down if I didn't show up at the end of the day.

Probably the best tip to remember when you are alone... don't look frightened or uneasy.

SpringChick

Oops, that should be "shudder." My fingers are not connected to my brain today.

All true, Ryan, but if you DO meet a bad guy way out on the trail, there'll be fewer people around to help you or to deter him by being witnesses.

And my feeling about planes is, sure, there are fewer incidents, but when you do have something bad happen, the potential is for it to be REALLY bad. You seldom get a fender bender at 33,000 feet.

Then again, I make every effort to drive safely, too. And I'm aware of who's around in the mall or in the parking lot, as well as on the trail. Ever vigilent, that's me. ;-)

DebBee

Actually, now that I think about it, the REAL reason I don't want to fly lately is because it's not a pleasant experience most of the time. Between all the security you have to go through and the delays you seem to run into and the rude people you have to sit with, it's not fun anymore. I'd just as soon drive.

DebBee, veering off topic just a tad

I box alone quite often. I'm more worried about encounters with wild animals than I am with "bad" people. Now I have a new letterboxing companion....Comet - my 80 lbs. and growing German Shepherd! Not too many people seem to want to approach him! ;)

Peppermint Patti :)

I too have hiked alone for years and follow the same precautions the others have mentioned - cell phones, walking sticks, pepper spray, letting someone know where I will be. There has only been one time when I felt that there was a "bad man" on the trail with me and he was going the other way, thank goodness. I stopped walking and took a snack break so that I could turn around and watch him to be sure he didn't turn back and it worked well. Although I don't believe in inviting danger, I also don't believe that I am in any more danger on a trail than I am walking down a street in the town that I live, in fact, I WON'T go into our town even in daylight.

Jan of Team Little Dog

I actually feel much safer miles out on a remote trail than hiking in a wooded city park.

I agree with that. I grew up in the country and walked miles away from home in the woods as a little girl alone. My parents had a horn installed on the house to call me and my brother in for dinner since we were always well out of ear shot. I've always used every precaution in a city and am ultra paranoid there. I have never had any fear of the woods (no cell phone, no sticks, no buddies, no pepper spray). Perhaps I'm crazy, but I just can't make myself do all that. It's the freedom, the fun, and the lack of stress that I enjoy there.

I once remember hearing about a group of three newbie hikers in the Columbia River Gorge who got themselves lost...

Never mind all that... I have one word for y'all:

Deliverance

... and there were FOUR men in that scenario...

... and, oh, that was in GEORGIA! Eeek!

Deliverance

... and there were FOUR men in that scenario...

... and, oh, that was in GEORGIA! Eeek!


***But, can you truly say that is a good example for preparedness???? I think only Jon Voight's character claimed any real knowledge of the outdoors. Maybe ol' Burt claimed to have been deer huntin' a time or two.

And perhaps it was supposed to be in Georgia, but the river name was made up. It was actually set in that nebulous land called "Deliverance Country".

And we have plenty of that right here in good ol' North Carolina!

AND I still go out alone once in a while, especially if I don't want to hear my kids yelling, "But I don't WANT to find the letterbox!"

Knit Wit

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Deliverance I have one word for y'all:

Squeal like a pig?

Don

To be perfectly honest, I've never considered the possiblility of boxing with a partner. It seems like the perfect solitary endeavor to me. But then, I do pretty much everything alone.

I walked from Mexico to Canada alone and never felt uncomfortable. Unlike the Appalachian Trail, there were many days when I didn't see anyone. I also don't take any precautions, as such, despite much Boy Scout training. But, of course, that's the key difference. I never realized the fear that many women carry until I hiked with one for a few months. I don't think that those of us who are lucky enough to never feel it can really understand.

Rob

Simple precautions, especially cell phones and whistles, are good. Don't forget the "Mudmommy" incident.

Scarab

can you truly say that is a good example for preparedness????

Heh heh... absolutely not!

But then, I just wanted to give everyone a laugh... and a little shiver up and down their spines! ;-)


"Deliverance Country"... And we have plenty of that right here in good ol' North Carolina!

Oh, I know... I've done a little exploring in the Nantahala area, and that banjo was playing in my head on more than one occasion!

SteveS

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You seldom get a fender bender at 33,000 feet.

Well, you know.... Statistically speaking, the vast majority of plane wrecks happen during takeoff and landing, where "fender benders" are quite possible. =)

Once you're at 33,000 feet, there's a lot less that can go wrong. (Though admittedly, if something does go wrong, your chances of survival are probably much less than it would be during takeoff or landing!)

-- Ryan

Hey, congrats on the red star, DebBee! =) I just noticed it!

-- Ryan

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Don't forget the "Mudmommy" incident.

Yeah, that was pretty funny. =) Well, at least the story as it was told in hindsight was pretty funny....

-- Ryan

If you mean 'alone' by not being accompanied by another adult then yes, I letterbox all the time 'alone' with two youngins (now 3 & 6). In fact, we've logged over 1,000 miles of letterboxing (finding & planting) mostly 'alone' over the past almost 3 years--in all different parts of the country and a few foreign countries (many being 'boondock' areas).

Only one time have I ever come across that 'feeling' where I thought somebody was TOO weird for my comfort level on the trail. We were about 3 miles from a trailhead on a longer outing and just about to link up with a connecting 'powerline' network of trails. We passed the 'freaky' individual and instead of continuing along our 'intended' path following the LB clues, I opted to lay a 'false' path and proceeded down a totally different trail knowing that it had 'escape' options if anything bizarre were to happen. Once the 'freak' danger passed, then we backtracked and continued along our original letterboxing trail.

Believe me, we've had our share of runs-in with the law (not on our part) but just bizarre circumstances along the way--we've had a SWAT team come through a park and force us to leave in search of an armed criminal, we've heard gunshots in the park and called the cops, we've found evidence of crimes, had our car prowled, etc, but I'm less worried about that than finding THE angry grizzly that supposedly still lives in the Cascade Mountains and a hungry cougar stalking some biped for its next meal.

I do carry a cell phone, a whistle, water, food & some survival gear (if it's a longer outing) and have had much self-defense, offense and survival training so I'm not too nervous about heading out on the trail alone. I'm more worried about cougars and rattlers on the trails and the occasional tire blow out in the middle of nowhere along the way.

Being prepared is always a good thing, though. It's always good to keep caution in mind!

dvn2r ckr

I saw a thread form in these past messages. (What a great read too!)

1: It seems like a lot of us either grew up in the woods, or are very comfortable in the woods

2: It seems like we've had experience in scouting, camping, etc.

3: We're cautious, but not paranoid

4: A lot of us have had adventures to write home about.

Me? My bragging rights are: Flying to Casablanca by myself, twice (OK, my husband picked me up at the airport, but I could have managed a cab)
Hitchhiking with my husband in Tangiers
Getting lost, by myself, in downtown Casablanca (OK, so it was only for 10 minutes)
And marrying a guy from Casablanca in the first place. =0)
Our 15th anniversary is in August

S~N~K
My big dream is to hike the App. trail

15 years ago when I was a brand-new flight attendant and I had my first layovers in New York City I was too scared of Big Bad Manhattan to leave the hotel room by myself. Now I have the confidence and common sense to travel by myself in Manhattan and other big cities as well as myriad trails around the country.

I decided that it would be more fun to see the sights even if I had to do it by myself than spend all my time in boring hotel rooms all over the country!

When I first started letterboxing in 2001, I went by myself and probably 90 percent of my letterboxing is by myself both planting and finding. (Contrary to popular belief, Ryan and I don't letterbox together very often, it is more the exception than the rule.)

-Amanda from Seattle

I had one bad experience when out alone. A small boulder rolled and pinned my finger against a tree. A very nasty, bloody injury. Fortunately a woman walking her dog helped me back to my vehicle and a hospital was just down the road.

Whenever I can find someone to go with me I do!
But I still do go out alone - I like the quiet sometimes. I'm much more cautious now though. I always make sure someone knows where I am, I take emergency supplies, warm clothes, food & water. (It all fits in a lumbar pack) And take care when looking under rocks!

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Hey, congrats on the red star, DebBee! =) I just noticed it!

Aw, gee, I didn't even notice it until you mentioned it, and I've been wondering lately when I'd get it. I thought I must be getting close!

DebBee

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I was too scared of Big Bad Manhattan to leave the hotel room by myself.

I went to a writers' conference in NYC many years ago. It was my first conference, and my first time in NYC and I felt exactly the same way!

A couple of years ago, I went to another conference there, and I tramped all over midtown by myself. Got lost in Central Park and everything. I had a blast. No letterboxing, alas, but it was still a good time. And I was even part of a panel presentation at that conference, which, with my fear of public speaking was even harder than walking the streets of Manhattan by myself!

DebBee

I've been boxing for five years, and I box alone more than I box with others.

I seem to have this Midas touch when it comes to letterboxing partners.

My first letterboxing partner was CSCM. Shortly thereafter, he met Rustypuff, and, alas, I was solo again.

My next letterboxing partner was Mary(RI). Shortly thereafter, she met Dan Safari Man, creating Team Safari (I was even in the wedding!), and, alas, I was solo again.

My next letterboxing partner was Berek Halfhand. Shortly thereafter, he met Lilia, and, alas, I was solo again.

My next letterboxing partner was Tatanka. Shortly thereafter, he met Tina, and alas, I was solo again.

CPAScott and Anjabanja broke up, and CPAScott was to be my next letterboxing partner. Shortly thereafter, he met this girl....

Right now, my letterboxing partner is Moonstone Baby. I'm just waiting for the phone call .... "I've met this really great guy".

So when I want to box, I just box. If someone wants to join me, great! Otherwise, I go out alone. With an ironwood walking stick, a cell phone (with built-in, always-on GPS), a can of mace, a switchblade, and a blackbelt in Okinawan Shotokan. I must give off a "don't f**k with me" attitude when I am out hiking alone, because I have never been bothered (and I'm fairly little at 5'3" and 100 lbs). And on the few occasions when I get hurt (like two weeks ago when I tumbled down a ridge and busted a couple of ribs), I usually survey the damage, dust myself off, and keep on going.

Warrior Woman

<I had one bad experience when out alone. A small boulder rolled <and pinned my finger against a tree

At least you didn't have to amputate anything... I'm in the midst of reading Between a Rock and a Hard Place. This book makes me think a really sharp cutting tool is a must have! Funhog

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With an ironwood walking stick, a cell phone..., a can of mace, a switchblade, and a blackbelt in Okinawan Shotokan.

Sounds like the trail name is no joke!

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This book makes me think a really sharp cutting tool is a must have!

I'd be more inclined to think a cynide pill is a must tool to have, myself! But hey, if you'd rather go with the sharp knife, I'm okay with that. =)

-- Ryan

I box with my two retired racing greyhounds (thus our name, "Trailhoundz" :o)).  But technically, that's just one human. Sometimes I go out with my boxing bud Spudhund and her greyhound too. :o)

I am careful when I go alone and try not to get too paranoid. Last year on the WetCanvas website (an art forum) a woman posted that she was out doing a plein air painting along a quiet road.  A car pulled up behind her and the guy got out, pretended to be curious as to what she was painting. He then tried to rape her.

I trust that my big scary looking dogs will scare off any creeps, but try to be aware of my surroundings and ALWAYS carry my cell phone.

~Trailhoundz

I probably should give this more thought than I do. I have hiked alone many times with nothing more than my piercing hiking whistle. I let people know where I am headed but I never really thought about the dangers of rape/assault.

Lock Wench ( who will be traveling with someone more often)