[pct-l] Carrying weapons

[J M]

Kellie, 

I ended up doing the PCT from the Mexican border to Idyllwild this year in April / May as a solo female hiker. It was my first major solo hike. I was scared to death only one time during the trip and it was actually because I pitched my tent almost on top of a rabbit hole and they literally ended up bouncing off of my back when they tried to use their front door. Yes, that's right, my biggest freak out was because of bunnies. 

Is there danger on the trail when you are solo hiking? Of course there is. The biggest dangers are actually things like falling, getting sick and fording water crossings. There were many occasions when I was scrambling around boulders or getting buffeted by high winds that I realized if I fell I was probably screwed. I set up check ins and through the gps my phone many people were monitoring me but they were not WITH me to help. Theoretically, could someone have hiked up the trail to find me with malicious intent,sure they could. But seriously, the likelihood of that happening was so small compared to a scramble over a bolder in 30 mph gusts. 

When I tell people I did a solo hike some people will ask if I took a gun. My response is always along the lines of "do you know how much a gun weighs?" Seriously, for the pack weight you could carry so many other things far more critical to your survival. Pack weight, as I'm sure you know, is a constant and as you learn to balance comfort, safety and enjoyment you will find yours. I took my favorite pocket knife as a tool, eating utensil and in the case of the rabbit debacle an object to hit me in the face as I got wrapped up in my tent. It was not a weapon for me at all. 

There are some really smart and knowledgeable through hikers on this list who can help with advice but it always boils down to Hike Your Own Hike (HYOH). You need to think about what you are comfortable with and make decisions about what you want to start your trip and go from there. When you get on the trail, things will change. You will buy things you didn't think were important when you started and send other things back that you thought were absolutely necessary. If you are freaked out about being out there by yourself utilize this list to find a hiking partner. Start when the pack does and go to the AZDPCTKO. I was never truly alone out there. People were watching my progress, more than I knew until after I got off the trail. 

Best of luck to you! 
Joyce
aka - The Rabbit Whisperer  
 
"Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." 
www.explorationmonkey.blogspot.com
 


________________________________
From: Kellie Morrill <kelliemorrill at yahoo.com>
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Sent: Friday, November 4, 2011 8:27 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Carrying weapons

Hi all,
 
I'm a single female hiking the PCT in 2012 and have had a few folks recommend I carry a weapon (mainly, a gun). I'm opposed to this, but want to get the opinion of other hikers.
 
Would you or do you carry a weapon? 
 
Other single women hikers, what do you carry if you carry anything?
 
Happy hiking!
_______________________________________________
Pct-L mailing list
Pct-L at backcountry.net
To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l

List Archives:
http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
All content is copyrighted by the respective authors. 
Reproduction is is prohibited without express permission.