[pct-l] Pct-L Digest, Vol 101, Issue 5

[Kathryn Hampton]

Hi Erin! 

Awesome! You're going to have a great time. I hiked solo last year (as a lone, young female) and I did a few things to stay safe and feel comfortable:

1- never told anyone where I was planning to camp or how many miles I was planning to hike

2- stealth camped; I left the trail when no one was looking and selected a campsite that couldn't be seen from any trails. I also tried to eat away from my campsite. This gave me the benefit of privacy and added an element of exploration to my hike 

3- made friends with people hiking my same pace. I did have one hiker who made me uncomfortable and so I talked to other hikers about it and also camped with them

4- carried earplugs to keep out the noises of the night 

When I left i told my mom I'd never hitchhike alone, but I was hitching alone like 90% of the time. I never had an issue. Most people are decent, and frequently women drivers will pull over for solo female hikers because they feel a responsibility to help keep us safe. Also, the guys like having female hikers to hitch with because we're sometimes more likely to get people to stop ("ride-bride," but I rather like "hitch-bitch"). 
Also, Erin "Wired" Saver has a couple-few excellent blog posts/articles about being a solo female hiker. Her website is walkingwithwired.com and it is awesome (so is she!). 

Kat

Sent from my iPhone

> On May 5, 2016, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
> 
> Hello -
> 
> I'm planning a solo trek across the Oregon PCT this summer mid-July. I'm a young female and I'm a little concerned about how I'll do a night.
> 
> Do any females with solo trip experience have any advice for me? Or any advice on what kind of protection to bring? This will be my first solo backpacking trek :)
> 
> Thanks! Erin