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Living Hazard: Personal Safety
While attacks on backpackers in the backcountry have occurred, that is no reason to prevent you from enjoying the woods. Backpacking alone may be dangerous for a variety of reasons, but a solo trip can also be extremely fulfilling.
To realize the safest trip possible, a solo hiker should heed the following guidelines.
- Give someone your itinerary listing where you plan to camp each night and when you expect to return.
- Don't tell strangers where you plan to camp. You can make polite generalizations, but don't give a stranger your travel plans.
- Bring a plastic whistle to use if you are immobile and need help. A whistle lasts longer than your voice, and the sound carries farther. You may also want to bring half-dozen small flares to use to signal for help if you need to be rescued. Generating smoke from a fire is another way to signal a helicopter that may be trying to locate you from above.
- You may feel safer if you carry something to protect you. Pepper spray or mace will do the job. If you plan to carry such a defense, carry it in a holster or fanny pack and make it readily accessible in your tent. It is of no use to you if you can't get to it in seconds. One defense I strongly urge you not to bring is a gun. Weapons of that magnitude have no place in a backpack.
Another option for a safe backpacking trip is to travel in a group.
- 3 or 4 guys traveling together is a good-sized group. A criminal is less likely to attack a group than a single individual. And if someone gets injured, one person can stay with the victim while 1 or 2 people go for help. You can also share equipment and distribute the weight among the group to make everyone's pack a little lighter.
- However, when traveling with others, don't let the size of the group give you a false sense of security. Be as cautious as you would if you were traveling alone. Don't let one person lead a group of blind followers every member should be involved in making decisions.
- I have never found an activity that brings people together as well as backpacking does. Groups are good for companionship and laughs. It is comforting to share the struggle of a tough climb and the joy of a swim in a crystal lake.
