personal safety

Neil said:

When I did my most recent solo bushwhack I placed a shortcut on the computer desktop called Neil Hike. If my wife clicked on it she'd have seen a Word doc and a jpeg. The jpeg is made from a Topo file and shows my intended route. The idea was that she could have emailed this file to anyone who might be getting ready to search for me. The Word doc had basic info like where I was parking and the emergency phone number to call. It also reminded her to infrom whomever she contacted that I had a radio which I would tune have tuned to frequency x.

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Very Nice. I've been inspired. I'll be doing the same from now on.
Also, make sure you have enough stuff with you to stay out overnight if the need unexpectedly arises. I usually bring enough food and water for the day and at least part of the next day. Also, a shelter. i.e. a Waterproof Bivy Sack. In the Winter, my day pack would vary little from my Weekend Overnight Backpack Configuration.

It sounds like a lot, but you never know when you'll need it. Your life may depend upon being able to get through a night.

Zer0-G said:

It sounds like a lot, but you never know when you'll need it. Your life may depend upon being able to get through a night.

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I always hike like that...it does nothave to be luxurious stuff, but enough to keep you warm, dry and fed overnight if necassary. I see so many people that go on very major hikes with almost nothing...saw four guys heading up Boott Spur after 3pm last Saturday (into t-storms) with no packs, one bottle of water each, etc...I would add that they were struggling too. Some people really believe that IT could never happen to them.

sapblatt said:

I always hike like that...it does nothave to be luxurious stuff, but enough to keep you warm, dry and fed overnight if necassary. I see so many people that go on very major hikes with almost nothing...saw four guys heading up Boott Spur after 3pm last Saturday (into t-storms) with no packs, one bottle of water each, etc...I would add that they were struggling too. Some people really believe that IT could never happen to them.

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Likewise, I saw a couple, hiking up the Peekamoose trail three weeks ago. About 3/4 mi. in, they stopped me. She asked "how far up 'til we see something?" I said "Are you looking for anything in particular?" She said - "Anything." --- If that wasn't interesting enough, she was wearing flip flops he was wearing sandals, both in blue jeans - overweight , sweating profusely and 16 oz. 1/2 bottle remaining, diet pepsi shared between the two of them -----

At the register, they did sign in. Destination was noted as - "WATERFALL!"

(mama-mia)

Some people are just .....(you fill inthe blank)

Zer0-G

Bears and guns:

Bears charge at around 40 ft/sec. That's very fast. Assuming you spot the bear 100 ft away, there's only about 3 seconds to upholster a handgun, push off the safety, drop to an accurate firing position, aim, and pull the trigger. If you work in the secret service for your day job, you might be able to do it. Oh, and IIRC, you have to hit it in the eye or mouth. That's a very small target.

The joke is that a handgun gun is adequate protection from a bear only if hiking with a companion. But you need to shoot your companion and run like heck. Not a pleasant alternative.

Pepper spray:

With pepper spray, you have to steel yourself to wait until the bear is in range. That requires practice too.

Thought question:

When camping, do you hang your pepper spray with your food or keep it in the tent next to you? It's only useful in your hands, but the smell attracts bears!

Amusing anecdote about pepper spray:

I've been given 3 cans of the stuff as gifts over the years. The charge doesn't last forever. A three year old can only sputtered (plus it had a safety that was practically impossible to get off). The second can, about two years old, put out a nice stream, but only for a second or so. The third, larger and fresher can, actually sprayed for 10 seconds.

Firearms as personal protection:

I've lent out my copy of the generally respected book Freakonomics, but you can check the reference here and other places on the net. There's no statistical evidence that carrying provides a concealed weapon helps bring down crime in the macro sense.

Edit: typos

Enough illumination on the original question? Please keep replies civil, on-topic and somehow germane to the pupose of a hiking board.

Last year I had a very creepy experience that made me think about this question quite seriously. I was approaching the trailhead through very open woods, had not seen a soul on the hike, and could see another car had parked there in addtion to mine. It was early spring and this was not a popular hiking area. I could see the car was loaded up with jumbled piles of clothing, a pillow and junk. I dutifully went to the register to sign out and couldn't find the page with my name. Now there had only been two other pages with writing when I signed in. The page I signed in had been torn out. I looked once, I looked twice and on the third look through the book it clicked that everything was wrong. I made a very quick scan of my surroundings, did an incredibly fast walk to the car, whipping off my pack and holding the key out at the same time. Unlocked the door, threw the pack in with me and got the heck out of there. It's the only time I truly felt danger while hiking.

I believe our biggest protection is to trust our gut instincts. If something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't right.

Actually certain campgrounds make me more nervous than any trail. We were hiking the AT in Virginia the next spring after two women were murdered and it made me think about creeps who prey on hikers that are close to roads. But again I was more cautious in the unsupervised campground than on the trail.

jrichard said:

Firearms as personal protection:

I've lent out my copy of the generally respected book Freakonomics, but you can check the reference here and other places on the net. There's no statistical evidence that carrying provides a concealed weapon helps bring down crime in the macro sense.

Edit: typos

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Everyone should read "Freakonomics". Also read "More Guns, Less Crime", by Lott. Read much from both sides of the issue. The facts and statistics are overwhelming. Victims of violent crime are better off armed then unarmed. You be the judge after studying both sides honestly.

Better of or better off? You've typed the former at least twice, and I'm not sure what it's supposed to mean.

Lott was making his stuff up, wasn't he? I thought that's what it said in "Freakonomics." I know it said he made up an enthusiastic fan.

BorealChickadee, what do you think was going on, that somebody had torn out the page in the book?

Raymond said:

Lott was making his stuff up, wasn't he? I thought that's what it said in "Freakonomics."

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Anyone can say anything in a book. Lott collects piles of actual official statistics. Instead of letting the author of one book tell you that the other author is lying, read both books.

Thats about enough.