Going Solo.

“The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before”.
Albert Einstein

I am woman hear me roar.

There are so many incredible women out in the world that I know. They excel in their chosen fields and yet many of them are reluctant to go bushwalking alone. Upon talking with them they all seem to share a singluar fear - the fear of being alone and vunerable in the bush. Before my very first solo trip I too felt these fears. And I guess, to a degree I still do. I just don’t let those fears stop me exploring solo.

Reminding myself that in Australia we are statistically more likely to be murdered or suffer physical harm by a partner or family member than a stranger somewhat reassures me that my solo forays into the wild are very unlikely to end in a traumatic and untimely death! That said, we prepare for everything else when bushwalking so why not take contingencies to keep us safer?

Irrational fears that seem entirely rational.

When chatting with friends and family (who don't hike) about my very first solo trip they all had almost identical concerns - snakes, injuries, getting lost or hurting myself. When speaking to friends and family that are women and who hike, they too shared some of the former concerns but every single one of them also said "all alone" - "I'm too scared for that".

Elaborating further they had the same irrational fears as me - meeting an untimely death, sexual assault and/or being hurt by a random stranger whilst out on trails alone. So how can we as women guarantee that we can go out and enjoy ourselves and stay safe from harm? The answer is we cant.

Control what you can. The things I do that make me feel safer.

I can't control other peoples behavior but I can control my own. For me (and everyone is different) that means before I venture out on a solo multiday trip I put contingencies and plans in place to try to keep myself safe. Before going forward I should reassure you that being an experienced hiker and navigator I have no qualms about being off track or in the bush by myself.

I only tell close friends and family of my intentions.

I make sure prior to my trip that I do not share any details of my trip outside of my closest circle. Although I have a website/blog I mention nothing about my upcoming trips. Why? Because advertising in advance that you are a single female heading to a specific place isn't the smartest thing in my book!

I ran through scenarios with a friend.

Leading up to my very first solo trip I would pester my male friends with questions like "so if a murderer gets into my tent what do I do"? "What if it is dark outside and I need to run"? "What's the quickest way to set off my PLB if someone attacks me"? At first my friends would roll their eyes (being male they don’t generally consider these things) but after explaining to them that we prepare for every other aspect of our hikes why not this, they took me more seriously.

The solutions I came up with may only be token solutions but they make me feel that I have some control over my safety and that my fears have "solutions".

Scenario 1 - If a murderer gets in my tent;

Solution: Either get out the other side as fast as I can and run (grabbing my safety bag - see below) or fight back by stabbing them in the eyeballs - YEP! My first preference would be to run but failing that I am quite prepared to use my trusty hiking knife to stab them in the eyes with instead of cutting cheese. Yes I worry that the hypothetical bad guy might get my knife but if someone was intent on hurting me they needn't have a knife to do it.

Scenario 2 - What do I do if I have to make a run for it and it is dark outside?

Solution: Be prepared with a safety bag (see below) and know my surroundings. Normally if I am in a group I don't have a "safety bag" next to the bed in the tent. When by myself it is the first thing that goes into the tent. I also make sure that I memorise the lay of the land and quickest paths away from the tent if need be, as well as locations that I might be able to hide out till sunrise if necessary.

3 - I familiarise myself with my surroundings and escape routes at camp.

After pitching my tent and collecting water I spend time on reconnaissance around my camp site. I look at quick leads away from the tent and/or areas I could hide from threats or shelter until help arrived. Areas that I could locate easily in the dark with my prior daylight knowledge but that may not be obvious to others.

4 - Have a safety bag ready.

I don't ever have a safety bag ready when I am with a group. But being alone and thinking I may have to get out of a dangerous situation quickly (and run and hide) I pack a safety bag which stays next to my bed (and in my pack when walking). My safety bag contains my PLB, my knife, a whistle, my head torch, my wet weather clothing, snacks, phone and battery pack. My camp sandals sit next to my safety bag - quick to get on. I could have the bag on my back and out of the tent in thirty seconds if necessary.

5 - Have preset and regular check in times.

I am lucky to have close friends/family who act as my safety contacts. As I walk with a Garmin InReach they can contact me and track me online every step of the way. I pre-set regular check in times with my safety contact. If I was going to be unable to meet our pre-set check ins (for any reason) I would notify them in advance.

If they do not receive a check in then they would check on me. A set reply is an indication that I needed help but may be in a situation that I was not able to say so. This will change this each time (for safety) but for instance if they received a message from me saying the "my bunions hurt" (I don’t have bunions) it means I need help - NOW!

6 - If I meet anyone on trail give them as little detail as possible about my plans whilst still being polite. If I feel an uncomfortable vibe - lie.

Its all well and good to not publicise your intentions of heading off alone but what if you meet someone out on trail. Chances that they have unsavory thoughts would be very unlikely but I still give as little detail about my trip as possible whilst being polite! Being a little vague on my camping plans etc.

If I feel at all uncomfortable with the vibe I am quite prepared to out and out lie - and say my big beefy partner is waiting at camp/arriving later or that I should go catch up with the rest of my group!

If I ever felt someone was following me on trail pulling off to the side and pretending to take photos etc whilst they pass by gets them in front of me where I can see them. Better to have them in front of me than behind me. I am also more proficient with a compass and map than most people so if I needed to step off track to lose someone then I could do that too.

7 - Be conscious of my surroundings at all times.

No headphones for me! That way I can hear voices and/or footsteps. I very rarely if ever would bushwalk with headphones anyway (I like to hear nature) but when alone it is even more important to hear your surroundings instead of music.

Overkill or not?

Some people may think that all of this is overkill and perhaps it is. But for me it allows me to head off solo feeling like I have taken steps to look after my own safety at the hands of others. It is a real pity that as women we have extra fears on top of the normal fears and risks of regular bushwalking.

One day we may live in a world where no person (male or female) is ever harmed at the hands of another but until then I will continue to keep a safety bag next to my bed in the tent.

I hope any readers out there that have until now not ventured out solo for the reasons above find the courage to do so. Some of my favourite adventures have been solo. Again, I am woman hear me roar. You’ve got this ladies!