Camping and Hiking

[transpao]

So I've been gabbing on a good bit about my desire to start camping. Well part of that desire is that there is a big part of me that would truly love to be a thru-hiker. A thru-hiker for those that don't know the term, is someone who hikes major trails like the Appilation trail (AT for short) from end to end in one go. It is an amazing feat that takes months and extreme endurance to accomplish.

I know that at this point I am in no shape to attempt such a feat. But I do think it is something I wish to strive for.at the very least I could use some firming up. And to do it I plan on doing more walking and hiking.

I think the main thing that has held me back from attempting even day hikes is my gender. I live in a relatively small town. honestly it's considered "the sticks" by most people. While it is beginning to go sub-urban at the moment it is still somewhat a suburb of a suburb. And I know of at least 3 murders in the area just this year, and know for a fact that one of them was a sexual predator that attacked a female biker on one of the local trails. I know that only a few months ago the cleaning lady at my work was robbed when she went to leave the office. The even more remarkable thing is I could probably throw a rock and hit the Dallas police station from the parking lot at the office.

I have purchased a safety whistle for when I go camping, but I honestly wonder if I blew it, even the standard long short long of a distress signal, would anyone bother checking to see what was wrong?

I am currently listening to a book titled "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson, and on of the statistics that he talks about is that even during the short time he was on the AT two WOMEN were murdered on it.

These thoughts and facts disgust me. I wish desperately not to fear simply because I am alone. Whats worse is murder is honestly the least of my worries. While it's not my first choice for ways to die, I hope that if anyone plans on raping me they murder me first and worry about the necrophilia later.

And while compression bras are really a staple in clothing for female hikers... Binding is a no no. I can only hope that through sporty style clothes, that are loose fitting, a compression bra, short hair, and thick soled hiking boots that add a few inches to my high; I can acquire an andro enough appearance. The thought just occurred to me that a packy or possibly even a pee prosthesis might freak out a potential attacker enough if they got that close...

I dunno if I'm making any since but I wanted to just say it I guess.

Comments

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

I think going hiking with other people would be a better bet, for lots of reasons other than the chance of attack.

[paosparti.livejournal.com]

Well, I agree with that too. I mean it's defenitly much more difficult to preform emergency first aid on yourself, cell phones rarely work, the pack load is lighter, tent set up and strike are easier with four ands, and all in all it's nice to have someone to share it all with.

I'm just annoyed that all things considered it's safer for men to hike alone than women. Even though I've read some impressive statistics that say physically women are better equipped for such tasks.

Oh, and I figure you might be a good person to ask... I don't have any running shoes or hiking boots. The closest thing I have are a pair of 20-eye soft leather Doc. Martens. They are of course heavier and much more troublesome to tie than I'd like long term, and I'd like to buy some boots for the job. Honestly I'm not wild about most of the name brand boots I've been seeing. I checked out the Doc. M site and I've found a few there that look as if they would do the job, and are roughly $100 less. They even have a few styles that are for hiking. I'm trying to figure out if these are a good idea or if I should go with a more traditional "hiking boot" brand. Thanks

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

If there's one thing you should not try to save money on it's footwear. That and safety equipment, it's always best to pay the money for what is going to work best. Different brands work well for different people, so it's quite difficult to make a blanket recommendation.

When I buy hiking boots I spend a LOT of time in each shop, trying on lots of different boots. I pretty much ignore what they look like, and go for comfort. Really, that's the best thing you can do.

[katt4u.livejournal.com]

Where do u plan on going camping? I will be up in Dallas visiting my family in August.

[paosparti.livejournal.com]

Well I'm hoping to make a trip up to Black Rock Mountain (http://gastateparks.org/info/blackrock/), and I'd also really like to see Cloudland Canyon (http://www.gastateparks.org/net/go/parks.aspx?locationid=38&siteid=5&static=1), and I've never been to Amicalola falls (http://www.gastateparks.org/net/go/parks.aspx?LocationID=64&s=0.0.1.5)... but I don't like that they don't have any more remote camping sites.

[katt4u.livejournal.com]

I used to camp at Amicalola Falls ALL the time. It was awesome!

[paosparti.livejournal.com]

I'm just afraid because all the have are "car camping" sites that you can drive to. I'm worried it will be loud noisy, and there will be RVs everywhere. and there is something rather... not camping... about having a campsite that has running water, electric, and cable hook-ups.

not to mention that the cost for the night for a site is $25 which seems outrageous to me.

NOT NOISY!

[katt4u.livejournal.com]

The sites at Amicalola Falls are wonderful! There are sites for JUST tents and they have a big huge restroom with showers and all. Sooooooo you might want to go check that out! At night, it was awesome..dark and quiet as hell!