Wild and Unapologetic: Women Breaking the Solo Adventuring Rules
Women going on solo adventures is a very sensitive topic these days. Traditionally, society has us believing that the safest place for us to be unsupervised is still in the kitchen. Recently I was reading a thread in a hiking group on Facebook that was shaming a woman for even suggesting heading out on her own. Instead of putting the cap locks on and voicing my opinion I decided it was time to speak to a wider audience. I am here to address the stigmas and barriers women face to get out to embrace their wild spirit, as well as to educate how to do it safely.
“Men are always excused for loving the wilderness or loving adventure or loving whatever more than the woman. Women aren’t excused for that” Pam Houston, Cowboys are my Weakness
The stigma women face in releasing their inner wild woman goes back over 100 years. My heroine, Mary Shaffer used to stuff her skirt in the bushes when she was out of the sight of others to hike in her bloomers! In the early 1900s she made a name for herself beside all notable men of the time as an explorer, artist, writer, and a photographer. She faced criticism for her ambitious exploration to be the first non-indigenous person to set eyes on Jasper National Park’s Maligne Lake.
Women face more scrutiny than men when embarking on an adventure. We are burdened with guilt for time away from family, careers, and responsibilities. There is a lack of social support to educate women on how they can do it safely instead of just saying don’t do it. We should be building up the confidence in women instead of clipping their wings.
As an outdoor educator for the Outdoor Council of Canada I teach about wilderness safety, risk management, adventure planning, what to pack and more. We are advised not to go alone without the proper preparation. I educate other women on how to do it safely so they have the confidence to explore on their own. We can never eliminate all risk in anything in life, but we can address the most likely risks and plan accordingly.
During Covid I made my mountain dream come true by moving to a beautiful mountain town. Unfortunately, the restrictions prevented me from meeting friends or adventure buddies. Solo adventuring became my saviour.
People would tell me I was crazy or reckless when I would head out on a long training run or an overnight backcountry camping trip by myself. They would say it is unsafe for me to venture so far alone. Would they say this of a man? What is crazy is living my life according to someone else’s risk tolerance. Reckless would be not taking proper precautions in planning my adventures. As I tuned out the small-minded naysayers, and tuned into my adventurous spirit, I ventured farther, became bolder and more skilled. The solitude has become an addiction. I crave it. Out there among the tall trees and long rocky ridges is where I can settle the noise in my brain and make more sense of it all. It is peace and clarity. As women, we spend so much time leading, caregiving, and sharing our energy with others that it is necessary to find a way to reignite our own energy.
In 2022 I took on my boldest adventure yet, The Vermont Long Trail Solo. The Vermont Long Trail is the original long distance hiking trail in the US. It is 271 miles long with close to 21, 000 m of vertical gain. I did thorough research to know the elements of risk I was up against. The rules at the US border prevented me from bringing my preferred defence tool – bear spray, across the border from Canada. Plan B, I practiced my defence moves with my switchblade instead!!
The day I was dropped off at the Vermont/Massachusetts border was scary. We had to park on some random side street, hike up 7 km to the actual start of the trail in extreme heat and humidity while carrying what felt like a small child on my back. I hugged my best friend good bye with tears in my ears wondering what I had set myself up for. For the first 4 days and 100 miles of the trail I was with hikers that were doing the AT. After that 100 miles the 2 trails split off from one another. This was the start of some of the most extreme weather and terrain I had ever experienced. The trail, and I use that term loosely at times, felt very isolating as I saw very few people and my only link to get me back to Canada was my Far Out app. Not all things went to plan on this grand adventure. I have become a master at pivoting and adapting. Even though things did not go as smoothly as I had envisioned, I am extremely proud of what I achieved and overcame. The skills and confidence I gained taking on this trail have stayed with me still today. They will help in my future endeavours even off the trail. I can share my experience and knowledge with other people.
I am here to tell you that you CAN do tough things!! No matter how big or small your excursion may be you want to try, you just have to start. Surround yourself with people that will support your depth of adventure and that do not take that freedom from you.
My top 6 Solo Adventure Must-Do’s:
Step 1: Choose a location and do thorough research on the location
Step 2: Research your expected weather for the area with a trusted weather website or app
Step 3: Assess the risks you could encounter and how you plan on dealing with them
Step 4: Gear List – Plan for the worst, hope for the best
Step 5: Create your plan with a plan B in case it is needed
Include: approximate start time, finish time, when they should start to worry, where you will be parking, name and location of trail, planned check ins with your
emergency contact
Step 6: Leave a copy of this plan with your emergency contact
You will encounter many opinions about your solo activities, on the trail and at home. My wish is for women to feel the freedom of stepping out into nature on their own. Find her way back to who she is because when she does, she can be so much more of what she needs to be to everyone else.
In 2025, you will find me on the mountain tops whether I am adventuring, racing in ultra marathons, or on my epic journey on the Tahoe Rim Trail. Tahoe Rim Trail is 170 miles of pure rugged beauty that I plan to complete in a week. Meanwhile, I will continue to inspire and encourage women to release the wild women within themselves.
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Comments 22
There’s no reason that women can’t or shouldn’t exercise the same situational awareness and good judgment as men. Know yourself, do your research, weigh risks, and go adventure! That said, in the U.S. there are places where pepper spray is illegal and places where switchblades are illegsl. A common theme in law enforcement is: better to be tried by 12 [jurors in court] than be carried by 6 [pallbearers at your funeral]. On the trail it very much applies. Everyone will expect you to be prepared to defend yourself from dangers, and no one is going to care if you carry bearspray. You can easily find it at a sporting goods store after you cross the border, and they’re not going to check your citizenship at the checkout counter. Same applies for hunting knives, hatchets, and machetes. Carry whatever you need/wish to feel secure. Check with a trail maintenance group… they’ll probably lend you items so you don’t lose $ by leaving a purchase behind in tbe states when you return home to Canada.
PS: In lieu of bearspray, you can carry wasp spray (the kind that sprays a stream vs the fog). Wasp spray is cheaper and more widely available (hardware, grocery and general retail stores) but since it is toxic, bear spray is preferable.
Good to know!!
I truly envy you. I’m 69 years old and my health is not really good anymore. But once upon a time I thought nothing of loading up my horse going camping for a week and riding trails most people didn’t even think about going on. When someone would stop me and ask me where my husband was I would either say he’s at work and he couldn’t get off or he’s back at the campsite cooking for us, or he’s either way behind or way ahead of me on the trail. I just miss so much being able to go out into the wilderness and explore. Your posts bring a lot of it back to me. Just keep exploring and sharing!
Thank you for sharing!! You are also one of our bada$$ trail blazers!! I am not a horse person but I think that is super cool and think how much further I could go if I was!! Lots of our trails in our National Parks in Canada were created for travelling with horses and they are still on them with them. Our wardens still get around on horseback. Thanks for following along!! More adventures to come!!
Thank you for all this!! I am not sure the rules now but in 2022 when I got across the border I went to many places trying to buy bear spray including Dick’s and it was a 2 day application process. Which shocked me cause you can buy it in the convenience stores here!! I also know that rules have changed and we can cross the border with bear spray now.
Wow, you are so strong! Woman are amazing creatures, aren’t we?!
Thank you!! I think we are!!!
Great post! I’m looking forward to following you on your travels. Stay positive and let the naysayers eat your trail dust!
Thank you so much!! They haven’t kept me off the trail yet, nor will they!! I am looking forward to 2025!!
I’m a 67 years old female who has always lived the outdoors and never thought twice about hiking solo. In August last year, I embarked on my first weeklong solo backpacking trip and it was a “peak” experience. I came back with more confidence than ever in my outdoor skills!
I absolutely love this!! Thank you for sharing this!! And way to go!! Keep getting out there!!
I don’t know about you, but I feel way safer in the backcountry–even when surrounded by grizzlies–than in many normal urban and suburban settings. Anyone who makes it out to the middle of nowhere had to work just as hard as I did to get there, and is just as affected by the grandeur of being in nature as I am. I can count on one hand the times I felt even slightly unsafe in the wilderness, vs. dozens of time in “real life.”
I feel like a lot of the so-called advice from men given to women solo adventurers is merely projection of their own fears, and some toxic masculinity at play in which they feel that a woman going on her own needs their protection. Watch any season of Alone and see how many of these badass, often military veteran dudes run home whimpering the first time they hear something rustling outside their camp in the dark.
Thank you for this!! I agree. I find the people that are saying it are the ones that are not backcountry enthusiasts so they don’t understand. It is a mix of men and women…..and sadly more women saying it. Although I know alot of people that do not do anything alone let alone head out into nature. I think social media has made it easier for everyone to have an opinion whether it is positive or negative. I think of the historical women of the Rockies here where I live, didn’t hear the noise as much as we do today for that reason. And the things they did blows my mind!! As a guide I do interpretive pieces on them for my all women groups. Those women 100 or so years ago were bada$$ with a capital B!
Oooooooh! Mary Schaffer! I picked up a book about her at the local used book sale that supports the library. My daughter and I are New England hikers; 90 % spent in the Whites and Mahoosics. We very seldom have a day where we DON’T see solo women.
Yes, she is from my area. She has a few books out there….the one about her life is called “No Ordinary Woman” but she authored a few of her own.
So great to hear women are out there doing their thing!! Today I was out snowshoeing and the only people I saw were women. None of them solo, but they are getting out there!! Some day I will find my way over to the Whites!! It’s on the list!!
You can’t tell a fish they don’t belong in water. To the fish is a laughable statement.
In 2005 I was soloing to friends on trail crew in Colorado. I saw a couple they asked aren’t you scared I’m like, of what? You? No.
I did have my 2L water bladder spring a leak tho and decided that the extra 8 ounces for a Nalgene were probably worth it.
It is utter nonsense that I “need to be afraid”. Aware, not afraid.
🙂
Exactly!! I am co-writing a program called just that “Be Aware” It is the perfect word. Fear creates an emotional reaction, but when you arm yourself with more tools to be out there you can be more “aware” and react from a place of knowledge. It’s that simple. It does not need to be that scary. And all these little oopsies we have out there keep teaching us more!! Thank you for sharing!!
Most of the people I know irl prefer a boring, watered-down, routinized to death, humdrum life consisting of work ==> home ==> work ==> home ==> work ==> home, repeat ad nauseaum. Barring the occasional absolutely necessary trip elsewhere (such as to the grocery store) that’s basically it.
Frankly, if I waited for them to get up the gumption to actually DO SOMETHING meaningful with their time, I would be waiting forever.
So, I hike alone. I camp alone. I kayak alone. I fish alone.
If they want to waste their lives then that’s their choice, but they’re not going to waste mine too.
AMEN!! Thank you!!
Please, Keri, for the love of all things sane and good, continue writing. I am a butterfly, but my caterpillar-stage had me cowering and seeking the approval of the shitty men I chose to keep around. Currently, in my butterfly-stage, I am FLYING. I am more than grateful for Bill (non-shitty man) who has embraced my wild-woman self. We live on a boat, and we are about to go thru-hike the AT. I have NEVER hiked alone. I AM INSPIRED. Bill encourages me all the time. I think at some point on the AT, it will happen. Your writing makes me want to READ. Kudos to YOU!
Thank you so much for all of this April!! I encourage you to feel the freedom of spending a little time with just yourself and nature. Embrace it with all 5 senses….and then, you will wonder why you have not done it sooner. I find when I am on my own that i notice all the little things out there more. So go fly butterfly!! I look forward to hearing how it felt for you.