Be aware that you'll more than likely stumble upon a graphic public sexual act or two. Happens to me every other year or so just doing sections.
Oh **** you saw that? Sorry dude, my bad.Originally Posted by ViolentOrgasm
Somehow this seems connected with your user name.
When you leave in the morning, are you going to hike to the next shelter? Some hikers hike 10-15 miles a day, others may hike more. There are times when I prefer to find my own camp spot that may not always at a shelter or by water. My point being, you don't always know where someone is going to make camp.
As for your comment on gear, sleeping bags, backpacks, clothes all can be clean and sold. Some brands are more expensive than others. Some hikers will also spend over $1,000 on their gear. To a crook, that might be worth a night visit if he/she feels like they can get away with it. Not all places on the AT are nice places.
Laying out what you are carrying or where you are camping servers no benefit and makes you more of a target. So why do it?
Wolf
Dont give people a reason to be dishonest. If you have something of value, keep it out of plain sight, and dont brag or mention valuable items. Most people are generally honest, but if you tempt them, they may have a hard time turning something "free" away.
There has been little or no discussion on line of the commonalities among the most serious crimes to have been perpetrated on the AT, and what if any conclusions can be drawn. Here are some of my own thoughts on that:
There seems to be safety in numbers
With the exception of a particulary heinous sexual assault on 4 school girls in 1978 by a gang of local men, all of the capital crimes committed on the trail proper were perpetrated against a hiker who was camping either alone or with a partner.
Thru Hikers Look to be at greatest risk but...
Of the 8 reported homicide victims on the AT proper, the great majority have been thru hikers, despite the fact that they represent an incredibly small fraction of the millions of people who visit the AT each year. Whether this is just a statistical anomaly or not can be debated. The good news if you will be heading to Springer soon: none of the 5 or 6 Thru hiker victims mentioned included anyone hiking in the contemporary NOBO migration. The not so good news: not everyone hikes that way (a SOBO section hiker was murdered as recently as 2011).
Lone men at shelters represent increased risk
This is sort of an elephant in the room, because so many of us hike alone and most of us reject the idea of profiling anyone, much less a fellow hiker. That said, most (if not all), the homicides on the trail were committed by a single male who at some point interacted with thier victim at an AT Shelter. In fact, 6 of the murders were committed at or very near the shelter itself. Another victim had a difficult interaction at a shelter in PA before she and her partner moved on to camp off trail where they were both shot-- one fatally. The 8th victim was found in a shallow grave well away from a shelter (we think) but little is know about that crime as it remains unsolved. The good news: coming upon a shelter with just one stranger staying is becoming increasingly rare during the NOBO migration.
Woman are at greater risk
While woman represent just a fraction of backpackers, there have been 4 men and 4 woman reported killed on the AT proper. With the the exception the male hiker killed in 2011, all of the men killed were traveling with a female hiking partner. Sexually violence and/or targeting was associated with most, but not all, these crimes.
The Bottom Line
Trust your gut. After you have been on trail a while, it can be easy to take ownership of it and shrug off warning signs. It's your dominion, after all. But don't -- bad things can and do happen. Even though the odds are small and smart people will always remind you just how safe the AT may be, I think it worth thinking about the circumstances surrounding prior crimes on the trail.
Last edited by rickb; 03-15-2015 at 16:30.
Likewise, I've hiked the AT for decades and never had or seen any trouble. Had some questionable situations at road crossing but I just walked away and nothing resulted. Was it a bad situation or was it just my perception, I guess I'll never really know. My take away, crime is not a problem on the AT.
As for keeping your valuable stuff with you - I carry a small waist pack with my wallet, phone, glasses, and camera, along with other small useful stuff. That way I can put down my pack and still have access to the camera when I want. It also gives me an east way to carry that stuff in town, and means that I can go to the privy or whatever without leaving it in my pack.
there have been recent reports of raccoons robbing hikers at gun point - extreme caution is advised
That's pretty good for a first post!
I would think that a fanny pack and a backpack hip belt would be mutually exclusive.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
