You people are awfully quick to judge and assume facts about other people you've never met. In fact I was the one to find a shelter for my two traveling companions before I "bit the bullet" by taking the least appealing sleeping option- alone in a tent with a stranger. By no means was flirting or bullying used to acquire a place in a tent. I'm a friendly person, and so was he so all I had to do was explain my situation. I do have a tent for myself, I didn't have it with me then because we had semi- slack packed for a couple of days.
IF you knew me, you would know that I would never expect anyone to provide something like a tent for me. If you knew me, you would know that when I set out to travel across the U.S. from south to north that I have all the equipment that I will need along the way, not to mention the mental and physical preparedness.
are these not your words?
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We trudged on from Neels Gap (in the rain) and when we arrived at our destination for the night, the shelter was full and we had no tents. I thought we would have to spend the night sleeping in the mud under the shelter, with all the mice. NoWe trudged on from Neels Gap (in the rain) and when we arrived at our destination for the night, the shelter was full and we had no tents. I thought we would have to spend the night sleeping in the mud under the shelter, with all the mice. No way! There was a young man who had arrived at the same time as us and was assembling his 2- person tent. I invited myself to sleep in his tent with him for the night, and he obliged. Based on his reaction, I think it's rare for a woman in these parts to be so bold. I was thankful to have a dry and semi-warm place to rest my head for the night. Temperatures that night and the following two nights went below freezing- it was so cold!
The longer I am out here, the more apparent it becomes that the thru-hiking community is predominantly composed of men, many of whom neglect to show me respect and aknowledge that I exist. Some have implied that I shouldn't be out here, and that long distance hiking is a man's leisure activity. After three nights of tolerating these fraternity house attitudes, and enduring the skeptical glances, I decided to show the men why I am out here. On Wednesday morning everyone packed up and moved out to hike the ten miles to Dick's Creek Gap (where we had our box of food hidden). I waited until all the men had started hiking, and then I took off like lightning down the trail. Within five miles, I passed every single one of those men, and I left them eating my trail of dust. I was hoping to show them that I am just as physically and mentally capable as they are. I finished the ten miles in record time, so I sat around waiting and watching as all the men I had passed hours ago arrived. When the man who had been sending dirty looks in my direction arrived, he finally asked me "what's your name?" It worked! I put them all in their place and gained their respect as a fellow thru-hiker.
Bolding mine.
Umm...I really hope she's joking here...she brings no shelter of her own, bullies her way into a total stranger's tent, complains that the men don't respect her, then "put them all in their place" then next day?