Women Geocaching Alone

[+Deliveryguy428]

about 1/3 of my geocaching has been alone. i'm licensed to carry a handgun, so i do. always be aware of what's going on around you. i stop frequently to look around me and keep an eye on anyone that makes me feel uncomfortable. if you really don't feel right, wait and do the cache when another adult can be with you.

Hate to see what happens when she posts a DNF.....I can see it now "I wonder why the cache area is so shot up"

[+julz91]

I go caching by myself, but then again, I live in New York City. If women didn't go out on their own here, it would be a deserted place. I view Central Park and Prospect Park as my backyards, and don't have a problem being in either one alone, even after dark. Same with most neighborhoods in the city. That being said, I have had the occasional weird feeling and gotten out of wherever I was, but it would never stop me from going places on my own.

[+Deliveryguy428]

I go caching by myself, but then again, I live in New York City. If women didn't go out on their own here, it would be a deserted place. I view Central Park and Prospect Park as my backyards, and don't have a problem being in either one alone, even after dark. Same with most neighborhoods in the city. That being said, I have had the occasional weird feeling and gotten out of wherever I was, but it would never stop me from going places on my own.

Cental park at night??? goodness, even I am NOT that crazy to grab a cache there at night

[+carleenp]

I replied earlier in this thread before the bump on it, but didn't go back to see what I wrote. Sorry if I am redundant. I happily cache alone at times, but it is about common sense. I don't go on a lonely trail a night or to a remote area alone unless I am comfortable that it is safe. I save those for when I can take along others or my dog. I am fortunate to live in an area where there is little concern. I feel quite comfortable going to a rural area or trail alone during the day. Anyone I see is likely a runner or a fisherman. The thugs where I am are not in the rural public areas or on the trails. Still, it really is common sense. If it is a bad area, don't go alone (whether male or female). If it is remote and you are not sure of who might be there, avoid going alone. Take a cell phone and provisions (water etc.). Some recommend carrying a gun. I don't because I don't feel comfortable with one and have no doubt one would be used against me. I could fight off an attacker better with some other tricks that I know. But if that works for others who are more comfortable, then OK, do that. In the end it is knowing yourself and using common sense about where you go and when.

[+Miragee]

When I see guys like this . . . I saw him Tuesday near "Sit Awhile" cache . . . it makes me pause and use extra care, but I still cache alone.

 

[+Firefairy]

I was born and raised in Denver, and I'm a street rat (urban equivalent of white trash), so I'm not too worried about anything I'll encounter around here; I pretty much know how to recognize a squirrely situation or person, and I know how fast I can run and where the nearest dodge spots are automatically. I don't spook easily, but I change paths when something does spook me, and I have survived unscathed walking at all hours through some of Denver's worst neighborhoods as a result.

 

I am not a particularly dangerous person, in size or training, and I know it. I plan to learn some martial arts, but so far have been too broke, so all I know are some good dirty tricks and to never give up in a real fight. I learned early on to have an air of "I am expected somewhere immediately, will have dangerous people out looking for me if I go missing, and will eat your appendages if you mess with me", but I do everything I can to avoid having to try.

 

Knowing the general danger signs is a very good thing, and projecting confidence helps a great deal, but the comment about overconfidence applies to these strategies as well. My dad is one of the kind of people most parents try to keep their kids away from, so I had a pretty scuzzy childhood. I'm about as un-victim-looking as a 5'2.5" female can get, have the best non-professional instincts for an urban environment you can get, and still won't go near certain intersections after about ten at night. If you don't feel confident of being able to go in and get out safely, don't go.

 

I haven't done too much walking for lack of partners, so now caching is my "I want to get out but no one wants to come" activity. There are about 1700 caches within a hundred miles of my house, and 260 of those are within ten miles; well within my familiar stomping ground, including some of the bad hispanic neigborhoods. I feel perfectly confident caching anywhere in that radius, and the only reason I wouldn't go at night is that I'd be likely to get picked up as being suspicious if I went wandering around with a flashlight. I know to avoid urban ambush spots, I know how to listen for the wrong kinds of movement or silence, and I know to believe my instincts when something is wrong but I can't put my finger on it. Here, I am not too worried about accidentally getting myself into a situation I can't get out of, but that's because this is my home turf.

 

The point is that I know all that for this area, and only this area- I know that none of this translates into equivalent awareness in the woods, the bad neighborhoods with other subcultures, or even suburbia. If you're a country girl, be very careful and aware in the city, because you'll be "feeling" for signals that aren't there. If you're a street rat, same deal in the woods, and so on. If you're out of your home environment, whatever it is, have some serious backup to make up for the lack of familiarity. Personally, I plan to stay urban until I get a nice big caching buddy, some pepper spray, and/or a gun. I was planning to get a stick anyway, having already learned I need something other than my hands if I'm going to dig around in Colorado weeds.

[+treasure_hunter]

Sounds like you need introduced to the products from the boys at Smith & Wesson, they have I guess you could call it a Fear Eliminator!

[hide & seekers]

I cache alone at least 75% of the time (probably more), but I almost always have my dog with me. Dog intimidate a lot of people, especially since mine is German Shepherd.

 

Before geocaching, I used to hike alone with the dog a lot in a nearby state park. I've never been nervous about it. Growing up in a rural/small town area, I'm more nervous now living within city limits than I ever am out in the country. I can hardly wait to move to the 12 acres we bought!