mk
Trail Wise!
North Texas
Posts: 1,217
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Post by mk on Oct 19, 2015 5:39:36 GMT -8
Women CAN have more difficulties in the wilderness Do you mean like issues with feeling confident with the skills? As a fairly new backpacker, what worked for me is that I came to it on my own terms. After a couple of CO 14ers, I decided I was (mentally) ready to try the Grand Canyon. My husband had hiked it several times with groups of 6, men and women. Not sure of how I would like the experience, I wanted a small group so we had a permit for 4 -- my husband, me and his two work/climbing buddies. Loved that trip so the next one (also GCNP) was for 6 (me and 5 guys). I like hiking with the men - no drama and they are very respectful of everybody's abilities, not just mine. The guys started with mountain climbing years ago and very much have a team mentality, which they continue to employ on all their trips. I'm definitely learning from their experiences and then getting many more ideas from the forum members. Trying to learn all I can! My best advice to a new backpacker would be to make sure you are at some reasonable level of fitness prior to the first trip. Hiking and carrying a pack is much more enjoyable when you aren't struggling because your fitness level isn't quite there.
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zeke
Trail Wise!
Peekaboo slot 2023
Posts: 9,879
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Post by zeke on Oct 19, 2015 7:43:08 GMT -8
My best advice to a new backpacker would be to make sure you are at some reasonable level of fitness prior to the first trip. Hiking and carrying a pack is much more enjoyable when you aren't struggling because your fitness level isn't quite there. I could say the same thing about first trips each year. As I aged, I discovered I needed to get in shape, not just throw on the pack and head out. Now, at 64 almost, I find getting in shape to be an arduous journey in and of itself.
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mk
Trail Wise!
North Texas
Posts: 1,217
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Post by mk on Oct 19, 2015 17:55:37 GMT -8
I find getting in shape to be an arduous journey in and of itself. So true! My strategy has been to try to stay in shape between trips -- much easier said than done. Athletic endeavors do not come naturally to me ...
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amaruq
Trail Wise!
Call me Little Spoon
Posts: 1,264
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Post by amaruq on Oct 30, 2015 7:24:24 GMT -8
This thread is actually a great source of general trail wisdom, regardless of the gender twist. Men can have different issues -- the urge to be "the man" is a big issue with newbie male backpackers, as I'm female and am supposed to be looking to him for help -- that's the message I get from their attitudes, is all I'm saying. One fellow in one of my classes would listen to everything and do the opposite anyway as if going out of his way to tell me my opinion was worthless -- then anything that another inexperienced male said, he'd actually discuss and offer opinions, as if mine were not worth discussion. Newbie males sometimes ignore what I say and do whatever they think is right on trips -- some of the more spectacular fails happened that way. Women getting into backpacking can believe they are at a disadvantage when it's just that they haven't backpacked enough yet. They tend to be afraid of other people, or animals, not the things that carry a higher risk. It sounds like you're describing day-to-day life between the sexes in general. Working in a male-dominated technical field, I've heard many similar anecdotes from female colleagues. I hiked alone, and still do sometimes, so having companions separate on the trail for a while isn't a problem. But when my boyfriend came along, and he practically raced off into the distance with other hiking companions, leaving me far behind? That sends a message you don't want to send, guys. My girlfriend has blood-outdoors content of 0% and wavering self-confidence on any sort of trail. The first trail I brought her to was a favorite of mine. A short, but difficult half-day hike down and through some crevices and caves. We were tagging along with my more sure-footed friends. She was incredibly slow and very apprehensive, but I took them time to coach and support her (figuratively and literally) the whole way through, being patient while not patronizing, and letting my friends run off ahead. It was fun for me to ease her out of her comfort zone and bring her into my hobbies. By the end of it, she admitted to enjoying the sights and feeling like a real adventurer. She still shows some apprehension when starting down a new trail, but after five minutes she is totally independent of me.
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rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,667
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Post by rebeccad on Nov 7, 2015 22:39:20 GMT -8
I hiked alone, and still do sometimes, so having companions separate on the trail for a while isn't a problem. But when my boyfriend came along, and he practically raced off into the distance with other hiking companions, leaving me far behind? That sends a message you don't want to send, guys. Better to check with her than assume. Amen! Whether or not being on your period is a problem can be pretty individual. Most of my life, I had no issues. As I approached menopause, though, my periods got incredibly heavy, so that there would be a half day or more when I honestly couldn't do anything. Sometimes you can work around that, sometimes not. Obviously, it's more of an issue for a woman going with a bunch of men she doesn't know well than it is for me going with my husband of many years (though when the problem started our boys were at an awkward age for explaining such stuff).
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rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,667
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Post by rebeccad on Nov 7, 2015 22:40:24 GMT -8
I could say the same thing about first trips each year. As I aged, I discovered I needed to get in shape, not just throw on the pack and head out. Now, at 64 almost, I find getting in shape to be an arduous journey in and of itself. Absolutely! This is becoming more of an issue around our house, too! And the saddest is that general fitness isn't good enough anymore. We have to train at hiking, and carrying a pack, to be comfortable the first few days on the trail.
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