5 Ways to Stay Safe While Solo Hiking
Photo: Deborah Hart Photography
Nicole Snell has a passion for sharing her love of solo travel with others. “I love the freedom of being outdoors,” said the lifelong backpacker. “ As a child being outside was safety for me — for others, it is their scary place.”
In the hopes of helping BIPOC of all gender identities feel safe in their daily lives, the Los Angeleno became the owner and CEO of Girls Fight Back, which hosts a variety of self-defense and safety seminars and workshops throughout the country. She is a lead instructor for IMPACT Personal Safety, and the brains behind Outdoor Defense, a web series, now in its third season, centered on self-defense skills for solo travelers. The web series’ purpose and her overall work explore the ins and outs of solo hiking, camping, and potential dangers lurking in nature. “I want to alleviate people’s fears so they can have access to the outdoors,” said the motivational speaker.
Her work is designed to remove roadblocks BIPOC communities face when seeking information on backpacking. “We only know what we know,” ” She adds, “[…] I’m trying to break down those barriers.”
Nicole is doing just that with her self-defense web series. Each episode depicts scenarios between her and another dangerous or problematic hiker on the trail or the host talking through helpful tips with a beautiful backdrop of a hiking trail. From displaying confident body language to other hikers, the importance of staying alert and observance, and ways to fight back if unexpectedly physically assaulted.
So if your goal is to get outside safely this Fall, here are five tips to help you get started, according to Nicole.
1. Make A Plan
It’s no surprise that planning is a priority for Nicole. Knowing the trail length, elevation and difficulty ahead of time can help keep first-time and experienced hikers out of trouble. It’s also important to pack water or a beverage with electrolytes and bring health bars and snacks with you.
Nicole recommended checking the weather forecast to eliminate potential surprises on the day of the big excursion and pack appropriate clothing and equipment. According to her, having these details prior to the hike can avoid catastrophic wilderness emergencies.
Once on the trail, question the world around you. Make a plan to observe your surroundings. As you begin your hike, ask yourself what’s going on. Note any standout details on the hike path. How many hikers will be starting the trail with you? Are there wild animals in the bushes or trees? Processing the world this way keeps you alert and ready to defend yourself if necessary.
2. Trust Your Intuition
“If you feel like something is off, it’s off,” said the CEO.
When it comes to outdoor safety, Nicole believes in following your instinctsThe belief of knowing something without knowing why, Intuition intrinsically keeps people safe, and Nicole firmly believes that “...the best gift we can give to ourselves is to trust our inutition, so when you get that feeling, listen to it.”
Changing plans mid-hike or turning around and ending a hike early are all valid options when it may not feel right to forge ahead with the original hike plan. She says it's fine to consider trying the path another day. The hiking trail will be there the following day, week, or even month, so there’s no rush. Remember you are equipped to make the best choices for you!
3. Share Your Location With A Loved One
Pretty straightforward advice, but it deserves its own place on this list: Always tell at least one person the trail's name, the time you’ll be on it, and its length. This way, there will always be someone who knows your location in case an accident, i.e., slip and fall, wildlife encounter, or conflict with another hiker, takes place on the hike.
Also, carry a communication device at all times. Nicole invested in a Garmin inReach since they are easy to use and don’t require cell service. Having a Garmin and a cellphone will ensure a constant line of communication between you and a family member or close friend. This removes the feeling of helplessness in a dire situation.
Though cell service when outdoors is a must, our resident hiking expert disapproves of hikers relying heavily on their phones, whether or not another person is on the other end of a call, more specifically pretending to be on your phone when feeling uncomfortable in another hiker’s presence. “When we’re going to our phones when we’re in an uncomfortable situation, we are actually saying to ourselves that we’re not capable of helping ourselves,” said Nicole in a recent series episode. “ Instead, it’s best to face and address the other hiker’s behavior in a very assertive tone.
4. Use Your Awareness
It’s important to stay vigilant and alert when in nature. Noticing people and surroundings when on the trail can be helpful if another hiker goes missing and exudes confidence to others you could pass by on the path. There are other practical reasons why paying attention to your surroundings is a must. Scanning the skies can alert you to gathering storm clouds or the smell of ozone before a lightning strike. Engaging all of your senses may help you spot the dead branches of a widow maker, or the swift current of a swollen creek that is no longer safe to cross.
Nicole also says that it makes for a more fun experience! During her personal hikes, she observes the world around her, gesturing to birds and taking a moment to breathe in the fresh air.. It helps her both enjoy her time and keep herself safe.
She also keeps danger at a distance by confidence gesturing. It can display your sense of awareness to others. When engaging with others in nature she stands tall, keeps her shoulders back, holds her head up, and maintains eye contact. According to the outdoor self-defense expert, confidence gesturing lets others know you are aware of your environment.
5. Know You Are Worth Fighting For
Photo: Deborah Hart Photography
Lastly, when confronted with danger on the trail, do what is necessary to be safe. Your life is valuable, and you have the power to do what it takes to get back to safety.
Nicole has experienced this firsthand when demonstrating how to fend off attacks from behind. “If someone grabs you from behind, [you] still have [your] legs and feet,” she said. Though you may not be able to use your arms, you can still use your legs and feet to fight back. An attacker grabbing you by the upper part of your arms may make it easier for you to hit their groin with the heel of your hand, often referred to as the heel palm.
With tips like these and throughout her work, Nicole tries to dismantle misconceptions that Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, and other people of color may have about the safety surrounding life outdoors.
She does this by advising BIPOC people on how to navigate the outdoors and live their best lives in nature safely, like everyone else. It removes the doubt around whether or not it’s something “Black people do” or the question of if they belong in these spaces at all.
“It’s time to have supportive communities that are going to empower us to go out and try activities we may have been excluded from in the past,” she continues. “I know there are historical reasons why our families shied away from certain [outdoor] activities, but let’s reclaim [those activities].