Tips for handling harassment on the trail

Numerous reports in recent years provide staggering numbers on the amount of sexual harassment in the outdoor community:

A 2016 investigative report by the Department of the Interior showed that women in the rafting industry have been the victims of sexual misconduct for years;

In a 2016 poll, Runner’s World found that 84 percent of women surveyed have been harassed while running;

A 2017 report by Outside Magazine found that 53 percent of women have been sexually harassed while recreating; of that percentage, 93 percent were catcalled, 56 percent were followed by someone, 18 percent were flashed, and 4 percent were attacked.

A 2018 special report by The American Alpine Club found that 47 percent of the 5,000 women surveyed reported at least one incidence of sexual harassment or sexual assault behavior while engaged in a climbing activity.

As humans, a healthy dose of skepticism of strangers is important when you’re alone in the outdoors. It’s true that solo female activities could draw unwanted attention to yourself just for being outdoorsy, but that shouldn’t stop you from adventuring your heart out.

Here are some practical tips on how to stay safe when recreating in the outdoors alone…

 

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