LOL - I can hear Sean Connery saying that (but don't know if is is Glaswegian or not).Originally Posted by DKirk
LOL - I can hear Sean Connery saying that (but don't know if is is Glaswegian or not).
Dress "very manish."
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
... and walk very manish too!
Just don't go into the field without camo, body armor, an assault rifle, some flash bombs and you'll be fine. It is the wild west after all.
Thanks,
Kirk
at age 73:
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep"
That's very cute, Kirk. But personal defense is very different for a female, (everywhere, not just The West), and should be taken seriously.
Wilhelm (Sarasota)
You are absolutely right. My apologies. I didn't catch that the OP was a female.
ES you might want to contact my friend Karen Kuehn. She probably has more experience photographing around the west as alone female as anyone alive. Email me and I will put you in touch. She is also pretty tough and streetsmart.
Last edited by Kirk Gittings; 12-Nov-2012 at 11:30.
Thanks,
Kirk
at age 73:
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep"
I strongly suppose that even for females the risk of a foot/leg injury (and subsequent freezing/starvation) when hiking alone more than a few hours from civilization outnumbers the risk of any assault by man or beast by several magnitudes - so the general rules (wear/carry appropriate clothing, don't overestimate your fitness, have some food and drink, make sure someone knows where and when to send a search crew) apply...
It's largely a matter of common sense. Distances between locations can be considerable
and some places are more touristy than others. Never sleep at a roadside rest. Scope out
any nite's location for weirdos, druggies, drunks, or careless hunters before settling in, even if it's a motel area. NP or state park campsites are often safer. I've done a lot of travel alone in the SW, and ironically, the only really spooky encounters I've had were with small town law enforcement types, esp if you're in polygamous country. Those guys don't like photographers being around. Keep your gear well hidden under a blanket and take it inside at nite; in other words, don't look like you're carrying anything valuable. Wilderness hiking
has its own set of common-sense rules. But if you're a beginner at desert hiking you might
want to stay on more popular, shorter trails where you won't be completely isolated. Lots
of water is a must; and be prepared for significant temp changes between day and evening
in some areas.
The one rule I have always given students to prevent theft of gear is:"if you open the trunk to put gear in, drive away."
While photographing leave your LF case in the open, and open to show that it is empty.
After 20+ years of teaching LF photography I have never had a student who followed these rules lose any gear.
Jim
Oh, and one more really important thing I forgot ... don't leave a copy of Desert Solitaire
visible on your dashboard. You might get an unfriendly response in some places ...
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