Walking alone in forests?

[Vemjs]

I was just wondering if most women are happy to walk through a Forest / big fields / nature reserves on their own for a dog walk? Or do you view this as dangerous?

Sorry it's probably not under right topic!

Yes, I do this all the time, no dog.

No, I feel very uneasy walking alone in the countryside. It's the lack of other people that concerns me. I get an unpleasant feeling just thinking about it! I really am a true city dweller.

What this thread does demonstrate is how difficult the human brain finds it to risk assess effectively.

How many of those who limit where they walk because of a perceived threat from strangers also choose to live alone, never socialise with men in any way and work in a female-only environment? Incredibly few, I would imagine. And yet that's where the danger to women from men actually comes from: your partner, friends or colleagues.

I go running/walking/biking on some quiet paths near my home. I did set up ‘Find my friends’ on my watch so that DH would know where to find me if I didn’t return home. That was as much a concern that I might injure myself and needed scraping off a path, as being concerned for my personal safety. However, most of the time I forget to put it on, so I’m clearly not that worried.

There are areas of my city where I would feel less safe and I do tend to avoid walking through those parts.

DH is much more cautious about my safety than I am. I’ve luckily had very few issues in my time, but he was attacked and injured (before I knew him), for no reason, by a gang of late teen boys when he was about 21 and walking alone through the city.

I do it all the time. Never even thought twice about it.
I feel completely safe and often see other dog walkers and people out for a hike to say good morning to.

I live in SW if thats important.
Birdsong and the trees are spectacular at this time of year, a sense of total calm. It is a beautiful part of my day.

I live in Gloucestershire and go waking in the woods all the time. I don't have a dog. It's pretty rural where I am and you don't see many people when out, a few fell runners and walkers. There was a flasher on one of the hills actually in Gloucester the other month but the biggest risks by far are falling over or livestock.

I would feel safe with my Dog but would feel uncomfortable on my own in a wooded area.

The dog and I walk anywhere - the more isolated the better!

But he is big and a bit barky and I am not adverse to telling someone to eff off if they are worrying me, so I don't think we make such an attractive pair to take on

Yes, but I activate the free part of the "Hollie Guard" app on my phone.

I regularly do in my local area. I tend to walk 5-6 mile circuits with the puppy. Different routes through woods/footpaths.

Agree with other poster that there are some woods that give off bad vibes and I stay well away.

I walk our dog to the local park via some woods. Unfortunately we have a local flasher, active for the last 18 months or so. Our local police have tweeted about it.

I still use that route but I’ve reduced it by a third and use the street more. It’s annoying because my dog is a spaniel and she loves the woods.

I go to the local country park alone because that’s busier.

I walk my dog daily in rural areas (woodland, fields and by a large lake) and mostly alone. Never used to think about it, or feel threatened until Covid and now there are a lot of people about who weren’t there before. Fair enough .... we’ve all needed some space during lock down, but, strangely, these new faces make me question whether I ought to be more diligent about my personal safety.

One of my doggy walking pals has bought an attack alarm and carries it with her all the time. She’s more concerned about her dog being stolen than her personal safety.

I do in ones near me. During the day they all have lots of dog walkers though so feel quite safe.

I used to in my childhood. But as I grew older I became more aware of how many weird men there are who like to dress in camouflage and watch people in the woods. I haven’t done it since such a man emerged from the bushes and scared the shit out of me. I think he got a kick out of frightening me.

Too many such men around for me to feel safe again.

I do regularly, without a dog. Tbh it never occurred to me that there's any danger there.

I generally don't. I sometimes run or walk on a towpath and on the handful of occasions that I've veered off the main path 'for a change' and into the surrounding forest, it has felt wrong.

If I think about it logically, I realise that the risk to me is extremely low, but in situations like that my logic goes out the window. I find myself removing my headphones so that I can tune into my surroundings better. And once I do that, the awareness that I'm actually listening for possible threats spoils my enjoyment of the run.

I do, often. We have some beautiful forestry areas nearby. My dog is not big and scary, he’s quite the opposite, and I’d be done for if I needed to run due to chronic health issues but I feel safe. Same for the coastal paths around home. We do live very rurally.
I also ride through the woods alone, but that’s rather less ‘risky’ I suppose.
The only thing that ever worries me is if I was to somehow fall or injure myself, but I’ve set up a tracker on my phone and let husband know where I’m going and when so he’s aware.

@iMatter ooh which bit? I have a couple of parts of the Forest I really don’t like...

Yes I get nervous walking my dog alone in the forest when there is nobody else about. Paranoid maybe, but I wouldn’t have much chance if there was an attacker following me

I don’t unless I have large protective GS dog with me. He’s friendly to humans but not to most dogs, so off lead dogs stay well away. Occasionally I’ve been walking him (always on a short lead) and a man passing us has stared at me in a strange prolonged way or walked unnecessarily close to us, and GS has stiffened and stopped, staring back on high alert. He only does that occasionally, so I wonder if he senses when a man could be a threat or has something ‘off’ about him. Or if he senses my unease when I notice a stranger behaving oddly.

I prefer to walk in a group. Not just for protection but if somebody has a fall or breaks their ankle you may be out of signal range in the wilderness or a forest. I wouldn’t want to leave someone injured and vulnerable while I try to find a hill to phone for help!

I sometimes walk alone on cycle paths but they’re near houses and main roads, and rarely deserted.

Is this what it’s done to?

Why the fuck men aren’t hanging their heads in shame I don’t know

I do but only with my huge antisocial dog. I am very aware of my surroundings and will only use one earphone with a quiet audiobook or podcast.

Don't have a dog, but I do go walking (and running & mountainbiking) by myself all the time. I live in a city, but right at the edge and there's a wonderful forest 2 minutes from my house, it's the reason I chose to move to this part of town. But then I also go hiking in the mountains by myself, wild camp alone, etc. I've sometimes had comments from middle-aged/older men when hiking alone who have questioned my abilities ('you know how to read map, right? or 'do you have a jacket with you, it's meant to rain later') but I have never ever felt unsafe.

Yes most days. I walked almost 6 miles yesterday evening up a forestry road and past a lake. I didn't see a single other person (rural North Wales). I did pick up a rock a few weeks ago when I realised a man was walking behind me. I turned back and passed him, and he was looking for the lake. Had a little chat and carried on. These things do cross my mind though.

I always have my phone, and tell someone where I'm going. Also aware of where the nearest house is, and which way I would run for help if i needed to. It won't ever stop me from going where I want to, but I try to be as safe as I can