Hey all. I have started hiking after dark in a nearby national park, due to the short days. I have plenty of experience, but I have never night hiked in a park so close to a metro-area. In fact, it is largely encircled by suburban housing and business. My friends think it is a bit risky to do so. Meaning being at risk from other humans.
I’m not sure what I think about it. I feel that they may be right and they may be wrong. Does anyone have experience with this stuff?
Yikes
Tough call. When I was doing my thru-hike. I tried to avoid road crossings or camping too close to a road specially on weekends. Are you hiking paths on a predictable schedule? Does the park allow easy access to the trail by non-hikers? My experience is the further away a section of trail is from a road or any form of easy access - the greater the peace of mind. Simple equation more difficulty in terrain = less chance of problems.
Doggiebag
Not knowing precisely what the places you hike look like, it’s hard to advise you.
In general, criminal types are lazy. Hike in places that they have to work hard to get to, and you significantly increase your chances of safety.
Also, once a crime is committed the bad guys like to have a fast, easy escape route. If it takes more than 20 minutes to get to an escape vehicle or public transit, they probably aren’t going to use your trail to commit crimes.
Another thought: Is there anyone you can hike with? Safety in numbers.
Skyline
To paraphrase Steve Martin…
“Just get a big ol’ stain on the front of your pants and push a baby carriage full of garbage. No one will bother you.”
Squatch
I tend to still love to wander at nite.and tho at the present I live in a city It is only a long block to a trail that is in the city. I always walk with large dog . I’ve never had any problems tho I do carry a knife. An ex marine taught me how to defend myself and I always walk with confidense. If you look and act scared the human preditors seem to know.
cowboy
they make really lightweight 38 special hand guns these days. i carry a handgun on every hike. damn the rules of the park.:cheers b.
ben
Pshhh…I carry a thermonuclear device in my backack and no one’s messed with me yet.
" If you outlaw thermonuclear devices, only outlaw’s will have thermonuclear devices"8)
Stryker
NEVER tell anyone what you carry in your pack in regard to self defense. That way, the potential criminal element might be in for a real surprise. May be a 9mm, may be a knife, may be pepper spray, may be bug aresol combined with a lighter. Heck I used to carry a big Army knife in prominent display on the front of my pack. Amazed that it offended some people. So now its no telling what I have.
Boquack