Do you go out alone or with a buddy?

You can be alone and yet be relative safe. As a simple and basic precaution take your mobile phone with you. If your mobile phone is out of range of your normal network, dial 112. This will connect you directly to emergency services if you are within the range of another network, even if the phone keypad is locked. Note that 112 cannot be dialled from the fixed network. When you are overseas you can also use 112 to be connected to local emergency services.

Secondly you can take a UHF radio with you which will work within 50-100km of a repeater station. The emergency frequencies on UHF are monitored by various authorities, such as police, fire authorities, marine time services, rangers, emergency rescue etc.

The most effective devise, which should be part of your camera kit if you go in the wild or not so wild is a PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons). PLB's are for personal use and are intended to indicate a person in distress who is away from normal emergency services. The basic purpose of distress radio beacons is to get people rescued within the so-called "golden day" (the first 24 hours following a traumatic event) when the majority of survivors can still be saved. Cospas-Sarsat (satellite) can locate a beacon with a precision of 100 meters, anywhere in the world, and send a serial number so the government authority which can look up phone numbers to notify next-of-kin in four minutes, with rescue commencing shortly afterward. These devises cost less than a moderate camera lens and will save your life. For all the ‘good oil’ go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distress_radiobeacon<div></div>

I don't always go it alone but I have to admit, 90% of the time I wish I had. I already annoy my friends because I my camera is never far from my side and when I see an opportunity I try and seize it. This can be frustrating to others. I had a fiance once, she was great on the trail... never complained and had a passion for photography equal my own. Other than her, I've always preferred being alone.

 

I sometimes carry a sidearm (Sig P226 with Hydroshocks) but more rarely now. The risks and inconvenience have begun to outweigh the possible benefits. I think I'd be more likely to connect with my 5D on the end of a tripod or even a rock than I would with the Sig. It tends to give you a false sense of security that compels you to do something even more stupid than you might have otherwise. For those who live in Grizzly country and are well trained, I completely understand the comfort a weapon brings.

Wow! I am fascinated by the responses that have been posted here.

 

I am not really anti-guns, but owning and potentially using a gun is a HUGE responsibility. I don't feel that it is right for

my particular situation. At this time I am only doing day trips because of my baby and I am going to mostly well kept

state parks and preserves. I personally feel very comfortable being alone in these locations. If I were to be trekking

across the wilderness in Alaska or some other isolated place, I would absolutely learn how to use an appropriate firearm

and carry one. I'm not as familiar with other states, but at the parks I have been to here in Florida, firearms are

prohibited unless it is a specific hunting season and you have a permit. In addition, many of the trails I take at my

favorite park are closed to dogs because of alligators. My cats would be angry if I brought one home anyway. I

honestly get more worried about the wildlife than about bad people. I always try to be very careful about venomous

snakes, spiders and alligators. Oh yeah, let's not forget my old enemy, poison ivy.

 

I find that going out to shoot alone is almost a meditative experience for me. I really enjoy being in the woods away from

other people and focusing in on all the colors, textures, smells and sounds that nature provides. Other people just don't

understand why I hike out to these places in the heat and deal with the bugs just to take pictures. How could I possibly

sit in the sand for forty minutes waiting for the "right" light or take fifty shots of one tree? I get really unnerved when I'm

trying to concentrate on shooting and people are talking to me or tapping their foot. Not everyone understands and even

if they do, they will still be very different in how they approach things.

 

 

Katherine

I came back by to see what was going on; I cannot recommend carrying a firearm.

 

I have carried weapons for a living, and I really think it ought to be avoided by most people most of the time.

 

Some of the posters above wrote about pepper spray, or grizzly bear repellent. I have been sprayed with OC (the active

ingredient in these repellents). I can tell you that a trained person can continue to fight once they are sprayed with this

stuff, but it does indeed hurt a great deal. It also causes disorientation, and a series biochemical responses that will provide the un-

sprayed person an advantage in about 30 seconds. It is a potent weapon, and should not be toyed with. Also, someone

mentioned a taser. I have been shocked with those, too, and I will tell you they cause a great deal of pain. Also, not a

toy.

 

Really, I think that if you live in a reasonably civilized place, and have no need to believe that you are in direct danger,

that you should not bother with carrying weapons.

 

I still strongly recommend the "be nice" plan, and some basic check-ins with others to avoid the big "missing too long"

catastrophe. Good luck. Proceed with confidence! J.

I typically go by myself. It's hard to find someone willing to wait around while I take photos. I do however take some safety precautions to minimize risk.

1.GPS

2. Flares (I carry 3, the boating type)

3. Thermal blanket

4. Mirror

5. Celox-to stop bleeding

6. Ace bandages/regular band aid bandages.

7. Of course-cell phone

8. 2 litre water

9, Granola or energy bars.

10. a little rope

11. Lighter

12. A combo crank flashlight radio

I think the the pepper spray might be helpful if it's handy...I've encountered boars, feral bulls/cows but nothing else. I must admit I've sometimes thought of packing...Oh, another experienced hiker I know swears by carrying duct tape. I think it may be a worthwhile addition. It's a lot of additional weight but if I have to use any one of those items just once it will have been worth it. One other note....Always let someone know the general area to plan to hike. Always.

It depends on where I go if I'm in a familiar area I go alone sometimes. But my husband goes with me a lot of the time even in an area I know. But I get lost easy I mean easy I get so busy looking at this or that, that I forget how I got there. I know my husband laughs at me to. He is great to have along any way, he helps pack my gear and he knows how to hunt so keeping quiet and following animals or getting close enough to them is not a problem. Sometimes he can get me closer than I could by myself. He also points out differant angles and things to photograph. He has the patience of a saint he never gets impatient or restless. And since he learned to stop listening to me and my directions years ago we rarely get lost. We make a good team he enjoys getting out and hiking or driving country roads even driving around cities looking for parks and interesting things, and I enjoy taking pictures of all we see. We have fun.

I usually go alone, though sometimes a buddy goes along to help with gear or as a second set of eyes in locating wildlife. I shoot mostly along the Rio Grande in south Texas or in Big Bend National Park.I've often seen illegals crossing the river or making their way north but have never had a problem with them. Like the wildlife, I expect they have seen me first but they aren't interested in me. I sleep in some remote places and usually have a pistol or Mossberg pistol grip 12 guage with me. However, I suspect that if someone wanted to rob me, they would have the advantage. They would have the element of surprise. I really don't worry about it much.

didn't have time to read every post...Anyways I go alone a lot.. where I shoot doesn't have big games like bears, wolves or moutain lions, but I carry equipment and that does post some risk of robbery so I carry pepper spray.

OK, this post has temporarily turned me off nature photography if it means carrying weapons! LOL! It's likely that some of you would consider the wilds of New York City (my playground) worthy of weapons too. As lifelong urbanite, I'm more comfortable in the city, I guess.

 

Anyway, regarding the original question, it depends on the situation. Some days I want company, other times I want to be alone. And, on top of that, it depends on the company too. If I go with others in my league who are willing to split up at times, cool. But, if it's a follow the leader situation, I'm not always in the mood for that. I kind of think it's like going shopping: Sometimes you need to do it alone, other times you want your best friend(s) there to help you out.

 

On that note, I think I need to go take some pictures now. ;-}

Dallas- I'm sorry, I just now saw your question. I live in North Central Florida. Plenty of alligators here as well. In fact, you stand a good chance of finding one anywhere there is a few feet of water. A while back my friend had two removed from under her car in one week. Stay away from the nests even if it doesn't look like anyone is home. Mama is always near by!

 

I personally feel that the responsibility of carrying a firearm would increase my stress, not relieve it. However, it's different for every person and situation. I have to say that just last week I had one of the biggest scares of my life while out shooting alone. I was in the middle of the Cedar Key Scrub Preserve and I got smacked in the face by a fast flying bug the size of a Bic lighter. Never saw or heard it coming. It's a good thing I was alone because I made quite the spectacle of myself for all the wildlife to see. lol!

 

Hopefully that is the worst scare I ever have while shooting alone in the woods. :)

This is really interesting thread of discussion.

 

Katherine, I'm mostly like you, go out on my own, and feel more secured in jungles than city.

I'm from India, and for past 7 years in US for work. Here is my personal experience as far as going alone.

I was a backpacker, trekker, hiker when I was in India. I was also member of wild life federation, and my favorite place in julgles. I absolutely had no fear to go anywhere in "my country". If you go and see the pictures of Leh-Ladakh in my gallery here, I went alone to that high altitude place. Very very risky, after I saw 2 people died in front of my eyes due to high altitude sickness. So the Peru trek I did with group (none of them were photographer as such)...totally unkown, and it was fun, and paradize for me to take pictures of Machu-Pichu. Also it is law at Peru that high altitude treks not to be done alone.

 

Here in US, I got few bad experiences when I tried to go alone, even in local zoo place. That gave me feeling of insecurity going alone in other countries for taking photos. On top of that 3 times I'd experience people calling cops, even though I was on public property taking photos. So, looking at these incidents, I prefer not to go alone except my country "India".

 

Someone said here going in group makes every body has same photos. At the same time, I believe that one can add their personal touch and style to every photograph to look different. Right :)

Katherine,

 

You can obtain a permit which allows you to carry concealed weapons nearly anywhere in the State of Florida, pursuant to Chapter 709 of the Florida Statutes. You can obtain an application from any sheriff's office, police station or the Department of Agriculture. This law has been in effect for 10 years and has caused a significant reduction in violent crime in that state. There have been more felony convictions amongst law officers than among CCW holders.

Boy is this an interesting post! My short answer, go alone if you have to, but let someone know where you are going and when you are to return. Never deviate from the plan w/o telling someone first. If you can take a photo friend with you but do your photo stuff separately.

 

My wife and I take trips together for hiking, travel and and photography. I try and do the photo stuff in the early morning hours and late afternoon hours. During the day we do things together. She always knows where I am going and when I will be back. Same goes for her too.

 

I have done wildlife photo contests in Texas by myself where I am on a ranch in the middle of nowhere by myself for 3-4 days at a time w/o seeing anyone on the ranch. And this goes on for four months. The last time I did this my cell phone worked and I checked in with my wife twice a day. (She was four hours away.) Since I was completly by myself, I had to be very careful and did not take any chances. I have done these contests before with a partner, which is a safer way to do it. During the day we each did our own thing. We got together for meals and in the evening or when we neded each others help for a particular shoot. The rest of the time we were on our own. I am not sure I would do such a contest if I could not reach someone by cell phone. Too many things do happen where you need to reach someone by phone.

 

I never heard of a Personal Locator Beacon before. Thanks for that tip. It makes great sense . More info on it here:

http://www.rei.com/product/709917

 

One last point. Make sure you insure all of your photo equipment separately from your homeowners insurance. I have been concerned about low life types eye balling me too much at state parks and wondering if they are going to try and steal all of my equipment that I am carrying or might have in my vehicle. Yes, they do watch what vehicle you go to when you leave the trail or enter the trail. As for guns, it all depends on where you are going, etc.

 

One comment is definitely worth repeating. You must be in or get yourself in decent physical condition. Accidents happen to those who are not!

 

Joe Smith

Katherine,

 

Great timing of this post as I would like to share something for all.

 

I live in the opposite side of the country from you, in the beautiful state of Washington. Yesterday, I went on a hike up to Marmot Pass at the eastern edge of the Olympic Mountains. I got a late start, so I was the last one out, with the exception of some hunters who were camping near the pass.

 

Starting at about sunset, I enjoyed the windy drive back down to civilization (but never exceeding the speedlimit ;) - I would never do that in my WRX which is designed just for that!). It became fairly dark fairly quick. Surprisingly enough, I eventually came upon some headlights, so I slowed down, but then a third light hit me. "What's this?" I couldn't quite figure out whether there had been an accident, so I slow down to a crawl, realizing that the third light was a spotlight shining on me.

 

I crept forward to find out that it was law enforcement. They were looking for somebody, and I don't think it was over unpaid parking tickets as they were all carrying assault rifles. Whoever they were looking for, I'm guessing that person was armed and would do anything to anyone in order to avoid capture by the authorities.

 

This brings me to the question, what would I do if I came across a broken down car or just someone by themselves waving for help. I would stop of course, because chances are, it was someone just needing help. Maybe they were pushing their luck and ran out of gas, maybe a rock punctured a hole in their radiator or oil pan. The possibilities of mechanical breakdown are endless. I would want to help such a person as if my car broke down, I would hope to get some help. Of course, the fact that I have a fluffy white dog I would hope would be an indicator that I am no threat to anyone.

 

And if it turned out to be someone with a gun who wanted my car, I'd just give them my keys and walk the rest of the way (but not before taking my dog with me).

 

I do not own a gun, nor do I plan on doing owning one (though I do respect the rights of others to own them). My dog is useless to anything larger than a squirrel. My bear spray is useless for this scenario. I am more than happy to give up a material object like my car to someone dangerous like this. My car, my camera gear, my wallet are all expendible. My life and my dog are not.

 

Now the scenario I am painting (I only paint with words, never with a brush!), is the most extreme one, but it brings up a question that hopefully none of us ever have to answer. What do we do when staring down the wrong end of a gun?

 

Despite all this, I feel very safe on the trails, as I tend to do day trips where often people go for the same reason as me. I would guess that fugitives would want to avoid people, unless they want to switch cars (as I was driving back to take the ferry across the Puget Sound, one of the signs that normally informs drivers with ferry wait times was instead asking drivers to call 911 if they say a 70's red/gray van with windows all around). People I meet on the trail are usually quite friendly or they just go on by (many want to say hello to my dog). But then again, I'm a 37 year old man, about 180 lbs, 5'11", not the type some creep would be interested in giving a hard time.

 

Now to more realistic scenarios, I agree with Joe's statement regarding physical condition. It makes a huge difference. However, one should not take additional risks when alone. I skipped climbing to the top of Buckhorn Mt as I was by myself. I was in shape to do it, but it is a bit of a scramble, and one wrong move and I'm in serious trouble.

 

I am going to inquire with regards to the personal locator beacon. Sounds like a great idea. $500 is steep, but money I'm willing to part with for that extra bit of insurance.

I'll typically hike to our destination with friends. However, my friends know I will go off on tangents and be out setting up for pics at o dark thirty and in the few hours proceeding sunset. Though with friends, I am by myself a lot.

 

My fanny pack contains iodine pills for water, 2l platypus water bag, 2 bottle waters on either side, coolaide packets to neutralize the iodine after its done its thing, 2 pocket/skinning knives and a leatherman, floss toothpaste toothbrush, poncho, 2 silk pantyhose (light, insulative, and wring out dry if you get them wet) wool socks (wearing them), moleskin, mylar survival blanket, spot (gps/rescue transponder since no cell phone service in 99% of areas I hike), first aid kit, magnesium block with flint stone for fires, "chain saw", mini shovel (3 dollars at walmart), sierra cup and straw, carpenters pencil and a fer notecards (to leave message at ranger station if changed plans), 1000# test line (100ft) 30ft monofillament line, hooks so I can fish if I need food) ziplock bags, map, compass (gps can loose batery power) mini mag light (2). Mirror, to signal for help, whistle. Coffee (3 days worth), creamer/sweetener (known as a frlask of Jack Daniels in my family), beef jerkey, hard candy, oatmeal packets, toilet paper, small roll of duck tape (1/4" left on the roll so I can flatten it), bandana, hat, mosquito net for my head, deet, lip balm, and sunscreen, and 3 punch cigars...hell, if you are gonna be stranded for a few days you don't have to suffer. The biggest thing is letting everyone know your plans, where you are going and when you are expected back. If you do get in trouble, STAY PUT. There is nothing more frustrating than looking for someone, only to have searched an erea, only to have the person you are looking for end up in an area that you already searched. You will be much easier to find if you stay where you are.

 

I don't wear cotton clothing as it will not wick away moisture, but it will wick away heat (cotton kills).

 

Most of my hiking has been here in commiefornia, so no grizzlies to worry about. My sidearm has always been a .357 mag stoked with a 158gr swc with enough alliant 2400 to hit 1400fps (and one round of snakeshot) This round will do its part against a black bear if you do your part. The one trip to Wy. I brought the 45-70 guide gun, as any "hand cannon" that I can handle will be anemic against a brown bear. In 30 years of hiking, fishing, hunting and photography I've only had one adverse encounter (other than rattlesnakes) and that was with a mountain lion while I was fishing.

 

In general, go with a buddy.

I recently went out on a day hiking trip myself. Sure it was in the Blue Mountains (Australia) and is very popular, but I wanted a long day hike and out into the valley where there weren't going to be many people.

 

Originally I was going to be with someone, but that someone canceled so I ended up going alone. Which I loved!

 

It was great to go alone, and be one with nature so to speak.

 

On saying that, I nearly slipped and fell down "stairs" quite a few times, which scared the living hell out of me and made me think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to be doing it.

 

Fitness plays a big part I would say, in fact nearly 3 days after that one hike, my legs are still not in right shape. I pushed myself way too far, headaches, dizzyness, legs cramping, nose bleeding, and on the verge of being delirious.

 

Since this was a day hike, I made sure to pack alot of stuff. Even things that I don't intend on using, for example a mag lite PLUS a wind up LED flashlight just in case I ran out of batteries. I also packed strong painkillers, just in case something happened and I got into pain and still needed to get back to civilization. Also packed warm clothes just in case the weather turned and got cold. A spare charged battery for my cell phone was also something else I packed. Not to mention alot of food, like canned tuna, protein bars, snickers, bananas and nearly 4 litres of water.

 

I also let a few people know what trail I was taking, and if I'm not in contact by a certain time then they should start to worry. I also made sure that if I don't make it out to my destination by a certain time (4pm) then I would go back, just so I don't have to do it in complete darkness.

 

Needless to say, even though during my hike there were alot of times where I said to myself "Yatty, this is a very bad idea" It was one of the best trips I've done, and I would happily do it by myself again. As most people said, I would certainly feel a bit rushed if I was with someone and I would also have to talk to them, and listen to them instead of just being alone and can just think about what I need to think about or just be able to clear all my thoughts and just focus on photography and my beautiful surroundings.

 

 

Damn I didn't mean to write so much...

Kosta Koeman said, "...I would guess that fugitives would want to avoid people, unless they want to switch cars (as I was driving back to take the ferry across the Puget Sound, one of the signs that normally informs drivers with ferry wait times was instead asking drivers to call 911 if they say a 70's red/gray van with windows all around)"

 

I worked in the hospital of one of our state prisons. I can assure you that most fugitives would just assume kill you as to look at you. Another reason to carry, If you wonder into a pot grove, being armed improves your chances of wondering out.

 

Wherever I hike, you have no 911 so 357 is the fastest option.

Quite a response to this topic though I didn't as yet tonight bother to read through most of the responses. The

general subject does come up on enthusiast boards about all manner of outdoor activities. For instance on one

board I frequent, one often sees the question as to whether people ought to hike out into the backcountry alone or

not. Personally I am and have been more often alone than not though also enjoy working with others. The question

breaks down into the two areas of safety and photographic advantage.

 

As I enjoy working with other people, I have been lucky enough to have found another landscape photographer

over 20 years ago, that I mesh well with. And thus we have often worked together in the field and plan extended

trips together. For instance we have spent several weeks together on long road trips to distant Western areas and

backpacked together many times. Landscapes, especially those in more remote areas can be rather complex.

Two intelligent, experienced minds working together as a team potentially is better than the individual as is also the

case in many difficult activities of people. It is true photographers can visually get in each other's way at times,

though that rarely results in one person getting a shot that the other doesn't. In our case we don't target animals or

fleeting subjects but rather landscapes that cannot run away. Thus sometimes we take our turns tripoding in the

obvious prime spot. Sometimes when one of us discovers a tripod spot with a great frame, we will let each other

take a look at what we framed before moving on. And sometimes the other person may decide to set up the same

shot or very similar shot accordingly. Thus as long time friends we don't have an issue benefiting from a level of

sharing.

 

Group photography outings can in fact be socially fun, though beyond two people, the tendency to get in other's way

increases quickly. There is also an issue of being able to agree with where one will work in the field. Rambling

across a landscape, it is easy for one person to linger in one spot while the other is moving ahead. One person may

want to take a shot of something the other isn't interested in or feels isn't worth the effort. The more people involved,

the more likely the area that can be worked will become constrained. Obviously two people working in the field

together to be successful require both a similar strategy, interest in subject types, and style as well as a way to

effectively communicate.

 

The other issue of safety is greatly dependent on location and circumstance. Hiking with expensive gear just outside

a large urban area where those of a criminal mind are more likely to frequent, is of course far more dangerous from

evildoers than if one is out at a lonely remote locale in the West. On the other hand a remote place in the West

may be dangerous due to natural terrain and or animals. In the urban case, another person along goes a long ways

just as in the remote situation but for entirely different reasons. There are many well experienced intelligent

landscape photographers that become quite comfortable working their familiar natural regions solo and do so. On

the other hand the less experienced outdoor person would be wise to team up with others.

 

The position of young attractive women solo out in the field may be particularly dangerous near urban natural areas

because those regions do have numbers of evil people that have little regard for those they victimize for their vile

selfish deeds. However when those same women venture to more distant scenic areas, one will often see many out

solo on trails and that is especially true in the backpacking community. It is true women more often team up with

other women, males, or a dog, but reality is such regions usually are rarely visited by evildoers who are by nature

lazy. That is reflected in the way backpackers regularly leave their gear at campsites while they are off on long day

hikes without having to worry about other hikers going through their gear much less stealing something. In any case

there are limits there, so I never leave my expensive camera gear unattended at a campsite others might pass by

and am more wary the closer to trailheads.

 

David

 

http:www.davidsenesac.com

My girlfriend and photo partner (www.vistablackandwhiteoftaos.com) have traveled many places together because of another business we own. She went Namibia with her sister, but otherwise we travel and shoot together. But here's the nice thing: We go to the same places but end up with quite different photos! We both have Leica M6 bodies (not us, the cameras!) and share three lens and filters and shoot only black and white. While we have a show coming up in just over a week (with three others), if successful we are contemplating a two person show in the spring, possibly called "Two Views" with pairs of our pictures together from places such as Paris, Normandy, Provence, Gran Canaria, Barcelona, Crete, Athens, Moscow, Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk - you may want to google map these last two!

Hi Katherine,

 

I quickly read this thread tonight for the first time, and feel compelled to offer my experiences and thoughts. Personally, I do my

nature photography alone, and couldn't quite imagine doing it with others for many of the reasons mentioned already. My only

worries concerning animals are the aggressive breeds of dogs that have proliferated in the last decade, and in a couple of rare

incidents, White-tailed bucks acting a little aggressive in rutting season. In the areas I frequent, I'm usually not that far from roads

and houses, and in the isolated areas, I try to be alert. Here in the Northeast, my concerns center much, much more on

possible risks posed by humans, than by critters. As a man, and in the areas I contemplate visiting, I don't worry too much, but I

try to be alert and avoid anything suspicious. And, I realize that I could well be naive in feeling secure..

 

Very sadly, though, when I try to assess the risks posed to a woman, I am more fearful for your safety. Over thirty years ago, my

family lived on a small rural property outside of a small town, and we were also quite close to a 4,000 acre park. One day two

very upset women came to our door asking for help, as one had been sexually assaulted in the park. We helped them and

called the police. I don't think we were ever told of the specifics or the outcome, but it's something I never forgot. Also, a woman

doctor who was a treasure to the community for her entire life, was similarly assaulted while in a rural area outside of town, and I

don't think the assailant was ever caught. This, in a "picturesque", "safe" area, twenty-five miles from the nearest large city.

 

I don't know what to tell you except to take precautions.. a dog might be a great idea, pepper spray, etc. I always have my cell

phone in one side pocket of my Domke F-2 bag, along with a small air horn, that one of the good people here recommended

after I had a couple of encounters with an aggressive buck. (I know some are probably laughing at this last statement, but they

can be aggressive, and there have been isolated incidents all around the country, even people killed. Google it.)

 

On the other hand, I have a nice photography book by the late Nadine Blacklock (tragically, she and her dog were killed in a

vehicle collision). It's called '15 Years In A Photographer's Life', and in it, along with beautiful images of mostly the upper mid-

west, she documents her travels year by year. (I think you may really like it, and it's possible to read the reviews on Amazon.) She very often

travelled and camped alone during this time,

except for her large

dog. So, hopefully, I worry too much.

I think when you go out with others,and not alone, they won't let you shot from anything you love. or go every where you want! unless he is the same as you and love nature and photograghy as much as you do!

I cant do it. I have tried to go with others and it has never worked. I like to take my time and see everything, with others I feel rushed. Also, I do not know anyone, other than Austin Stevens and Jeff Corwin, that would enjoy wading in mosquito infested swamps.

 

Katherine, I believe you are safe in State Parks. However, things are much differant for women and I would go with at least a dog. If not, either a firearm or some pepper spray. Rangers normally keep an eye on things at state parks.

Another option for those who go out alone in remote areas; get your amateur radio license. It is much easier now since there is no code requirements. Amateur radio has, in many cases, saved many lives when cell phones were out of randge of the cell towers. No, you do not need to lug around big radio, you can buy a handheld radio that is so small, it that will fit in a shirt pocket. Just remember to carry an extra fully charged battery with you.