Play it safe when hiking

Since the death of Meredith Emerson, the 24-year-old woman whose decapitated body was found recently in a Georgia state forest, trail groups around the United States have been promoting hiker safety. The suspect in this murder, 61-year-old Gary Michael Hilton, is also being investigated for a December slaying in Florida's Apalachicola National Forest.

Most hikers who hit the trail in our country's national and state forests know they need to be concerned about the predictable outdoor emergencies - dehydration, hypothermia, getting lost, bad weather, etc. - but most don't give much thought to psychopaths.

But the topic has come up among the band of brothers that accompany me on most of my outdoor adventures. Everybody in my crew is well-acquainted with firearms. Most own a handgun of one type or another. We often travel to remote locations, far off the beaten path, where when confronted by a threat or an emergency, we have no one to depend on but ourselves.

Most violent acts against hikers, however, don't occur in truly remote wilderness areas. They occur in state or national forests or parks, within easy reach of civilization. There is no easy way to protect yourself from violence. Even if you do carry a firearm into the woods, you must have the skill, and more important, the will, to use it.

The best defense is to travel with a group. Criminals prey on the vulnerable, not the strong. There is safety in numbers.

This is especially true for women. Meredith Emerson's fate might have been different had she been traveling with friends. The psycho who comes across my gang in the woods or water will think twice about tangling with such a motley crew of ruffians.

So before you plan your next outdoor adventure, recruit some friends. If you don't know any like-minded individuals, join a club. Once of the best in the Tampa Bay area is the Adventurous Woman Club. The group meets the third Wednesday of every month at the Bill Jackson Shop for Adventure in Pinellas Park as well as organizing regular group outings into the great outdoors. To learn more check out the adventurous woman.