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Living in the Woods, Part III:
Safety Issues
by
Chuck Hall
 In
the final part of this three-part series on living in the woods,
we’ll be examining safety issues. Several readers have already
written in, expressing concern about going off into the woods alone.
Many have worried about being abducted, assaulted or even killed
while visiting a State or National Park. The good news is that the
incidence of crime in parks is often greatly exaggerated. We seem to
have an ‘if it bleeds, it leads’ mentality in the U.S. when it
comes to reporting news on television and in the press, and this
sensationalism has left a false impression of the dangers of public
parks.
According
to Phil Linsalata of the Detroit News, crime rarely visits
state parks. Our parks are usually secure because they are patrolled
frequently by wardens and park rangers (You may read Linsalata’s
report in its entirety at: http://members.aol.com/femnet/det696.htm).
John Winters supervises 350 safety officers for the Department of
Natural Resources: the uniformed rangers who oversee 96 state parks
and recreation areas and 600 boating access sites.
"Nothing
is ever guaranteed," said Winters. "Isolated incidents can
happen, but the parks are very, very secure."
How
secure? Of about 1,000 incident reports that visitors filed with
rangers last year, just 16 were technically classified as assaults.
Compare that to the estimated 10,000 annual assaults that occur in
homes, towns, and city streets, and you can easily see that the
woods are a far safer place to be!
This
of course doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the proper precautions
before setting off. It’s far better to have a traveling companion
for such a journey if possible. And you’ll want to take a cell
phone or some other means of communication with the outside world
before you begin. It’s a good idea to scout out your location
ahead of time to make sure you can get a signal. If you’re
planning to visit a state or national park, talk to the rangers
ahead of time to let them know your plans. Many primitive
campgrounds are constantly patrolled, so it’s a simple matter to
get in touch with the local ranger station in case of emergency.
Make
sure you include a first-aid kit in your provisions. It wouldn’t
hurt to take a basic first-aid safety course at your local Red Cross
either. In any case, don’t venture off into the woods without
letting someone know where you’ll be and for how long.
The
ideal situation would be to own the land upon which you plan to
stay. In such a case, you can inform the local authorities where
you’ll be so they can routinely patrol the location. If you own
the site, you will also be able to prepare it extensively ahead of
time, stocking it with provisions, communication equipment, and if
needed, personal safety devices such as mace, pepper spray, Tasers,
etc.
If
there are any natural predators in your area, learn how to look for
signs of their presence. Most wildlife will leave you alone if you
leave them alone, unless you happen upon their natural habitat by
accident. So knowing the territory is imperative. If there are
poisonous snakes in your wilderness home, you’ll want to include a
snakebite kit in your provisions. Make sure you know how to use it!
Finally,
if safety is a major concern for you, and you’d prefer to be
around people while enjoying nature, check with a relative who lives
in a rural setting. You might also be able to borrow their back yard
for a few days. The important thing is to be able to experience what
nature has to offer while assuring your own peace of mind.
Chuck
Hall is a graduate student and author. His latest book, Green
Circles: A Sustainable Journey from the Cradle to the Grave, is
now available at the Culture Artist Web site at
www.cultureartist.org. You may contact Chuck by email at: chuck@cultureartist.org.
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