Hitchhiking Safety Tips for Solo Women Backpackers (& Thru-Hikers)

I think it’s easy to be afraid of the idea of hitchhiking alone as a woman, but it certainly doesn’t help that we are constantly told that we are going to be murdered in the process. I can’t even count the number of times someone has stared at me, jaw gaping open when I tell them I hitch hike alone and the follow up is almost always well are you at least bringing a gun?!

I won’t deny that there are dangerous and predatory people out there. But overall, I think women or anyone who presents as more feminine, are told far too often to avoid something altogether rather than given the tools to do something as safely as possible, so that’s what I want to do today — give you the tools and knowledge to hitch hike solo as safely as possible while acknowledging that it’s obviously not a 100% safe activity.

Men, I think some of these tips could work for you too, as hitch hiking safety isn’t exclusive to women (although I do think we have to consider it a bit more). I also want to acknowledge that women of color and trans women are likely to have additional considerations when hitchhiking solo that I don’t have experience with. I hope you can take from this blog what is helpful to you and leave what isn’t.

I do find that along many of the trail heads of more popular long distance trails, the locals are used to seeing thru-hikers and hitch hikers. They are very kind folks and know exactly what you are doing, which is comforting. I would imagine it’s definitely a different vibe from hitch hiking in a large city or on a random highway.

As a side note, if solo hitch hiking as a woman is something that could be a deal breaker for you as part of a thru-hike, there are many ways to avoid hitch hiking solo all together. If you’d feel more comfortable, many trail towns have lists of trail angels that are willing to give rides to and from trail heads. With a little foresight and a satellite communicator, you can often arrange shuttles beforehand. If that isn't possible for the town you need to get to, try waiting for other hikers at the trailhead or arranging for them to hitchhike with you. On most of the popular long distance trails, you could probably wait at the trailhead for a while and another hiker is likely to eventually show up. You may just want to bring a little extra food in your resupplies so you can wait if you need to.

So, with all of that preface out of the way, here are 8 hitchhiking safety tips for solo women backpackers (& thru-hikers):

1. Make sure someone knows where you are and where you’re going (if possible) while hitchhiking as a solo woman backpacker.

My first tip is to try to make sure someone else knows where you are and where you are going in your hitch. This can obviously be a bigger challenge on a thru-hike because not all trail heads or road crossings have cell service. But whenever you do, or if you have service earlier in the day, try to communicate with someone who will be looking out for your arrival once you are supposed to be in town.

I’ve also heard the tip to take a picture of the license plate and make note of the make and model of the car you are getting in. If this feels awkward to you, you can always let the person know, ‘hey this is just my little security measure.’ and chances are they aren’t a weirdo and will appreciate that you are looking out for yourself. If they get weird about it, that’s probably a sign to NOT take that hitch.

If you have service, send that picture to someone who will be able to check in on you. If you don’t have service, you can at least pretend you do to the person who is picking you up to discourage any nefarious activity from your would-be ride. Not having service is also a perfect segway to my second tip.

2. Carry a satellite communicator when hitchhiking as a solo woman backpacker.

It’s always a good idea to carry a satellite communicator, preferably one that can send text messages, if you are solo hitchhiking as a woman (or feminine presenting person). Satellite communicators are a recurring recommendation of mine, and this is just another instance where having one can really come in handy. A satellite communicator can be a great safety measure as a solo hitchhiking woman when you don’t have service because you can let people know you are heading to town in a hitch, and you also have SOS capabiliies in a worst case scenario.

3. Carry self-defense tools (& keep them on you) when hitchhiking as a solo woman backpacker.

My third tip is to carry some sort of self-defense tool. I really don’t want this to come across fear monger-y, because there has NEVER been a time where I even remotely thought I needed to use a self-defense tool in a hitch, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have it. And it’s no good to you if you put it in the trunk, so be sure to keep it with you.

For me, this is usually my bear spray. It’s already attached to my fanny pack hip belt, so it’s very easy to just keep with me in a hitch. One thing to keep in mind about bear spray is that spraying it in an enclosed space like a car could be really bad for you too, so keep that in mind if you do find yourself in a scenario where you need to use it.

4. Keep all of your stuff in reach when hitchhiking as a solo woman backpacker.

This kind of goes along with the tip for having a satellite communicator and self-defense tool, but it’s important enough to warrant it’s own number. Try to keep all of your stuff in reach, especially when you are hitchhiking alone. If for some reason you need to use either a self-defense tool or your SOS button, it’s no good to you in someone’s trunk when you’re in the front seat. You also want to be able to bail quickly if something happens, and you don’t want the fear of losing all of your stuff, especially as a backpacker, to keep you from doing so.

5. Don’t be afraid to turn down a hitch when hitchhiking as a solo woman.

This one could potentially be awkward, but feeling awkward is better than being in danger. If you are for some reason getting bad vibes, trust your gut and don’t be afraid to deny a hitch. If someone pulls over and they seem intoxicated, or there’s some other reason you don’t want to get into the car, have an excuse ready.

My go to is, “Oh my gosh, I totally forgot I told my friend I’d wait for them. Thanks for stopping but you can go ahead.” Another good one could be, “Oh no! I just realized I left my (insert important piece of gear) at a water source a few miles back, I have to go get it! Thanks for stopping, but you can go ahead!”

I like the friend one because it also implies there are people around that are expecting to see you.

6. Talk about the people waiting for you in town (even if they don’t exist) if you’re hitchhiking as a solo woman thru-hiker.

My next tip is to talk about the people waiting for you in town, even if they don’t actually exist.

To illustrate how well I believe this works, I’m going to tell a quick non-thru-hiking anecdote of a very close call I had in college. Before you read this, just know I was young and naive and didn’t make the best decisions and I ALREADY know that (please don’t feel the need to reiterate that to me), but I do think one decision I made on this night honestly saved me.

I was going to bars with friends and everyone I went out with went to a bar I couldn’t go to because I wasn’t 21 (good friends, I know). So I ended up calling another friend who was at a different bar on the other end of town. It was a bit of a walk, but as we know I don’t tend to shy away from those, so I started walking to the other end of this small town. As I’m walking alone on the road some guy pulls over and asks if I want a ride. I, again, am naive and thinking, “oh this is a small college town and this guy seems harmless”, so I take the ride. When I get in the car, I tell the guy I’m going to this other bar and my friend is waiting for me there. I’m also actively texting here while in the car. To this day, I think those simple actions saved me from assault.

A few days later a mass email went out to the student body that basically said if you recognize this car and have any information about it, please call the police department. It was the same car I had gotten the ride from a few nights prior, so I called the police. They ended up having me come in and give a statement, because the guy who had picked me up ended up assaulting another girl. They wanted to prove a pattern of behavior. I truly think what saved me that night was the fact that someone was very blatantly waiting for me and expecting me soon, and also expecting to hear from me.

So that’s my little anecdote to show you how powerful it can be that someone is EXPECTING you. Talk about how your trail family is in town and you’re meeting up with them when you get there, even if that’s all a load of crap. This is especially imporatnt if you are getting weird vibes once you’re already in the car and it’s too late to back out of the ride. A creep being afraid that someone is going to notice you’re missing quickly is potentially very powerful.

7. Avoid hitchhiking after dark as a solo woman.

Next, avoid hitch hiking after dark as a solo woman. This is probably just safer all around because you will be harder to see from the road, but I also think it’s just less sketchy to be hitchhiking in the daylight. This is pretty self-explanatory, but just try to get to the road before dark or be prepared to camp and get to the road the next morning. Hitchhiking during the day is also more peace of mind for your hitch as well, and you’ll be more likely to get a ride.

8. Fake it ‘til you make it!

This one might be fairly obvious but I like to adapt the saying “fake it til you make it.” to hitch hiking safety for solo women backpackers.

Are you typically a shy, quiet, person? Not while solo hitch hiking, you’re not. Fake assertiveness ‘til you make it to your destination. This doesn’t mean be rude or off-putting, but try not to give the impression that you’d be easy to manipulate or afraid to speak up if your hitch starts driving in the wrong direction.

Another way ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ applies to solo hitchhiking as a woman is If your driver is saying some very off-color things. I’m normally all for standing up to people and telling them what they’re saying is not appropriate, but as a hitchhiker already in someone’s car you are in a very vulnerable position, and I believe it’s best to not give them a reason to dislike you.

I’ve heard stories from thru-hiking friends who have unfortunately had to sit through people saying some very awful things. You don’t have to enthusiastically agree with them, but I would not say anything to ruffle feathers while you are in their car, especially if you can tell it might set them off.

Fake it til you make it to your destination. And if you get dropped off in a place where you feel safe, feel free to let your feelings be known once you are safely out of the car with all of your things.

In conclusion…

I want to really reiterate that a fear of hitchhiking as a solo woman should not stop you from thru-hiking. You can pretty much avoid it or, at the very least, avoid going alone if you don’t feel comfortable. I have hitch hiked while thru-hiking many times and many of those times I was alone, and I’ve never had an issue where I was concerned about being kidnapped or worse. I have had intoxicated people pull over, I have had people say inappropriate things, but I have never feared for my life thanks, in part, to the precautions outlined in this blog. Obviously, there could be some survivor bias here, and I don’t want to minimize in any way people’s very real and very scary negative experiences with hitchhiking. But I also don’t want a fear of hitchhiking as a solo woman to stop anyone from realizing their thru-hiking dreams.