Search any women’s outdoor group, news article comments section, or hiking forum, and you’ll see some pretty strong opinions about women alone in the backcountry. Or solo women travelers, period. There seems to be such a stigma against wanting to be alone that’s made doubly so when female. The usual fears are aired about attack, injury, rape, safety, wild animals. While some are (slightly) more valid than others, it’s not something that’s inhibited me on my travels. It wasn’t because I’d decided to take a radical stand. It just didn’t occur to me that it was even something to worry about.