Ep 101. Should You Carry a Gun Hiking Solo? The Real Question Women Are Actually Asking

By now you've seen it. Some version of this plays out in every solo hiking forum, every Facebook group, every comment section where a woman dares to ask about going outside alone.

👉 "Just bring a gun."

This advice is lazy. It's often irresponsible. And it completely misses what women are actually asking.

Because the question underneath the gun question? It's not really about firearms at all. It's: Am I safe enough to do this alone?

In this episode, I'm answering that, for real. With expert-backed research, actual statistics, and the reframe that I think changes everything about how women approach safety on trail.

In this episode, I share:

Why "just bring a gun" is the outdoor version of a get-rich-quick scheme, and what the research actually shows about firearms and personal safety for womenThe data Nicole Snell (Girls Fight Back) brought to our conversation that stopped me in my tracksWhat wildlife safety expert Kim Titchener found when researchers studied hundreds of firearms-in-bear-encounters casesWhy both Nicole and Kim (independently, from completely different fields) landed on the exact same answer for what actually keeps solo women safeThe "don't outsource your safety" philosophy and what building real safety from the inside out actually looks like in practiceWhat's coming at the free 2026 Solo Hiker Summit, June 3–5 — and why Nicole and Kim are both presenting there this year

This one is for you. For your hiking partner. And for every Todd in your comment section.

Resources mentioned:

Free guide: "Should I Carry?" → https://www.shedreamsofalpine.co/download-firearm-factsGrab your free Summit seat → shedreamsofalpine.com/summitEpisode 31 Interview with Nicole SnellEpisode 33 Interview with Kim Titchener

🗓️ PS—Registration is NOW OPEN for our upcoming Solo Hiker Summit! It’s happening June 3-5, 2026.

This virtual summit is for women who are done waiting for the right person, the right conditions, or the right version of themselves — and are ready to finally hike alone, go confidently, and maybe even spend a night or two in the backcountry. 😉