I solo hike and backpack. I listen to my instincts same as normal daily city life; baseline cautious of all men, pull the plug at any whiff of weird from an individual. make sure someone knows where you’re going and has an actionable plan if you don’t check in by x time check in at a ranger station if you’re hiking somewhere remote or multi-day hiking poles, pocket knife clipped visibly to belt, pepper spray designed for runners within reach if backpacking and reaching end of day, you don’t want to feel obligated to stop where other people are if they’re unsafe, make sure you’re prepared to continue in the dark including being familiar with your gear so you can setup in the dark InReach Mini or other if you want a comms method and will be out of cell range If any man brings up “man or bear” while on the trail, fuckin’ run I’ve never carried a gun nor had an interest in it I’ve had more problems with off-leash dogs than with men. But, y’know, they were off-leash because their owners (always men IME) thought they were above the rules and trail etiquette. Perfect analogy to “not all men but always a man” - I can’t tell which dog is dangerous until it’s too late so I treat all with baseline caution.