is it different for girls?

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I am interested to discover what both male and female members, think about the solo naked female hiker. Do you think that it's a different situation than that of the male hiker. . . would she be at much greater risk of attack, for instance? Would the people she encountered react differently than to a man? Would the reaction vary considerably depending on the age of the woman and whether she is of the shape deemed generally as 'hot.' Is she much more likely to be deemed mentally ill and sectioned ? You may laugh at this but I do think that in the UK or here in Ireland it's a distinct possibility. I am happy to be in the mountains and in lakes, rivers and the sea naked but I do tend towards discretion. Thankfully it is always very quiet here, so that so far I hear others approaching. I don't let it spoil my fun but have a long shirt within easy reach.

78 thoughts on “is it different for girls?”

  1. Regrettably I think it is different for a woman. Most people would have a positive or neutral attitude about seeing you on the trail, but there are some men that, by virtue of your nudity, would assume you are making yourself available for sexual advances. I would discourage my wife from hiking naked alone.

    It's not fair and it's wrong, but even men suffer the indignation of being viewed by some as perverts or dirty old men if they are seen hiking naked alone. In today's world, I think it's safer for either gender to hike with one or more companions.

    Gill, are you still a member? My browser would not open your profile page.

        • Yes that is the problem, lack of women on the sight and even the ones here don't actively participate. In the beginning part of this conversation she asked to hear from other females but alas no response. The reality is that anytime a woman post a photo or comment on this site she is besieged by the male members. As my wife has stated a few times it's really intimidating!!

          • A lot of men need to be more aware of feminine sensibilities. It's not just a woman's body that is different, but also her perspectives. Thank God, lest we men succumb to our unshaven primitive instincts. Women give life balance.

          • I reread to confirm that Gill did say "Perhaps I can ask the men who are reading this" (otherwise I would not have answered) but what you say about women being besieged is very true. Not just here but on sites such as flickr, the attention that a female daring to post gets is extraordinary.

            I am heterosexual, I comment freely on what men post but I am always circumspect in dealing with posts from a woman because I really do not want to be one of the 'gang'.

            I did not realise Gill had gone so quickly. What a shame.

          • Scott, exactly right and we pretty much take the same position. A few comments but restricted to just a like. Also the gentlemen here should also think about the content of their comments. Some of them are pretty lame at times. Also if someone has already made a comment that reflects what your thinking why repeat it, it looks dumb!!

  2. Hello Gill,
    I'm a nude hiker to. My experience is that when i met dressed people,their reaction was always positive. I don't think that people make a difference between a naked man or woman. In my opinion has an alttack to be planed. Does someone in your hometown or in your circle of friends that you walk nude? That a man attacks you spontaneously is improbable. Then you will attack you to if you are dressed.
    Have a nice day
    Patrick

  4. I personally prefer communion with nature alone. Each person has their own preference based on what they need from the experience so one thing isn't better than another. One thing is preferred by some over the other.
    Speaking to Gills original question, it's not how others perceive you but how you perceive and define yourself. If you see yourself as a 60yo single woman with no really close friends who really shouldn't be wandering around the countryside naked unless you're completely crackers, that is how you'll imagine other people will perceive you.
    Take a long hard look into the world. It's your mirror. What you really see there is yourself looking straight back at you. What do you see?
    There is a moment when you can glimpse your authentic self who isn't defined by the world around them.
    Perhaps that glimpse is apparent when you're swimming in a lake alone and the only thing you're experiencing is the sheer joy of that moment. There is no thought or concern of being seen. You feel within yourself an odd kind of freedom where nothing else in the world matters. There's only you and what you're experiencing. Within this moment you are your true authentic self, just as you were at 2 or 3 years old. You're not judging yourself, nor what you're doing. You're immersed in the experience.
    Enlightenment, awakening is living like that every moment of your life. You're not obsessed with the world around you because you are that world. You are your own being and you define who and what you are.
    Others might well scoff and chuckle because they dwell in their own universe and see the world from their perspective. In reality, they are only another aspect of yourself, because what you see, what you perceive is a reflection of your own being.
    When you understand the deeper meaning of this, you instantly recognise that you the other person is laughing at you witnessing yourself, and you laugh with them because it's really quite funny.
    You are awakened, but some part of you is still judging. It's amusing to discover this and you laugh. "How silly. What a fool am I."
    You don't take yourself seriously, because your sense of self is an illusion. When the ego trips over itself, you identify and release that piece of ego. You become freed again, a little more enlightened and so it goes.

    It's a long journey to reach that point and some never take the first step. It's never too late to start. The important thing is the journey. There is no destination. The only thing to be discovered is yourself. It is however the most liberating undertaking you could ever hope to embark on.

  5. Gill, confident or not, you still feel the need/want to express yourself in a naturist fashion. Am I always confident… no, comfortable with those around me… no, but I love to be naked, I love the feeling of the air and sun on my skin, I love the feeling of freedom and sheer awe that nakedness brings. I hope that you continue to have a level of confidence and comfort to permit you to continue exploring nakedness and it's benefits. BTW, for those selfie photos, if you are alone, there are self timers, and more suitable, radio controlled shutter releases that permit you to take multiple photos of yourself at a distance.

  6. to give you some ideas. i am a guesthouse owner and give naturist hikes. i had many oversea females who request a nature hike with me young and old. the oldest was from netherland 72 years, walks like a rendeer. they are alone and enjoy them self. feel free and make friends. i am sure there are irish people on this site.

  8. You not unusual, you unsure of your self. If you walk in a area where you can expect textile people have a big towel handy, but stay natural. You will find people will not notice or ignore you. I am 68 and not build like tarzan but still enjoy my lifestyle

  10. Happy Bare could you tell me why you find naked activities with another naked person a lot more pleasant than in solitude? For me absolute solitude enhances the freedom I feel when I am naked in a remote area.

    • I too love solitude, naked or not. It is exhilarating to be a child of the universe, naked, open and unafraid. But we humans are social creatures and shared experiences are all the more real and pleasant to us. I understand that in a magical setting inane chatter may very well distract from the experience, but sharing the magic with another human in silence, well, for me is the best.

    • Yes, I find that my experience of being naked in the mountains is definitely enhanced when I am alone. It is a special feeling of being "ONE with nature".

      Many people are unable to do anything unless they are in a group, however, and you will find this often with naked activities, that there tends to be a "grouping" effect. I find it unnecessary to be in a group, but it CAN also be fun to share the activity, when things works out that way: http://www.naktiv.net/newt

  11. Hello Gill, I can only speak from the point of view of a 63 year old male naturist living in Canada. Under normal circumstances a naked female hiker of any age and any level of fitness, in a remote or reasonably unpopulated area, would not draw any appreciable unfavourable reaction from others. There may be some cat call or remarks from unenlightened men and women, but that would be all. If I was hiking naked alone and we came across each other on a narrow path I would certainly say 'hello' and hope that it would not be misconstrued as an unwanted intrusion into you privacy. If the same thing on a beach, and we did not enter into each other's space, I would probably just wave.

    As an aside, doing anything naked is wonderful, but doing it with another naked person is a lot more pleasant.

    • As a solo male hiker, and stereotyping who I might meet walking (as I sometimes tend to wander not too far from towns), it is the male dog walker with a bull terrier type who make me most nervous. Far less likely to meet would be a group of loutish male youths, but more worrying should it happen. In both cases I think of my physical safety. If I were with another single male I would not necessarily feel any safer. I think I would FEEL more vulnerable as a woman but perhaps it is a different type who might be a problem – homophobes who might construe male(s) walking naked alone or in pairs as somehow being a 'gay' activity would probably leave a middle aged woman alone as might loutish male youth. Expect to deal with verbal abuse though…

  15. This is a question essentially of male behaviour when confronted with a naked female, I imagine, but also one of context.

    As a male solo naked hiker (and in groups), I cannot say for sure, but I would be surprised if there were any adverse reactions from anyone. Consider the places you would normally hike naked, whether single male or female, and consider the types of people you are likely to meet there. Usually fellow nature lovers and peaceful hikers of all ages.

    Now, if you were to walk naked through the rough quarter in the centre of town, on a drunken Friday night after a football match, or a couple of hours after a religious protest… Then I could see that the types of people you would meet, and their demeanour, would be somewhat different.

    • Actually Richard I am wondering about the reactions of both male and female walkers. I have a suspicion that coming across me naked walking or wild swimming at the age of nearly 60 alone there would be an assumption here in ireland that I was completely 'off my rocker'. Seriously. I think I would maybe be ok with the German hikers, of whom there are many, but that others would be unsure. I do think that hikers are likely to be more understanding that your average man or woman in the street.I also wonder if it would be assumed that I am 'asking for it' . . . if you get my drift?

    • Thankyou kindly for your comment FKK, but I am wondering particularly about how it is for the solitary female hiker. You refer to women in hiking groups. In my world I walk and swim naked alone . . .I know there are lots of men doing it, but is it different for girls. What do you think?

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