I didn't take a gun, or a phone. Carrying a gun was carrying fear--it would make me look at everyone as a potential enemy. And part of the joy of going on such a long, remote trek is not having to answer the phone.
I did take pepper spray, but only used it once--one night I was sleeping in a trail shelter, and mice kept running over me and jumping on my face. I used the spray to draw a foul-smelling circle on the floor around my sleeping bag. The mice stayed outside the barrier, and I got a good night's sleep.
I believe that the Trail is one of the safest places anyone could be--far safer than any city. Still, there are precautions any woman--and men--should take on a long-distance hike that will help ensure her safety and peace of mind.
1) Don't tell strangers, no matter how friendly or well-meaning, that you are alone. Invent a group of buddies with a big dog who are hiking not far behind you. The strangers you run into on the trail are usually helpful and kind, but you never know if, when they go back to town, someone not-so-nice will overhear them as they sit in the diner drinking Coke and talking about "That nice young woman, all alone on Bloody Mountain."
In addition, you will avoid some very long, well-meaning but tiresome lectures about "Girls shouldn't be alone in the woods" that you would get if you told people you were alone.
2) For the same reason, don't tell strangers where you plan to camp for the night. If they ask (and most do, because they are amazed at how many miles you walk in a day) say something vague like, "Oh, anywhere between 5 and 20 miles from here."
3) If you're worried about the possibility of injury or other problems, and there are other long-distance hikers camped near you who are heading in the same direction, get up early and head out before they do. That way, you'll know they're behind you all day, and if you become ill or injured, they will show up before the end of the day and hopefully be able to help you.
