Let me get this straight…unfollow for this?

I recently posted a hiking video (on that other social platform) with five simple tips for men when approaching women hikers on the trail:

1) Announce yourself when you’re passing a solo woman hiker.

2) Give a little space.

3) Don’t silently hover behind someone.

4) Don’t ask a stranger if she’s alone.

5) Be predictable on narrow trails

That’s it. And somehow… that was enough for a bunch of guys to respond with:

“I’m unfollowing you.”

“Why do we have to accommodate women?”

“Stop pretending women are fragile.”

“Men have every right to hike without giving others special treatment.”

And honestly? That reaction says more about them than it does about anything I posted.

I wasn’t saying men don’t have a right to hike. What I’m saying is other people have a right to feel safe doing it too.

And if the idea of being slightly more considerate feels like oppression…that’s pure entitlement.

It costs you nothing to say “Passing on your left.”

It costs you nothing to NOT walk three feet behind a stranger in silence for ten minutes.

It costs you nothing to let someone enjoy the outdoors without doing mental math about whether this interaction is normal… or dangerous.

That’s basic decency.

And the wild part is: the men who get angry about this always tell on themselves.

Because if someone says, “Hey, here’s a small way to help women feel safer out here,”

A secure man goes: “Got it. Makes sense.”

An insecure man goes: “How dare you imply I’m a threat.”

That’s the difference. I’m a guy. I hike constantly. I love the outdoors. And I’ll be honest: I’ve never had to think twice about whether the person behind me is dangerous.

That’s privilege. Not something to feel guilty about; simply something to be aware of.

And if women are telling us, literally over and over again, that certain situations on trails feel unsafe…

The answer isn’t to roll our eyes, or call them fragile. The answer is to grow up and say:

“Alright. I can do better.” Because the outdoors belongs to all of us.

And if your masculinity is threatened by someone asking for a little space and predictability on a trail…

That’s not society getting soft. That’s you.

Stay safe out there…and feel free to unfollow if inclusivity and making others feel more comfortable on the trail ain’t your thing.

Dan.