给想要独自出游的你：女生单独旅行的9个小贴士

Like it or not, women have to take special precautions while traveling alone.
不管你乐不乐意，女生在单独旅行时必须格外警惕。

After six months of backpacking solo in Africa, I’ve got a few ideas about how we can make the most of solo exploration — and stay safe along the way.
独自在非洲背包旅行六个月后，我总结了几条享受旅行的愉悦、并且保证旅行沿途安全的小贴士。

If you’re about to embark on a solo trip or are thinking about traveling alone (Go! Go!), here are nine tips to make your trek the best it can be:
如果你计划独自一人开始旅行，或者有这样的打算，那么这9条小贴士可以让你的旅行尽可能完美：

1. Befriend local women.
结交当地女性朋友

Whether you’re in the market, on a bush taxi or sleeping in a hostel, make friends with the women who live there. Women around the globe have a sort of informal pact; we all watch out for each other.
无论你是在当地市场、合乘计程车、还是在旅社中，你都最好能和当地的女生成为朋友。全世界的女生都有一条不成文的规矩：我们都会在路上照料彼此。

Even if you’ve only exchanged a smile with the woman sitting next to you, she’ll go out of her way to protect you if necessary.
即使你只是和坐在你旁边的女生交换了一个微笑，她也会在你需要的时候挺身而出。

This rule becomes even more important if you feel like you’re in danger; seek out the closest woman and stick to her like glue.
当你在危险之中更是如此；找一个最近的女生，像胶水一样粘着她吧。

2. Book a bed for the first night.
预定第一晚的住宿

After Day 1, I avoid making reservations whenever possible, to fully enjoy traveling by the seat of my pants. But for your first night, book a place to sleep in advance — preferably before you leave home.
我尽量不去做第一天的活动以外的预定，这样我就能自己凭感觉去旅行了。不过第一个晚上还是要事先预定好晚上的住处——最好在离家之前就做好预定。

This will give you peace of mind, help you get over the first-day-of-travel jitters, and give you a goal and destination when you arrive in-country.
这样你心里就不会有什么牵挂，不用在旅行第一天有无谓的担心，另外也能给刚到达的你一个目标。

3. Only bring what you can easily carry.
只带方便携带的物品

It’s always a good idea to keep your backpack light, but this becomes even more important when you’re traveling alone, simply because you don’t have anyone to help you.
让你的背包轻一点永远不会错，一个人旅行时没有人能帮你，情况就更是如此了。

Traveling light could even be seen as a safety measure, because you can move more quickly away from danger (or pesky men who want to marry you) when you have less to carry.
轻装上阵甚至可以让旅行更加安全，让你迅速逃离危险之地（或是想要娶你的讨厌鬼）。

Make sure you have a free hand even when you’re carrying all your luggage, so you can shoo away those men or grab a pineapple for the road.
你需要确保拎着全部行李时还是能空出一只手来，这样你就能赶走那些讨厌鬼，或者路上带个菠萝什么的。

4. Carry food.
自带食品

Nothing heavy; granola or crackers will do it. This will keep you from venturing out in the dark by yourself at night when you’re hungry. It will also help you save money! I like to carry a plastic bowl and spoon (more versatile than a fork), plus a Swiss army knife.
不要是太重的食品；麦片或是饼干就可以了。这样晚上独自一人走在路上你就有办法抵御饥饿了。这也能帮你省钱！我喜欢随身带着碗和勺子（比叉子用途多），外加一把瑞士军刀。

In Africa, I often bought a pineapple or cucumber — or even, once in Madagascar, a watermelon — and eat it over several days. (No, I didn’t carry the watermelon; I bought it when I knew I’d be staying in one place for a while.)
在非洲时，我经常会去买菠萝或是黄瓜，我甚至在马达加斯加买了个西瓜，这些水果然后吃上好几天。（好吧，其实我没有把西瓜带在路上；我是在知道要在一个地方待上几天的情况下才买的。）