Hi Rainy and welcome to the forum! I know you've been here a little while, but perhaps no one has given you the "formal" welcome/hello.
Speaking of that, somewhere around here there's a post that the mods usually put a link up for all the new members. Lots good stuff in there, but I don't know how to do that (add a link to the rules and tips post).
As far as your fears post goes, first of all - thank you for being so honest about your feelings. Being vulnerable isn't easy. Admitting you feel vulnerable isn't easy. Even though I don't share those particular fears I do recognize that a lot if people do. I agree that exposure to that environment with the help of experienced people you trust to show you the ropes would probably be helpful. I also think that self defense training would be helpful too.
This is because it seems that you aren't afraid of the wild animals that live way back in the boonies, but are fearful of being the victim of a human. A lot of people are afraid of the isolation of being alone and stalked in an unfamiliar area (especially at night). Sorry for being so blunt about that, but it does no one any good to sugarcoat it. That is the stuff of horror movies. Literally. We have been taught to fear strangers in the wilderness.
But there are things you can do to avoid being the victim of a human. I'd say the biggest thing would be go to a self defense training from someone who really knows what they are teaching. There you will learn that being a survivor requires a certain mentality. You do what you need to do. Really, you can't prevent yourself from being the victim of another human. People are unethical and inhumane sometimes. And people of every age and gender can be victims of this. But they can also be survivors. Yes, there's perceived safety in numbers. So finding a caravan might rest your mind. But really unless you yourself live in a cage, you will never be 100% safe every minute of every day from an unhinged person.
Im not saying this to freak you out. Really, I'm not. This next part might sound harsh (so brace yourself) but really I think that I haven't said anything here that you haven't already been thinking about. Think about it like this, if you are alone boondocking with no neighbors in miles, and you wake up to that stranger who's broke in to your rig and is attacking you - what kind of training are you going to want to have for that situation? If that's what you are afraid of then that's the situation you should get training to deal with.
And maybe look up some real statistics about the actual numbers of assaults in remote areas vs in towns. It may be that you are in more danger in town than out on your own.
Again, welcome to the forum. I'm so glad that you found it. There's much information on here. I'm sorry if this post has freaked you out, but again I'm not real big on sugarcoating. The only way to make a muscle stronger is to work it. And I really only know of two ways to get better at something -1) training and practice, and -2)trial and error. Some things are better to learn from training than trial and error.
Again, welcome.
~angie
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