FAQ

I thought I'd start a blog for when I want to go a bit more in-depth with my thoughts on nudism and body positivity than I can on Twitter. This first post will just be answers to the most common questions I get on Twitter so that I can direct people here rather than having to answer the same questions over and over. (My twitter is twitter.com/nude_hiker for those that haven't seen it)


When/how/why did you become a nudist?

I started off as a home nudist in 2012 at age 19, when I moved into a house with my boyfriend at the time. I had been a very body shy teenager, so nudity was something quite scary to me. But I also wanted to improve my confidence, and the times where I was naked around the house felt so liberating that I wanted to do more of it. So for the next 9 years I would spend a lot of my time just living my ordinary day-to-day life naked in the privacy of my own home. In 2021 I visited my first nude beach on a camping trip. It’s something I’d wanted to do for a while, but had never picked up the courage to do. It was a transformative experience, and from that day forward I had a great love for being naked outside in nature and with other people.


How do you get the confidence to be naked in front of other people?

It’s something that didn’t happen overnight. It was through baby steps and repeated exposure to being naked in front of people that I became more and more confident with it, and continue to grow in confidence to this day. It's always a bit scary taking a step further than you have before, so there's always some bravery needed. You'll never become fully confident with something before you've pushed yourself to try it for the first time.


How did you tell your family and friends you were a nudist? How did they react?

After the camping trip where I went to my first nude beach, when they asked about the camping trip, I told them about the nude beach and how much I enjoyed it. Everyone was pretty accepting. Since then I’ve become more open about it, to the point where if I go to the beach with family or friends, I’ll be naked, even if they aren’t (assuming it’s not an overly busy beach where I’m likely to get in trouble).


Can I come hiking or to the beach with you?

Yes, I’m always keen to meet followers, especially those who are interested in trying nudism but are a bit nervous to start on their own. Obviously we’d need to be in the same area, but if you’re travelling through the Great Southern region of Western Australia we can probably organise something. I also visit Perth fairly often and try to organise a beach day when I’m there, which I’ll announce on Twitter, so I’d love to see you there. At the moment I have limited ability to meet people one on one in Perth because I’m usually very busy with other stuff, but I’m hoping to spend more time in Perth in the near future and meet new nudists one on one who might not feel ready for a group event.


How can I get started as a nudist?

The easiest way to start is simply by doing the things you do now, only naked. Obviously some things you can’t do, but things like cooking, cleaning, gaming, watching TV etc. in the privacy of your own home or room are a good way to start getting used to being naked more and help make it feel normal. When you’re ready to take your nudism out into the world, a nude beach is the best place to start, because you know you won’t get in trouble and that the people there are used to seeing nudity and all sorts of bodies so they won’t be surprised or judge you.


I want to be a nudist but I’m worried I’ll get an erection and be embarrassed

This is the most common question I get. I also think it’s one that nudists often answer in a dismissive way that doesn’t really help people. The truth is, when you’ve grown up in a society that sexualises nudity so much, it’s only natural that being naked around other people will trigger sexual associations in the mind. The good news is that once you’ve got some experience being naked around others in non sexual situations, your brain won’t automatically make the sexual association every time you’re naked with other people. Instead it will be up to you to interpret whether the situation is sexual or not, which will inform your body how to react. I would suggest starting out with situations where you either don’t feel embarrassed if you do happen to get aroused, such as being naked with a trusted friend or partner, or where you can hide it if it does happen, such as a beach where you can lay on your towel on your stomach or go in the water. Engaging in an activity like a game can also help focus your mind on non-sexual thoughts.


How can I meet other nudists?

I find I’ve had the most luck meeting people online. There are sites like truenudists which can be useful, although there are a lot of non-genuine accounts on there so you have to exercise caution. Twitter is where I’ve met the most people. If you’re engaging with nudists online using an “alt” account that contains sexual content, you might have some difficulty. I understand you might not be comfortable engaging with nudism on a main account that family and friends might see, but nudism is so often conflated with sex that a lot of nudists are wary of sexual accounts and will either block or ignore them. Plus a lot of people (myself included) don't want sexual content on their timeline so they won't follow you back even if they're ok with you following them. I’d suggest creating a separate nudist account so people won’t assume you’re looking for something sexual.


Are you gay/are you single?

Yes and yes. This doesn’t necessarily mean I want to talk sex or swap sexual pictures with you. I’m here to promote nudism, which is not inherently sexual. I’m open to sexual relationships developing with nudist friends if it happens naturally, but if you just want casual sex, I’m not interested.


Hey, how are you?

I get this several times every day. I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ll probably ignore. I only have so many hours in the day and have to prioritise what’s most important. I’m happy to talk if you have a question about nudism or body image or you need help or you want to meet, but when it comes to recreational chatting I’d rather dedicate that time and energy to my friends and family.


Do you do video chat?

Generally no, with the exception of paid modelling for artists. I find I can answer questions more thoughtfully in writing when I have time to think, and for the reasons mentioned above I’m not looking to just have a chat. Also the logistics of organising a video chat with time zones and around my other activities make them a nuisance and more time consuming than text chat.