Comments on: Thoughts on hiking solo

By: Sean O'Connell

Sean O'Connell — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 03:22:55 +0000

I am an extrovert. Three years ago I decided to give a shot to a solo three day trip. What I was surprised at is that I maybe more enjoy solo trips than I do with others. I can go at MY pace…..for whatever distance I feel. I find that I can just sit……sit and sit and sit and be just content with watching the clouds, the bugs, any wildlife…..whatever. It is absolutely wonderful!!!! Each year I really relish in planning a solo trip or two. I can understand a woman’s possible fears, so I totally get that perspective. Maybe it is because I am a male, but my high confidence also makes me feel very fearLESS. I believe in the best in people and just think things will happen if they happen. That is freeing to me and helps me really feel completely energized by my solo trips. If you haven’t done a solo trip before, give it a try……what you experience may surprise you (for the best!).

By: Kim

Kim — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 04:13:17 +0000

In reply to Joan West. It was pretty tense at the time--he circled my tent for several minutes. I could see him through my little vent window. I finally yelled at him and struck the side of the tent where he was sniffing around (actually peeing on the guy lines), and he did head off into the woods. But seeing a wolverine is a one in a lifetime kind of thing, so it was, in retrospect, pretty exciting.

By: Joan West

Joan West — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 02:52:09 +0000

In reply to Monty Pirtle. I really like my Darien Dream Hammock- very lightweight but with an integrated bugnet. They have excellent customer service too.

By: Joan West

Joan West — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 02:42:33 +0000

In reply to kim. Wow! A wolverine! That's incredible!

By: Joan West

Joan West — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 02:35:53 +0000

In reply to Misti. Thanks so much Misti!

By: Joan West

Joan West — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 02:32:05 +0000

In reply to Michael Haubert. Good suggestion to ease into solo backpacking by having a buddy system and camping apart but closeby! I agree that the mental prep beforehand is more intense with solo backpacking. My strategy is to create compelling trips for myself that I doubt anyone else would be interested in. Like looking for obscure plants. Or trying to hike all the canyons in a drainage. Whatever idea seems interesting that will get me to the trailhead.

By: Monty Pirtle

Monty Pirtle — Sat, 01 Feb 2020 05:17:37 +0000

I’ve always preferred hiking solo, didn’t even stop to think about it…probably the result of manning a remote Forest Service lookout for three seasons when I was a young twenty-something. Hardly had a visitor during the entire time and didn’t mind. I’ve found that one can’t learn to be truly comfortable in one’s skin or find a non-doctrinal spirituality in the noise, dust, pollution and corrosion of the city, but hiking solo surely gives one insights. Well, enough of that.

The last couple of hiking seasons I’ve been using a hammock and love it! So, out of curiosity, what kind have you been using?

By: Misti

Misti — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 19:14:11 +0000

I have always admired your forays into the wild solo! For now I’m doing good to do day hikes alone and the one I did last Friday was fantastic. I do like your camo tarp set-up idea, though.

By: kim

kim — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 03:39:35 +0000

I’m lucky not to be bothered much with fears of animals/people. I think that goes back to my first solo backpacking trip (37 years ago–the looks I get are because I am a woman AND white-haired). I had a wolverine come into my camp the second night. Quite the hair-raising experience, but no harm done. After that, the various little rustling nighttime noises don’t worry me much.
Kim

By: Michael Haubert

Michael Haubert — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 18:14:48 +0000

I loved this article. Thanks, Joan. I have done a handful of solo trips and I truly enjoyed them. They are a different animal from my trips with friends–I find the mental preparation to be intense, having to convince myself that it is good for me to be alone every now and then. I don’t know if I prefer solo trips over trips with friends; they are just different, both rewarding in their own way. I tell people to try it and if they are hesitant, one way to dip your toe into the water is to go with a friend, but to spit up at some point, maybe camp 1/4 mile away from each other to get a feel for being solo but having a safety net somewhat nearby.

-Michael