Solo Backpacking Tips
Solo backpacking means peace and quiet. No one to talk to means no words are put between you and the beauty around you. The miles just flow. It's entirely up to you to say when you eat or take a break. Want to jump in that alpine lake? It's your decision alone. It's a unique experience.
A solo backpacker also is vulnerable. Twist your ankle, and there's nobody there to help you. Have you ever been stuck alone without food for days? How can you make your solo backpacking trip safe? You can't. It's inherently more dangerous to go alone into the wilderness. What you can do though, is make it safer.
Some Solo Backpacking Tips
1. Tell someone where you'll be, and when you expect to return. It's probably best if you leave a map with them, and let them know who to call if you don't return on time.
2. Bring a cell phone. I don't do this yet myself, but many lives have now been saved by cell phones. Turn it off and put it in the bottom of your pack so it won't bother you.
3. Bring the usual safety items (matches, 1st aid, iodine tablets, etc), but double-check to see if they are there and in working order, as you'll have nobody elses supplies to back you up.
4. If you're not sure of your abilities, or have a bad knee or other potential problem, stick to well-traveled trails. On many routes, another backpacker will be by every hour. That's good to know if you're in trouble.
5. Learn well how to read a map and use a compass. If you are two miles off route and can't get a signal on your phone when your knee gives out, you're in trouble. Even if you like to wander, you should be able to know where you are on the map for safety.
6. Know your abilities. Don't plan on twenty-mile days if you haven't done them before.
7. Learn to lighten your load. When you're alone, you lose the efficiency of sharing the load for stoves, tents and other common items. It's easy - and dangerous - to become overloaded when yours is the only backpack. You might want to read up on ultralight backpacking.
Solo backpacking is riskier, but for some of us, it's well worth the risk. Try it, and you might agree. Just be sure to take the necessary precautions.
Steve Gillman is a long-time backpacker, and advocate of ultralight backpacking. His advice and stories can be found at http://www.TheBackpackingSite.com
MORE RESOURCES:
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Spain´s Beaches - You´re Spoilt For Choice
Spain offers the visitor over 4,000 kms of coastline where
s/he can enjoy shining sun and sapphire seas in wonderful
settings.And what a choice of sands! Golden sands, white sands,
grainy sands, powdery sands, and even the black sands of
the Canary Islands!Allergic to sand? No problem! Just plump for a resort
with smooth, white pebbles! You´ll find a good selection!Already holidayed several times by the Mediterranean? Then
why not try the fairy-tale fishing villages washed by the
Cantabrian Sea or Atlantic Ocean?"Spanish beaches are the most environmentally healthy in
Europe" says the Foundation for Environmental Education,
which has awarded the much-coveted Blue Flag to 450 of the
country´s beaches - more than any other participating
contry!Leading the way within Spain itself is the Costa Blanca,
which received 48 Blue Flag awards.
Stay Out of That Old Mine!
It seems like the most adventurous thing in the world. That dark opening in the hillside beckons, tantalizes, excites.
Find a Camping Gear Outlet Near You
When you search online for a camping gear outlet you will find camping gear at great discounts like tents, sleeping materials like sleeping bags, navigation and survival items, camping furniture and lanterns, tools, knives and optics, personal care equipment, backpacks, camping cookware, and other camping stuff.If the camp gear outlet you find is an established one, you will find some of the best sales and discounts on clearance items as well as discontinued ones.
Camping Stove Performance: Ease of Use & What to Avoid
Important information about camping stoves..
Cheap Safari in Africa For $70 a Day - Heres How To Do It
You would think that a cheap safari in Africa for $70 a day would have to take place in some shady game reserve in Timbuktu that nobody visits. But not in this case.
Shark Pictures Not The Real Thing
Pictures of a massive dead Great White shark on the back of a bakkie are doing the rounds on email with the subject line saying "Caught at Monwabisi and Strandfontein Beach yesterday" - but experts have dismissed it as a hoax.The grim pictures show the shark with a hook and trace still attached.
Motorhome Camp Grounds Stalls should be Astroturf
Having traveled from state to state and every city in the United States over 10,000 population occasionally staying at motor home camp grounds it seems that a few new ideas might be worthy of mention. Motor home campgrounds generally consist of a cement parking stall, which is level and then hook ups for electricity, water, waste and Cable TV if you so need it.
Canoe Trip with Nature
A canoe trip is a great way to appreciate Nature!A well-planned canoe trip is always filled with fun and adventure. If you love cruising the sea or the beautiful lake areas then a canoe trip would be a great choice for you.
On Safari in Northern Tanzania - Back to The Sixth Day of the Creation
Tanzania's natural endowment as a wildlife safari destination is unrivalled. Wild animals roam in vast areas as God intended on that sixth day of the creation.
Navigating on the Mountain, in Water, or in Woods there is an eTrex Unit For You
Truly a small wonder, the eTrex takes the best features of a 12 parallel channel GPS receiver and put them into a six ounce package that is only four inches high and two inches wide. The result is a unit that will literally fit in the palm of your hand.
Holidays in Goa
Sun, Sand and Surf - an apt description for Goa? But Goa is much more. Ancient temples and old churches? Yes.
African Safari Gear Packing List - What To Take Along
The last thing you want on an African safari is to realise that you have left any important safari gear behind.Because of the nature of safari there are some things that are essential to take with and others that you can do without because they are only going to add to your luggage weight.
Yachats, OR: An Outdoor Lovers Paradise on the Oregon Coast
There is something about a town tucked between the
mountains and the sea. Often, it feels like one has reached
the far end of the world when he or she arrives in a place
like this.
Japanese Garden of Monaco
Have you ever seen an authentic Japanese garden? Well, I had the chance of seeing the one in Monaco and was really impressed too. Wanna taste a little Japanese culture? Stepping on this ground is escaping from the real world into a fantasy land.
Boondocking America
Boondocking is fun! Boondockers go anywhere they want, at any time they want and at any speed they want! If you are a member of Loners on Wheels (LoW) or any other single RV'ing group you will want to boondock at least some of the time.Boondocking provides an almost perfect way to see America for little housing costs.
Eight Tips For A Bug-Free Summer
(NC)-With approximately 42,000 mosquitoes for every person in Ontario, most of us spend a great deal of our summers swatting away these pesky insects. Protecting yourself against mosquitoes will not only make your summer more enjoyable, it will help prevent you and your family from getting annoying and sometimes dangerous bug bites.
Arrowhead Hunting and Rock Collecting
We weren't planning to go rock and arrowhead hunting in Arizona. My wife and I just liked that hotspring in the desert.
Where to Find Some of the Best Beaches in the World
We think that Cape Town has some of the best beaches in the world.You can choose beaches which are on the Indian Ocean, with warm water, or those on the colder Atlantic Ocean.
Three Classic Hikes Abroad
Paul Scott Mower once said, "There is nothing like walking to get the feel of a country?" If you've ever contemplated going abroad to find your next trail, here are 3 classic hikes to consider.New Zealand's Milford Track: The best known "track" through New Zealand's beautiful fjords, this 32.
How Are Minerals Formed?
HOW ARE MINERALS FORMED?MINERALS are naturally occuring, inorganic solids, with a characteristic chemical composition, having a regular atomic structure throughout. Man-made industrial diamonds are not considered true minerals.
|