View Full Version : Hiking solo
f8lranger4x4
09-22-2008, 23:11
How many people here hike solo overnight?
Hikerhead
09-22-2008, 23:34
Clarify...an all night solo hike or a overnight solo backpacking hike meaning setting up camp?
f8lranger4x4
09-22-2008, 23:40
camping at a shelter go out for a 2 day hike solo
Hikerhead
09-22-2008, 23:43
I don't do shelters but have solo overnight many times by stealth camping in a hammock.
Doughnut
09-23-2008, 05:48
I go solo. Sectioned Springer to NOC, and Caratunk to Abol Bridge in Maine this summer.
DoughNut
Two Speed
09-23-2008, 05:55
The bulk of my hiking has been solo, unless having a dog along disqualifies me. Of course, I don't know if anyone really hikes solo on the AT; always someone around sooner or later most days.
I've done a lot of solo hiking.
Two Speed
09-23-2008, 06:07
For the record Marta's gotten a lot more solo miles down than I have. I'm pretty much a wannabe, in comparison.
Actually, "a lot" is not a very precise term. A good fraction of the hiking I've done has been solo.
Mags has done "a lot" of solo hiking.
I've done primarily solo hiking for 35 years - from a couple of days to a month at a time. Most of the times I've tried to organize with others who have expressed an interest to join me, they end up bowing out for one excuse or another. Not to worry - you meet up with lots of folks (if that's what you want and are looking for) around campsites and shelters. Or if you prefer the solitude, you can find campsites or stealth suitable to that too. Your choice. ;)
solo, the only way to become one with nature. can't become one with nature when theres two of you.
yup, mostly (99%)solo.
daddytwosticks
09-23-2008, 07:36
All my hikes are solo...most overnighters. Hard to plan hiking w/others because of job and family commitments. When I'm an older geezer and retired, hopefully I'll join a local hiking club. The clubs around here tend to go hiking during the work week.
I hike solo primarily. There's usually people at shelters all times of year here in Virginia. If you want to be alone you have to stealth it...
Stir Fry
09-23-2008, 08:13
Solo to hard to get some one to go with you. On the AT almost always someone to camp with.
Put it this way. I'd guess that 98% of the time I start out by myself, hike by myself and end by myself. On most trails this means I'm on a solo hike. Enjoy it, and don't expect much company.
On the AT starting by yourself, hiking by yourself and ending by yourself does not equate to hiking solo except maybe in winter. You have to make a concerted effort to be alone for any length of time when on the AT. It's not bad, in fact it is fun, but it's very different from the majority of hiking I do other places.
Solo hikes offer their own charms and some very distinct advantages, such as being free to TOTALLY HYOH. Even if hiking "alone" on the AT, I tend to fall into a group, camping together each night so I don't actually hike my own hike entirely. I find I cover more miles more comfortably when truly hiking alone.
hiked harpers ferry to parisburg Dec. 26 to Jan 22 stayed in shelters was alone for all but 2 nights
About 2/3's of my hiking has been solo.
I hike with my brother or the scouts, never solo. But, I must say some of my favorite trail time is when bro goes ahead and I have a few trail miles to myself.
OldStormcrow
09-23-2008, 09:11
I almost always hike solo, particularly in the winter....and prefer it that way. There's a lot to be said for not having to coordinate with other people's schedules, likes and dislikes, odd theologies, different hiking speeds, etc. Besides, I see a ton o' wildlife when hiking solo 'cause I don't talk to myself....much.
f8lranger4x4
09-23-2008, 09:12
Thanks guys i head out today I'll let u know how it goes when i get back
Thanks guys i head out today I'll let u know how it goes when i get back
:bananaHave a good one! :banana
Where you going?
Deleted by me - duplicate.
Kerosene
09-23-2008, 09:23
I almost always walk alone, but I do like company at wherever I stop for the night. That said, I've slept alone in the woods quite a bit over the years.
I think I would prefer to hike with someone else, but finding someone that wants to hike for several days is hard enough, plus getting a schedule worked out is long odds to say the least. I hike solo mostly and enjoy it. My schedule, my trip, my stopping points. I get my wife to meet me sometimes at the end and walk the final leg and that gives it a boost at the end.
Gray Blazer
09-23-2008, 13:37
Don't hike without my dog anymore after I was stalked by Bigfoot.
Seriously!
I hike solo most of the time. It's easier that way: I walk at my own (glacial) pace, think my own thoughts, and stop when I feel like it. There are plenty of people to socialize with at shelters and along the trail.
dessertrat
09-23-2008, 14:13
Most of my hiking is solo. I don't mind meeting people on the trail or at campsites, but I don't like being bound by anyone else's plans, etc., while hiking, and the solitude is part of why I hike. It is a completely different experience when hiking with a partner.
In FL,i love to hike in summer....so solo.
Mags has done "a lot" of solo hiking.
Do the voices in my head make my hikes non-solo?
These days I usually hike alone. About half the time I end up alone in a shelter or in my tent. I enjoy company in the evenings, but as I usually hike off-season, the shelters are often empty. Hiking with a group, or with partners, hasn't worked out for me, trying to cover long distances. Back in my youth, I'd hike with my buddies, and we had a lot of fun -- but we weren't trying to cover a lot of ground.
Do the voices in my head make my hikes non-solo?No, but they might make you 'Mags - Jekyll'! :D :p
I almost always walk alone, but I do like company at wherever I stop for the night. That said, I've slept alone in the woods quite a bit over the years.
Ditto. I just got back from doing the Hundred Mile Wilderness. I went on my own, but only spent the first night alone (I hung my hammock near shelters most of the time, and used a campsite once). I like to cook in shelters but avoid sleeping in them because my snoring keeps everyone awake, and I got tired of folks throwing balled up socks my way in the middle of the night. It takes a few trips to get used to being alone, but, for the most part, I prefer to hike alone to work things out in my head and to enjoy nature uninterrupted. That said, I did hike with my son (he's 23) on the last three days ( to Katahdin Stream campground, up and down the mountain, and back to Abol Bridge) and enjoyed his company immensely.
DuctTape
09-24-2008, 00:25
The great majority of my hiking has been solo as well. I think it's spoiled me to the degree that I need more time to myself than the average person to stay sane...
glanton04
09-24-2008, 14:59
All my section hikes have been solo. Just about always meet others at shelters and what not.
f8lranger4x4
09-24-2008, 17:04
Well all went ok. I didn't end up solo ended up camping with Tennessee and his son. Great people. Also talked to Ellie cat this morning as she headed back south on her flip-flop journy.
did my 1st solo overnighter recently and i really enjoyed it. i went faster than i do when hiking with others, and was able to set out early instead of waiting on my hiking buddy to get up and ready.
i was a little nervous to sleep alone in the woods, but i came across some hikers as it was getting dark and i set up just out of earshot but in view of their candle lantern.
it was a great feeling being out there alone - i plan on doing more solo hikes from now on.
Hey - new here.
I do most of my hiking alone. I tried for years to get groups of people together and then realized that several days before people mysteriously can't be reached or they back out for a variety of reasons, most I don't believe. I swear, one of my friend's girlfriends has had dentist appointments that she needs a ride to 4 or 5 times a year for the past two years and they always happen on the weekends we're going hiking/camping. As other people cancel, more people find it easier to back out. For that time, when the whole group cancelled out, I'd end up cancelling out myself.
I gave up this past year in trying to get other people to go and have found it nice going solo. I put out the word that I'm going most of the time and set my own objectives, if other people join then that's nice, if not, I'm still going.
It's good going solo. I get to go at my own pace, stop where I want, not stop where I don't want (a lot of people for whatever reason want to stop at every single water passage and on a lot of trails, that can get frustrating), and the biggest thing for me is starting in the morning when I want to. I can't seem to get up for work at 7 every day, but every day without fail on the trail, I can get up at 5 or even earlier for a start. I don't get sick on the trail, causing the trip to end. It's just a pleasant experience.
Weirder so, I've noticed that while hiking in a group, your group can sometimes become antisocial towards other groups on the trail. Hiking solo, you meet more people.
I've been contemplating getting a dog recently to take on my solo hikes (plus I'd just love to have a dog around the house). I guess that wouldn't be "solo" anymore, but that can be some reliable fun company.
I hiked the AT in New Jersey last week solo when I couldn't connect to anyone to go with. I only camped solo one night since I was constantly meeting other hikers. My only concern was when I spotted some very fresh bear sign in the middle of the trail while I was alone. Otherwise I enjoyed both the time alone and the company I meet.
Yeti
Lots of solo hikes for me. I prefer hiking with a friend or two, but won't let hiking alone keep me from the trail.
Like Two Speed tho, I often have one or both of my dogs with me on my trips.
Like others the scheduling usually makes solo easier. In the mornings and up to noon I'll hike slow then I pick up the pace till evening. I too like to cook at shelters but usually won't camp near one.
boarstone
10-04-2008, 07:59
how Many People Here Hike Solo Overnight?
Me! Me! Me!:d
fancyfeet
10-04-2008, 17:23
Me too! I have hiked ~80 miles with companions, ~1350 solo. :sun
f8lranger4x4
10-04-2008, 23:00
Well camping alone doesn't seem to be as bad as i thought it would be. So hopefully it will keep going that way.
Stay safe
jon
Chicken Feathers
10-05-2008, 20:21
Go hike weather you have a hiking partner or not. You will have a good time either way.
Well all went ok. I didn't end up solo ended up camping with Tennessee and his son. Great people. Also talked to Ellie cat this morning as she headed back south on her flip-flop journy.
Sounds like you had a good time.
Ya know, they say it isn't safe to hike alone.
Who the heck are they anyhow?
Must be those who haven't done it.
f8lranger4x4
10-10-2008, 11:38
Thanks everyone for your responses.
How many people here hike solo overnight?
I've done so many times. And of course, most thru hikers end up hiking solo for many nights. I hiked solo, actually with always shifting groups of hikers, in 1993, until I picked up a grandchild, then age 11 at Harpers Ferry, and a couple of sisters and a sister's significant other in Pennsylvania.
The additions slowed me down, but the grandchild needed me and the trail, more than I needed an uninterupted walk to Katahdin.
But getting back to the question. There's always a bit of a risk in hiking solo, especially in a rarely frequented region. But for me, the risk is overcome by the enjoyment of being alone in the woods and mountains without being interrupted by the needs and concerns of another human being.
Weary
Hammock Hanger
10-13-2008, 20:46
Alone in the woods at night is my favorite time.
notorius tic
10-13-2008, 20:53
I due just got back from MAINE...... F-ing perfect weather............ JUST fabulios....
notorius tic
10-13-2008, 20:56
WELL i admit I enjoy my BUD with me "his name is Bandit" so ultimatley im not alone just a partner that only speaks the language that he an I understand"
I almost always hike solo. Even when with a partner, I have sometimes camped alone. And, as I hammock, I always sleep alone :p
Solo hiking isn't as scary as you may think, you have to be comfortable with yourself, sometimes for long periods (1.5 days is My longest, so far). And, you need to bear in mind that there are alot of "weird" noises in the woods at night, some real, some in your head, 99.999% are harmless.
Hiking with someone ican be great, especally if you get along well & have a similar hiking pace, but when you solo, you only have to: keep pace with yourself, get along with yourself, care for youself, etc.
f8lranger4x4
10-14-2008, 17:12
Well I'm headed back out tomorrow on a solo overnighter here we go
I met a "solo" hiker last weekend. He came into the Glen Brook campsite after dark, looking for the shelter. After seeing him get lost several times, I escorted him down the hill. It was quite a ways from where I set up, so I almost got lost finding it myself. A short while later, the guy returned and asked if he could stay near us because he did not like staying alone. I detected some real sniveling as he said this. I said sure, no problem. Some "solo" hiker. :rolleyes:
He was a young kid, maybe 18, from Israel on holiday in the states.
f8lranger4x4
10-14-2008, 17:41
lol ya I'm not gonna lie some places give me the creeps.
Ramble~On
10-15-2008, 17:43
Solo Hiking is my favorite way to go.
What better way to Hike Your Own Hike than to do just that.
Nature has a calming effect and allows for deeper thought. I find that by heading out solo for a few days or longer provides the solitude that allows for deeper concentration. When out alone I feel that my senses are much sharper and tuned in. I see more wildlife when hiking solo and always seem to enjoy the time out more than when out with others.
NICKTHEGREEK
10-15-2008, 18:11
90 % of the time getting away from everyone for 2 days or so is why I hike
Plodderman
10-18-2008, 21:52
Almost always hike by myself but occaisionally I will hike with people if I can find people who like to hike and are good company. Over thirty years of hiking I have found 4 or 5 people I enjoy hiking with.
trouthunter
10-19-2008, 00:08
I hike solo a lot, well with a dog, if that still counts. I go a lot of places most people I know don't want to go, bushwacking and stuff. I tend to also be the organized, prepared type, and that seems to run against the younger guys way of doing things.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not uptight, or a real by the book guy. I take each day and each situation as it presents itself, but I'm well prepared since I have been doing this quite a while and that's how I prefer to "roll".:D
I don't get lonely or scared, thanks to my wonderful friend, Boo.
Boo is a 126 lb. Akita, he is trained as a pack dog and makes a great friend.
Having a well trained dog as a sentry puts me at ease, since he can hear things long before me, and things I would not have heard at all. He also can pinpoint the direction he hears things, something humans can not do as well.
I enjoy going with my friends, but going solo forces you to be self reliant and you learn to make good decisions.
Also If you do something stupid, no one else knows about it!:D
Tipi Walter
10-19-2008, 09:44
For short backpacking trips(up to 10-15 days), hiking alone is a near-perfect experience with no explanation needed. Then again, when you see a bumblebee flying by or a newt dropping into the tent for a visit, it's hard to know what "solo" means or being "alone".
On the other hand, spending 20 years backpacking and living outdoors alone can cause a person to seek out(even desperately)the companionship of like-minded individuals. Loneliness and the Woods is a subject that should be studied by any backpacker and is a subject much more important than gear, map reading, trail descriptions, backpack choice or all the rest of the stuff so apparently important to the hiker and outdoorsman. Long-term loneliness is a human dilemma and exists everywhere for most humans, but it is further accented by staying out in the wilds for long periods of time.
The scene that comes to mind is Dustin Hoffman in the movie LITTLE BIG MAN. He's going thru his "hermit phase" and is standing atop a cliff babbling incoherently. Apt behavior after being alone in the woods too long.:)
I do most of my hiking solo...
Can't say I blame them.
I hike solo a lot, well with a dog, if that still counts. I go a lot of places most people I know don't want to go, bushwacking and stuff. I tend to also be the organized, prepared type, and that seems to run against the younger guys way of doing things.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not uptight, or a real by the book guy. I take each day and each situation as it presents itself, but I'm well prepared since I have been doing this quite a while and that's how I prefer to "roll".:D
I don't get lonely or scared, thanks to my wonderful friend, Boo.
Boo is a 126 lb. Akita, he is trained as a pack dog and makes a great friend.
Having a well trained dog as a sentry puts me at ease, since he can hear things long before me, and things I would not have heard at all. He also can pinpoint the direction he hears things, something humans can not do as well.
I enjoy going with my friends, but going solo forces you to be self reliant and you learn to make good decisions.
Also If you do something stupid, no one else knows about it!:DI'm not sure if that does count as solo hiking, not completely I mean. The only reason I say that is when Grandad quit smoking way back he headed for the woods and even his dog wouldn't go with him for the first couple of weeks. LOL.
trouthunter
10-19-2008, 13:16
Tipi brings up a good point about the dynamics of being alone.
The longest time I have spent alone in the backcountry is three months, I'm sure Tipi has me beat on that one, but I have found that the solitude allows me to more intensely immerse myself in my surroundings.
You are really able to become part of what is going on around you. You you are able to "tune in" or "assimilate" with the ecosystem much faster without the distraction of human interaction.
I find that the daily rhythm I'm used to in the civilized world is not in sync with the wilderness so I make adjustments to my habits and behavior to more closely reflect what is going on around me in the wild.
After a while you really start to think differently about your surroundings, you begin learning things even without realizing it.
To be alone, separated from the civilized world you are used to, frees you from the stress that world causes. I often find that I'm under much more stress than I think I am because I get used to it on a daily basis, a week or two in a pristine area by myself really reminds me of that.
I am always reminded of how loud and rushed the concrete jungle is after a long solo trip.
The wilderness experience is something you drink in, it gets in your system, and it changes you.
I am for one a better person because of it.
Tipi Walter
10-19-2008, 13:48
Trouthunter's statement, "The wilderness experience is something you drink in, it gets in your system, and it changes you," pretty much explains my whole life, the words I write that come from this experience, and explains the friends I have made or walked away from. I call it The Call of the Wild and apparently it's a call not heard by all. And no matter how bad the loneliness gets or how often comes the quick alleviation of it thru sporadic hook-ups, after a couple of weeks with someone I'm ready again to hit the trail and return to the world of pumping nylon. They are welcome to join me but they hardly ever do. It seems it's always me that has to join their world, but the door is cracked and like a dog my snout is always partway out the front, sniffing for the next hit of fresh air and the next opportunity to run into the trees.
So, we become experts at loneliness and wilderness and we become qualified to interpret the interaction between Syphilization and the Wild Lands. In other words, is a flush toilet and a hot shower enough to keep me indoors, home-bound, in debt and syphilized? Don't think so. Just prepared to be lonely, then.
NICKTHEGREEK
10-19-2008, 14:30
I met a "solo" hiker last weekend. He came into the Glen Brook campsite after dark, looking for the shelter. After seeing him get lost several times, I escorted him down the hill. It was quite a ways from where I set up, so I almost got lost finding it myself. A short while later, the guy returned and asked if he could stay near us because he did not like staying alone. I detected some real sniveling as he said this. I said sure, no problem. Some "solo" hiker. :rolleyes:
He was a young kid, maybe 18, from Israel on holiday in the states.
And your point?
I like hiking solo and with a partner. It depends on my frame of mind. If I want to make miles or just clear my head I hike solo. I like to socialize too. On a social hike I still hike solo, but camp with friends.
Those of you who hike "solo" with a dog, do you consider that solo?
I find that without a mutt in tow, things are very different.
I was just kidding really. I think it could still count as solo, if you wanted it to.
Dogs can provide companionship without neccessarily interfering with solitude.
I've done mostly solo hiking .I once went 8 days in the back-country of the Grand Canyon without seeing another person and when I finally did it was a group of about 20 really loud kids that NPS has sent to Boucher Creek >Talk about culture shock
The advantages of solo hiking are that you always HYOH
and that interstingly enough solo hiking is actually safer than hiking in a group is becuse you don't have the collective group ego pushing the group into places where certain members of the group have no busines being.
Solo hikers are very much aware of the fact that fact that if they frog up ,that the cavalry is not going to come over the hill to rescue them and that they are the cavalry
The end result is a very self -disciplined pragmatic hiker who knows that since he can't frog up...he doesn't
Another is advantage is that I'm a believer in the old hiking maxim that says that you should never hike faster than you can sing and all those who have heard me sing immediatley understand why I hike solo
A disadvantage of hiking solo is that your packweights tend to be heavier due to the fact that you can't split up the weight of non consumable community gear with another person
f8lranger4x4
10-21-2008, 11:59
I've done mostly solo hiking .I once went 8 days in the back-country of the Grand Canyon without seeing another person and when I finally did it was a group of about 20 really loud kids that NPS has sent to Boucher Creek >Talk about culture shock
The advantages of solo hiking are that you always HYOH
and that interstingly enough solo hiking is actually safer than hiking in a group is becuse you don't have the collective group ego pushing the group into places where certain members of the group have no busines being.
Solo hikers are very much aware of the fact that fact that if they frog up ,that the cavalry is not going to come over the hill to rescue them and that they are the cavalry
The end result is a very self -disciplined pragmatic hiker who knows that since he can't frog up...he doesn't
Another is advantage is that I'm a believer in the old hiking maxim that says that you should never hike faster than you can sing and all those who have heard me sing immediatley understand why I hike solo
A disadvantage of hiking solo is that your packweights tend to be heavier due to the fact that you can't split up the weight of non consumable community gear with another person
This is a good view on soloing thanks
f8lranger4x4
10-23-2008, 23:12
I think I like soloing