Why are you a solo hiker

[nsherry61]

Mostly because, I like hiking and often there are not other people with the same time available and/or the same ambition or goals I have.
Sometimes I just need to get out and meditate in my own personal mind space without others to add clutter.

[Crossup]

Because of pace mismatches...I go from couch to 6-7miles a day to 10-12miles after 5-6 days. I also think if you camp with someone hiking it would only a take a night or two to run out of interesting conversation, then its small talk just like real life- no thanks. Perhaps the exception to that would be my wife, we already know how to deal with that

[JJ505]

@Crossup: "Pace mismatches" is a good word for it.

I'm an older guy, have had an ankle injury (might be why, I'm very slow). Also have a Corgi, who is pretty slow too. The people I do know who like to hike are doing 10-15 miles on their hikes and I am lucky to do 3-4 miles. However, the people I know who might like to hike are not able to do the grade hikes that I enjoy with elevation gains of 1000 feet and that type of thing. I don't particular want to "hike" in a city park. I have a partner who will go out with me if I go on a short hike (1-2 hours).

I do like solo hiking and I can go/do where I want, but I had a hiking partner once who had similar interests and I very much enjoyed that.

[Strategic]

I just like hiking my own hike. I get into the woods to be without schedules or obligations, but I always feel like I'm tied down when I'm hiking with someone else. It's a matter of getting the attitudinal adjustment I want out of a hike.

[Leo L.]

Most of my travels and other adventurs I did alone, even when rock climbing I developed some tricks to be able to do it alone.
Mostly due to the fact that it was hard to find somebody to do the same thing at the same time with the same intensity.

The same is going on now since I started hiking in the sense you US guys understand it.
It seems that I'm the only one around here doing such overnight/multiday trips with sleeping outdoors.
I have no problem being solo, I can enjoy myself for days on end.

When hiking with my wife I adopt her pace, me usually carrying a (much) heavier pack so we both break about the same sweat.
We really love it to be together in the outdoors, just the two of us. Don't need to speak for hours. We never part during the day, always walk together.
The family is pulling her back home soon, though, so our time out is limited to a few days apiece usually.

[Recalc]

Always enjoyed hiking with others, but when I started hiking alone, a newfound confidence in hiking skills & ability came that were not previously there.

[JJ505]

I hiked a few times with a co-worker who would go thru the various work issues. Yikes, nothing I needed less. (I'm retired now, so that's why its past tense.)

[Odd Man Out]

My user name says it all.

[ScareBear]

I usually don't have a problem finding somebody to day hike. WHEN I want somebody to day hike with me...which isn't always or even often.

Overnight hiking is a completely different animal. For me it starts as a logistical problem...coordinating days off. Plus, I often do my overnights on fairly short notice, since that is how work is for me...not a lot of overnight windows, so when one opens I go for it. The next part is certainly "compatibility". Just because somebody is willing to do a multi day hike with me doesn't mean that I want them to do a multi day hike with me...

It isn't, contrary to popular belief, because I am a curmudgeon. It's just that my time in the woods is precious and I have to weigh that against the downsides of a partner. More than one person and it is a freaking expedition and unless it is a ski trip...no thanks. So, do I want this person to be with me for 2-4 days/nights in the woods? That narrows the possibilities down dramatically.

So, that is why I hike alone much of the time. I have a couple of friends who love to get out on the trail and overnight, but the coordination of time off the major obstacle there...

HYOH. YMMV. NTTAWWT.

[windlion]

Thanks for opening this thread, Hoosier. Lot more folks out on the trail like me than I thought. Hiking my own hike, and happy to see you all at the end of the day if we happen to stop at the same place.

[cs2blue]

Hiking with other means compromising on many levels. Easier to manage just myself. I will only be alone if I choose to be. Other wise will have company and we will be like minded. That is the adventure!

[pesphoto]

i do pretty much everything else solo so.....

[JPritch]

I love hiking far and fast, and no one else I know is in the same boat.

That's a big one for me. My friends and fam can't keep up.

[Traffic Jam]

Just wondering why you solo hiker

..........

[Shae]

People mostly suck.

With all due respect, I heartily disagree. I hear that sentiment way too often and it saddens me. People are mostly good and overwhelmingly strive to do good and be a good person on a day to day basis. I also hike alone much of the time but for reasons stated by others in this thread. I realized long ago and I say often: "everyone has a story". And although I am a bit of an introvert, I love hearing those stories whether it be while on trail, on an airplane flight, or meeting someone new at a Thanksgiving get-together. I try and step out of my comfort zone and ask people what that story is. Hiking alone is great but hopefully those with a "people suck" attitude look inward a bit and perhaps figure out that those feelings may be a bit self-inflicted. My apologies for heading off on a tangent from the original post and wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving.

[ldsailor]

My first hike ever was just two years ago where I started at Springer Mountain. I had a partner who agreed to teach me what I needed to know. He had a problem a few days into the hike and I wanted to keep going so we parted. Then I linked up with a young lady. That lasted a couple of days before she dropped out. Then a young guy (teenager). He lasted five hours. Acknowledging the fact that I'm jinxed, I went alone for the rest of the way except several days with an older woman.

I hiked 532 miles in 2016 - most of it by myself. This year I did another 746 miles - a short distance with another hiker and the rest alone.

The fact that I'm older and a slow hiker hasn't seemed to be the problem. I guess it gets back to linking up with somebody who has the mental toughness and ability to do the hike. As I said. I'm slow, but I can still do 15 to 20 mile days.

While I really would like a hiking partner, it doesn't look like it's in the cards, so I'm not even going to try next year when I try to finish the AT.

[Night Train]

Because my proclivity for night hiking detours others from following along.

[sparky2000]

I've got the curse of "Not likeable" but love company - still, it's do it or don't and do it is more fun.

[Kaptainkriz]

Sometimes I just like silence...

[NY HIKER 50]

Some of you already said some of what I wanted to say. However, there's more. I don't wait around for the phone to ring. Many of the groups I lead for have aged out.

But wait, there's more. If I say anything about bears, snakes, bugs, etc. I can be sure they won't be coming. Also, if I say to bring a flashlight and a late return, forget it. I just cleared my slate. If I say we'll end in the dark, Bye Bye.

If I say to anyone that I want to explore an area, no one comes. No one is adventurous any more. Like I said and I'll repeat:

night hike? EEEEK
bears?EEEEK
ants? EEEEK
dark? EEEEK

It's easier to just put some gear in a pack, throw in some food, tie on my sneakers, and go at any time day OR Night.