Findings on going solo

Count yourself lucky that you have a spouse who shares the enjoyment!

What she said ^^

Sometimes it’s nice to get out on my own. But yeah a lot of the time it’s the people you’re with who really make the trip.

HJ
Adventures In Stoving
Hikin’ Jim’s Blog

some people are more anti-social : )

"So many people seem to go solo. I wonder if that is generally out of preference or something else."

It must be that they have no friends, amirite? Poor b******s, it must be awful not being just like me.

(edited for forgetting the PG language policy)

Solo hiking lends itself to a different style than accompanied hiking.

If I go out solo in similar style as when I hike with my wife (i.e. moderately challenging walk, normal gear, some time to relax) then I tend to get a little bored/lonely. However, solo can be really rewarding if you use it as an opportunity to grow yourself. Try to do a bigger day than you've ever done, or pack less, or attempt to navigate a tricky route, or just pull in some new skill like Tenkara. When you're challenged then you don't get bored. Solo is ideal for expanding your understanding of your own limitations because there's less distractions.

One thing I like to do is head out for a solo one nighter when the weather looks really poor. Trying to stay comfortable when it's 33F and pouring rain helps you develop really useful skills and knowledge. It'll make normal camping less intimidating and you'll be more prepared if things do go downhill on a normal trip.

Yeah, it's kind of like DD said. Solo is a very different thing than hiking with others. When I'm with others, it's social, it's about friendship, mutual support, and all that. When I'm alone, things like the physical challenge, the mental challenge, prayer, accomplishment, improving myself, spontaneity, and embracing bad weather take center stage. I want to go, go, go; stopping with only enough day left for supper and maybe an hour of reading. Not the same game. If I could only do it one way, it would be solo. Fortunately, I can do both!

So, is solo mainly about type 2 fun for those of you who do it regularly?

+1 to Dan's comments above.

I don't think it's so much about Type 2 death marches as it is about having either enough distance or challenging terrain to cover so you have an objective and have less time in camp to sit idly.

"So, is solo mainly about type 2 fun for those of you who do it regularly?"

Not for me. I've done a lot of solo over the last 40 years, some of it for the reasons DD stated but, more often than not, just to wander leisurely in remote, beautiful places alone with my thoughts, undistracted by the necessity of interacting with another person and catering to their needs. But I have also done a lot of hiking with one other trusted companion, which offers an entirely different set of attractions. I find it nice to be able to do both comfortably.

same here, solo all the time, it simplifies things to just do as I please.

some people are more into socializing which is also good. Occasionally I'll do trips with someone(s) else.

I just find the journeys are more intense when solo and everything is amplified. The beauty, the experience, my feelings…

And, as I am getting older and my free time is not quite as free, I realize it is far easier to do the trip I want rather than the trip other people want to do with me.

Going with a person or persons means compromise. Times when I have to get back, what is done post trip, what route it taken, when and where to make camp.

I will do trips with other people. But what I found is that any trip longer than a weekend is just not as enjoyable for me if other people are with me. I want to do my trip..not a trip I have to compromise with others.

Selfish perhaps…but there it is.

The exception is car camping trips with my wife. But those usual have a cultural component (Hovenweep National Monument for example) that I frankly enjoy sharing with my better half. But, I doubt I'd take her on a multiday backpack. She would not enjoy it…neither would I.

I'm with Paul, Tom & Jerry, I find going solo to be much more relaxing than going with a group. I usually do 2 or 3 four day long solo trips a year. I always make grandiose plans of what to do and where to go but almost never do what I planned. And I'm not the least bit disappointed. I think it's great to just wander around and do whatever strikes your fancy at that moment. Usually what strikes my fancy is lounging around by the best views or the nicest creeks, things I don't do with groups. Maybe group camping is goal oriented and solo camping is soul oriented. It's nice for it to be all about me for those few short days. My aging dog likes solo camping much better.

"I usually do 2 or 3 four day long solo trips a year. I always make grandiose plans of what to do and where to go but almost never do what I planned. And I'm not the least bit disappointed."

Thanks for this, Rob. Your thoughts are good for me to read. My wife enjoys backpacking at least as much as I do. I also run mountain trail ultramarathons, and I seem to try to turn every backpacking trip into a human performance test, then get frustrated when we 'smell the roses'. I should qualify this by noting that my wife is no slouch and can put down 20 mountain-miles per day (on trail). I thought going solo would let me attack every day and thereby find greater enjoyment. I did average 35+ miles per day at 10,000-11,000 feet in the Colorado Rockies. But, I enjoyed it less than previous trips. I still may do a few solo trips if my wife can't get away from work. However, I learned that FOR ME racing ultras is the place for testing my limits and that backpacking is for sharing and enjoying with my wife.

"However, I learned that FOR ME racing ultras is the place for testing my limits and that backpacking is for sharing and enjoying with my wife."

That's cool.

Enoying solo or NOT enjoying solo is not good or bad. It is just personal preference.

There's a reason why Baskin Robbins makes so many different flavors and not just vanilla. :)

I've personally found planning with a girlfriend to be a lot easier than planning with others. I agree it can be worth the extra difficulty to share the experience, but they can also implode if they're not mentally and physically ready for the trip.

Hiking solo, you will see a ton more animals though which is cool. Deer, squirels, birds and even large predators will walk right up to you alot more often solo.

Section hiking the AT is cool because you can solo all day, and then stop for a social circle at one of the shelters.

Solo hiking you can put on some cool music to help power up a ridge, or an audiobook to take the mind off the the foot pain.

I have friends that get annoyed walking at another's pace. They'll agree to meet at a waypoint or campsite, but will otherwise hike a mile ahead or behind.

I did three solo trips last year and have done two so far this year. I like hiking with the right partner, but I find it a rewarding personal challenge to venture out alone, especially on a trail I haven't done before.

I find the anxieties peak in the 24 hours before I go. I pretty much have to push myself out the door. I always find once my boots hit the trail it's all good.

I also realize that the reason why I enjoy going solo is for the simplicity. I touched upon it a few posts up, but is it just easier to go solo for me.

I wrote this earlier this week and on my lunch time stroll, I realized the simplicity of going solo is really a large part oft the appeal for me.

http://www.pmags.com/simplicity

I generally prefer to backpack alone. Backpacking with others isn't terrible and in many ways great/superior, but on balance…

That said, when I leave my partner for a night or a week, the first 24 hours on trail is an adjustment — from a social world to a solitary one — and not an entirely pleasant one, either. Eventually on day 2 I'll have 'recalibrated' and things will be pretty ideal for the remainder.

The point is that I don't do many one-nighters.

Solo is more rewarding
Less trouble
Meet more people and talk to them

Appreciate surroundings instead of listening to someone else chatter, breathe, fart, belch, sing, complain, etc.

Never have your trai view blocked by someones backside. Trails are singletrack usually.

Quieter, see more wildlife

Besides, chances of finding someone else who can take a few weeks off at same time, is slim anyway.

If you want a partner, you can find a loose one on trail. One you can ditch when you get tired of them.

There are fewer personality conflicts with solo travel. Seriously any trip changes involve less drama (pace, when to camp, etc..)

I can't think of any hiking companion I've had who would have been on board with the decision to break camp at 2:30 this morning and hike 7 miles before breakfast.

Perhaps I need to widen my pool of hiking companions.

Like everyone else has said, group hikes are social and a lot of fun. However, solo hiking is more ritualistic. I learn about myself, have time to fine tune and try new techniques, and don't have to worry about pleasing everyone. Also, and this is completely prideful, I love blasting past all of the 'others' with my lightweight and refined gear set, leaving them in the dust as the plebeians they are; j/k.

My first couple solo hikes I found sad, boring, and a little scary. The both happened to feature intense thunderstorms and large animals walking past me in the night (ended up being elk and wild horses :)). However, as time has progressed, they have really grown on me. The only thing I share about these hikes with anyone else is leaving my itinerary with someone, checking in when I get back, and photos.

In regards to safety, I am going to invest in a GPS locator beacon thingie. I think they are a bit overpriced but in reality, for me, it is completely stupid to solo without one of these.

Drifting …

"In regards to safety, I am going to invest in a GPS locator beacon thingie. I think they are a bit overpriced but in reality, for me, it is completely stupid to solo without one of these."

I just bought my second one. My wife is happy to know she is absolved of all responsibility concerning any needed assistance. She sleeps well. I know that I will do everything I can to avoid predicaments, and everything I can to get out of them. But it is reassuring to know that if things go south, help will arrive sooner or later.

$250/7 years = $36/year. A pretty good return on investment.

….end drift.

"In regards to safety, I am going to invest in a GPS locator beacon thingie. I think they are a bit overpriced but in reality, for me, it is completely stupid to solo without one of these."

Sorry, that's just not true, at least not if you generalize it beyond "for me." Folks been hiking alone for thousands of years before GPS even existed. I go well prepared, tell someone where I'm going and when to expect me back, and dare anyone to call that stupid. :-)