Backpacking alone

[Gunny Webb]

Lately I have found I like to go alone sometimes. It gives you more freedom to see side trails, check overlooks and take pictures. A group seems to be more goal oriented. I went with a good sized group one time and there was 5 women that were 25-35 and all former track stars in college. Had to be the worst demonstration of a testosterone contest I have ever seen. Never saw a bunch of men that competative. The army would love folks like that!
I'm 50 years old and don't care to compete anymore.
I don't want to start a thread on pros and cons of backpaing alone.
What I am interested in is
1 Do you go alone?
2 What precautions do you take?
3 Are you more consevative or try be be more aggressive?

I am more conservative to the extent of paying much more attention to footing and surroundings.
Always leave explicite details of my hike. If straying off trail, flagging is left behind so I can be found if I don't return. The flagging is cleaned up when I come back through of coarse.
Carry an extra day of food and a little more exposure protection than needed.

Even day hiking alone I carry extra food and a bivy cover for a unexpected overnighter. Once found a hiker down and stayed all night with him. He had nothing for gear and could barely walk. I pitched camp, started a fire and we ate. Walked out the next morning meeting the rescue party one mile from trailhead. Extra stuff for emergencies usually only adds a couple of so pounds.

[ppine]

Gunny,
You answered your own questions. Solo is great but takes some cautions. It is definitely not for people with weak mental toughness.

[Grandpa]

Dog and I solo a lot. I do add a pistol when alone and I carry a SPOT tracker. In a group I find it harder to stay up to their speed anymore but at the end of the day, alone, I make better mileage.

The SPOT gives me so much more freedom now. I used to leave a very detailed itinerary and then had to stick to it but with the tracker, I can just tell my basic destination and then follow where my nose leads me. I'm fortunate to live close to areas where I can sometimes go a week without seeing another soul.

[Pathfinder1]

Originally Posted by Gunny Webb

1 Do you go alone?
2 What precautions do you take?
3 Are you more consevative or try be be more aggressive?

I am more conservative to the extent of paying much more attention to footing and surroundings.
Always leave explicite details of my hike. If straying off trail, flagging is left behind so I can be found if I don't return. The flagging is cleaned up when I come back through of coarse.

Carry an extra day of food and a little more exposure protection than needed.

Even day hiking alone I carry extra food and a bivy cover for a unexpected overnighter. Once found a hiker down and stayed all night with him. He had nothing for gear and could barely walk. I pitched camp, started a fire and we ate. Walked out the next morning meeting the rescue party one mile from trailhead. Extra stuff for emergencies usually only adds a couple of so pounds.

Hi...


The flagging is a great idea.

I always carry some extra gear too, even for a day hike. You can never tell what that day will bring.

#1 Always gone alone, so far.

#2 I don't carry a firearm.

#3 Neutral.

[Lamebeaver]

About half my trips are solo. I do carry a PLB but didn't always do so. You just need to realize that if you hurt yourself in a remote location, it may be a long time (if ever) before they find your body.

[Theosus]

I plan on doing mostly solo stuff. I have a 9 year old daughter, she has expressed interest but I don't see her enjoying a hiking/camping weekend. I could be wrong....but I think when her Nintendo DS dies, she will be ready to go. And that's still pretty solo in my opinion, it's not like she could go for help on her own.
I plan to carry my pistol. I'm trained on it and carry it every day.
I want to get one of those inReach things, so people will know where I am.

[pastywhite]

Originally Posted by Theosus

I plan on doing mostly solo stuff. I have a 9 year old daughter, she has expressed interest but I don't see her enjoying a hiking/camping weekend. I could be wrong....but I think when her Nintendo DS dies, she will be ready to go. And that's still pretty solo in my opinion, it's not like she could go for help on her own.
I plan to carry my pistol. I'm trained on it and carry it every day.
I want to get one of those inReach things, so people will know where I am.

You gotta take her. Do a single overnight trip and keep the mileage short. I always make sure my boys have something to do (camp near water). I leave the electronics at home but I can understand why you think you might need it. I have never missed them though. Let her help do everything from pitching the tent to starting the fire and she will probably enjoy it. The key is short mileage (at least to start) and picking a campsite with something she likes. My boys like anything wet so we always camp near a stream. If she enjoys it you can do longer days and multi-day trips with her. This is a great opportunity to build some father-daughter time into a calendar that is about to explode with non-dad stuff.


As for going solo. I prefer it most of the time. I takes my kids a few times per year plus we do 3-3 day over nighters per year with scouts.I normally spend about 25-30 night per year on trail and most of that is solo. A buddy will want to tag along sometimes and that is great.

For protection. I take the equipment I need to survive 24 hours if I am hurt, With my detailed list left at home it would not be hard to find me. Jut gotta sit tight and wait for rescue.

[Mudslide]

I've always gone solo until a friend went with me on my thru hike of the Foothills Trail back in Nov. and it definitely added another's perspective that Im not use to, albeit good on this trip.
#2 I usually just leave an itenerary of where Im going for an overnighter, and when I should be back.
#3 Depends on the weather really as to if Im going to be more conservative or aggressive. More heat/humidity Im definitely more conservative.

[IndianaHiker]

I really don't take any extra gear that I wouldn't carry with a group. I don't have a spot or PLB so I leave details with someone. Don't carry firearm and I am neither more or less cautious when alone when compared to a group.

[Barney]

I go alone on daily hikes but almost never on overnighters. About precautions, well, bringing quality gear is what I consider being cautious. As for aggressiveness, you can say I'm a tad more aggressive by myself because I rarely find anyone to keep up with me as much as I would like to.