Hello Friends!
Today we are going to be discussing solo trips, specifically overnight solo trips.
Striking out on your own can be ubber intimidating, especially the first time, but the feeling of independence and freedom is so worth it. I promise!
First, let’s start with safety. Ladies, I know this is the first thing on our minds because we are going into the wilderness alone and we’ve all seen the horror movies and every crime show ever but here’s how I go about feeling safe on the trail:
To start with, I bring my dog. A dog will hear things before you do and knows when something is wrong. Even before I got my dog I borrowed my parent’s dog when I went camping, just as an early warning system. And now when I go, Poppy (who is normally the biggest chicken… yelped at a fly because it flew past her ear kinda chicken) turns into a guard dog on the trail when it’s just me and her. She’ll scare off anything from an intrusive chipmunk to a deer, even trying to guard and steer me away from a bear.
I also bring an air horn and a few different aerosols. The air horn works for scaring off big game animals and letting people know you need help if something happens. The aerosols work as an eye irritant for anything that gets too close for comfort and doesn’t appear to be stopping.
Knives are something else I bring when I go camping. One is for regular use and is about a 5-inch blade. It folds away nicely with a clip to fit onto my belt. I use this for cutting ropes, getting rid of hangnails, opening packages, killing those BIG spiders, and even cutting meat if needed. This knife washes super well and is very open in how it’s built so you can air dry it while it’s closed if needed.
My next knife is a borderline machete. It’s an 18-inch fixed blade knife with a sheath. This knife is used for cutting larger items like potatoes, carrots, small branches, and de-scaling fish, and works extremely well as a deterrent for any nosey people on the trail that make you feel uncomfortable. Most people who see something like that among your gear will say “heck no”, and avoid it.
And finally, keep lots of lighting on you. If you have a four-legged neighbour come to visit at night, bright light can be the first deterrent, along with a bit of noise. I take a lantern for my tent as well as a headlamp, just so I’m covered in case one goes out.
I had one occasion on my first solo trip where I was at the furthest point of my trip into the bush. I was very tired, had just set up my tent and water filter after trekking all day and was not in the mood to be on guard. I got changed into a swimsuit to go wash up (it was very needed) and two men came down the trail. My site was set up in a weird way where they pretty much walk right by my campfire to continue on the trail, which was not ideal. I saw them come up to the site, made sure I had Poppy nearby, made a note of where my defence items were and grabbed a towel. Once they had passed and I could see from the packs that they were just a couple of photographers, I knew I had probably never been in any sort of danger. They were friendly, apologized for having to cut through the site, and walked through as quickly as they could. True trail gentlemen who recognized I was probably very uncomfortable (young, female, in a swimsuit, in the middle of the forest, and completely alone) and diffused the situation as quickly as they could.
Next, let's talk about weight. Pack as light as possible! Going in solo means carrying everything in by yourself. The stove, the first aid kit, the cookware, the tent, the food …all of it. I had a really hard time keeping my pack to under 55-60 pounds during my first solo hike. Luckily I was only going 10 km a day and wasn’t rushed but because of the time of year I was going, I needed every little thing in my pack. Buying lightweight gear is your first step and then from that point, cut down on anything you safely can. This goes for both canoeing and hiking. I bring only one set of warm clothes and one set of cold clothes. No one is going to smell you out there and you can always wash an article of clothing after using it.
Lightweight gear can be expensive but there are a few things I have been able to make myself or modify. I’ll make a post about that soon. (Need to make sure it all works first and then I will let you all know so you don’t have to experiment for yourselves!)
I also recommend taking a refresher CPR/First aid course, if you are due for one. There are courses available specifically for back country camping as well now!
When you are by yourself you need to be more conscious of where you are at, in terms of your health, and you need to know how to keep yourself safe if something happens. You should also know when it’s time to cut your trip short.
On my first solo trip, I was heading into the furthest part of my loop-style trip and noticed the clouds were continuing to come in a bit darker each day and the sun was coming out less often. I knew from watching the weather for a few days before the trip that a few bad storms were coming in but they weren’t supposed to hit until the day after I finished my trip. By day 3/5 I woke up to the winds picking up more, the forest had turned quiet, and the air felt different. Once I got out of my tent I looked at the sky and the clouds had continued to get even darker and were moving in quick. The clouds had quickly transformed from a sliver of dark (almost indigo) clouds on the horizon to deep grey and billowing quickly across the lake towards my site. From the moment I saw the small sliver I decided it was time to pack up early and get to my next site before the rain hit. By the time I had packed up (just under 40 minutes) the large billowing clouds were looking very ominous and I started to have a gut feeling that it was time to pack out, even though I hadn’t gotten all the photos yet.
I turned back the way I came rather than head to the next site because it saved me 3 km. Four and a half hours later Poppy and I reached the car, very exhausted. By the time I got back onto paved roads she was asleep in the passenger seat and the rain had started. The next morning I woke up at home and checked the weather for the area to see if my instinct was correct or if I had overreacted. It turns out there had been flash floods and extreme thunderstorms with high winds all through the area I was trekking in. My little 2 person tent would not have made it through that. The sites I was planning on being at were parked near the edge of a 40-foot drop-off into the lake and had enough loose topsoil and dead pine leaves that I needed to put rocks over my tent pegs to keep the tent taut. The moral of the story is: Always listen to your gut.
I have a few other stories about knowing when to leave and when to stick it out but I’ll save those for a post regarding weather while back country camping.
One other thing to consider while camping overnight by yourself is that if you are used to sharing a tent with at least one other person you need to make up for that body heat absence. For me, I brought a spring/winter sleeping bag and a small blanket that was mostly for the pup, but she ended up crawling into my bag with me so keeping warm wasn’t a problem.
Bringing a pack-away winter coat for the trail and a toque can help a lot at night. The first night it was especially cold and I ended up in my leggings, half-zip fleece, toque and clean dry (very important) socks. By the middle of the night, I needed my jacket from about 1 am till 5 am. Clean dry socks will keep your feet way warmer than damp socks, and dirty socks will not let your feet breathe, therefore contaminating the lining of your sleeping bag, which cuts down on its lifespan.
However, make sure you're not overdressing at night. I like to start with something basic. If it’s under 10 degrees I use my leggings, socks, warm sleeping bag, half zip or hoodie, and I keep my toque and jacket nearby so I’m not looking for them at night.
I also do up my hood on my sleeping bag. Getting a sleeping bag with a hood is the smartest way to camp when it’s cooler out. If you don’t have one, you could get quite cool. It used to be that when you needed a sleeping bag like that you had to get a mummy-style one, but now I am seeing envelope-style sleeping bags more often with a hood. When I say hood I am referring to the half dome piece that goes under your head with a drawstring so that you can pull it tight and keep your whole body warm when it’s cold. The drawstring lets you keep the body heat in while still leaving an opening for either your whole face or just your mouth, depending on what you are after. (I’ll attach a photo of what I mean at the bottom).
Don’t forget to keep your blood sugar and water levels up while you are on your own too. There’s no one else to watch for subtle signs of dehydration, low blood sugar, heat exhaustion, stroke, or anything else. You need to check in with your body frequently to make sure you catch the early signs before they become a problem.
If you are someone who struggles with ADHD then I recommend making a checklist to go through for yourself every hour. -Nothing big, just a very quick check on water, blurred vision, heart rate, skin temperature/feel, energy levels, and check your phone camera or your reflection for sunburn/flushed face (more than your normal after exercise).
Hiking, backwoods camping, and canoeing can be great for ADHD but we often get so caught up in our trek, the environment, and following map that we forget to check in on ourselves. I started a habit of checking through my checklist every time I see 45 on my watch. Sometimes you will still get side-tracked and forget, which is okay, because the point of checking in every hour is even if you do forget it’s only been two hours since the last one, and you can still catch things.
I will be going into mental health on the trail, as well as different mental illnesses, (I know I don’t like the term either) and how they can BENEFIT you in the wilderness. I will also cover how to use some natural techniques and methods of stabilizing ourselves in a separate post, but it will be a few weeks before that is up as I am still collecting various opinions, tips, and tricks from other trail goers.
That’s all for your guide to solo trips overnight!
Stay safe, active and healthy! And stay tuned for the next post which should be up in a few days, discussing the topic of keeping hydrated on the trail!
*in the second picture Poppy has graciously demonstrated what pulling the hood around your face looks like. For humans, this lets you breathe while still staying toasty warm!*
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