Solo camping definitely appeals to me, but the thought of camping alone as a woman makes me nervous! I asked Paul from Outdoor Choose to share his top solo camping tips to set my mind at ease, and help prepare me for a solo camping trip.
Camping alone can be an incredible and enjoyable experience. People do solitary camping for numerous reasons; maybe you have decided to go camping alone for the peace and harmony it offers, or your friends or family had other plans, or perhaps your buddy cancelled the trip at the last minute.
But how safe are you when camping alone? Solo camping safety is something you have to bear in mind when camping alone, so this article will help to make your experience not only enjoyable but also safe.
Camping Alone Safely – 7 Solo Camping Tips
Solo Camping Tips: Plan Your Route
Whether you like to hang out for a campfire experience or go out for a hike, it is important that you plan your whole camping trip properly. Research the wilderness, camping areas, and trails you want to go to and know the flora and fauna, as well as other landmarks. Hiking alone has its own challenges, so it’s a good idea to practise going hiking on your own before you pack that tent on your back!
Get a good map of your desired camping area and study your route, checking the geography, water sources, reference landmarks, and alternative trails.
Take note of the curvy, non-connecting lines as well because they could entail elevation changes – fatter lines entail a more level land area, and narrow lines show steeper hills. Crossing these lines along the map indicates that you will be hiking downhill or uphill.
Beware of dangerous animals. Dangerous animals do not just mean large predators such as bears or sneaky ones like snakes; it also includes tiny ones such as flies, mosquitoes, and other disease carriers like ticks. Bumping into dangerous animals when you are alone can be life-threatening if no one is there to help you.
READ MORE: Solo Hiking Safety Tips
Camping Alone Safely: Choose a Campsite Carefully
Choosing the right campsite is essential for any solo camping trip. It is highly recommended that you pick a campsite that’s safe and secured for solitary camping. Select a campsite that has a ranger who you can contact at any time.
Do not allow yourself to be too isolated that you can’t call anyone for help, but equally don’t camp in areas that are too exposed such as along the highway. Being too exposed to people has a higher risk of you running into bad guys.
Leave a Schedule with a Contact Person
When solo camping, it is a good idea to leave your route and itinerary with a trusted person back home, who can help you in case of an emergency. Ideally, check in every day with your contact and update them with your whereabouts.
This is certainly subjective though, if your goal is to spend time camping completely alone or off the grid, adjust your plan accordingly and leave it with somebody responsible. That way, if something goes wrong or you have an accident, someone will know where you are.
You could also camp close to a family of nice campers who you can befriend. Ask for their phone number in case the need arises. Do not forget to ask the park ranger’s number too. It is their job to watch over the campers and are your first point of contact should you need help.
Camping Alone Safely: Set up your Shelter Properly
It could be an RV, trailer, tent, or perhaps a hammock. Whatever your chosen shelter may be, it needs to be comfortable. In solitary camping, your greatest obstacle may not be the wild or your fellow humans but the environment itself.
Even though in warm locations you might be able to get by using just a sleeping bag or a very tiny sleeping mat, you will never know what will happen with the weather, so it is so much better to be prepared and bring shelter with you. Hypothermia is the last thing you need when you’re camping alone!
If you wish to go without a tent, then you will require a sleeping bag, pillow, and an air mattress (optional) to get you off the ground. Also, there could be tiny rocks or anything hard or rough under your camping spot, so an air mattress would be much more comfortable through the night.
Bring the Important Gear
On any solo camping trip, you don’t want to bring more than what you can manage, but there are certain essential camping items you will need for your trip. These essentials may include equipment for camping like a lamp, tent and sleeping bag, personal items like a first aid kit, and practical items like a fire starter, pocket knife, water bottle with a filter, and others. Here is your full essential camping checklist.
Plan Your Food & Drink
Drinks and food are extremely important when camping alone. Ensure that you have prepared meals for each day of your trip so you have breakfast, lunch, and dinner ready for you. Make certain that you have each meal covered. Bring the best foods and drinks that you can while covering several meals, but which won’t go off quickly.
If you are carrying everything on your back, avoid heavy items like tinned foods. If you have a water source nearby then dried packets such as noodles or couscous are light and easy to prepare.
Be conservative with alcoholic beverages. You will need drinks that are durable, lightweight, and tasty. Some outdoor public spaces do not condone drinking, and rules vary from one camping ground to another so double-check online or with the park ranger beforehand.
Drinking alcohol can cause dehydration, impairs coordination and judgment, as well as making altitude acclimation more difficult, so do not drink alcohol while hiking. Save it for later to have around the campfire.
Always remember that what you are bringing should be legal wherever you are camping.
For drinking water, be careful when taking water from natural sources like rivers and springs. Microorganisms could be lurking even if the water looks clean.
Use proper sterilization methods like a Steripen, purification tablets or a water bottle with a built-in filter like a Water-to-Go bottle or a Grayl bottle. If you aren’t sure you will find water along your route, you might need to carry all your own water yourself.
Get Your Reusable Water Bottle
Check the Weather
You should always check the weather before you go solo camping. You can camp in every type of weather, but it is recommended that you know what kind of weather you’re getting into so you can prepare.
A lot of websites provide an extended weather forecast, so you can get an idea of the weather a week in advance. Keep on monitoring the latest forecast until the end of your trip. Often forecasts are fairly accurate when they’re made at least three days before the date of your camping plans, but things can change quickly.
If you think there will be rain while you are camping, make sure you have a waterproofing spray for boots and shoes to keep your feet dry and to prevent any possible infection on your feet, as well as a waterproof tent or shelter.
Conclusion
A solo camping trip can be a learning experience. Certainly, there will be times of nervousness, frustration, introspection, awareness, joy, peace, and humour as well as countless other emotions.
Remember that when you are camping alone and any time you feel nervous or afraid, increase your presence of mind and redirect your thoughts to the beautiful sunrise in the morning, and all the wonderful sites around you.
Have you got Travel Insurance?
- Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel. I never leave home without travel insurance, so consider getting insurance for your trip to cover things like adventure sports and activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, stolen items, trip cancellation and more.
- Get a quote for your trip from True Traveller if you're based in the UK, or World Nomads or SafetyWing which both offer travel insurance for backpackers and long-term travellers. Alternatively, use a comparison site like Travel Insurance Master to find the best cover for you.
Paul Watson is a blogger who likes to share information about camping and the outdoors. He expresses his passion for camping and other outdoors not only by embarking on several outdoor adventures but also writing about them. And if you want to choose the best gear for outdoor adventures, take a look at his camping checklist from OutdoorChoose.com. You can also find him on Twitter
Have you been solo camping? Do you have any other tips on how to camp alone safely? I’d love to hear your comments!
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Planning to camp alone this Summer, with my dog for a long weekend. Maybe do some trout fishing. Mostly just to get away.
I already have maps. (Satellite, topographic, and established ATV trails.) Plan to scout the area in a month or so. Find the unmarked, Ice fishing/Snowmobile/ATV trails. Check cellphone signal strength.
Going with a buddy in April, so they know the location. Bringing backup 2-way radio’s to test. If the signal carries the advertised 14Km from the main road/main campsite. Compass of course.
I plan to bushwhack onto a higher elevation, protected from the weather and run-off. The forecast can change dramatically in 24 hours… I’ll be bringing a crank radio for weather. With a 10000 mAh battery bank, to charge my cellphone if it dies.
Moby Dick, Sherlock Holmes, and The Bible.
It’s almost certainly going to rain, so books are a must.
The plan is to locate a site, I can leave my gear alone safely. Away from trails, marsh/insects, people. So I can gather wood, fish and explore without 40Kg of gear. People here are very unlikely to steal or vandalize, but there are hooligan’s.
Locating the site with my buddy. Giving a map of my planned campsite to my buddy, showing the Directions/location.
My only concern is coyote’s. And the new Coyote/Wolf hybrids that live in the area. Or slipping and knocking myself unconscious.
Unlikely, since I want to relax, and I’m in no hurry. It’s also not my first time alone in the forest. Not boasting, but I don’t know how people get lost a mere 20Km from a road.
If I am not unconscious, I can call for help, with a radio/cellphone/whistle.
(The area is frequented by fishermen)
I am in Atlantic Canada. Going in June, to avoid Moose Bull season. There might be black bears too. But very few.
Maybe I’ll bring an air-horn. But a semi-small fire in a pit, should hopefully keep the wildlife at a safe distance.
That’s certainly true – I’ve said that about travelling before, at least if it is time to go I am doing something I love instead of dying of boredom at a desk! I still get nervous when I’m on my own, even camping in my van alone but I hope to overcome it and get on with enjoying it! Thanks for reading Ellen and keep on camping!!
I am almost 76 & still love to camp alone. Occass. with a friend but rarely. I sleep in my 25 yr.old tent & love the memories. I will keep it until I can’t get out of it ! I have never been afraid. If something should happen, what better way to go. Not at work for sure. Happy camping gals !
Thanks for sharing all this amazing tips Claire, fabulous post!
Thanks for sharing.
Informative & valuable article. Really useful & valuable thinking. Keep creating idea like this. Thanks for sharing.
Nice tips. I have traveled solo to many places but now I am planning a camping trip which I have never done before. So I found your post very helpful to me and I got various ideas from it. Keep sharing such helpful posts.
Thanks !
Thank you so much for your post! Most people think that camping alone is extremely dangerous but in fact it is one of my best experiences.
By the next month i am planing to go out side for camping, thanks for your post.
Leave a schedule with a contact person is really important especially when you go camping alone. Even us, who like to camp as a family, always left our schedule with a family member. Or at least, if there’s a wifi in the area, sent a text to my family group chat whenever we would be that day. But still, solo camping is not in my radar. I am too afraid to do it alone. I prefer to do it with my family or friends.
Even as a male camping alone in the wilderness would be quite spooky. Some great tips for female’s here that apply to everyone
I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to go camping alone, but if I ever end up in this situation I’ve got some good tips. Good tip on leaving a schedule with a contact person and checking the weather.
Nice post! I love camping, but always am a bit afraid to go solo. Your tips are very useful and I will definitely take them into account. Totally see your point in the shelter preparation. The nights can be extremely cold sometimes!
Nice post! I love camping, but always am a bit afraid to go solo. Your tips are very useful and I will definitely take them into account. Totally see your point in the shelter preparation. The nights can be extremely cold sometimes.
All these tips are very good even would like to share this post to others. I’m also a solo traveler and wondering all places near india and nepal. Your post will help me to understand more about travelers. Thanks for sharing good tips.