In your keen desire to appreciate nature alone, should you hike alone? Many have strongly advocated for it, with claims that the presence of someone else will always disrupt concentration. Others have advised against it, however, with safety concerns coming up as a good reason not to.
Needless to say, this is one of those crossroads among hikers. So, what’s the answer? I’m not getting on anyone’s wrong side. The ideal thing to do here is to consider the pros & cons of hiking alone.
Here we go.
Pros and Cons of Hiking Alone
Pros
Quiet Time
A quiet time in the woods always comes among the first benefits of solo hiking. Hard to debate since one of the commonest reasons for heading into the woods is to get away from the city’s shrilling noises & tiring ambiance. By hiking alone, you’ll have all the time in the world to clear your mind & spend enough time with yourself.
De-stressing
If you live in the city, chances are, you work at a job that does not only tire you due to its demanding nature but also because you have to see a couple of faces every day. With this being the case, hiking would surely be an activity you indulge in to de-stress and escape human interaction. Solo hiking will be your best avenue for achieving so. Consider the time you have to engage in whatever exercise you wish & not having to cope with someone else’s presence.
Better Flexibility
Solo hiking puts total control in your hands. You do not have to tailor your plans to make someone else convenient. There’s the power to plan your trip as you deem fit: leave home whenever you like, hike wherever you want to, and hit any spot that interests you. You get to do all these without compromising on any factor.
This also means improved pace control as you hike. The absence of overbearing partners means you can decide what you want, be it faster, brisker hikes, or slower, calmer moves. You don’t get to feel like you’re slowing others down if you take frequent breaks or vice versa. Working at your pace does it for you.
Supply Optimization
Surely, it often depends on how long you’re planning to stay. Hiking trips generally take a weekend, no? Whatever trip that takes more than that isn’t your everyday hiking trip. While spending long in the wild is a good thing considering the benefits attached, we are barely able to due to the supplies needed to do so. Fortunately, you don’t have to bother about other stomachs when you’re hitting the trails alone. Pack a few supplies & set up camp. Very few resources will do you for longer if you’re doing this alone.
Hone Your Skills
With plenty of time to yourself, you have every resource you need to improve your hiking or outdoorsman skill sets. It doesn’t happen that there’s something else to do when working on your skills, nor do you get to feel inferior or insecure practicing some basic skills that everyone expects you to know. What could go wrong with no one else out there?
Surely, you’re not worried about getting in the ways of tall, leafy trees or colorful, chirping parrots. Are you?
Cons
Personal Safety
Personal safety has always been the biggest argument against hiking along, and for a good reason. However you choose to see it, spending your days in the turbulent ambiance of the city or bickering with someone throughout your hiking trip is undoubtedly preferable to get mauled by a lion or shot at out in the woods. In case of a fall, there’s no one to call 911 or get you medical help should anything disastrous happen.
Why else do you think your dad always invited Uncle Bill on the family hiking trips when you were younger?
No words minced. Solo hiking comes with more security concerns, but some people believe this to be a good thing. They say lone hikers are more equipped to handle SHTF scenarios.
No Helping Hand
We mentioned supply optimization above. What I didn’t add is that it can be hard to pack all your supplies if no one is there to support you. I find it hard to imagine you carrying your hiking gear alongside camping essentials. Even the former can be a handful at times. The best option would be coming with your gear & supplies in a vehicle, perhaps a hired one that leaves as soon as you set up camp — or yours, which would be inadvisable.
And no, this doesn’t defeat the idea of hiking. You aren’t practicing survivalism; getting some help with mobility is nothing wrong. Even core survivalists need assistance sometimes.
More Planning On Your Part
It is surely liberating to have the whole trip to yourself. Nothing beats the freedom that comes with making every decision yourself & not having anyone (who doesn’t necessarily know better) getting in your face to question you every time. However, this comes with an extra requirement: more planning.
Hitting the trails as a solo hiker leaves the entire planning process in your hands, and this can be overwhelming — especially if you have no previous knowledge. A newbie hiker shouldn’t hit the woods without a seasoned outdoorsman by his side or even in front. There’s a lot of planning to do. The funny part is that this may seem like every ordinary thing until you actually have to. You must understand that no outdoor activity is to be taken with levity, regardless of how simple it appears.
Loneliness
Except if you’re Buddha’s embodiment or one of the monks at the Himalayas, I bet you’d start feeling the absence of human presence in about 2-3 days. However stoic you have will surely melt away within some hours, how long is what I don’t know. Even the best of them eventually go through it. There’s no chattering, nagging, or shouting. But can you cope?
However, 2-3 days is quite long for a hiking trip. So, unless you’re camping over the weekend, there’s no need to be bothered about this.
So, Should You Hike Alone?
Here we are again with the million-dollar question: should you hike alone? Clearly, this is your call to make (or answer?). Whatever your decision is, I recommend that you thoroughly consider the pros & cons of doing so. I, for one, have nothing against solo hiking, but I also prioritize safety. If there isn’t a guarantee of safety or you’re not yet capable of surviving the great outdoors all by yourself, I have only one word about hiking alone: don’t!