Before even considering the tips for surviving as a solo hiker, going hiking alone or not is a more pressing issue. There are various pros & cons of this daring adventure, notably improved nature appreciation and increased threat to safety, respectively. The choice is always yours to make.
This article is to point you right after deciding to hit the trails alone to appreciate the sight of the raging waterfall & chirping birds more. Let no one give you that conventional line about family being very important. Regardless of how you love them, your nerves would need not work at all for them not to get on them.
Let’s see what & what to do as a solo hiker to ensure your safety.
Looking At The Various Tips for Surviving as a Solo Hiker
Obviously, your adventure as a solo hiker does not start with you suddenly appearing (and screaming) right in the middle of the hiking trails with your jogging boots. There’s always an initial procedure before getting here.
Let’s see what you’re to do before your trip to be more prepped for safety.
Work Out Your Limits
A lone hiking trip is not an avenue to test your limits because things can go the wrong way easily. And when they do, there’s no one else around to get help. You have to be honest with yourself. Know what you can do & don’t do more than that. However, we are still at the pre-trip stage, so the focus here is on knowing limits so you can keep within them. Recognize your boundaries beforehand.
This includes determining your fitness level & hiking endurance before going on the trip. Test yourself. A good way to do this is by hiking between the hill behind your house & the local park, or wherever. The purpose is to ascertain how long you can maintain a steady pace before getting tired.
Also, pay attention to your weaknesses. Say, if you have bad knees that make steep hikes impossible or too difficult, or you do need assistance to cross some points, you have to stick to trails that won’t require you to go steely or do group hiking only.
Have an Itinerary
Everything spontaneous is fun… for a while! I don’t remember any impulse purchase that I was happy with after a month. That’s a lie. I actually bought some products impulsively & they’ve done well.
However, being too spontaneous may lead to fire consequences when you’re out in the woods — and without anyone to provide help or support.
You must therefore create a hiking itinerary to stick by. This means deciding beforehand your departure hour and the time of day you’re supposed to be back. Doing this will give the family a clear idea of when to start a search for you.
Plan your meal times, too, along with having a clear picture of how many miles you’re conquering. That’s to ensure you don’t get carried away hiking nonstop.
If you’re intending to spend days in the wild, draw up a schedule for each day, noting the same info you’ve noted above.
Keep Track of the Weather
Surely, the weather prediction can turn out wrongly, but there are hardly major surprises. It’s typically little differences if any at all. Make sure to check & record the weather prediction a week before your departure time & then do another check 24 hours before leaving. There may be changes or not. What matters is that you have a clear picture of how the skies would be when you hit the trails.
Regardless of the season, it is very wrong to set out on a hiking trip when the weather is terrible. Remember that the sun is typically hotter on higher grounds, so you’ll have to be worried about high temps as you’ll be of cold ones.
Also, if you suddenly see other hikers rushing back the trails, there’s a good probability something’s wrong ahead.
Hike On a Busy Trail
When you’re just starting, your best option is to choose a trail where there’ll be some other hikers. You may think this defeats the whole purpose of getting away from everything that breathes, but remember you don’t want to lose your breath in the process too. You can at least start on the busier trails before switching to quieter ones.
On busy trails, a simple scream is enough to get the attention of many people. So, help is always readily available — something you’ll never get if you’re hiking on the blandest trails. Also, the busy trails are typically kept in good condition. They are usually much safer than the trails hardly hiked, for obvious reasons.
This is where you have to conduct a study of your selected trail too. Or trails. Get to know a trail before hiking on it. Find out if there are dangerous spots that you can’t easily maneuver, or ask around for any security concern about the trail. I believe the chosen trail (s) must have been included in your itinerary, so jot down necessary concerns too.
Have a Packing List
You’re going alone, so you don’t have to pack so much. Do you need a packing list?
Yes, you do, solo hiker!
A packing list while solo hiking may be equally as important as when going with a group. Often, lone hikers leave essentials behind because they have the mindset that they don’t have to pack much. You should not get to call before realizing you didn’t come with one of your pairs of shoes.
Create a packing list & tick off the important items as you put them inside your bag.
Come With a Weapon
This may sound overboard, so I’ll rephrase: “leave all forms of personal protection at home so that a bear can maul you with ease, or a criminal can mug you or even knock you out.”
Are you okay with that?
I hope not.
Essence: come with an item to defend yourself with.
It doesn’t have to be a gun if you’re not comfortable carrying it. You can come with a survival knife, sharpened to the core, or a large tomahawk. However, a pepper spray will also do well, the same as a bear spray. Or a stun gun, which is sadly prohibited in some states.
Concluding the Tips for Surviving as a Solo Hiker
The tips for surviving as a solo hiker mentioned above are tested & trusted. Recognize that you’re braving more extreme dangers when hitting the wild alone. It’s only necessary that you’re adequately prepared. Come with a gun, or a tank (if you have one), or just about anything that’ll keep you protected in case of happenstances. Pay attention to the other recommendations too, and I’d like to add that at least two trusted persons are informed of your schedule. And by schedule, I mean where you’re going to & the time to expect you. Stay safe, brave Mufasa!