Survival Backpacking Tips
Solo Backpacking - Four Reasons, Eight Tips
I prefer backpacking with a group, but have hiked on my own several times over the years. The solitude is great and gives you time to appreciate natures beauty. I found this article expressed a good part of what backpacking alone is about. Tips for survival backpacking are always welcome. For more information visit BackpackingForBeginners.net.
Why solo backpacking? To be honest, one of the reasons I sometimes go alone is simply that it's tough to find people to go with, especially on short-notice. So reason number one is just the sheer necessity. But that is not the only reason to enter the wilderness by yourself.
Another reason to backpack alone is related to the first: simplicity. For example, if you like to go light, you may have conflicts with friends who want to share the weight of heavy cooking gear and tents. You may prefer cheaper trips, rather than joining others on a flight to some distant locale that isn't any more beautiful than the trails within hours of you. In other words, you might not want to trade three affordable adventures for one expensive one.
Going solo gives you freedom as well. Even the best hiking partners will not need breaks at the same time, get hungry at the same time, want to hike the same distance each day or do the exact same things. When you're alone in the wilderness, there is a natural rhythm that can never be there when several people's needs have to be taken into account, and you are free to follow that rhythm. Just remember that safety in numbers does apply to novice backpackers.
Finally, if you have ever wanted to "commune with nature," or have a more spiritual experience in the wilderness, backpacking solo is the way to go. Most of us cannot help but talk too much when we're with others. Of course, that scares off wildlife, but it is also true that when alone most people just plain notice the environment more.
Being alone can deepen certain experiences. There is nobody there to define you - just you and the nature around you. If you've ever sat quietly and enjoyed a great view, you know that it is a different experience than when you sit there talking with someone about it. And while some friends can sit in silence for long stretches while sharing the sun set or the cloud-shadows passing over the mountains, it isn't common.
Alone, you begin to realize how entirely indifferent - but not hostile - the wilderness is. Whether you take this trail or that one doesn't matter to anything or anyone but you. Whether you stay warm or get cold, live or die, is a matter that is mostly irrelevant to everything around you. Yet as a human we are actually equipped to survive here.
On a solo backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevadas, I ate my fill of wild currants at 13,000 feet. As I walked by small lakes the trout scattered. Sunshine warmed me as I took naps on soft grass, and moonlight lit my way during night hikes. It is true that a misstep here or there could lead to death, that lightning could strike me down, or rain could soak me and make me hypothermic. But because of this I pay attention when I am alone out there.
Alone, you become very aware of your surroundings, of the clouds forming in the sky, of any little pain in your foot or back. It is an awareness without worry. This in-the-moment experience is worth having.
Solo Backpacking - Some Tips
I am always looking for backpacking equipment tips that add to my safety. Fortunately it has become much safer to get out there alone. This is because of technologies that can turn what would have been a disaster in the past into an inconvenience. Lose your maps? Just turn on the GPS unit on and find the landmark setting for your car to get out. Break your ankle? Turn on the emergency locator beacon or get out your cell phone.
To make it safe without giving up the experience of solitude, then, start by leaving the cell phone charged but off. Don't allow calls to you and don't call a soul unless you have a serious problem. As mentioned, a locator beacon is another safety option, but don't let such safety devices lure you into a false sense of security that gets you into trouble. Leave your basic itinerary with a trusted friend or family member, so they'll know when to call for a search if you don't return.
If you have a GPS unit, be sure to "mark" the car or trailhead before hiking in isolated areas - especially in difficult terrain. I recently was in an area where it took three hours (no trails) to travel a bit over a half-mile to the car. Without the GPS it would have been easy to get lost.
Finally, learn some skills to make solo backpacking safer, and yoiur backpacking needs will become much simpler. Being able to make a fire in any conditions is a good place to start. Knowing how to construct a few different kinds of emergency shelters is a good idea too. Also, while food is not usually the first concern in a wilderness emergency, it can't hurt to be familiar with a few wild edibles. And learn how to treat the most common injuries and illnesses you might encounter out there.
Winter Backpacking Tips And Safety
If you’ll be hiking in potential avalanche terrain, first, reconsider your plan and two, make sure you take a class in preparation. Never go out unaware of the snow dynamics around you. Read more on winter backpacking tips and safety.
Solo backpacking means peace and quiet. No one to talk to means no words are put between you and the beauty around you. The miles just flow. It's entirely up to you to say when you eat or take a break. Want to jump in that alpine lake? Go for it!
The Essential Needs For A Backpacking Or Hiking Trip
Before you head into the wilderness this season make sure you’re ready to go by checking out our tips on hiking safety and backpacking safety. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service.
Colin Fletcher Book Raffle Winner
If you haven’t read this book, it is a backpacking classic about the experience of a solo hiker on a long distance hike and provides practical information about how to plan a long distance backpacking trip, if that’s something you’d like to try.
Embarking On A Solo Backpacking Trek
Have you ever thought of backpacking solo? Dear O Dear, it can be real fun, as well as challenging! Yeah, it is true that you may need some motivation to embark on one, or at least some reasons to do it on your own.
Author: Steven Gillman
Copyright Steve Gillman. To learn more Solo Backpacking Skills, and get the ebook "Ultralight Backpacking Secrets (And Wilderness Survival Tips)" for FREE, as well as photos, gear recommendations, and a new wilderness survival section, visit: http://www.The-Ultralight-Site.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Gillman
Tags: backpacking equipment tips, backpacking needs, survival backpacking
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