Hiking solo can be an empowering and fun experience, but only if you’re prepared. While it’s not for everyone, the solitude of being on your own out in the woods is an experience like no other. If you decide to head out alone, it’s important to do your research and set yourself up to be the best hiking buddy you can be to yourself. Familiarizing yourself with hiking safety tips is a great starting point.
While I love my friends and family, I’ve always been a person who really values alone time (a lot). I used to be an avid solo traveler and found that a lot of the safety practices I used to follow also apply to hiking. I used that experience as the base for the list below and added the rest through trial & error and a bit of good ol’ mistake-making.
The list below should be used as a jumping-off point and is not intended to be a comprehensive guide. Each person has their own unique view of safety and set of circumstances. Your list might grow as you get more in touch with your own needs.
Here are 7 hiking safety tips for when you’re traveling solo:
1. Share Your Location
If you don’t have a GPS system, at least give somebody you trust detailed information about your intended hike. I use my Garmin InReach Mini 2 to let my partner track my hikes, leave myself breadcrumbs if I’m in a tricky area, and send periodic updates if I’m taking longer than expected. Since it works off satellites, I can stay in touch even if I don’t have cell phone service.
Before that, I used AllTrails, which lets you send somebody a link where they can follow along with your hike.
2. Pack It Up
Being on your own means you need to be comfortable relying on yourself and adapting if things go wrong. If you’re just going on a short hike on a popular trail, you might not need as much gear – but you should still have the basics! Always bring the ten essentials.
I always ask myself, “if something unexpected happens, can I survive a night alone in the woods?”. This isn’t meant to be scary – it’s just a question to assess how prepared you are.
3. Bring Bear Spray (or not?)
There’s a lot of debate in my local hiking community about whether bear spray is necessary or not. Even though most animals around me are truly more scared of me than I am of them, I do tend to get myself worked up about crossing paths with a mama bear or a moose that’s having a bad day.
I personally feel safer carrying it, knowing that it’s very unlikely I’ll ever need to use it. As a woman hiking alone, it gives me peace of mind to know I have it and helps me settle into my hike more easily.
But why not bring a firearm? I live in an area where firearms are very common. I personally don’t think they’re necessary on the trail. Since I’m not comfortable using one, it would likely do more harm than good. Plus, it’s just uncomfortable to hike with and bear spray would do the trick just as well.
4. Know Your Limits
I cannot stress this one enough. Taking on an overly ambitious hike far above your experience level is not the move when you’re riding solo. If you’re itching to cross off that bucket list hike, go in a group or put it on hold until you have more solo hiking experience under your belt.
There are so many factors to consider besides the length and elevation of the trail. Firstly, consider where you’re hiking – not all terrain is created equal. You’ll also want to consider the weather, the gear you have available, your own survival skills if something were to happen, and whether the trail is heavily trafficked or not.
5. Follow Your Intuition
Our intuition doesn’t get enough credit. It’s CRITICAL to listen to it when you’re out on the trail, especially if you’re alone. You could have lots of energy, have all the right gear, and be cruising along on a blue-bird day, but something could still feel off. If your hair is standing up on the back of your neck or you’re getting a strong feeling that you should turn around, do it.
6. Be Humble
The mountains have a way of teaching us. Sometimes they show us that we’re more capable than we ever imagined. Other times, they remind us that we need more preparation and conditioning before achieving a goal we had in mind. I follow search and rescue events around me, both out of curiosity and as a learning tool, and so many events occur because people have a goal in mind and aren’t willing to diverge from their course – even if all the signs are encouraging them to do so.
7. Plan Ahead
Before you set out, it’s important to do at least some basic research and planning. Most importantly, you’ll want to check the weather. If it’s iffy, either choose a more suitable hike, adjust your gear, or hold off until a better day.
You’ll also want to get a feel for trail conditions to see if there are any hazards, such as high river crossings, you should know about. You can do this by using AllTrails or a similar site (I use TrailsNH for my local area). I like to read some reviews before I head out so I can get a feel for what I’m getting myself into.
If you’re just starting out hiking, it could also be valuable to educate yourself on common mistakes made on the trail and mistakes others have made.
What are your favorite hiking safety tips for solo hiking? Please share below!
