Have you ever gone solo backpacking? If you have, youll probably agree that it isnt a matter of it being better or worse than backpacking with friends. Its just a different activity altogether.



When you go backpacking with others, its a social event. You enjoy the scenery, feel grand hiking the trails, and you get to understand everybody in a different setting than usual. Theres usually a lot of talking, and you feel relatively safe as part of a group. Its a successful knowledge.

Solo Backpacking Trips

When you are alone in the wilderness, its different. There is a peacefulness that can never be there when youre with others. With nobody to talk to, you stop defining everything and initial seeing things more directly.

I remember sitting by an alpine lake at 12,000 feet in the Sierra Nevadas, after not seeing anyone for two days. The sun was shining, and the silence was broken only by the clatter of rocks falling from the cliffs above. I was relaxed, and I felt like it was the most beautiful place on earth. It isnt the same when I am with friends.

Its also true that theres an "edge" to solo backpacking. There is nobody there to help you if you run into trouble. The grizzly outside my tent in Wyoming, or the rockslide in front of me in Colorado - these things we are felt viscerally. You become very aware of how vulnerable you are. This is an interesting knowledge - but not a bad one.

My favorite aspect of hiking solo, is that all action is more natural. We are social animals without a doubt, but when with others, our decisions and actions are made as part of a group. There is always a little tension involved in balancing all the individual needs.

Consider something as simple as resting alongside the trail for ten minutes. Even while it is a needed rest for one, it could be an unatural break in the rhythm for another, and yet a decision must be made to stop or not. On the other hand, decisions flow almost without thought when you are alone. What a wonderful relief from the complications of ordinary life.

If you havent yet tried solo backpacking, get out there and do it. At least go for an over-nighter. How fairly often do you actually spend a day without seeing another person? Youll appreciate the knowledge. (Watch for my article on solo backpacking tips.)