If you’re a female and you’ve never thought of hiking solo….you need to read this!
With countless documentaries, books, movies, etc. of horror stories of women in the wilderness, it’s easy to see why many females don’t attempt to hike solo. It can feel terrifying and the world definitely tells you it is. But, as a female solo traveler and solo hiker who has gone on hundreds of hikes solo, I’m here to tell you there are ways to safely get over your fear of hiking solo!
And I’m going to share all my tips with you but first, let’s talk about the benefits of hiking solo!
- Gain self-confidence
- Connect with nature
- Time to meditate/zone out
- Freedom
- Hike at your own pace
- Feeling of empowerment
- Go wherever you want
- Be more resourceful and problem solve
- Process your thoughts and feelings more deeply
Repeat a Trail
Hike a trail you’ve already hiked with other people. You’ll be way more comfortable with the trail and expectations ie: difficulty, elevation gain, landmarks, etc.
Hike on a Popular Trail
A popular trail (especially on a weekend) will likely have other hikers on it, so you won’t totally be alone. This is a great way to ease into hiking alone as it allows you to get comfortable hiking by yourself but takes away the fear of something happening without others nearby.
Pack 10 Essentials
Being overprepared for anything such as an injury, weather conditions, getting lost, etc. will help you feel better about being on the trail solo. Check out this post to read about Top 10 Essentials to Pack for a Day Hike.
Tell Someone Your Plan
Tell someone where you’re going, what time you’re starting, and when they can expect to hear back from you. For additional safety, turn on a tracking APP like Life360 and connect with friends or family to share your location details.
Be Aware of your Surroundings
It blows my mind to see people out solo (running or hiking or anywhere) with BOTH of their noise-canceling headphones popped in their ears. Please don’t do this. This takes away your awareness of your surroundings and is very dangerous. If possible hike without headphones but if you need to, only keep one in and turn off the noise-canceling feature. Besides headphones, be alert and aware of what’s going around you with other hikers, wildlife, and just in general.
Don’t push yourself beyond your limit
If you don’t feel comfortable at any point on the trail, turn around! It could be anything from another hiker, difficulty, exhaustion, anxiety, weather, etc. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is encouraged but pushing yourself into something dangerous mentally or physically is not advised here.
If you’re just getting started hiking solo, check out my posts Hiking Etiquette for Beginners and Tips for Hiking on a Budget!
