Staying Safe on Solo Adventures
Katie here, the Digital Marketing Specialist for Liberty Mountain!
Hiking and camping are two of my favorite outdoor activities, and they have been for my whole life. I have always hiked and camped with my family, so I was really used to being with other people. Since I moved out to Utah a few years ago, I have made friends who enjoy these activities, but I have also found myself going solo many times. While I am a people-person and enjoy company a lot of the time, I do love my solo hikes and camping trips too. Going on solo adventures allows me to do self-reflection, focus on myself and what I want to do, and just experience the outdoors in a different way. It was a little nerve-wracking when I first started to hike and camp alone, but now I love it! It is always important to have a safety plan in place when on outdoor adventures, but especially if you’re going alone. Here are the things that I do to stay safe on my solo hikes and camping trips.
Firstly, I make sure to carry a few things that will help me in the case of a threat or emergency. I have a whistle tied to the strap of my backpack that could be used if I need to get somebody’s attention. I also keep pepper spray attached to my backpack strap for easy access in case I need to defend myself. There are many other options that you can use for self-defense, but pepper spray is just my personal choice!
Another important thing that I do to stay safe while hiking or camping alone is letting multiple people know where I’m going and when I expect to be back. I’ll text the link to a hike on AllTrails or a GPS coordinate of a camping area and send an update once I’ve returned to my car and am safe. My mom and several of my friends also have my location on Find My Friends which is super helpful so they can check in as much as they want to.
While I’m on solo hikes and camping trips, I don’t always listen to music, but when I do, I’ll only have one headphone in. I also make sure that my music isn’t playing too loud in my ear. That way, I can still listen to my surroundings and be alert. I also just always make sure to stay alert of my surroundings the entire time and trust my gut if I have a bad feeling about a person or an area. There is absolutely no shame in turning around on the trail or finding a new campsite if you feel uncomfortable. I also believe that you should be confident in saying “no” if you are asked if you’re alone.
All of these precautions apply to both hiking and camping, but here are a couple safety tips that are specific to camping. If you’re camping in your car, back into the campsite, keep the driver’s seat empty, and keep your keys at an accessible spot so you can quickly and easily drive away if you need to escape a bad situation. Having window covers is also a good idea to give yourself extra privacy so no one can see who’s inside. You can buy window covers online or you can make them yourself. Check out this DIY tutorial by outdoor blogger and influencer, Jacey West!
If you are tent camping, I saw a safety hack where you connect the door zippers on the inside with a carabiner so someone on the outside can’t just easily unzip your tent. Jacey West also has a reel going over different safety precautions she takes while camping alone, which includes this carabiner hack. Check that out here!
Overall, to stay as safe as possible while hiking or camping alone, prepare yourself ahead of time with the right education and gear, always be on alert, and don’t be afraid to bail if you’re not feeling comfortable. How do you like to stay safe while adventuring solo? Comment below amd share your adventures with us on Instagram @libmtn