Have you been thinking about going backpacking by yourself, but something keeps holding you back from going?

Maybe you’ve been watching all the YouTube videos and reading all the blog posts, but you still have no idea where to start. The information overload online is REAL.

Or, you’ve been collecting and buying all the gear, but for whatever reason, you just don’t quite feel like you’re ready to go out on the trail by yourself.

Maybe all those fears you have about backpacking alone like the fear of running into a creepy person, getting lost, getting injured, encountering wildlife, not feeling confident using your gear, or even fears your friends and family have of you wanting to go backpacking alone are all getting inside your head and holding you back from getting out on the trail.

I totally get that.

Challenges like these can make anyone feel hesitant about wanting to go backpacking alone.

Even though I left to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail back in 2018 by myself, before I got out on the trail for this life changing adventure, I almost let the information overload, feelings of self-doubt along with all of MY fears and the fears of my friends and family, talk me out of going.

Hiking the PCT ended up ruining my life in the best way possible. It changed my life. Now, not only do I get to solo backpack for a living and create fun videos documenting my backpacking experiences on my YouTube channel, but I also get to help inspire women just like you to achieve their backpacking dreams as a backpacking coach.

Wait, did I just say backpacking coach? Is that even a THING?

I’ll share with you six reasons why you need a backpacking coach AND how working with a coach can not only help you take action and get started on your backpacking journey but can also help you achieve your backpacking dreams and accelerate your results.

Whether you’re new to backpacking looking for help on how to get started OR are an experienced backpacker who wants to level up your skills to go further and for longer out in the backcountry by yourself, working with a coach can help turn your backpacking goals into a reality this upcoming year.

 And what better time to start working towards your new year goals than right now.

Why Do You Need a Backpacking Coach?

This is the time of year when a lot of us start thinking about making it a goal to get into better shape for the upcoming new year.

Some of us may try to figure it out on our own by joining a gym, hopping on a treadmill a couple times a week, watch a few YouTube videos looking for a workout plan to follow or show up for group classes at the gym during the week.

Then, there are those of us who will hire a personal trainer who can show us EXACTLY what we need to do in order to achieve the fitness goals we’ve set for ourselves. Not only will a personal trainer give us a step-by-step program to follow, but they’re also motivating, supportive, knowledgeable and they help hold us accountable as we work towards our fitness goals.

It’s kind of the same thing with having a backpacking coach.

Six reasons why you need a backpacking coach to help you achieve your backpacking goals:

Reason #1: Personalized Guidance & Coaching

Having a backpacking coach means you’ll get personalized guidance and coaching that’s tailored to your specific needs, experience level and goals.

If you’re a beginner, a backpacking coach can provide you with a step-by-step program to follow that will layout everything you’d need to know in order to get started on your backpacking journey.

A backpacking coach can give you personalized guidance and coaching on trip planning, route planning, on-trail navigation, gear selection, nutrition, physical training, trail and personal safety and mental preparedness – all of which can help ensure a safer, more enjoyable time for you when out on trail, especially if you’re new to backpacking.

A backpacking coach can also help you learn how to make decisions that will help reduce risks and help increase your comfort level while being able to handle various on-trail challenges.

Reason #2: Saves You Time & Money

A backpacking coach can help save you a lot of time and money trying to figure this all out on your own. You know the saying, “Time is Money”, right? Working with a backpacking coach means no more wasting hours going down the YouTube rabbit hole and reading through numerous blogs trying to figure out what’s going to work for you with the trips you want to go on.

Working with a backpacking coach also means you’re more likely to buy the right gear for you the first time around and less likely to spend money on gear you don’t need.

A backpacking coach can also help take the overwhelm out of knowing where to start with backpacking. You’ll not only have someone to guide you along the way, but you’ll also have someone you can go to and ask specific questions as you start to plan trips of your own.

Reason #3 Confidence Building

Most backpackers, whether they’re beginner or well-seasoned, have some fears when it comes to getting out in the backcountry alone and experience some form of self-doubt. Having fears about being in the backcountry alone is totally normal and healthy.

What’s not normal or healthy is letting those fears and self-doubt hold you back from getting to the trailhead.

Working with a backpacking coach can help you shift your mindset from thinking “I can’t do this” to “I can do this!” by normalizing mistakes and turning them into learning opportunities.

A backpacking coach can also provide encouragement while helping you overcome any fears and self-doubt you might have about being out on trail alone. This confidence building piece of backpacking coaching means you’re more likely to go through with your planned trip and less likely to talk yourself out of going.

Reason #4: Skill Development

Working with a backpacking coach means you’ll learn important skills like knowing what to research before getting out on trail, trip planning, navigation, reading trail maps, learning how to build your own first aid kit, learning how to find the right gear for you and knowing how to use your gear, knowing how to encounter wildlife safely, campsite selection and how to set up a safe and comfortable camp, how to find reliable water sources, how to prepare and store food while out in trail, trail hygiene and trail etiquette.

Reason #5: Accountability

Just like personal trainers, backpacking coaches can also be motivating. If you’re someone who struggles to stay motivated during the colder months, having a backpacking coach can help you stay moving as you work towards your backpacking goals all year round.

Backpacking coaches can also be supportive. They’re knowledgeable and they help hold you accountable as you continue to take actionable and consistent steps, working towards your backpacking goals.

Reason #6: Mental Preparation

With backpacking, bad days can happen. Knowing how to “embrace the suck” can be the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful backpacking trip.

You might have to deal with trail obstacles like snowfields, water crossings and blowdowns. There could be bad weather. Bugs can be vicious. The terrain might be especially challenging.

With a backpacking coach, you’ll not only learn how to get out of your comfort zone, empowering you to face any fears that come with backpacking solo, BUT you’ll also learn how to push through moments of frustration while dealing with challenges and obstacles out on trail, helping you to be able to master the art of embracing the suck while you’re out there.

How A Backpacking Coach Can Help You Plan Your First Solo Trip

For the last three years I’ve been helping women all over the country go from feeling scared and intimidated about backpacking alone to feeling comfortable planning their trips so that they feel confident getting out on trail by themselves as a backpacking coach in my online program for women, The Confident Solo Female Backpacker System.

The Confident Solo Female Backpacker System is an online backpacking program for women that’s designed to help you go from feeling scared and intimidated about backpacking alone to feeling comfortable planning your backcountry adventures so that you can feel confident getting out on trail by yourself.

This is exactly what I wish I had when I first started backpacking.

As a beginner backpacker, I remember spending SO MUCH TIME watching YouTube videos and reading blog posts trying to figure this all out on my own. I spent money on a bunch of gear I ended up not needing or using and all kinds of different one-day in-person and online courses focused on all of my different backpacking goals.

So, I’ve taken everything I’ve learned as a solo female backpacker who’s hiked 100s, maybe even 1,000s of miles by now and as a backpacking coach over the past few years and have put it all into one program.

This way, backpackers like you now have a step-by-step process you can follow and all the resources you need in one place that will help you plan not only your first, but all of your future backpacking trips.

As a student, not only do you access to the online, self-paced course, but you also get lifetime access to:

  • Ongoing coaching through our live Weekly Group Coaching Calls along with the Coaching Call Library
  • Our private online community made up of likeminded women hikers and backpackers located all across the country. This is the place where you can ask questions to either myself or other students in the program
  • And once you’ve met your course completion requirement, the opportunity to join me for group trips throughout the year, for no additional charge.

Once you join, this course and all of the features in this program will forever be accessible to you, including all future updates made to the program. Whenever I add a new module to the program, you’ll automatically get access to it for no additional charge for the lifetime of the program.

This also goes for the group trips I offer for students in the program throughout the year. Once you’ve met your course completion requirement, you’ll get the opportunity to join me for multiple group trips throughout the year for no additional charge, for the lifetime of the program.

Say you’re looking to go on a guided trip with a local outfitter or through REI. Depending on the location of the trip, that one trip can cost anywhere from $2 to $3,000….and that’s just for a one and done trip!

As a student of The Confident Solo Female Backpacker System, you not only get the opportunity to join me for MULTIPLE group trips throughout the year, but you also get lifetime access to all of the tools and resources that are designed to teach you how to be self-reliant in the backcountry so that you never have to rely on anyone else ever again when it comes to planning and going on backpacking trips in the future.

Enrollment is currently open right now through December 15th for any woman who has goals of getting out for her first or next solo backpacking trip this upcoming year.

If you’re ready to make achieving your backpacking goals a priority in 2025 and want a step-by-step guide to help you achieve those goals along with a built-in supportive community who can help motivate you along the way, then this program is for you.

CLICK HERE to schedule a free one-on-one Zoom call with me where you’ll get to talk to me live about your backpacking goals, ask me questions about the program and if you’re a good fit for The Confident Solo Female Backpacker System, you’ll get the chance to enroll into the program on our call.

Even if this program isn’t the right fit for you, remember, you can always find a ton of tips and tricks to help plan your next backpacking trip for FREE, here on my blog and on my YouTube Channel.

This includes downloading my FREE Backpacking Gear Packing List, which you can use when trying to decide what gear to pack for your next trip. CLICK HERE to download your free packing list.