Have you ever thought about going backpacking alone but felt unsure? Or maybe you’re an experienced hiker, but the idea of heading out solo still gives you butterflies? If you said yes to either of these, know that you’re not alone.
I’m going to share with you 10 things I wish I knew before I went backpacking solo. Some of these lessons were hard to learn, but all of them ultimately made me a more confident solo backpacker who has gone on to hike over 100s, even 1000s of miles by myself out on the backcountry.
If you’re thinking about going backpacking alone, or maybe you’ve already tried it and want some insider tips on how to feel more confident with solo backpacking, then this post is for you! Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, these 10 tips will help make the time you spend out on trail by yourself safer and more enjoyable.
Backpacking Alone Tip #1: Be Overprepared, Not Overpacked
The first thing I wish I knew before going backpacking alone was the importance of being overprepared, but not overpacking.
Packing light is essential, but packing smart is key! When you’re backpacking alone, you can’t afford to forget anything important. At the very least, always make your you pack the 10 Essentials with you on every trip you go on, whether it’s a day hike or an overnight backpacking trip.
The 10 Essentials include: Navigation, Illumination, Shelter, Extra Clothing, Extra Water, Extra Food, Sun Protection, Fire, Knife and Gear Repair, and a First Aid Kit.
Navigation
This can be a paper map and compass, or a digital navigation app downloaded on your phone. Whatever navigation system you choose to use, make sure you know how to use it. Know how to read your paper map and use your compass.
If using a digital map, make sure that you’ve downloaded a map of the area you’re going to on your phone before leaving cell or WiFi service. When I first started to learn how to use digital navigation apps like Gaia GPS and onX Backcountry, a couple times I’d get out on trail, pull up my map and my screen would be blurry. WHOOPS! I had forgotten to download a map of the area I was going to.
Even if you’ve downloaded the map onto your phone, always double-check that the map has downloaded correctly by putting your phone in airplane mode, pulling up the map and making sure it comes up clearly on your phone.
Also, make sure your phone is fully charged AND that you have a portable way to charge your device in case you run out of battery power while you’re out on trail.
You might not realize this, but electronics can fail out in the backcountry. Even if you’re using a digital navigation app on your phone, it’s always a good idea to carry a paper map of the area you’re hiking in, just in case you can’t access the map on your phone.
If you don’t feel comfortable reading a map, whether it’s a paper map or a digital map, consider taking an online or in-person wilderness navigation course to help build up your confidence with using these important tools out in the backcountry. This way you increase your chances of always staying found while you’re out on trail. You don’t want to get lost while you’re out on trail by yourself, trust me.
Illumination
This can be a headlamp or even the flashlight feature on your phone. I personally like to carry a rechargeable lightweight headlamp with me on all of my trips, so I don’t have to worry about needing to carry extra batteries in my pack. Just make sure your headlamp is fully charged before you go.
Shelter
If you’re backpacking, this one is easy. Shelter is going to be your tent or if you’re an ultralight backpacker, it could be a tarp.
The type of shelter you decide to pack is totally up to you. Depending on the trip I’m going on and where I’m going, I might bring a freestanding tent or a trekking pole tent. If I’m day hiking, I’ll carry an emergency space blanket that I can use as a shelter in the event of an emergency. Thankfully I haven’t had to use this one yet.
Extra Clothing
Okay, so you have to be careful with this one because as a beginner backpacker, clothing was the one thing I carried a lot of. In fact, when I thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail back in 2018,I overpacked my clothing, thinking I needed multiple outfits to hike in.
Spoiler Alert: You don’t! All of the extra clothing I packed ended up being the first thing I sent home to myself.
You’re going to get dirty out there no matter what. Keep clothing simple by only packing the outfit you’ll be hiking in, which you’ll be wearing during the day and then have a change of clothes to sleep in when you’re at camp at night. The only thing you’ll want extras of when it comes to clothing are socks and underwear.
The other articles of clothing I always pack in my pack are for insulation. This includes a lightweight puffy jacket, a fleece and a lightweight rain jacket.
Even if the forecast isn’t calling for rain in the area you plan on hiking or backpacking in, still pack the rain jacket. If you don’t, it will rain. Trust me, I speak from experience on this one.
Extra Water
Regardless of where you’re going backpacking and the time of year you go, always pack enough drinking water to get you to the next water source and always carry with you some sort of water filtration system to treat dirty water when you’re out on trail.
This is why it’s important, as part of your trip planning process, to look at the map of the area you’ll be going to and locating potential water sources along the way.
For a lot of us, running out of water could be a really big fear. In an effort to avoid running out of water and overpacking more water than you’ll need, have an idea of where the water will be along the trail so that you only carry what you need to get to the next water source.
When it comes to your water filter, practice using it before heading out on trail alone. If you’ve used your water filter before, it might not be a bad idea to also test your water filter to make sure it still works before getting out on trail by yourself. Sometimes water filters can get a little slow and even stop working all together if they’ve been stored for a long period of time.
Here are a couple of water pro tips for you:
Pro Tip #1: It’s not a bad idea to always carry with you a few water purification tablets in your first aid kit, just in case your water filter fails for whatever reason.
Pro Tip #2: When you’re backpacking, make it a habit to always sleep with your water filter. If you’re camping somewhere where it’s forecasted to be cold overnight or even if the overnight temps get much lower than you originally anticipated, sleeping with your water filter helps prevent it from freezing. If your water filter freezes, it won’t work properly.
Before I go to bed at night, I put my water filter inside a Ziplock bag so that it doesn’t get myself or any of my gear wet. Then I stash my filter inside the footbed of my quilt so that it stays nice and warm overnight
Extra Food
As The Hungry Hiker, one of my fears has always been running out of food, even though with all the trips I’ve been on over the years, I’ve only come close to running out of food once. I tend to always overpack my food. What can I say? As a food motivated hiker, I like having choices and a variety in my food bag.
Always carry at least one extra day’s worth of food, just in case you get stuck out on trail longer than you anticipated. Extra food could be in the form of a few different snacks like nuts, dried fruit, peanut butter packets, an extra freeze-dried meal or even a packet of ramen.
Ideally, the extra food you pack would be something you don’t have to cook and doesn’t need water to make. It’s something that can just sit at the bottom of your food bag, not weigh a lot and just be there just in case you’ve eaten everything else in your food bag.
Sun Protection
The obvious answer for this one would be carrying some sort of sunscreen.
Other forms of sun protection include a lightweight, long-sleeved sun hoodie, a hat, a pair of sunglasses, a pair of sun gloves or even a neck gaiter. Always have something in your pack that you can use to protect your skin from sun exposure, wind exposure and if you’re traveling over snow, snow blindness.
Fire
Whenever I’m backpacking, I always pack a stove with me, which means I’ll always have a lighter with my stove that I can use for fire. Fire can also be carrying stormproof matches and having a lightweight fire starter kit that you could use to start a fire in the event of an emergency.
Knife & Gear Repair
I like to combine my Gear Repair and toiletries bag together to help save space in my pack. Inside my Gear Repair Kit, I carry things I can use to make gear repairs in case something fails me while I’m out on trail. This can be a patch kit for my inflatable sleeping bag, zip ties, tiny bottles of Krazy Glue, paracord, a small roll of tenacious tape and my knife.
On my trekking poles, I always make sure to have duct tape wrapped around each pole so that I not only have easy access to it when I’m out on trail, but I always know exactly how much duct tape I have, making this super easy to replace once I get back from my trip.
First Aid Kit
A big fear a lot of people have when they’re thinking about going backpacking alone is getting sick or injured while they’re out there. This is why having a well-stocked first aid kit in your pack is always a good idea, especially when you’re hiking and backpacking alone.
Don’t skimp on your Backpacking First Aid Kit. Ultralight Backpackers, I’m looking at you!
Whatever you decide to stock in your first aid kit is going to be totally up to you and based on where you’re going, how long you plan on being out there and your specific needs for any daily medications you might need to take.
At the very least, have some sort of blister repair kit, which can include Leukotape tape, a safety pin, moleskin, alcohol wipes and some sort of antibiotic ointment.
Check out this video where I walk you through how to create your own Backpacking First Aid Kit and will show you everything that’s inside my First Aid Kit.
Just like with wilderness navigation, Backcountry First Aid is information you can always learn more about and get more practice with, and this information never goes out of style. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, I highly recommend taking some sort of wilderness first aid class, either online or in-person, every couple of years.
As for any other gear, if you’re looking for more help on figuring out exactly what gear to pack for your next backpacking trip, CLICK HERE to download my FREE Backpacking Gear Packing List.
Backpacking Alone Tip #2: Know Your Limits
The second thing I wish I knew before going backpacking alone was to know my limits and to listen to my body better. It’s easy to push yourself harder when you’re by yourself but knowing when to rest is vital. Trust me on this one.
During one of my solo section hikes on the PCT, I thought it would be a good idea to push myself to do a 28-mile day, just because I wanted to get to a campsite near a lake that was slightly off trail.
The problem was, I was exhausted for the entire second half of my day. I didn’t really get to enjoy this section of the trail because I was trying to make the miles to get to this campsite at the lake, which was still about a mile off of the trail.
I ended up getting to the campsite just as the sun was setting and didn’t get to enjoy the lake at all. I had just enough time to set up my camp, make dinner, change my clothes and then got into bed so that I could get up early in the morning and get back on the trail.
It’s always important to listen to your body, especially when you’re backpacking alone. If you’re feeling tired, stop and take a break. If you’re feeling hungry, stop and eat a snack. Don’t risk getting hangry or bonking out on trail just to make a few more miles. Give yourself a break. If you’re not having fun or if you’re exhausted, give yourself permission to switch up your plans and choose an earlier campsite.
Backpacking Alone Tip #3: Trust Your Instincts
Trusting my instincts was something I wish I knew more about when I first started going backpacking alone. When you’re out there alone, your gut will always be your best guide. If something doesn’t feel right—whether it’s the trail, a campsite, or a situation with another hiker—listen to it and don’t ignore it. Your instincts will help keep you safe.
Backpacking Alone Tip #4: Share Your Plans
Something I didn’t do before I started going backpacking alone was to share my plans with a trusted friend or family member before getting out on trail.
I mean, I would tell my Mom I was going backpacking, but she never really knew exactly where I was going, how long I was going to be gone for or would even know what to do if I didn’t come back when I was supposed to. She also didn’t have a way to contact me whenever I was out on trail alone either.
Hey, you don’t know what you don’t know, right? Well, now you don’t have to learn this one the hard way!
Always let someone know where you’re going. Pick a trusted friend or family member who won’t be out on trail with you and share your trip details like your itinerary and planned route with them before you get to the trailhead.
Once you’ve created and saved your route, whether you’re using a paper map or digital navigation app like onX Backcountry or Gaia GPS, you can then “Share” your route through the app or email the person a copy of your route.
In addition to sharing your route, you’ll also want to let your friend or family member know how long you plan on being out there, your intended destination, when you expect to finish and then don’t forget to check back in with them after your trip to let them know that you’ve made it back home safely.
Something else I now do for all of my solo backpacking trips is having the ability to share my location in real-time with my trusted friends and family members and I’m able to communicate with them while I’m out on trail alone.
I do this through my Garmin inReach Mini 2. Here’s how it works.
As soon as I start hiking for the day, I turn the device on, start the tracking and then send a preset message to my mom, dad and best friend so that they know my device is on and that I’m ready to start my day. This then allows them to pull up the MapShare at home and track me along my hike throughout the day.
At the end of the day once I reach camp, I’ll send another preset message letting my mom, dad and best friend know that I made it to camp and turn off my tracking for the night. Through the MapShare, they’ll be able to see the last place my inReach pinged me at, which will show them my campsite location.
The inReach also allows two-way messaging which means I can send and receive text messages on my device and through the pairing app throughout the day from my friends and family whenever the device is on.
This is a really cool option to have, especially for someone who goes backpacking alone. Not only does using the inReach give my friends and family peace of mind while I’m out hiking alone, but it also gives me peace of mind knowing they don’t have to worry about me as much and that I’m only a text message away.
Backpacking Alone Tip #5: Get Comfortable with Being Alone
Something else I wish I knew before going backpacking alone was how to get comfortable with being alone.
One of the things I didn’t realize would happen with going backpacking alone was the amount of freedom I would have. Solo backpacking gives me the freedom to go backpacking whenever I want without having to wait for someone else to go with me.
Once I’m out on trail by myself, I have the freedom to speed up or slow down my pace, stop for breaks whenever I want to and camp whenever and wherever I want. Even though it might get a little lonely out there from time to time, solo backpacking has taught me how to be comfortable with being alone.
I can sort through all of the thoughts in my head without any distractions, far away from a WiFi connection and a computer screen. I can truly take in all of the awesome things happening around me outside without worrying about having to keep up with or carry on a conversation with a hiking partner.
Backpacking alone gives me a chance to reflect, to learn more about myself and what I’m capable of and the opportunity to really connect with nature. It might seem lonely at first, but you’ll come to love and even crave the solitude after a couple solo trips.
Backpacking Alone Tip #6: Practice Using Your Gear & Setting Up Camp
I remember before I started going backpacking alone, I thought about how intimidating it would be to have to carry all my gear and set up my camp by myself. How would I know what would make a good spot to set up camp at? What if I had problems with setting up my tent? What if I couldn’t light my stove or filter my water?
The first couple nights were a little rough with me trying to figure it out on my own, but once I got the hang of it, setting up my own camp at night made me feel empowered.
If you want to feel confident with being able to find a good campsite and setting up you own camp, I highly recommend start by practicing using all your gear before going backpacking alone. Don’t let your first solo backpacking trip be the first time you’re setting up your tent by yourself.
Practice setting up your tent at home in your yard or at a park. Practice using your water filter to filter water. Try lighting your stove and boiling a pot of water.
Am I the only one who was afraid that my stove was going to blow up if I didn’t attach the fuel canister and light my stove correctly?
As for knowing what makes a good tentsite, first, start by looking for an already established spot, one where others have clearly camped at before, where the ground is durable and clear of any grass, plant life or debris.
A good tentsite is found, not created.
Check to see that the tentsite is on a flat, level area with good drainage to help water from accumulating around or under your tent in case it rains and that there aren’t any potential hazards nearby like dead trees or unstable rocks.
Ideally, your tentsite will be near a water source, making it easy to collect any water you’ll need while at camp, but always make sure to camp at least 200 feet or 70 large adult steps from any water source or nearby trail.
Backpacking Alone Tip #7: Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
Something I wish I knew before going backpacking alone is that just because I’m out there by myself doesn’t mean I have to be alone all the time. I’ve met quite a few amazing people out on trail during each of my solo backpacking adventures.
I want to let you know that even though you might be backpacking alone, it’s perfectly okay to strike up a conversation with other hikers out on trail or at camp. It’s okay to ask for directions or get advice on what might be coming up on trail like trail conditions, water crossings, landmarks, water sources or even tentsite recommendations.
The people I’ve met out on trail are usually really nice and more than happy to help you out if they can. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
Even before you get out on trail for your first or next solo backpacking adventure, if you’re finding that you’re still having a hard time trying to build up your confidence to get there and do it alone, or need help getting started with this whole backpacking thing, check out the online backpacking program I’ve created for women, The Confident Solo Female Backpacker System
Inside this program, I help women hikers and backpackers like you go from feeling scared and intimidated about backpacking to feeling comfortable planning their trips so that they feel confident getting out on trail by themselves.
The current enrollment period for this program will be closing on December 15th so if you’re ready to start working towards you backpacking goals in 2025, now’s the time to join. CLICK HERE to schedule a free, one-on-one Zoom call with me where we’ll talk about your backpacking goals and see if this program is a good fit for you.
Backpacking Alone Tip #8: Have A Backup Plan
If backpacking alone has taught me anything over the years, it’s not only the importance of being self-reliant, but also that even with the best intended plans, sometimes things don’t always go as planned. Always have a backup plan.
There’s been quite a few times where I had to change my plans thanks to weather conditions, trail conditions, trail closures and even nearby wildfires.
As you go through the trip planning process, not only come up with the route for your trip, but also take note of possible exit points along the way and come up with a backup plan, in case you need to hop off trail early in the event of an emergency or a trail closure.
Don’t forget to include your possible exit points and backup plan when giving your route and planned itinerary to your trusted person at home before heading to the trailhead.
Backpacking Alone Tip #9: Celebrate Your Wins
Something else I wish I knew before going backpacking alone was to celebrate my wins.
As much as I love backpacking alone, it’s not easy. If it were easy, everybody would be doing it. Completing a solo backpacking trip is a huge achievement and something you should be very proud of, no matter how big or small the trip might be.
Take the time to appreciate your entire journey. Stop and take all the photos along the way. Post your photos online or share them with friends and family. Write in a journal talking about your solo backpacking experiences and reflect on how far you’ve come.
And my favorite, take yourself to a delicious post-trail meal once you get off trail to celebrate completing your solo trip Hopefully it’s a meal you’ve been craving and dreaming about for days on end.
Backpacking Alone Tip #10: Enjoy the Journey, Not Just the Destination
And finally, something I wish I knew before going backpacking alone is that “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.”
There have been so many incredible destinations I’ve intended to reach through each of my own solo backpacking adventures, but what I’ve realized while backpacking alone over the years is that it’s NOT about getting the destination. It’s all about how I got there, the experiences I’ve had and the people I meet along the way.
A lot of my favorite moments of each of my solo adventures have happened as I was making my way towards the final destination of the trip, not the actual destination itself. Backpacking isn’t just about the hiking, it’s about all the adventures and lessons you learn along the way.
I hope each of these things I wish I knew before going backpacking alone help you feel more confident and prepared for your own solo backpacking adventures.
Have you gone hiking or backpacking alone before? Or are you getting ready to plan your first trip? If so, let me know in the comments below!
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