5 Important Tips For Solo Hiking As A Female

Being raised in Alaska pretty much guarantees you’ve spent a significant amount of your childhood outdoors. I was no exception, and as I grew up I naturally formed a love for the wild side of nature. I went from hiking local trails that offered a quick 30 minute Sunday activity, to packing a small backpack of Cliff bars and water for all day excursions, to overnight backpacking trips, and eventually even hiking thru the Andes Mountains in Peru for 6 days. Yet, two years ago, I began to feel the familiar itch to expand my skills once again. Not to add days to my trips, climb steeper peaks, or even tackle the challenge that is winter hiking, it was to fly solo. Yes, solo hiking.

While I love exploring the outdoors with my husband, I began to hate the feeling of dependency. I wanted to feel confident in my abilities as an individual hiker, even if I only go solo hiking a few times a year. So I set out to do just that, find out my weaknesses, my fears, my obstacles and how I could overcome them. So, if like me, you are wanting to become more confident in your hiking ability as a solo female, here are 5 things that helped me go it alone.

Educate Yourself

With countless online videos and courses in backcountry hiking, there’s no excuse to not be properly informed. I took a backpacking course that taught me how to read and use a compass, how to decipher topography lines on maps, how to properly pack and adjust your backpack, and how to effectively layer clothing accordingly for the weather. You will never feel confident solo hiking if you don’t take steps to educate yourself. The more knowledge you have about hiking, the more prepared you will feel for every situation.

Know your Equipment

Lay out every piece of gear you need. Doesn’t matter if you’re going for a long day hike and just have a day-pack, or are attempting a 3-day thru hike, lay it all out. Then use it. Set up the tent, take it down and pack it. Does it fit? How long did it take you? If it’s raining when you set up camp, are you going to be soaked by the time the tent is up? If so, you may need to practice a couple of times. Use the camp stove. There are propane stoves, alcohol stoves, and wood burning stoves, just to name a few. Which do you have and do you know how to use it, because there is a difference between knowing in theory and actually knowing how your individual equipment works.

It may not seem like it, but this goes for rope and tarp as well. Can you set up a tarp that doesn’t pour into your fire when it rains? Having familiarity with your equipment is going to make feel prepared. You will already know what knots to tie, how the rainfly fits, and that the stove requires a little elbow grease to get the pieces together.

Understand your Environment

If you are venturing out on your own, or even with a group, you need to know your environment and how to be safe. In Alaska, it’s all about bears and rivers. I needed to know what season bears come out of hibernation, what areas they are most likely to be (literally everywhere), what attracts them, and how to deal with an encounter. I had to ask myself if I wanted to carry a gun, bear spray, or nothing at all. And as far as understanding my geographic environment, I needed to know if there were any water crossings because a stream in September can easily be a raging river in May. The more prepared for your environment and wildlife you are, the more likely you will have a safe and successful hike.

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Find Inspiration

Thanks to social media, we are now more connected than ever with online communities for EVERYTHING. This includes female hikers. I suggest becoming a part of those communities, even before you’ve done your first hike. These women have done amazing things, traveled the world, hiked solo for months, and overcome insane obstacles. So use them; use them for their knowledge, for encouragement, and for inspiration.

Baby Steps

Going it alone is scary. Don’t expect to watch a few YouTube videos, strap on your pack, and head out for a 5-day solo hiking trip. Take it slow. Start with a short day, even 1 hour on a trail solo will be you closer to your goal. Confidence is built up hike after hike, moment by moment, and step by step, all you have to do is keep moving forward.

What do you think of these solo hiking tips? Let us know in the comments below!

Featured image source: weheartit.com