Is the thought of going camping alone or hiking alone terrifying? You are not alone! I have gone camping alone several times now! Every time it is both terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time!
Do you struggle with any of the following things? Making your own decisions, being by yourself, and trusting your intuition? Believing you’re are enough? When these thoughts run through your head, it can be paralyzing and hard to determine what to do next. How do you overcome these struggles? Well, You can totally lean on others for support and hope they will give you the right answers, but that probably won’t always make you happy! The alternative is, you camp alone and get in touch with who you are and what you stand for!
If Going Camping Alone Still Sounds Intimidating to you, Keep on Reading.
I was recently talking to Jenny Kotlyer (of the blog Campsite Vibes) on the Ordinary to Badass Podcast.
She said that she wanted to go hiking and camping, but she couldn’t get anyone else to go with her. She finally decided that she wasn’t going to rely on someone else (or their schedule) to make her dreams happen. The same is true for you. Don’t wait for someone to go for a camp or a hike with you. Go alone. You could be just like Jenny, who had never camped or hiked before a trip to Mount Whitney with her boyfriend. That trip was a total game changer for her! She found her passion for hiking and taking in the beautiful scenery. I, for one, want that experience for you!
Now before you think camping alone is all gumdrops and lollipops, I have to tell you a quick story.
Several years ago, I was going through a divorce. Somehow, I lost who I was, and I also lost the ability to make decisions. I became heavily dependent on others for answers.
The problem was, their answers weren’t my answers and didn’t fulfill me!
Anyway, I digress. Summertime was coming, and so was my annual camping trip to Lake Chelan, Washington. My family and the neighbors I grew up with had been going camping in Chelan for about 20 years. As we got older, more and more people started dropping out. If people went, they would stay at a hotel and come to the campsite during the day for a few hours, or they would stop by for a quick campfire. When I thought of staying in a hotel, I knew that wouldn’t fulfill me.
I was looking forward to camping, but people seemed to be dropping like flies. I didn’t want to miss the annual camping trip. That was my time to relax and connect with nature!
The thought of going without the family that I knew (my ex-husband and step-daughters) seemed lonely, yet the idea of not going seemed worse. I feared it would end my long-standing tradition of going to Lake Chelan. This one trip began my ritual of camping alone! Like Jenny, I decided not to rely on people’s schedules and go camping alone!
That summer, I went to the campground alone. Well, it felt alone, but that wasn’t exactly true. My dad was in another tent and stayed for a few days, and one of the other families who had gone yearly since childhood was in a neighboring site. The reality is, I wasn’t completely alone. Honestly, I got to camp, and I cried in my tent a few times and I felt alone. By the end of the trip, I also felt empowered. I did things I wanted to do, and when I wanted to do them. Imagine going for a hike, a swim and eating all on your own time! No spouse or kids to make a meal for. You may realize (like I did) that camping alone wasn’t so bad, after all. You don’t have to abide by anyone else’s schedule.
Camping Alone Helps you to become more decisive and to Trust Your Intuition!
When you camp by yourself, you have to make decisions. You get in the habit of relying on your inner voice. It’s incredible how camping by yourself for a few days can help you to become more self-reliant. As I said earlier, you have to choose what to make for dinner, or what you will do with your time. If a problem arises, you are the one to solve it!
The beauty of camping alone is you get to spend time by yourself. To be disconnected from your day to day life and all of the distractions that come with it! You get in touch with how you really feel. You get to hammer out some of life’s tough decisions in your head because, at times, there’s nothing else to do.
Prioritize and plan out your days.
When you camp, you can try to stay busy. It’s a different kind of busy than in your everyday life. It’s a more connected, busy! Here’s an example of what I do. In the morning, I go for a 3-5-mile hike. I get back, and I read and write. Maybe I’ll jump into the lake and then read some more. I take several short walks throughout the day with my dogs.
I dream about what makes me happy and the possibilities for my life. At night I always have a campfire (even if I have to use my propane firepit), or I got to look out at the lake and see the lights of the city shining right along with the stars. Everything feels so much more magical when you’re camping!
If you’re not a planner, then don’t even worry about planning out your days; after all, it’s still a vacation. I came up with a routine, so I could get out of my own head and stop feeling lonely!
If Camping Alone Still Sounds Terrifying to you, Try This!
Consider going camping with a friend and staying in separate tents, so you still have alone time, and can understand how it would feel to be alone. Or camp at the same campground as someone you know, but not the same site.
When you first start, choose a well-populated campground. You don’t have to hike 10 miles into the campsite. You can stay at a public campground. It will still give you the benefits of going alone and experiencing it!
How can you Start if That Still Seems Like too Much?
If you are a people person and the thought of being by yourself terrifies you, go for a road trip by drive by yourself for a few hours. Start small and work your way up to camping by yourself. If you haven’t camped before at all, go with someone you know. Eventually, you go for one night by yourself, and you can even sleep in your car and lock your doors if you want to! Although it may seem intimidating, try to do things by yourself so you get to know yourself better, and you can come to rely on yourself!
When you leave the campground, you feel strong as hell! If you can camp alone, what else can’t you do?
You are a Badass and can get through the hard times! I want to hear from you! Have you ever camped alone? If so, tell me about it, if not, what scares you about going by yourself?
Marie
PS It can be scary to camp alone but you can also reap great rewards! If you liked this article, you could also check out this article and podcast episode “Climbing Mount Whitney” with Jenny Kotler.
This is great ! Love it. I have never been camping by myself but have thought about the possibility of it and it does scare me if I was at a primitive sight. I would feel much more comfortable in a state park campground like Lake Chelan just because there are so many other people around and park rangers etc. I miss Chelan and really am hungering for camping right now. I want to go this summer!
I love that! You could totally do it, even if it was just for a night or two! At some point I may do a camp alone challenge or mini course. So a group of people could camp alone but connect or have guidance virtually! You gotta tell me if you do it!
Yes, I’ve solo hiked and camped, especially to climb Glacier Peak. After several attempts I really knew exactly what I needed and what not to bring. All of those attempts are why I’m probably experiencing some knee cartlige thinning. But the satisfaction was really worth it. Unforgettable self reliance.
I also hitch hiked to Mt Whitney in about ’86 and climbed that. A great trail all the way to the top. I camped under the stars below the tree line for the next day to the top. I’d been riding bicycle all summer and that was the best shape i have ever been in.
That’s so cool! I love it!!! What would you say to the newbie, that want’s to try it but is scared to camp or hike alone?