Before I held a regular job, I had always wanted to go backpacking alone or go hiking alone.

As a woman in the outdoors, it was frowned upon in my circle of friends and families, and they always warned me that danger was lurking at every corner. If it wasn’t animals that I had to be wary of, it was often men or strangers I had no control over!

I had been hiking alone in Asia in my own country, however, the only thing that was stopping me from taking that plunge was often the gear setup.

I only learned how to set up a tent when I did my first cycling trip in Kyrgyzstan, but it never dawned on me on learning the basics such as what stove to bring, how to store my food properly, what happens if I lose my way and most importantly, can I get pass through this mental block of being extremely anxious when night time comes.

I have realised starting small and not worrying about every single thing helps a lot.

There are many times when I often start solo but end up being never truly alone on the trail. Here are some factors on what worked for me when I first started backpacking alone.

Also Read: 10 Best Doable Mountains To Climb In The World

How Do You Start Backpacking/Hiking Alone?

1. Start Small

The best way to begin backpacking alone is to start small and try local trails that are within access.

If you’re new to backpacking, I would recommend partnering with a friend or checking out local groups on Meetup.com and Facebook groups.

There are plenty of groups in this digital age who are happy to go with you especially if they have the same interest as you when venturing out solo.

There’s even a solo backpacking group on Facebook called ‘‘All Women All Trails: Hiking & Backpacking” that are particularly useful if you want any instant any immediate advice.

2. Stick to well-trodden paths

If you’re still worried about navigation, I highly recommend sticking to popular trails that are known for backpacking and thru-hiking.

A lot of females that I met who were travelling one month in Asia often stuck to the well-travelled path from Indonesia to India.

When I went solo hiking in Slovenia, I bumped into two men who were climbing Mount Triglav and while I did not intend to follow their itinerary to the T, it helped in meeting people on the trail and there was clear hut-to-hut at every stop which I didn’t need to worry about getting lost.

3. Pair up with someone for the first time

If you have the opportunity to attend a crash course or befriend one of your “outdoorsy friends” for an experience in the wild, I highly suggest you leverage this.

I am not the best in navigation but I really wanted to know the basics of how to pitch a tent, cook your meals, and keep my backpacking essentials to ensure it is as lightweight as possible and my closely observing how the rest do it, I learned the same.

There are also tons of YouTube videos out there and I personally like Homemade Wanderlust YouTube videos where she comes up with 10-minute videos of long-distance hiking trails and how to navigate different sections of the trail on her own — pretty inspiring I think!

4. Research routes and understand maps

Some trails can be entirely weather-dependent and you’d want to research the conditions in advance!

The best ways are to ensure you've got your offline maps sorted using All Trails or Windy Maps (also read my post on the best hiking apps out there!)

Beyond that, you’d want to ensure you’ve got the basics covered:

Check with official national parks and tourism sites on weather conditions/warnings and the best time to hike
Facebook groups are incredibly useful for real-time info of people who had recently completed the route

5. Don’t attempt anything technical

If you are afraid of vertigo and you’re dead sure that any vertical ascents may be too risky for you, you’d want to stay clear of any technical trails.

I initially wanted to climg Kang Yatse in Ladakh and I know in instances like this, I would only benefit hiking here if it was with a trek leader and never truly on a solo hiking mission.

Know when to draw the line and understand the terrain between when you should go solo, when you should go with a group, or when you should hire a guide.

6. It’s all mental afterall

How scary the world depends on what you are prepared for. Your best defence against scary stuff and all that mental voices is knowledge. The best way to prepare is to: nerd out.

Make sure you learn from different sources: read about women who go on solo backpacking trips and hikes, see what their fears are and how they navigate through it.

The more you know, the less you’ll be intimidated. Trail condescension is also a thing especially for a woman — don’t let anyone tell you you’re not prepared. Trust your planning, understanding, and go for it!

7. Ensure your gear is ultralight

Most backpackers have lugged around in 60-65litres backpack and as a tiny woman, I find that kind of backpack too big for my travelling style. The easiest way to pack is to travel light.

I keep my weight minimal, ensure everything has a purpose and only invest in gear that I truly need.

If you can find trails where there are huts so you don’t need to pack food and lug a big tent all the way, that would be a bonus. Find ways to make it work in your favour and if food is an issue, find easy to pack travel snacks.

8. Dealing with period in the wilderness

My biggest fear is getting period on the toughest day of the climb and not being prepared and not knowing what to do with it.

Most people swear by the diva cup, but as someone who takes more than 10 minutes to get it right, I still prefer tampons and bring pads as an emergency.

Just like food out in the open, it could potentially attract animals.

I would hang up any bags of menstrual waste, the same as trash and food and plant it far away from my tent site so you don’t need to worry about attracting animals to your campsite in the middle of the night.

Pack sanitisers or hand wipes to ensure you’ve got your hygiene in place.

Getting Your Gear Right

There’s so much gear and stuff to bring whenever you’re hiking or camping, and the best way to figure out what you need is to ensure you keep it to the 10 essentials backpacking list

Backpack: I would recommend going with a 45-50L backpacking backpack. Osprey is one of the best ones out there and you can’t go wrong with their setup when it comes to hiking and backpacking trips!
Tent: Stick to an ultra-lightweight 4-season camping tent so that way you don’t have to keep buying new ones!
Sleeping Pad: Don’t make that mistake of skimping on a sleeping pad! I once bought a thin pad that provided no insulation and felt like I was sleeping on rocks! You want the bag and pad to work in tandem. Sleeping pads with proper foaming will reflect all that warmth to you.
Sleeping Bag: We all know how important is a sleeping bag! The biggest factor when choosing one is rainfall and humidity.
Stove: A two-burner propane camp stove is the best beginner camp stove to cook your meals and prepare your morning coffee! Don’t forget to bring a lighter and some fuel canisters and test it out before going for your trip.
Water filter: Invest in a mini water filtration system. My go-to water filter is Sawyer mini filter!
Emergency Blanket: I learnt this trick when I was camping in sub-minus temperatures and it was raining hail! The emergency blanket served as a giant foil wrapper that packs to the size of a sandwich bag actually saved my life!
GPS: Invest in a hand held GPS for emergency SOS situations!
Food: You can pack some food such as Mountain House Scrambled Eggs or a Trail Mix (Also read: 10 Easy Delicious Hiking And Backpacking Lunch Ideas)

Where To Go Backpacking & Hiking Solo?

There are some stunning places to go backpacking and hiking solo and here are the best places to go hiking if you’re soloing it up as a woman.

1. John Muir Trail (US)

Known to be one of the finest scenery in the US, this 211-mil trail runs alongside the Pacific Crest Trail and is known to have relatively mild, sunny weather.

This is a long distance 3-week hike in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, passing through Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks.

2. Inca Trail (Peru)

You’d want to do this once in a lifetime trek that leads to Machu Picchu and known to be one of the greatest lost civilizations.

The total distance may only be about 24 miles (39km), but the ancient trail starts from the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu winds its way up and down and around the mountains, zigzagging over three high Andean passes, which is what is called the Inca Trail.

3. Sentiero Dei Parchi, Italy

A new trail that was announced amid the pandemic (and what great timing), the Sentiero dei Parchi known as Path of the Parks expands the existing Sentiero Italia and now connects all of Italy’s 20 regions and 25 national parks through more than 4275 miles (6880 km) of non-stop trail along its mountain ranges.

Hiking the whole length is estimated to take eight months which may be quite a bit of non-stop hiking. There is even a a site dedicated to the existing trail which helps in planning for all hikers.

4. Kepler Track, New Zealand

Located in Fiordland National Park on New Zealand's South Island, Kelper Track is the 37-mile trail that features the beauty of Fiordland from its glacier valleys, waterfalls, and stunning mountains.

You can start your journey from Kepler Track and complete the trail counterclockwise. Most people embark on a 3 or 4 days hike in total.

Also Read: What To Wear Hiking Outdoors: In Summer, Spring, Fall & Winter

How To Protect Yourself?

it is not all scary if you have the right prep work when hiking alone as a woman!

The wonders of being in the wild also comes with the general fear of being fronted with wild animals and dangerous strangers who you may not know what their intention was.

I have always carried a knife and pepper spray as the most basic tool for protection.

Carry a bear spray only if needed. Make sure you practice pulling it out of the holster at home before your trip. Read up on tips, for instance: avoid hiking at dawn or dusk as that’s when bears are most active.

Cook food and wash dishes and hands far away from your tent so there’s no circle of odour where you sleep which would attract bears.

Other FAQs Which Are Equally Important

1. How do you know when you’re ready?

Are you that person who is often startled by just the snapping of a twig or leaves rustling?

That was definitely me when I started! For me what works is small mental reminders such as why did I get out in the first place? The key thing is to square up your concerns with yourself. This is after all a transformative event: you will be changed from it, and ways you think today will be different than how you think afterwards.

2. What should you do in an emergency situation?

The key thing with a solo backpacking or hiking mission is to go easy on yourself. Do not get stuck in a dicey situation that will haunt you!

Don't take unnecessary risks, and make sure someone knows your planned route and when to expect you back. And the most important thing: enjoy the hell out of it!

In an emergency situation, make sure you have your GPS trackers. A tracking transmitter like a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) will help emergency services rescue you in the event that you become lost.

3. How to speak to your loved ones to let them know you’re safe?

When I did tell people, I stressed the measures I was taking to ensure my safety and mitigate what they perceived as the dangers.

For instance, I told them, I’ll be on well-travelled trails, I’ll have a Gps that allows me text/see a map and so on.

Once they realised I was taking care of myself and not just stumbling off blindly into the woods, most people chilled out.

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Hope these are helpful! Solo backpacking may not be for everyone, but it offers a great chance to get out of your comfort zone, know what you like, how you react to dicey situations and be fully alive to live through these experiences.

Good luck with your hike or backpacking trip, remember to soak it all in and be your own boss!

Also Read: 18 Must-Read Inspirational Outdoor Adventure Books

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