Is camping alone safe or should you pursue your hobby with a companion so you have more security than just your knife or gun?
As a matter of fact, just about everything we do on a daily basis has some type of risk to it.
Just cross the road and you risk your life.
You may encounter someone trying to rob you just by walking down the street.
So what makes solo camping any different than everyday activities?
In my honest opinion, nothing!
Short Answer
Solo camping is not 100% safe.
However, you are actually a danger to yourself due to lack of knowledge and experience, more so than coming across a dangerous animal or human.
Long Answer
You will be much safer in the great outdoors if you have a lot of knowledge and personal experience up your sleeve first!
For example:
A person that has camped with their family and friends for many years while being hands-on is much further along the “experienced” path than someone who has only camped a few times and stood back/watched everyone else do the work the entire time (eg. pitch tents, start the campfire, cook dinner).
What am I trying to tell you here?
Camping by yourself is 10 times safer if you know what to do and what not to do.
What you know and don’t know will mean the difference between having a safe and good trip or a very bad/deadly one, to say the least.
What Should You Do?
Well I am not you so I do not know how well you will perform in the wilderness, only YOU can make that call.
You need to figure out your strengths and weaknesses. Write them down, think it through thoroughly, then make your final decision.
Do you think you make a good candidate?
Can you pitch your tent easily? Do you get scared when you’re alone? Can you make a campfire and cook dinner safely, and do you know how to keep wild animals out of your campsite?
These are only a few questions out of the many that you should be asking yourself.
Because at the end of the day, it comes down to how well you know yourself – your skills and knowledge.
Don’t Have Enough Experience? That’s Okay!
If you still don’t have a clue about yourself, you need to go camping a lot more.
I highly recommend that you be more hands while you are out with your friends and family.
Pitch the tent by yourself, chop the firewood, and even get the campfire roaring. Maybe prep and cook dinner for everyone else.
It all comes down to increasing your knowledge, increasing your skills and talents so you can finally go camping by yourself.
And the best part?
You can go whenever you please!
Your schedule doesn’t have to align with others.
How does that sound?
What You Need to Realize
First and foremost, you need to realize that the most dangerous thing out in the wilderness is almost always you,
If you fall down a cliff and break your ankle, how will you help yourself?
Get attacked by a predator, do you know how to fend one off?
And what if you get lost and can’t find your way back to civilization?
It’s a matter of being aware of your surroundings, being talented enough to fix the problem (even if it’s just temporarily) until you can get help.
Sometimes you might not even need to get help.
Patching yourself up isn’t hard when you learn the ropes.
But if it’s really that bad, you need to know when to make the call, to know exactly when to pack it all in and go get medical help.
When Shouldn’t You Go?
Don’t go camping alone if you only “think” you are good to go, because you need to be 100% certain that you are well and truly good for the job.
I am only looking out for your safety here, because your loved ones want to see you home safe and well, and so do l.
Don’t be the “hero”, or the “try hard” that thinks he doesn’t need any experience first.
It will only lead to death, and yes, I’m being totally serious here.
The wilderness is an unpredictable place.
There are no hospitals and no police to come to your aid.
You rely on yourself only, and if you are incompetent, you WILL struggle each and everyday.
Finishing Up
Please remember, you are all on your own. You only have the help of your knowledge and expertise to get you back home safe and well, that is it!
Without any of that, you’re a dead man walking.
That’s why it’s so important to learn the ins and outs first. Your life is precious, just like each and every one of us.
Do the right thing!
And by that I mean camp with other people first, get some knowledge and experience up your sleeve.
But don’t just stop there.
Learn, and then learn some more, you can never have too much knowledge 🙂
You will have a much happier and safer time if you follow what I have talked about in this article.
Stay safe guys 🙂
Is camping alone safe? Tell me your thoughts in the comments below.
-Brandon
Camping Mastery