So many individuals embark on their own solo journey into the unknown, but the real question is; are there actually any benefits to doing so?
Absolutely there is, and a lot of them in fact.
Camping is amazing and easily one of the cheapest vacations to go on.
However, camping alone is not easy and not for the feint hearted either.
More often than not the first few trips are incredibly scary. After that it gets easier.
The hard work of “pushing yourself” through your first few solo missions is going to help you reap the rewards once you can do it easily and effortlessly.
These are the 9 benefits of solo camping. Enjoy.
1. True Freedom
Experiencing true freedom provides even more benefits in itself!
Do what you want, when you want.
The responsibilities and priorities of everyday life almost makes this non-existent.
You can only do whatever you want with your time if you are unemployed.
However, a lot of us have jobs, and that means it’s difficult for us to live life on our terms.
We are tied down to a 9-5 job which stops us from doing the things we love.
2. Builds Confidence
Being alone in the wilderness is not easy – which you already know – so overtime you will build a massive amount of confidence that you can leverage for the real world too.
Gaining confidence is huge in this day and age.
It helps you land better jobs, helps you make better life decisions, and makes you an all-round attractive person.
People are attracted to confidence 🙂
3. Builds Mental Strength
Again, your mental strength is probably average right now.
Having a strong mind prevents depression and other related illnesses as much as possible.
And yes; you guessed it – good mental strength makes living back in civilization much easier as well.
4. Builds Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is knowing yourself – your desires and what you really want in life.
Solo camping builds self-awareness, so you get a better understanding of your own body, mind and soul.
Self-awareness is incredibly underestimated, and it’s not hard to guess why.
People simply do not care about themselves. They are more worried about getting the latest and greatest iPhone, Tablet or Gadget.
Instead of working on themselves they would rather get as much followers on social media.
Not many people work on themselves anymore. It’s sad but true.
It’s probably why the population is getting dumber and dumber every year!
5. No Distractions
One thing I enjoy very much is ZERO distractions.
I can walk wherever I want without children being loud, cook what I want without arguing with anyone else, and most of all relax for as long as I want to.
It’s great to explore/hike while you camp, but please don’t forget to relax as well!
6. Lots of Alone Time
Alone time is great, and even better for introverts (myself included).
Because you are alone for an extended period of time – even for a weekend getaway – you will learn a great deal about yourself.
Being alone provides even more benefits in itself, which is why a lot of solo campers ARE introverts.
7. Being in Nature Alone
You see, it goes back to that “connecting with yourself” thing again.
It’s one thing to share the wilderness, but it can work in your favor when you’re in nature by yourself too.
The sights, smells and sounds you will experience is one of the best things in the world in my opinion.
Camping in nature alone VS camping with others provides different benefits, and the reason why I’ve created this list separate from family camping benefits.
8. Go Whenever You Want (No Counting on Anybody Else)
Well my friend, this is one of my favorite perks about camping alone.
You don’t have to rely on anyone else…ever.
Go camping in the midst of winter if you want to.
Camp while all your friends are busy at work (and remember to upload pictures online for all your busy friends and family to see!).
Simply go camping when your schedule suits you, and you only – not when it suits everybody else!
9. Stress is Non-Existent
I’ve said it time and time again, and I will say it again.
There’s no stress in the wilderness.
When you’re camping with family and friends, yes there will be stress at times.
However, there will be absolutely no stress when you’re alone.
The only stress you will encounter is when you start thinking about your job, paying bills, running errands, grocery shopping, etc.
Just wipe this from your mind when you walk out that front door and you will have an amazing trip.
Do that and I promise you your solo mission into the unknown will be one of the best things you’ve ever done.
Final Words
As you can clearly see, there are a myriad of benefits you can gain just from solo camping on a frequent basis.
“Frequent basis” is the keyword here.
That means to get the most from these benefits it is best to do it at least 6 times a year.
However, I KNOW you will love it that much. You will probably do it more than that anyway.
Well thanks a bunch for reading this article.
Questions:
1. Do you have any benefits you would like to add?
2. What are your thoughts on solo camping?
Add your answer in the comments below!
Cheers and have a great day.
Never had to go camping myself. It’s not a very common activity where I’m from. But I have to admit the self-awareness part is what I find most interesting about this article. Freedom from distractions and some quality alone time are both things I really haven’t done in a long while. I really feel like this is a worthwhile hobby to undertake as I believe the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. Thank you.
You’ve hit the nail on the head Derrick and I think you should definitely take up solo camping as a hobby.
There’s a good reason why so many people take up camping; the fact that it’s therapeutic in more ways than one and takes out the stress you gain from every day life in civilization.
I wish you all the best and know you’ll make the right decision 🙂