Alone

[ged]

The beauty of going alone is you're fully aware of the capabilities of everyone in the group.

If only that were always true.

As has been said (not very often in this thread), spare a thought for the rescue teams who might have to risk their lives to recover your body because they don't yet know if it's a dead one or not, and for your family, if you have one that cares.

I do the most dangerous things that one can do in peacetime. Usually alone.

There are four living creatures who would care if I didn't survive my next trip.

Two of them are dogs, and they'll get over it pretty quickly I think.

The other two are women, and they'll be a lot better off when I'm gone.

 

[MikeLA]

going alone is good sometimes for the peace and relaxation in the countryside.

 

[Limaed]

A large portion of the really big Mountain Rescue searches in Scotland I've been involved in are for solitary hill walkers. There's quite often similarities between the incidents - some experience, correct kit, challenging routes in remote areas, male usually in the age group 30-50. It's not surprising really as this demographic has the most confidence & opportunity to go solo.
These large searches sadly often end with a fatality - winter snows can quickly cover a body which will then not be found for months. Often the cause of the incident is down to poor route planning / knowledge leading to a fall. Sometimes that's just bad luck but what really hinders the MRT's is the lack of an accurate (or sometimes any) route plan - a car at the edge of wild area gives a few clues but not many! It might not change the outcome but it does bring closure tragic as that is.
Going out alone is good for the soul but those that do it should always consider the what if's & carry out a full risk assessment before heading out.

 

[ArkAngel]

Happy to be on my own and have spent plenty of time out and about solo over the years.

While I'm not overly sociable with other people I do enjoy spending time with my good lady wife these days. The experience shared is much more important to me these days

 

[cranmere]

Another one who enjoys solo travel and adventures sometimes. I think you need to be very honest with yourself about your capabilities and also about the risks you may take. One thing struck me reading some of the pots above, walking with someone else doesn't mean that you aren't going to fall or cut yourself or whatever, it just means that someone else is there and can potentially fetch help.

 

[cbr6fs]

Reading the first kayaking post I see that once again the instruction that one should never canoe alone is repeated. This solemn warning is also common for hill-walking, snorkelling and almost any other outdoor activity. But, there is a quote that I like from The Song of the Paddle forum, "People tell me I shouldn't travel alone, but I've never been told that by anyone who has ever done it."

What is better, to not do something because you can't find a group available at the same time or to do what you want and be aware of the risks and the responsibilities involved?

Don't Kayak but i do hill walk, snorkle/free dive and cycle alone.

Can't say as i've sat and thought about the risks.
If i did then i'm not really the type of person that would let fear stop me doing something if i really wanted to do it.

If i want company i'm lucky to have a good selection of family and mates so i'm happy to spend time with any of them, if i want to go alone or get a quick non planned outing in then i'll go alone.

Tend to tell folks where i'm going and when i'm expected back, i take a FAK and bivvy bag when circumstances require, usually have my phone with me, a whistle and a torch as well.

I think it's just down to using some good old common sense, if you're likely to be the last on a particular path for the night then i'd take a emergency bivvy bag.
My thinking being IF i was to break a leg or something it's unlikely anyone will bump into me after a certain time, so if i have no phone signal i'll need to have enough with me to survive the night.
Don't plan on taking enough for it to be a comfortable night, but enough that i feel i can survive.

 

[Bluffer]

Reinhold Messner has trekked alone for months in the himalayan wilderness, which included a solo Everest summit.

Chris Townsend (google him) must spend over 200 nights a year in the UK wilderness, most of it alone.

The important bit is to get out there doing it, rather than stay at home and fret about how you'll manage it.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

I travel alone a lot of the time. Be it hiking or cycling. When I go out for a hike or a bike ride. I turn on my buddy beacon. This relays my position every 30 minutes to a friend who happens to be a member of the local SAR team. I also tell that friend where I am going, and the plan of the route I am taking, if it's a substantial route of any kind. I then text when I make camp, and text when I break camp. The reason for all this is so that in the event of an accident I can be found. "Hmm, she hasn't texted to say she made camp, buddy beacon hasn't moved since noon, no response, lets check she's alive". It's not a fool proof system, it has room for false positives and false negatives, and down here I am at the mercy of the local phone signal. I am saving up for a PLB, to hopefully reduce some of these issues. But it certainly reduces some of the risks involved.

For day hikes I tend turn on the beacon, but also say "gone for a walk, back at 1700". If I've not checked in by 1800, then contact is attempted to check that I am OK.

In the modern day and age of technology and knowledge, you don't have to have someone walking with you to not travel alone...

Julia

 

[GGTBod]

Being in a group is no guarantee of safety either, sadly sometimes things just go wrong

I really feel for this young lads family as he could not have been in safer hands and it is enough to put any parent off letting their kid out of sight

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-28086656

 

[Goatboy]

Must admit to not being a fan of doing things in large groups. Have always preferred being either solo or just with a mate. So saying I made sure I was suitably proficient at my chosen hobby whether it was climbing, canoeing, walking etc before heading out solo; and I let folks know where I was headed and my plans should things go awry.

Yes I was lucky that in this country I knew that there was the backup of the Mountain Rescue, Lifeboats and the likes should things go wrong. But I also wouldn't expect them to come out looking for me and endangering myself if I was being foolhardy. One of the things about mountaineering is that there is an element of danger. I've lost friends but luckily never been in need of a personal rescue. It's very sad that the young lad died, and if the folk with him were qualified and not taking unnecessary risks then it is very sad. But in the same vein the element of danger is one of the elements of excitement in there surely. We tend to be very mollycoddled in this society with little idea of personal consequence. And it's making us less self reliant and weaker for it. Personally if I'm daft enough to do it I feel I have to take the consequences for it.

 

[GGTBod]

it is like when i get on a plane, i put my life in the hands of the pilot and accept the consequences involved and take the risk.

I can imagine it is hard enough for parents to let their kids go off with a group of experts after signing the danger and insurance forms at any point, never mind when we grow up and run off doing stuff on our own, according to the report he was surrounded by people in and out of the water, had helmet, wetsuit and PFD and lost consciousness the second he hit the water, was immediately removed from the water and given cpr by an expert medic but never regained consciousness

 

[ozzy1977]

Growing up my mates were only interested in going fishing then when nearly old enough getting ****** up so I had to go out on my own and teach my self through reading a lot and trial and error a lot of what I know today. It was only last year that I had actually gone out with a group of like minded people where were all learn off each other, which is a very refreshing change to follow the leader

 

[backpacker]

Sometimes being on your own can be valuable especially when doing Bushcraft as you only have yourself to depend on and if you get it wrong its only yourself to blame but also is a good learning curve of being able to cope on your own, I have been out on a few weekend wild camping trips on my own which as long as you don't get bored with your own company can be really good for you, One thing I do before going out on my own to an area that could be of some danger, I always leave details of wher I have gone and when I should arrive back home.......Just in case!

 

[JonathanD]

My missus adopted a phrase to match my like for lonesome meanderings...

"Whether up to the woods or walking back home, he travels the fastest when he travels alone".

Damned true too. I might get a patch made up with that on. In fact, I will.

 

[bambodoggy]

My missus adopted a phrase to match my like for lonesome meanderings...

"Whether up to the woods or walking back home, he travels the fastest when he travels alone".

Damned true too. I might get a patch made up with that on. In fact, I will.

I really like that

 

[tsitenha]

I trek/canoe often solo, sometimes with friends. Even solo, I am never alone, not with all that natural splendor.
The solitude offers time to reflect and give thanks, it lets me ponder on my life, problems and blessings. I really feel refreshed when I come back.

 

[Seadog]

OK - not a big fan of group stuff - and have done a fair bit of solo canoeing and kayaking. And if I am honest if the opportunity presented itself would be happy to sail solo although unfortunately never quite managed to get my own boat and the skill set a bit rusty these days. The key here is to be brutally honest about your abilities and skill set and then consider what you are planning to do and what can go wrong- then be prepared to modify your plans. For both canoes and kayaks it comes down to how good is your self rescue in light of where you are going and the water conditions you are likely to encounter. As an example - if you are using a SOT kayak (I like these because of the ease of self rescue) are you convinced you can re-enter in the kind of conditions which are likely to have pitched you out in the first place? If your re-entry is not bomb proof under rough condition then open water is not a great idea but within swimming distance (factoring in effects of cold water immersion) is still a risk solo but probably OK. An open canoe is generally much harder to capsize - at least my 16 foot MR explorer is - but take much more skill to do a wet re-entry under rough conditions. So again for me personally that is a different set of risk and consequence equations to balance before say paddling across a big lake. Organisations such as the BCU [British Canoe Union] have had the mantra "less than three should never be" especially for closed cockpit kayaks because unless a paddler has a roll that is 100% effective an assisted rescue is easier if it goes wrong. While there are a number of experience sea kayakers with well honed skill sets who will paddle solo if it goes pear shaped then they are in bigger trouble. Likewise I love night sailing and have often had solo watch at the helm while the rest of the crew sleep - but if I go over the back with the autopilot on and everyone else asleep I am truly stuffed. Yes I can mitigate against this by being on a safety line and waking someone up to help if I need to leave the cockpit. I will stop rambling on now and sum up with .... it depends on your craft, your skill set, what you are trying to do, what the conditions are, what the condition might become, and your willingness to change your plans accordingly. IMHO two type of person are at greater risk - the relative novice who hasn't got a clue what they are getting into AND the relatively experienced who become over confident in their abilities.

 

[tsitenha]

To add to this, when I go solo I let my wife know generally where I should be and add 3 days for every week of trekking I do, eg. 1 week +3 days, 2 weeks +6 days. Just for safety and possible loss of face if I ever get waylaid

 

[lucan]

I've found as i've got older i'm spending more time outdoors alone, I still spend time outdoors with family and friends walking and wild camping always have and always will, But i like wandering off to where its just me. I enjoy the tranquility which some Friends and Family really find it hard to understand, Don't get me wrong i enjoy others company, It's hard to explain to someone without them thinking you're just weird.

 

[Jackspencer555]

I'm only 21 and still learning a lot, I've built a decent enough kit and skillset up over the years but have never had anyone else to go with, alone is good but could use some pals to go with. Instagram user: jackspencer555 follow my feed if anyone's interested.