How to Confidently Solo Camp
I've been solo traveling, hiking, and camping since 2021, and the overall best advice is to go with your gut. Only you know what you are comfortable with and what makes you feel safe. This post is just a list of things I've done to make myself feel safer solo traveling, and this is not a prescriptive list by any means.
Book front country campsites
I personally hate the stress of not knowing where I will sleep. It's not fun to drive around fighting people for campsites or get a free campsite that's so far away you lose lots of time driving to where you want to be. Overall, having campsites booked ahead of time gives me peace of mind, but it also comes with a price. There are lots of great BLM campsites, but when I first started solo camping, I preferred being in an area surrounded by many other people and sometimes having a camp host. As I've grown more comfortable, I now use Ioverlander and campendium more to find reviews of free or last-minute campsites. Overall, I've found that older retired couples are the best people to befriend at campgrounds. Every older couple I've met like this has been so sweet and always made sure I was doing ok and asked if I needed anything. Sometimes it's nice to know someone else is helping keep an eye out for you.
You do not have to share that you're traveling solo!
People are mostly just nosey, but if people are asking are you out here on the trail all by yourself, or where are your friends - lie. When I was hiking with friends, I had this happen, and a weird guy asked me if "I was all alone out here." I responded no, that my friends were just up the trail, which in this instance was true, but this was an odd question to me. If you don't feel comfortable mentioning you are solo, it's ok. Instead, you can respond that your friends are back at camp or just down or up the trail - in this instance, it's ok to lie.
Campsite for two
You may have seen or heard of this before but set up your campsite for two. If you do anything, at least do two camp chairs. People will see one chair and automatically assume that you're alone. Also, not that I have seen many people snooping through camps, but put two pairs of shoes outside of your tent as well. I usually have my boots and my sandals outside my tent door. It just creates the illusion that two people are at the campsite, even if someone only sees you.
Let people know your plan
Even if you may have service, assume you won't and let people know your plan. This isn't just a solo travel safety tip. This is just an adventuring tip. This way, if something happens to you, people can check if you returned to your campsite, car, trailhead, etc. Now you don't have to tell people your every move, but even having a rough estimate of where you were when can be extremely helpful in any search and rescue incident. For example, you are camping here for two nights, exploring these two areas of the park - something as simple as that.
Have the ability to communicate without cell service.
I may sound like a broken record but get a satellite phone. I have a Garmin InReach and love it. I can message my friends or family that I'm at camp for the night and send it with a time stamp and the coordinates of where I will be camping. You can also send longer form messages if needed, but many of our National Parks, forests, and adventure areas do not have service. Whether alone or in a group, you should always have a way to contact someone without cell service.
Carabiner trick
This is being talked about more widely, but I'll share how I utilized the carabiner trick. I have a birdie, which is a high-pitched chirp/alarm system in which you pull the body of the device apart from the carabiner to engage the alarm. Initially, I'd clip the carabiner around my inside tent zips so that if someone tried to get into my tent, I could quickly engage the alarm. In general, never physically lock your tent. I've seen this a lot, but should a bear come or anything happen where you need to get out of your tent fast, the last thing you need to be doing is putting on a headlamp to undo a physical lock. I haven't used the carabiner trick since my first month of solo traveling, but it can give you peace of mind if you're just starting.
Bear Spray
Just a quick thing, but bear spray also can work on people if needed. You'll be carrying it if you're in bear country either way, so just saying.
If you don't feel comfortable, leave.
It sounds simple, but it can be hard to do if it's late and you need to know where you're going to sleep. If something feels off near your campsite, notify the campground host if there is one and see if you can switch campsites - if not, it's best to leave and find somewhere you feel more comfortable spending the night. Depending on where you are, Walmarts and Home Depots allow you to sleep there for free, along with several other retail stores.
Overall, you know yourself best. If you're getting into solo traveling, hiking and camping, start small—solo hike in an area close to home that you know well. Try your first-night solo camping nearby so you can always drive home if it doesn't feel right. Solo travel can be amazing, and you can meet incredible people along the way too! Just take time to learn what makes you feel best and ease into it.
