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  • Camping alone

    So a couple weeks ago, my girlfriend, my dog and I went on our first camping trip. It was an absolute blast and I am dying to go again. I was planning on going this upcoming weekend just my dog and I.

    So, my question to you guys is: Do y'all recommend camping alone? What precautions should I consider? And is it easy to get spooked out by yourself?

    And I will be in a state park FWIW.

    And here are some pics from our first trip....
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  • #2
    Re: Camping alone

    I like it. Plus looks like you've got a good watch dog to keep you company Just make sure you let someone you trust know where you are going and when to expect your return.

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    • #3
      Re: Camping alone

      Oh, and the first night you try, you might get a little "spooked". But the next night will be a lot better. For your first time you will feel safer if you have been in the location before, your car is pretty close and if you get cellular service. If you have a panic button on your car's key fob then sleeping near your keys might be a "security blanket" too.

      I've spent many nights in county and state parks and have never had any issues.

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      • #4
        Re: Camping alone

        I camp alone all the time but am very carefull about it. Always make sure you let someone know your plans, where you will be and when you plan to return. On my last trip, I had to fill out a form with all of my information, distinguishing features, where I was camping, when I would return...etc. Then the ranger took pictures of me and then of the soles of my hiking boots, just in case.

        Camping alone precautions will vary on what kind of camping you are doing. Car camping you will be able to have more supplies and a sturdy shelter if the need arises. Hiking out, make sure you have a good first aid kit, not only for you but for your dog as well. I read a story couple of years ago about a dog that was rescued from a hike that had thorns in her paw and couldn't walk. Know the area you are going into. For example, my hikes keep me on the lookout for mountain lions, bears, and illegal border crossings. Also, know your limitations. Don't try something that you know is more than you can handle.

        And yes, it can get spooky. My last trip was nine miles from the nearest dirt road. I was on a popular border crossing route and debated on keeping food out of the tent because of bears or keeping it in the tent because illegals would take it. I did not run across either problem and the night sky (seeing the Milky Way) was totally worth it. I did run across bear, cat, and coyote tracks not far from my tent the next day. To me, that made the trip even better. It's all part of the experience.
        "It's better to have that and not need it than it is to need it and not have it" - Captain Woodrow F. Call

        Nights spent out in 2014: 1

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        • #5
          Re: Camping alone

          I camp alone and have never felt spooky at all. I figure that the mountains of New Hampshire are about as safe as anywhere I could be.

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          • #6
            Re: Camping alone

            Camping with your dog is excellent. Good idea to leave itinerary with responsible family or friends. Check with them daily by text. Not any more dangerous than being alone at home.

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            • #7
              Re: Camping alone

              Most state parks are about as safe as most bedrooms. I take pretty much the same precautions for either.


              I did have to change camps once out in a national forest. I thought falling asleep to the sounds of the river rapids would be nice. Then while falling asleep, the idea came that it was loud enough that I wouldn't be able to hear anything sneaking up on me in the dark. Changed campgrounds in the dark that night.

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              • #8
                Re: Camping alone

                i would say you should be fine alone at a campground,
                most of the spooky stuff will be mental,
                i camp alone in backwoods,
                sometimes a tent, sometimes just under a tarp like this


                when sleeping alone in the woods, its not like sleeping at home, where you can just lay and put yourself to sleep,
                unless i m exhausted from a strenuous day, i am usually up most of the night awake at slightest sound,
                and usually wake up at first light,
                when i sleep out alone, morning can never come soon enough, am often glancing up at the sky thinking morning please come.
                but no matter how rough of a night i have, that morning light is a beautiful thing,

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                • #9
                  Re: Camping alone

                  Ha ha, Terasec, that is cute. It sounds like camping alone is the woodsman's equivelant of spending a night in a haunted house.

                  For me, for some reason, I sleep much better camping deep in the wilderness than when I sleep at home. In the wilderness, I don't worry about things like work or money or bills or stuff like that. Every day living stuff is a lot more frightening than anything in the wilderness.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Camping alone

                    Just out of curiosity, those that use a GPS to hike with, do they or can they automatically upload your track to the web? It seems that would be an invaluable tool for back country hikers.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Camping alone

                      I have the top of the line Magellan. It does nothing automatically. I think there are smartphone apps that can do that, though. I would not rely on any GPS. Still have to keep track of yourself and have the compass and maybe a map.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Camping alone

                        I use a smartphone app for GPS....but mainly for tracking mileage/stats/etc. I can upload my track, but where I go, my problem is I can usually get sat reception...but not a good web connection. So no upload on the go. I upload at home. I am curious if anyone else knows more about real time tracking.

                        I hike solo quite a bit and make it a practice to always let someone know when/where I am going, trail name/#, and when I expect to be back. I would never 100% rely on any electronic device. Agree with howl: I always carry a map and a compass and know how to use them.
                        2020: 7 nights 2019: 5 nights 2018: 20 nights 2017: 19 nights 2016: 20 nights
                        Spring->Fall: Marmots: Limestone 6P and 4P, Stormlight 3P, Tungsten 3P; SlumberJack Trail Tent 6P, BA Yahmonite 5P
                        Fall->Spring: Cabelas Instinct Alaskan Guide 8P, Field & Stream Cloudpeak 4P, Eastern Mountain Products Torrent 3P
                        Every season: Kelty Noah's Tarps- 20, 16, 12; REI Camp Tarp 16; BA Three Forks Shelter

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                        • #13
                          Re: Camping alone

                          There are SmartPhone GPS systems (and standalone GPS devices that Bluetooth sync to a cellphone) that will do realtime updating of a GPS track. The problem is that it depends on cellphone reception which isn't always available in the backcountry. And, using cellphone communication continuously is really battery intensive.

                          Somebody actually sells a standalone device and subscription service that updates a hiking track to a website with satellite communications.

                          http://www.inreachdelorme.com/freedom/

                          Tracking points you send (every 10 minutes) or when others "ping" your GPS are 10 cents each or $25 a month for unlimited on the cheapest annual plan. There's also an SOS feature that you activate. It contacts emergency officials and updates them with your location during the rescue.

                          Where I hike, cellphone coverage is very spotty. I can often get a signal on summit peaks, but usually not on the sides of mountains. I carry a cellphone, but turn it off and put in my pack.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Camping alone

                            I carry a map and compass and know how to use them. But, I have a Garmin mapping GPS handheld that I rely on. If I have hiked the trail before, I make sure my previous GPS track is loaded on the map, so I can follow along while I'm hiking. If it's a new trail, I download an existing GPS to my unit and follow that track. This is a screen cap from the computer software. Looks the same on the GPS, although the screen is smaller.



                            The White Mountain Guide is the definitive trail book and set of four maps for the White Mountains. It covers every trail:

                            http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/193...d_p=1944687502

                            But, even cooler is that there is an online subscription version ($15 annual) of the guide. All of the trail descriptions and maps on the computer. You can do a custom route (start at Trailhead X, continue to summit Z, and return to trailhead X). It will generate an 8.5 x 11 PDF with route directions/descriptions/junctions and a full page map zoomed in as far as possible on your custom route. It will also export the GPS tracks for the custom route that I can upload to my Garmin GPS.

                            http://www.outdoors.org/publications...ide-online.cfm

                            Here's a custom map from one of the PDFs with the loop hike I specified highlighted in yellow:

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                            • #15
                              Re: Camping alone

                              I camp alone most of the time. I have my dogs. I stay at national forests in developed campgrounds. I started camping during the summer when the campgrounds were pretty well filled. Now, I like to go off-season when the campgrounds are mostly empty.

                              Some things I've discovered for myself:

                              As a person who has never been able to nap in public (nap in the park, in the car in a parking lot, on a bus or plane, etc.), sleeping in a tent has never been easy for me. It just feels too open - especially if I'm camping alone. So, I got myself a small RV. It gives me enough privacy to be able to sleep comfortably at night, but I can spend my waking hours in the outdoors.

                              The first night out, I still don't sleep well. New sounds, nervousness, excitement, etc. all get in the way. But by the second night, that all evens out and I sleep just fine.

                              When I started, I went during the high season to national forest developed campgrounds. The other campers gave me a sense of security, as did the camp host. Once I was comfortable with that, I started expanding to the off-season. Now, I prefer the off-season when there are only a couple campers in the campground. Once I feel more comfortable, I'll start boondocking.

                              But the main thing I learned is that it's better to go alone than not to go.
                              “One could not be a successful scientist without realizing that, in contrast to the popular conception supported by newspapers and mothers of scientists, a goodly number of scientists are not only narrow-minded and dull, but also just stupid.” - James D. Watson

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