Solo Hiking: Don’t Let Fear Stop You From Living

There is one piece of advice I hear constantly when it comes to hiking alone:

“Just wait until you have someone to go with.”

And I can tell you from experience, you could be waiting forever.

Waiting for someone who has the same days off. Waiting for someone who wants to do the same hike. Waiting for someone who is fit enough, interested enough or willing to drive a few hours just to walk up a mountain and see what’s at the top.

Eventually, you realize

how much of your life you can spend waiting for somebody else to be ready.

And while you’re waiting, the opportunity passes.

The weather changes. The track closes. Your

circumstances change. You get older. Life moves on.

At some point I decided I didn’t want to look back at all the places I never saw simply because nobody was available to come with me.

So I started going alone.

The Conversation Around Solo Hiking With the recent news of 18-year-old Lily Hooper going missing after heading out for a hike in Nattai National Park in the Southern Highlands, there has understandably been a huge amount of conversation around solo hiking.

First and foremost, I genuinely hope she is found safe.

But I’ve also seen plenty of comments along the lines of:

“This is why you should never hike alone.”

And I understand where that fear comes from. Something can go wrong when you’re hiking alone.

But if we applied that same logic to everything we did, we’d never leave the house.

Don’t drive somewhere alone, you could crash.

Don’t eat alone, you could choke.

Don’t swim alone, something could happen.

Don’t even watch a scary movie alone, you might give yourself a heart attack.

There is risk in almost everything we do. The answer can’t always be “don’t do it.”

The conversation should also be: How can I do it as safely as possible?

Fear vs Preparation.

I’m not going to pretend hiking alone doesn’t carry additional risks. It does. If you fall and injure yourself, there’s nobody beside you to immediately help.

If you get lost, you’re making decisions by yourself.

If your phone dies, you lose reception or the weather suddenly changes, you’re responsible for getting yourself through that situation.

But acknowledging those risks doesn’t mean we have to be terrified of them.

For me, solo hiking is about knowledge, preparation and prevention.

We can’t prevent every accident. We can’t predict everything nature is going to throw at us. What we can do is prepare ourselves to the best of our ability.

Things I Do to Make Solo Hiking Safer

1. Carry a proper first aid kit

A first aid kit should be one of the basics in your hiking bag, even on relatively short walks. But carrying one isn’t much use if you have absolutely no idea what to do with what’s inside it. Which brings me to the next one.

2. Get first aid training

If you’re regularly heading into the bush, I genuinely think first aid training is one of the best things you can invest in.

Knowing how to respond to a snake bite, serious bleeding, a fracture, heat-related illness or another emergency could make an enormous difference while you’re waiting for help. And that’s relevant whether you’re hiking alone or with ten other people.

3. Know where you’re going

Research the track before you leave. How long is it? What’s the grade? Is it clearly marked? Are there river crossings, cliff edges, scrambles or sections where navigation is difficult? What’s the weather doing? Is there phone reception?

Download your maps before leaving reception and don’t rely solely on being able to Google your way out of trouble.

If I’m going somewhere alone, the difficulty and remoteness of that particular hike absolutely comes into my decision.

There’s nothing wrong with deciding: “I’ll save that one for when somebody can come with me.” Being comfortable hiking alone doesn’t mean taking unnecessary risks.

4. Tell someone EXACTLY where you’re going

Not: “I’m going hiking somewhere in the Blue Mountains.” Give someone the track name, where you’re parking, your intended route and roughly what time you expect to be back. If your plans change, tell them.

And most importantly, have an agreed time when that person knows something isn’t right if they haven’t heard from you.

NSW National Parks also recommends registering your trip intentions and making sure your emergency contact knows your plans and when you’re expected home.

5. Carry a Personal Locator Beacon

A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is one of the most important pieces of emergency equipment you can carry when you’re heading somewhere remote. Unlike your phone, a PLB doesn’t depend on having mobile reception to send a distress signal.

They can be expensive, and if you only hike occasionally you might not necessarily want to buy one.

But here’s something a lot of people don’t realise:

You may be able to borrow one for free.

NSW National Parks has a number of locations where PLBs can be hired free of charge, including selected visitor centres and police stations.

Check what’s available near the area you’re planning to hike before heading out.

6. Fill out trip intention forms

For remote, overnight or more serious hikes, use the available trip intention systems. These allow you to provide important details about where you’re going, your route and when you’re expected back.

It’s important to understand that filling one out doesn’t mean someone is sitting there monitoring your hike. Your emergency contact still needs to raise the alarm if you don’t return when expected.

7. Take backup power

I don’t head out relying on one fully charged phone. I carry power banks.

If I’m going somewhere particularly remote or I’m expecting a long day, I’ll take more than one.

Your phone might be your map, GPS, torch, camera and means of communication. A dead battery can take all of those things away at once. And while a power bank doesn’t replace a PLB, it’s another layer of preparation.

8. Choose your solo hikes wisely

Probably one of the simplest things you can do.

You don’t have to choose the most remote, technical hike you’ve ever attempted for your first solo adventure.

Pick a popular track.

Go somewhere you’re likely to see other hikers.

Choose something clearly marked.

Start early enough that you’re not racing sunset.

Check the weather.

Build your confidence and experience gradually.

There’s a massive difference between walking a busy, well-marked trail alone on a Saturday morning and heading kilometres off-track into remote wilderness with no reception.

Solo hiking isn’t one single level of risk. You Don’t Have to Prove Anything This is probably just as important as everything I’ve mentioned above.

Turning around isn’t failing. Changing your plans isn’t failing. Deciding the river is flowing too hard, the weather looks questionable, the track doesn’t feel right or you’re simply uncomfortable isn’t failing. You don’t get bonus points for pushing through something dangerous because you’ve already driven three hours to get there.

The mountain will still be there.

Don’t Spend Your Life Waiting

Solo hiking isn’t going to be for everybody.

Some people simply don’t enjoy being alone in the bush, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But if the only thing stopping you from seeing the places you’ve always wanted to see is waiting for somebody else to come with you, I think it’s worth asking yourself how long you’re prepared to wait.

Because I know from experience that sometimes nobody comes.

And had I waited for someone to accompany me on every adventure, there are so many incredible places I would never have seen.

Some of my favorite memories exist because one day I decided: I’m going anyway.

That doesn’t mean throwing caution out the window.

It means educating yourself.

Preparing properly.

Carrying the right equipment.

Knowing your limitations.

Making smart decisions.

And understanding that adventure will always carry some level of risk, whether you’re alone or standing beside somebody else.

We cannot eliminate every possible thing that could go wrong.

But we can respect the bush, prepare ourselves and make decisions that give us the best chance of coming home safely.

Don’t let fear stop you from living your life.

Prepare for the risk. Respect the risk. And then go see the places you’ve been waiting to see.