How to: Solo Camping

Solo camping is a great adventure for many. It’s the perfect opportunity to find some time for yourself and to feel at one with nature. So we’ve put together a guide on solo camping and how to ensure you’re safe whilst enjoying yourself.

Where to go Solo Camping

There are a variety of locations that you can go camping safely by yourself. Campsites are the obvious choice and there are a wide variety available for you to choose from depending on your preferences. We’d advise looking up campsites that will fit your preferences, whether it’s trying to find a nice and peaceful campsite or taking a closer look at the campsites with the best reviews.

Another popular option of solo camping is wild camping. This entails pitching up your tent anywhere you like and leaving no trace. Be mindful that in the UK, wild camping is in fact illegal everywhere but Scotland so make sure you don’t pitch up anywhere you aren’t allowed. We would advise contacting land owners to ask for permission if you want to wild camp at a specific location. As we stated, wild camping is about leaving no trace, this means you leave your pitch just as it was before you set up.

What to Pack:

As a solo camper, you’re going to want to carry as little as possible as you’ll most likely be hiking and you don’t want a heavy load. We’d recommend only taking the absolute essentials away with you such as:

• Tent (lightweight)
• Roll mat and Sleeping Bag
• Waterproof or lightweight clothing (check the weather before you go away)
• Rucksack – One with pockets and a waterproof cover
• Walking Boots or Sensible Footwear
• First Aid Kit
• Multi Tool Knife
• Phone or GPS Device and Powerbank
• Map or Compass
• Portioned Food – Only take what you need
• Lightweight Pot and Stove
• Cutlery and Mess Tin
• Water drinking bottle
• Insulated flask with lid

How to stay safe

As a solo camper it can be quite daunting being on your own out in the wilderness so we have some top tips to help you keep safe:

• Tell your friends and family your itinerary to ensure people who where you are and where you plan to be
• Familiarise yourself with the area by looking up places to go and where not to go and getting to know the local area on google maps
• Ensure to always have a phone accessible that is charged in case you need it. In cases where you don’t have signal, ensure people know where you are and carry something like a whistle on you so that others would be able to hear you
• Avoid areas that are not accessible and do not go near potentially dangerous areas such as cliff edges

Top Tips

• Research your camping location to get to know the area and to know what there is to do
• Pack lightly with essentials only
• Go on nature walks and relax with a picnic or a good book
• Build yourself up to solo camping – don’t choose incredibly far away places to camp at immediately, get comfortable with solo camping and then venture further out
• Tell people where you are going and what you’re doing

Benefits to solo camping

There are a variety of benefits to solo camping such as:

• Going at your own pace and taking time to recharge
• You learn what elements of camping you enjoy more and what doesn’t work for you
• Solo camping allows you to relieve yourself of a lot of stress