Solo Backpacking: What It’s Really Like (Not The Instagram Version)

In the world of social media, every video, photo, and piece of content is perfectly crafted. It shows the best of every moment. Curated to get the most amount of engagement and likes, all to grab your attention and draw you in.

BUT WHAT IS IT REALLY LIKE???

The Good Parts (That Don’t Get Talked About Enough)

You notice more when you are alone. Every sound, sight, or movement grabs your attention. When you’re alone, especially in the woods, your senses are heightened. You start to notice things that you may not have noticed if you were with a friend or group that brought in a distraction. The sounds of the forest draw you in, and you begin to see plants and animals that you might not have noticed before.

You get to go at your own speed. Need I say more? I hate being rushed. Want to challenge yourself and push some big miles? Go for it!!! Want to roll out of your cozy warm sleeping bag at noon, hike 5 miles and call it a day? The world is yours!

Decisions are simple. It’s up to you and you alone. When you wake up, how long and far you want to hike that day. It’s all on you. You are the Captain of your own ship!!!

A deeper sense of presence. Solo backpacking gives you a chance to reflect and think like no other activity. Deep in the woods, you can become so disconnected from the outside world. This grounds you in the present and allows you to feel a sense of belonging. It is quite an amazing feeling.

The Hard Parts (Let’s Be Honest)

The first mile alone feels weird! Especially if it is your first time solo backpacking. You are embarking on a journey by yourself. If something goes wrong, it’s on you, your planning, and the gear you brought!

Doubt creeps in faster!!! Questioning your each move starts to creep up especially without someone to bounce ideas off of. Second guessing if that choice you just made was the right one.

“Did I make the right turn? Is the weather shifting faster than I expected? What if the trip takes longer than I planned, did I bring enough food?”

None of it is overwhelming, but it’s constant. Every choice is yours, and there’s no one to quietly validate it.

Fatigue hits differently. When you’re tired and alone there’s no shared momentum. No one to joke about the climb or distract you from sore legs. Alone there is no one to sing songs with or gain motivation from. You either keep moving or you don’t, and that decision rests entirely with you.

The hardest part, though, is responsibility. When you hike alone, there’s no buffer. Every choice, from pace to turnaround points, is yours. That weight can feel heavy at first. Over time, it becomes something else entirely: confidence built quietly, one decision at a time. Here’s where you channel your inner David Goggins and shout “Whose going to carry the boats!!!”

There are moments of fear! You will have moments where fear flickers in unexpectedly. Not overwhelming or panic, but awareness. A strange noise. A stretch of trail that feels more remote than other parts. Your mind will run through possibilities quickly. Learning to recognize the difference between real risks and just your imagination takes time. But before to long, something that might have freaked you out a bit previously will feel like nothing.

Final thoughts.

I didn’t start hiking alone to make a statement. It happened naturally, and over time it became one of the most honest ways I experience the outdoors.

When you hike alone, your attention sharpens. You notice the trail more. You think through decisions instead of defaulting to someone else’s pace or plan. You will learn where your limits actually are, and quickly learn that you can push past them. When you’ve given 100% you’ve still got 15% more to give.

It isn’t always comfortable, that’s for sure! Some days feel calm and focused. Others feel uncertain or heavy. Both are part of the experience. And that experience will mold and shape you. Soon you’ll be the bad ass hiker trash you’ve always dreamed of becoming.

I’ll keep hiking alone because it keeps me present. The trail feels more personal when it’s just you.