Why I Don't Hike Alone

I’m a loner by nature. I always have been.

When I was younger, I enjoyed going to the movies, shopping, & out to eat by myself. It was never awkward or fear inducing. I’ve always been comfortable sitting with my thoughts or bringing a book to indulge in.

Hiking, however, is a different beast altogether.

Watching solo adventurers on tv & viewing the beautiful photos of solo hikers on social media is exciting. Anytime an individual is enjoying themselves outdoors, it makes me happy. While I admire the adventure, hiking alone just isn’t my thing.

I’m afraid to do it for a few reasons actually:

1. Getting injured without the ability to help myself.

2. Animal attacks

3. Snakes - I’m listing this separately because just the sight of snakes is terrifying for me.

4. Unfortunately, the racial tension in our society doesn’t make being a black woman an easy thing. Not that it ever has been.

**On another note, let me be clear… I will NEVER allow the racist views of anyone to paralyze me. While I don’t prefer solo hiking, this reason will NEVER be the deciding factor.**

An Example

Funny story about animal attacks. I recently took my daughters to a park with various hiking trails. We had never been to this park & were only visiting to briefly check it out. We walked a few feet on one of the trails to a cute bridge. Tall grass lined the sides of the trail.

My oldest daughter wanted a photo. Just as I stepped off the bridge to get in place, something moved in the tall grass. The grass moved to one side with a loud noise, popped back into place, & then nothing.

And that my friends is why I don’t hike alone. Although I was prepared to protect us, not having Johnny present made the situation much more anxiety inducing. We made our way back to the car without ever knowing what it was out there!

Safety Tips

If you’re a solo hiker, you may have many counter points to bring up for each of my reasons. And that’s okay. Know that I admire your courage & sense of adventure! However, at this point in life, I don’t ever see myself going it alone & that’s also okay. If I change my mind, I’ll be back to update you all.

If solo hikes are what you’re aspiring to, please don’t allow my hesitancy to detur you. I offer these suggestions to consider:

1. Make sure someone knows exactly where you’re going, including your arrival & departure times.

2. Have plenty of water, snacks, & a first aid kit.

3. Make sure your cell phone is fully charged.

4. Have some form of identification with you, emergency numbers, & a note explaining any health issue a stranger may need to know about (i.e. diabetes)

5. Always have a way to protect yourself (Guns are not permitted in state parks!)

These are my suggestions for short, local hikes. A longer hike would obviously require a lot more preparation. Have you ever hiked alone? If you prefer not to, what’s your reasoning?

On a more exciting note, the backpack I’m wearing in the photo below, I won in a giveaway. It’s an Osprey Daylite Pack. I’ve only worn it a short time but I’m excited to take it on the trails for lengthy hikes. I’ll let you know what I think of it.