10 Benefits of Backpacking Alone that You Didn’t Know

Most people believe that hiking with friends is more fun than going alone. However, traveling alone in the wilderness is a unique and enjoyable experience, especially to anybody willing to improve their backpacking skills and grow their confidence. It is an excellent way of finding out which backpacking skills are missing or need some improvement. If you usually rely on friends to move, set up the tent or run the fire, backpacking alone will push you to learn specific skills that will make you a more experienced backpacker and a valuable teammate in the future. If you’re unsure of a particular skill, be sure to practice it at home before starting your trip. Here are some of the benefits of solo backpacking:

1. Easy to choose a Destination

Since you are on your own, your destination is entirely up to you. You know your interests and what you want to achieve by the end of the trip. When choosing your route, it is essential to consider the following factors:

• Time: If you plan to travel for an extended period, a place far away from your country might be a perfect option. If you only plan for a two week trip or less, it makes no sense to spend a few days in transit while you will need to return home almost immediately.
• Budget: To decide on your destination and what you will be doing, you need to consider your available funds. If you’re low on cash, traveling to an expensive location will put a lot of pressure on you. It’s much easier to maintain your budget when you hike alone because you are the one who determines what and when to eat. This also implies that saving money for certain things, like undertaking an exciting sport or traveling to a remote island, is is up for consideration.
• Reason for traveling: What does the location you have in mind for your backpacking trip provide that is unavailable where you are now? Is it the weather, nourishment, culture? What’s so thrilling about the location? After knowing the answers to these questions, it will be easier to determine where you are going.

By defining your trip’s main objective, you can have a more significant experience than just winging it. When you learn what you want out of your trip, figuring out a route will be easier. Certain places are better than others to travel alone. When you feel you want to be isolated from other tourists for the duration of your journey, search for more remote locations, and consider an off-season journey. If you plan to be around other tourists and probably find travel partners, certainly look at better-established destinations.

2. It Helps in Knowing Yourself Better.

Once you set out on a solo journey to an unknown location, you begin to know yourself a lot better. You are alone in this. You start to listen to your heart, and eventually, you will achieve some degree of internal balance and mental concentration. You begin discovering yourself again – things you’re capable of, things you’re afraid of, or things that scare you. You find yourself facing your fears and overcoming them. Once you’ve pulled off a good backcountry solo trip, you begin  to feel like you can pull off any adventure on your own. It is so inspiring!

3. Freedom, Flexibility, and Peace

   

You  become more flexible with time, deciding on your next destination, and the choices you make when traveling/hiking on your own. You are likely to team up with hiking buddies, and you might end up extending your plans.

You are more open to changing your plans whenever you wish, and you don’t have to put up with the agendas of others. Also, you can move at your own pace. When you hike with others, you do not travel at your ideal speed. You travel at the ideal rate of the group. But you can move as fast or as slow as you like by yourself, taking as many or as few breaks as you want. Most people are likely to find that they are moving faster than they thought, by merely cutting off time wasted waiting for partners. You may end up trying out foods you rarely eat at home. You can purchase as much food as you wish and not be afraid of getting several breakfasts, dinners or lunch because there’s no one to judge you.

4. Helps You to Overcome Your Fears and Challenges

What doesn’t kill you will make you more self-reliable, and that’s true. When left alone, you can overcome the fear of heights, spiders, or even new foods. The more you hike alone, the more you overcome your fears. You may face different problems while traveling alone, making decisions, and even taking certain risks on your own. These circumstances will make you braver, self-reliant and much more confident, reducing your self-doubts. It’s a significant challenge hiking alone on a mountain and, as we know, the challenges make us grow wiser, not only as tourists but as human beings. If you do solo hiking once in a while, you are more likely to harden up and become a backpacking expert. We tend to learn more skills and overcome bigger challenges when we are alone, then when we are in a group.

5. You Appreciate Nature More

You will notice that when you go hiking alone, you are much more appreciative and conscious of the natural world around you. Among the scenery, you pick out things that you may not have seen when hiking with friends and enjoy them even more. You can spend as much time as you want on hiking or watching nature, as you are on your schedule. This will relieve tension, relax the body and mind, and also remind you one of the essential reasons why we live on this planet: to be part of the incredible places on Earth, and reunite us with the natural world.

6. You Understand Your Gear Kit’s Weaknesses

Most of us are dependent on dispersing shared resources such as stoves, shelters, as well as first aid. Carrying every single piece of your equipment can help you determine what you need to purchase first or upgrade. The first aspect to check: Does it all fit into your backpack? In case you have never hiked solo before, be informed – you’re going to carry far more than you’re used to carrying.

7. Better Reflection of your Experience

You will think more clearly about your trip because you are the solo traveler who found the courage and took the initiative to travel to and discover exciting places around the world you’ve always wanted to see. Your travel reflections will encourage you to remember all the things you’ve learned on the way, the connections you’ve created, the decisions you’ve made, and the obstacles you’ve overcome. And the whole encounter can be even more enjoyable as you can concentrate on the aspects that inspire you and visit places of interest to you.

8. You’ll Continue To Enjoy Your Own Company.

Only when you travel somewhere alone can you see the significance of “me time.” You will start embracing your own company and enjoying the  time you spend alone. Being alone on the path is also an excellent way to spiritually link to your inner self and strengthen your relationship with yourself.

9. It’ll Get You Out Of Your Comfort Zone.

Traveling unknown routes to new destinations will inspire you to learn how to depend on yourself in turbulent times. Being away from your home’s cozy bubble will pressure you in many aspects and test your endurance. You’ll be able to navigate our beautiful world and discover many exciting and new places just by putting yourself out there.

10. You will take Home Some Amazing Memories.

One of the main advantages of traveling alone is that you’ll probably take some fantastic memories home with you. There are things you wouldn’t have come across if you weren’t alone. It’s not only the remembrance, but also the joy of conquering your fears and having done something not everyone can do.

In a nutshell, we are always surrounded by people. We work with them and socialize with them regularly. Everyone needs a break, and hiking or traveling alone seems to be a great way of getting to know yourself better. You choose to go wherever you want when you’re traveling alone. The only person you need to please or consider is yourself. Not only can you pick the destination, but you have full control over the whole journey. You can determine whether you want to travel luxuriously on an airplane in first class, or whether you want to savor the trip by riding on a train. Move out of your comfort zone. Go into the woods, get to meet new people, go hiking alone. You may be surprised by how much fun it will be.