How to Be Safe As a Solo Female Camping
Do you ever wish to camp alone safely and seek some expert advice? Going outdoor and camping all by yourself beside nature is a relaxing practice. It helps get away from everyday worries and tempers your soul. However, I understand that you might have some question marks on your head, especially if you are not used to going camping by yourself.
However, I can personally assure you that traveling or camping by myself every once in a while can help grow your personality and find out about your priorities and goals in life. In this article, I will specifically focus on tips for solo female camping, but the article certainly contains great recommendations for everybody else as well.
Solo female camping can sometimes be overwhelming, but it can be a fascinating experience for sure. If you’re a woman and you go camping alone, you might find it tedious, intimidating, or difficult at first. These feelings might arise because you haven’t researched camping or planned your trip before setting off. However, following the right directions will save you from the hassle and let you have a wonderful time and blissful solitude.
This article has worked hard to compile the best camping tips to help you plan a worry-free, safe and comfortable.
Let’s dig right in to some of these easy-to-follow tips, especially for female camping, to get you all ready for a trip of a lifetime.
Create A Solo Camping Checklist
Half of the hassle of female camping settles when you have a checklist ready. Being a woman, you need to plan out how you will spend your camping trip. Keep a paper and pen with you while planning out. Note down all the essentials that you need on the trip.
Some must-have items to include in your list are a first-aid kit, sunscreen, insect repellent, torchlight or lantern, tent, sleeping bag, tape, blanket, etc. Make sure to take processed or packaged food that can easily be stored. Keep extra bottles of water in case of emergencies. Listing down all the necessities eases your mind of not leaving anything behind.
Create A Camping To-Do List
You can make another list of the activities you want to do during your trip. Having an activity list will save you from having a boring trip as you will have interesting ideas for your trip. These can include watching the sunrise/sunset, setting the camp, going on a walk nearby, setting a fire, making food in the fire, etc.
Camping rejuvenates your soul, and you feel refreshed within. Hence, pre-camp planning is the best way to do it right. After this, you will be all set to have a memorable camping trip all by yourself.
Tell Someone About Your Camping Plan
Before heading on to your camping trip, share your plans with a trusted one. It can be a close relative, colleague, or friend. This tip is a little too extra to follow but at the same time relieves you. Make sure to share where you are setting your camp, your transport description, how many days you will stay, etc.
If you register at a campsite or go to the national park, you can provide the park rangers’ contact details or registrations. You can also ask the trusted person to call or text you while you’re at the camp. By the way, this is a piece of advice I can highly recommend not only for female solo campers but for all outdoor enthusiasts when you go into remote areas.
Telling someone about your camping plan ensures you are safely enjoying the camp, and someone is keeping a check on you. Besides sharing your plan as a precautionary measure, you can also ask them for recommendations such as the campsite you should go to or the travel gear you should take.
Select A Shelter And Place To Camp
The first step to a solo female camping trip is deciding the campsite and the shelter. Here are a few tips on how to make the right decision for these two:
Find a Suitable Tent for Camping
Before hitting the trip, make sure you carry the right tent. When solo camping, you need to have a backpacking tent that isn’t heavy, and you can easily walk with it and other travel gear on your back. However, imagine camping and hiking together, and you wouldn’t want to take a heavy tent. You will get tired of carrying the tent and not enjoying it.
Hence, take the lightest tent for the camp but make sure it is sturdy enough to stand. Here comes another important tip: always set up your camp and test it before going on the actual trip. Check if it works fine or if anything is missing. Look for holes or weak ends. It’s a plus point if your tent has a zipper or flysheet; it helps in times of unexpected rain.
Choose the Best Campsite for Female Camping
If you are camping for the first time, a good spot will be at a state or a national park. Choose a convenient place since you haven’t had an authentic camp experience, and it’s better if it has a few campers nearby.
This way, you will be comfortable sleeping in the camp at night and not be scared of sleeping in a completely abandoned place. After you have been on a couple of solo camping trips and want to camp in a wilder place, search for such spots on the internet. You will find some exciting and familiar sites for camping.
Keep one or two places in mind if you don’t like the first place after reaching, and you will have a backup spot in mind so that it won’t ruin your trip. Moreover, keep a backup route and plan in case of an emergency. When you reach the place, tell yourself that everything will be okay. Try to enjoy the new environment and don’t worry much. If you keep thinking of the worst possibilities, you won’t enjoy your trip.
Analyze The Campsite
You might search on Google and find yourself a good spot for camping, but it isn’t enough. When you reach the campsite, you first need to analyze the place.
No doubt women have strong intuition. Use your intuition to help you identify if the place is safe to camp. If there are other campers in the area, are they safe to camp around? Set up your camp once you are delighted with the place.
Choose Your Travel Accommodation
When camping solo, you must decide your transportation wisely. If you’re taking your own car/vehicle, then you are good to go. Ensure there is enough fuel to accommodate you throughout your camp journey.
Select your conveyance immediately after selecting the campsite as it will help you plan your trips, such as the travel gear you should prepare, what terrains, and nearby places you can explore at the campsite. If you want to have a mode of personal transport, an SUV or a campervan would be a good option.
If you’re planning to get to the campsite with a travel bus or van, then choose wisely. Choose family-friendly transport services. Sit confident and don’t spill every detail about your trip to the person sitting next to you. It is better not to tell that you are going to camp alone. The importance of this tip always depends on the country and area you are camping of course. There are also countries that are perfectly safe for female solo camping as for example my home country of Switzerland.
Check Signal Coverage At The Campsite
Another thing I recommend you to consider when camping alone is having a mobile network that works well at the campsite. Your mobile network might have strong signals at your home, but it isn’t the same for camping locations. Thus, upon reaching your destination, always check your phone and network bars. If your phone shows at least two network bars, you are good to go.
Very often, you won’t find a charging spot at the campsite, hence don’t use your mobile phone excessively and drain the battery, or even better have a portable GPS device with you. You can keep a power bank too, just in case of emergency.
Keeping your phone with you is important since you are camping solo; however, the purpose of camping diminishes if you keep checking your phone. Feel the fresh air and enjoy activities under the open sky.
Look For Weather Forecasts
Bad weather on a camp day is a bummer. Strong winds won’t let your tent stay still for long; heavy rain can ruin your travel gear, and in general, your whole mood. For example, a sudden heavy breeze or rain can decrease the temperature to a degree you weren’t prepared for in a place of high altitude.
In addition, you might not have enough clothing layering to keep you covered for the rest of the trip. That is why it is better to check the weather conditions before planning your camp days.
Keep an eye on the weather trends in the area you plan to camp. A rain predicted later the week can happen earlier, so prepare yourself accordingly. It’s a good idea to look up the weather cycles for the next two weeks from your camp day.
Some places can have unpredictable weather changes, so pack clothes and extra gear to save yourself from ending up in a dire situation. The best time to kick start a solo female camping trip is when the weather is clear, and there are no extreme weather predictions.
Learn Self Defense Techniques
While camping, you might encounter uncertain circumstances, such as a wild animal. Knowing how to handle the situation helps you greatly in such a case. One of the most crucial tips is being aware of self-defense techniques when camping alone.
You can find self-defense lessons online or even take a physical class. These sessions boost your confidence, teach you how to suspect danger or unusual happenings, and efficiently handle them.
I would suggest that you carry self-defense gear, such as a taser, pepper spray, emergency alarm, pocket knife, etc. Having a safety tool will help you feel relaxed at the camp even if you don’t use it. By the way, if you are camping remotely, having a tool to protect yourself against wild animals is never a bad idea.
You can also ask your friends or colleagues to share their solo camping stories or search online about camping experiences. These will give you many ideas about solo camping circumstances and how to cater to them efficiently. The techniques and ideas will assist you on your trip and let you have the best time of your life.
Don’t Advertise About Your Solo Trip On Social Media
Not everyone on your social media is your friend or well-wisher. So it is better to avoid announcing female camping trips on social media, especially when you’re camping solo. You do not want this information to fall into the wrong hands. Someone might take notice or advantage of you being alone on a campsite and loot your valuables or cause you harm.
You might not share your whereabouts or your camp location, but the announcement of a solo trip itself can already be dangerous. Anyone can hack into your social media and find your location. So if you want to post about your trip, always do it after safely reaching back home or use your common sense and know about the potential risks.
How to Manage Sudden Panic
We do not hope it but it is possible that you get scared during your camp trip. For example, you will get this feeling when the night falls, and the surrounding goes completely dark, or it can be at any instance because loneliness starts to get you. In such situations, you don’t need to panic. However, here’s what you can do if you find yourself in such a situation:
Sit in your tent, close your eyes and take deep breaths; this will calm your nerves and divert your mind from thinking illogically. Next, you can lie back near your tent, look at the sky and think of the good moments in your life. Again, it will soothe your nerves and help you relax. Another thing you can do is to find calming distractions such as reading a book, journaling, listening to a podcast or music, etc.
How To Look Confident During Camping
On a solo female camping trip, your heart might be scared from the inside, but you should not show it from your face. Often at campsites, people who pass by or anyone who camps near you observes your behavior. If you have a scared look on your face, they’ll know that you are alone moreover anxious. They might take advantage of it and scare you at night or take your belongings and run away.
On the other side, if you look confident, they will think twice before doing anything. If you find someone constantly observing you and it feels weird, act like you are waiting for someone. If the person initiates a conversation, tell them that you are at the camp with someone and not alone.
This trick comes in handy when a creepy guy keeps disturbing you. Tell them you have a male partner with you at the camp and have gone nearby. Pretending to have a camp partner in front of strangers helps to keep them away and less interested.
Avoid Drinking When Camping Solo
Solo female camping can be fun, especially when you are abroad and get to know new people. However, it would be best if you were careful when it comes to drinking alcohol during your solo trip. I recommend that you don’t keep alcohol or wine with you.
You might get yourself in trouble if you are drunk. However, if you wish to have a drink by your side, you can have a glass of red wine. It will help you sleep peacefully when constantly thinking of the “what ifs” of sleeping. Just remember that going over the mark can be much worse at a wild campsite.
Make Friends with the Ranger Or Camp Host
If you are registering yourself in a camp, it is good to befriend the camp host. However, it would be best to be careful when making friends at the camp. Befriending someone is another area where you have to use your intuition, and being a woman, this is easy for you.
Don’t make the wrong people your friends because you are alone at the campsite. At the national park, talk to any ranger and get familiar with them. After you’re comfortable and the person seems to be trusting, you can let them know you are alone and ask them to alert you with any threats.
Enjoy Each Moment Of Your Camping Trip
Being a woman, you won’t get many chances of going on a solo female camping trip. So when you do, trust your gut and leave all your worries at your home. Bring your favorite things to the camp and do everything you love.
Lay down under the starry sky and watch the sun meet the horizon. And finally, play soft music in the background and relax in the orange hues of the sky. If you have a camera, try capturing what you admire on the trip.
A solo camping trip is the best time to connect with nature. Not only will it energize your weary soul but induce a new spirit into it. You will feel the most alive when you’re at a camp all by yourself.
Are You Ready To Go On A Solo Camping Trip Now?
Solo camping is undoubtedly an exhilarating experience, especially for women who remain busy in their everyday lives and find no time to enjoy themselves alone. Camping is the best opportunity to take a break, make time for yourself, go into the wilderness, and enjoy.
At the same time, the idea of solo camping can make you think twice. Not anymore! If you follow these trips, plan your trip well and consider all the security measures, you will have a successful camping trip. Be it your first time camping or first time camping in the wilderness, always feel confident and remember that it is okay to push yourself for new adventures.
Now I wish you a lot of fun and new adventures, if you have any questions or comments please let me know in the comments below.
