r/womensolocamping

I did it…I will be first time solo camping next week!!!

2 years ago I started exposure therapy for OCD and anxiety.

When I started I told my therapist a good goal for me would be to be able to go camping. (and I like to travel alone)

At the time I thought… that will probably never happen I can’t even sit in my car in a parking lot or go to the store.

within a year reduced my symptoms 80%!! Now I’m a different person, I don’t stress and my anxiety is low.

Well earlier this year decided it was time and after months of hyping myself up and telling myself I need to go while I’m still unemployed… I finally booked it!!

And oddly… I’m not even anxious at all. Maybe a tiny bit but I’m more excited than anxious…it’s very odd for someone who has been anxious their whole life.

I’ve thought of a lot of things I’ll need but I’m going minimal… 2 years ago I would be freaking out right now with what I need to take with me and now I’m just like… I’ll be fine…

I got the basics:

tent, tarp, sleeping bag, inflatable sleeping pad (that you pump air into with your foot pressing on it - super easy), potty setup, light, fan, batteries, and I know what food I’ll bring that won’t depend on a fire. I’ll also bring my dog. it will be at a state park campground and about 90F for a few hours, but mostly in upper 70s.

I know I’ll probably hear sounds I’ve never heard before and night will be tough.

So do you think I will be ok? Was there anything you did not expect or plan for? Am I too chill about this?

https://preview.redd.it/92r6etgyph3h1.jpg?width=2949&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d0d2805bce84237c498109e55be10c344767d8bb

My first mistake, I thought tennis shoes would be enough traction with basically a sheet of ice and snow on the ground while going down an actual cliffside. It was the beginning of February and I did not think to bring ice resistant boots, or even boots in general for that matter (I don’t own any). I also did not account for the fact that there had just been a massive blizzard, like actually was in a level 2 snow emergency the week before. So the hiking situation was not exactly what I hoped for, entirely my fault. I still got some great shots on my film camera though. The landscape was stunning with the frozen waterfalls.

I have been getting a lot of outdoor content recommended to me lately on TikTok and somehow ended up down a rabbit hole that led me to Wendy Eden, who has a YouTube channel called Wendy Outdoors. She is 77 years old and solo camps, hikes, and road trips through British Columbia and the Yukon all alone. Her whole thing is "just go." I watched her videos straight for four days and immediately started thinking this sounds so cozy and fun, I wanted to try it.

I get bored easily which is something I was always worried about with solo travel. What if I run out of things to do? What if it’s just me sitting there with my thoughts and I hate it? I had been telling my boyfriend about Wendy and that I think it would be so fun to try traveling solo. (I wasn’t entirely ready to camp, since I don’t have the gear, but figured this is a good first step with just going somewhere totally on my own) So he gifted me the stay for my birthday at the Hocking Hills Inn in Logan, Ohio, which he booked through Super.com for $100 a night (I get cashback, plus I work there so you know, gotta use the perks 😂)

I needed to hear my own thoughts for a few days and driving out into the woods sounded like the move.

Now, did I let my not being able to really explore the woods and see the sights ruin my trip? Absolutely not. I will admit I may have basically skated down a few hills in my tennis shoes, but I still got some hiking in. Since I wanted to keep busy with exploring and I love going to second hand stores, I found Logan Community Thrift and Consignment right in the middle of Hocking Hills and it was enormous. Set prices on everything, all shirts $2, jeans $5. (Don’t quote me, but I remember being shocked by the deals) I left with way more than I planned to. The antique stores nearby are massive and worth the detour.

And honestly? A lot of people told me I would get lonely and that I needed to ditch my phone to fully immerse myself. But I never once felt lonely and the only person I had to think about was me. Where I wanted to go, when I wanted to eat. Nobody to compromise with. And when it came to phone time, I let myself scroll when I wanted to, didn’t guilt trip myself about it, just stayed mindful of my time. Turns out when you’re not forcing yourself to disconnect you naturally just don’t feel like being on your phone that much anyway. Instead, I spent most of my time reading my cozy mystery.

Came home feeling like a person again.

TLDR: Went to Hocking Hills alone for my birthday in February with tennis shoes and no plan for a blizzard. (Not my smartest move.) Still had the best time. If you have been on the fence about solo travel, just go. You’ll figure it out.

Hi all!

I’m curious about just basic… skills, lol. Fires, back country first aid, gear repair, backpacking skills in general. Not being a very smooth social person when just meeting people at campsites makes it really hard to learn from strangers, and my immediate circle is very much RV/glamping centric. I don’t have kids so I can’t hijack scouts to learn. (trust me, I considered finding a way to do this. heck, are there adult Girl Scouts troops??? if there isn’t, can there be??)

Are there any groups or in-person classes you can recommend for Northern California? I know REI does classes, but I’m not seeing any related to what I want. And I have found beginner friendly group trips you can sign up for, but those are week+ long, multi thousand dollar trips… And I totally get there are meetup type groups, but I don’t want to be the massive newbie burden expecting people to teach me for free.

I’m just hoping for a day or a night, in-person classes, learning from skilled folks! Big bonus if it isn’t super macho survival, “I need to kill a deer to survive 12 hours stranded overnight” kinda stuff. I have no desire or need to learn how to kill someone.

For context, I’ve always loved camping and hiking. But I’d either go alone for a night as a teenager out of necessity, or only ever with glampy-friends and family. I’ve gone on a few solo camping trips to very established campgrounds nearby, but only ever 1-2 nights. I want to build the skills necessary to do proper backpacking! I’m 40! How the heck do I not even know how to build a campfire at a campground ffs! 😂

hello! im 21 and i’ve never been tent camping before but i really want some me time so i was thinking of renting a tent and a sleeping bag from my local university and taking a road trip to the sandhills for a weekend. i would stay in an established campground as i have no experience with more primitive types of hiking/camping. but im not sure if this is a good idea, would it be dangerous to go alone? what can i do to stay safe?

I've taken two solo trips this summer, and am about to take a duo trip with my best friend this weekend. We coordinated all the important details in one ten minute conversation. She was like "Why was this so easy?" and I said "Because we're both women." We're also both super Type A, so that helps too! We could have probably even carpooled if we spent 20 minutes comparing gear, but we're just gonna caravan and take our whole kits.

Just an appreciation post for us outdoorsy gals. I love how easy it is to get out there when you have experience and a collection of gear that works for you. I can't wait to get out there, I've had a rough time of it lately and I've been gazing longingly at the mountains for weeks.

Looking to go on my first solo trip! I will have my dog so want to go somewhere that’s dog friendly. What are some of your favorite places for a chill & relaxing time?