Tips For Solo Hiking

You can dramatically change your life if you take responsibility for your happiness.

The good news is that you can do this all by yourself.

However, I know it's also dangerous to be a woman today. There are far too many statistics on rape, domestic violence, homicide, etc., and sometimes I feel it's not safe to be a woman anywhere.

This is the reason I want to share some tips with you to be safe as a solo traveler/hiker.

Hiking, being outside, and connecting with nature are therapy and a mind reset. I found this experience healing during the pandemic when everything was closed and when my first homeland Armenia experienced a war. The violence of war and the loss of many friends created chaos in my head; I needed to overcome the feeling of being uncomfortable with the homesickness and trauma. Being a woman in my 20s and experiencing the 2nd war in my life was devastating. I was alone here in the States without my family and friends while they were at the epicenter of all this chaos. Escaping into the wild seemed a temporary solution but eventually became a habit. There is so much to blame on Covid, but I feel many people gained some healthy habits, too. It seems that the pandemic allowed us time to become more nature connected.

First, I started with the 5-minute meditations in the parks or outside while walking. Suddenly I shifted from the regular walk to exploring new places and trusting the universe to find a path to serenity and calmness in my head.

During that time, the constant mental non-traditional therapies like hiking, meditating, and swimming in the ocean helped me to create and organize solo trips and hikes. Nature is my happy place and home, a corner I could hide in for hours to cleanse the negative information and erase the stressful news from my mind.

The energy and vibration I get from the earth and universe are seemingly unlimited– I find the source of both of these while hiking in and exploring mother nature.

One should hesitate to put too much trust in strangers you meet while hiking, but it can be exciting to meet all the wonderful people out there; hiking can be an unlimited adventure.

Here are some tips that might be helpful if you decide to travel alone:

1. Make sure you have researched the location beforehand; Try your best to understand the obstacles in advance. It's simple: Google the place, check out the weather, download hiking apps, and check for the reviews and experiences people had before you.

2. Make sure at least one person from your family or friends knows your exact location; set a timer and schedule the next call with them. Somebody should know your plans; they could know where to look or send a rescue team if you are missing.

3. Carry a satellite phone with you. If there is no reception in the area you are traveling to, you can get in touch quickly when needed. These phones also provide your exact location.

4. Carry protection. We can open the brackets here: if you want, I'll go with the tools I carry: paper spray and an electric shocker.

5. Finally, Be confident and trust your intuition and feelings while hiking; feel nature and listen to it.

If you decide to travel solo, share your experience, too, as we all have something to learn from each other. Besides, you can inspire a woman sitting on her couch, reading the article, and having second thoughts about traveling solo.

I hope you find these tips helpful, and I wish you good luck with your first solo experience!

Trust in yourself and trust the universe; there is nothing women can't overcome.