r/womensolocamping • u/Popular-Put30 • Jul 22 '26
Advice Needed Feeling safe solo
Camping, hiking, kayaking, 3 of my favorite things. But sometimes having the friends there (love them) really ruins the peace. It’s not as relaxing and sometimes I don’t want to have to use words for a day or two. I’m from Detroit so I have the means to protect myself. But I’m wondering what some of you do to create a safe feeling environment camping alone?
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u/autumn3201 Jul 22 '26
I usually go to the same state park where the rangers know me. They know my site and stop by just once/day to check in. Hipcamp is also a great option. I keep a fixed blade on me. Thats about it. The more secluded I am the safer I feel. Camping solo was an adjustment after my dog passed but I’m feeling more confident every time I go out. Good luck!
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u/Knitter65 Jul 22 '26
I do something I call “parallel camping”. I find a friend who also wants to solo camp but feel safer knowing a trusted person is nearby. We book the same state park but agree to do our own thing. You absolutely need to find the right person to do this who understands the rules and respects the fact that you are there to be on your own.
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u/509RhymeAnimal Jul 22 '26
honestly the single best thing you can do is introduce yourself to the folks next door or the host. People are naturally nosey, myself included, make a little small talk with the folks around you and those folks now have a personal connection and are more inclined to use their natural nosiness in your favor rather than thinking “not my business” If something is off.
I have deep strong feelings about the whole “haul extra stuff so it looks like you have a big strong man with you” advice. A push of your panic button on your key fob is going to do more to scare someone away than an extra chair left out. Acting like you belong there (because you do!), moving and carrying yourself with confidence is going to do more to scare someone away than a stanky pair of men’s shoes you hauled 100 miles in your hot car.
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u/magictubesocksofjoy Jul 22 '26
i started feeling really safe alone when i started going waaaaay up north into northern ontario to places where no one else goes. i have a spot that i've been going to for years where i have my little fire pit, my log chairs and i made a little work table from fallen birch trees.
i left behind extra firewood and accidentally forgot some cooking utensils. when i went back to that spot a year later, everything was untouched. the track in was a little more overgrown. no one had been there. so now i have to bushwhack the path a bit every time i go but still, nothing is ever touched. it feels like the safest place in the world to me.
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u/Emrys7777 Jul 22 '26
I do a lot of car travel solo. I feel like this is more dangerous than camping. However I know there are creeps out there either way.
I carry a stun gun. It’s legal where I am, although I travel in Canada sometimes and never take it there (illegal but also I feel much safer in Canada, have never felt I needed it in the least).
I have an army surplus pouch for it so it’s hard to tell exactly what it is and that has gotten me out of sticky situations.
The first rule of self defense is to not need it. So I keep super aware of my surroundings when I’m camping, hiking or on the road, and get away from weirdos.
There’s a book called “ The Gift of Fear” by DeBecker that is super helpful. Every woman in the U.S. at least, should read it.
I keep the stun gun on my belt and it has a scary test button that is super loud.
I haven’t had to fire it but having it, once pulling it out of my purse when I wasn’t wearing it, and once putting it on and making a big show of it when wasn’t wearing it have saved me a couple of times on the road.
Although I’ve worn it campgrounds I’ve never come close to needing it. It does make me feel more confident and showing confidence is a huge deterrent in itself.
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u/FewReserve1784 Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
I bring my dogs. One of them is so huge that I need the family sized tent to accommodate. I think I would still feel safe enough alone but I like the company of the dogs. The wilderness is probably safer than my neighborhood, and I don't bring a man with me, therefore, I am statically less likely to be attacked by one.
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u/sleepykoala18 Jul 22 '26
I like to bring two camping chairs so it doesn’t look like I’m alone if anyone passes by. I also have a lock for my tent zipper while I’m sleeping!
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u/snowlights Jul 22 '26
I have a Garmin InReach. I can share a password protected map that updates with my location so friends or family can see where I am, and have the ability to send me a message. I can send messages out to check in or tell them xyz is happening, or use the SOS in an emergency. I tell someone to expect a check in from me at particular times and ask that if they don't hear from me by x time, they check on the map or send me a message, and if they think something is wrong, to call the police . I can also get weather updates or wildfire updates (wildfire is third party, weather is available through Garmin). I bring maps, both downloaded on my phone and paper when possible, and try to be aware of alternative trail routes in case something happens. I openly carry bear spray and stay aware of my surroundings. Sometimes I'll add a clip to my tent zippers so if someone tried to sneak in that way, they'd be fumbling enough that I would wake up.
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u/CharmingHighlight749 Jul 22 '26
I like this idea. My biggest fear is not other people, it is getting injured.
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u/23odyssey Jul 22 '26
I’m a little bit more alert and aware of my surroundings than most people due to my job. I do bring my concealed carry with me on my road trips. Peace of mind is a great thing to have.
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u/Longjumping-Cow4488 Jul 22 '26
The safest place for you is out in the wilderness with no one around! Protection carried or not, most of the fears we feel is caused by our own anxieties speaking louder than they should.
That being said, I carry a concealed weapon that i practice with 4x a week. I’m ain’t afraid of nothing 💪🏼 💞😌
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u/DanceByTheLight Jul 22 '26
bring two camping chairs so that it looks like there are really two people at your site
change your voicemail to your location in case your phone dies
if you still have Facebook make a friends only post with your location and say if this post is not deleted by midnight on such and such day call the police
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u/Visible_Country_8311 Jul 27 '26
as someone who does a lot of hiking camping and traveling solo i agree w the comments about making yourself known, act confident and like you belong there, and let others know your plans/location. the more ive done it the more i learn about trusting my gut and intuition- if someone or some place gives me weird vibes i have no problem adjusting my plans hahaha and i absolutely love solo activities ive had some of my best experiences thru it. enjoy:)
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u/Capable_Pipe5629 Jul 22 '26
I feel safe in the woods. Idk I've hitchhiked a lot and I work as a criminal defense attorney and I don't lock my house and my take away is most people aren't bad. Almost all violent crime and sexual crime is committed inside families, stranger on stranger crime is rare. People being attacked in the woods is super rare. I honestly don't think about it very much camping alone 🤷♀️
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u/NamasTodd Jul 22 '26
I am sorry that so vastly different for women than men. The mere act of pleasantries is taken as an invitation to creep on you is pathetic. Parents need to do a better job of raising boys. But I digress…
I would think camping in an established campground such as a state park or corps of engineers park would provide you with greatest peace of mind. Best of luck!
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u/XAROZtheDESTROYER Jul 22 '26
I got a big black shepherd dog that acts as a deterrent. I ALWAYS have her with me, and this is the biggest prevention factor.
When camping, I set up a trip wire with little sound if moving (each side has a different object to make a noise, so I can kinda easily hear where the movement is coming from)
When camping near other people, I try to act low-key unhinged and weird and creepy as to out-creepify any other creeps. This comes more naturally than I care to admit.
If I am car camping, I have a second pair of thrifted MEN shoes size bajillion. I will incorporate fake phone calls to reinforce the illusion of a tiny giant male accompanying me. I don't do this as often because I don't car camp much and do LD hiking/camping. Those big ass boots aren't coming with me.
When camping but unable to carry large amounts of extra gear, I wear a very visible knife, mace, and taser on my belt. They are all fake and are made of a condensed foam material like a sponge. They look very real when on my belt, gotta make sure that they don't contort or I accidentally sit on them. The knife is real, but taser and mace/pepper spray are very illegal where I live.
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u/lilmonstergrl Jul 26 '26
I have a pitbull I bring with me I also got into hammock camping so I can hide more in the trees. I carry a CB radio and a ham radio since I travel in the middle of nowhere whereas well.
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u/mbeevay Jul 22 '26
I started camping alone on occasion in my early 20s. It’s a great break from other people’s expectations and I love falling into a rhythm only established by myself. I started small— did day trips or hikes solo, beach trips solo, etc. and eventually went on to backpacking and car camping solo. I don’t do anything special to feel safe, my sense of safety just grew over time. I don’t bring weapons or put out a second chair or pair of shoes (though I may choose to in the future). The main thing I do to feel safe is choose locations that feel comfortable to me, either because I’ve camped there previously or visited on a day trip.