In my high school classroom in Norway, the country where I first spent serious time outdoors, I sat beneath a poster of Fjellvettreglene, the nine rules that serve as national guidelines for the backcountry. A decade and a half later, the only rule I remember offhand is the one I always broke. Number seven: don鈥檛 go alone. Even at the time it seemed absurd to me, akin to telling all adults to go to bed at 9 P.M. or to avoid alcohol completely. Outdoorspeople鈥攔esponsible outdoorspeople鈥攇o alone all the time. Being alone in nature is uniquely peaceful; one might enjoy it, dare I say,听even more than being outdoors with your friends. If you like solitude at all, there are few things more pleasant than going at exactly your own pace, in whichever direction calls you鈥or waking at dawn, surrounded by shuffling, swaying living things, and being the only human among them.
Still, there鈥檚 a lingering idea that it鈥檚 reckless to go out in nature by yourself. I鈥檒l tell you: it is not reckless, at least not necessarily. It鈥檚 ancient, and it feels ancient, which is a balm a lot of us could use right now. Of course, nature isn鈥檛 a competition or a badge of toughness: you are not a greater outdoorsperson if you venture alone, nor are you lesser if you stay with a group. But I was pleased to see that in 2016, Fjellvettreglene were revised, replacing 鈥渄on鈥檛 go alone鈥 with more general rules about pathfinding and seeking shelter. Even for beginners, heading out solo鈥攚ithin your skill level鈥攎ight be the most rewarding outdoors thing you do.
Why Go Solo?
There are practical reasons to get outdoors alone: maybe you just moved somewhere new, or your friends aren鈥檛 into the stuff you want to try. But it鈥檚 also a great first choice, not just听a contingency plan. Nobody鈥檚 going to grok what you鈥檙e looking for in the outdoors, and the best way to find it, better than you. When you鈥檙e alone, you can set your own speed and goals. Or you can focus more on being than going, plant your butt on a rock, and watch shadows slide all afternoon. Odds are, you鈥檒l notice far more than you would in a group.
What Activity Should I Start With?
There are always the basics: hiking and camping. But my go-to for solo time is even simpler. Locate some nature near where you live, bring a bag with supplies (water, snacks, a notebook, an extra sweater) and head there for an hour to just explore. Wander around, getting a feel for the place, the trees and flowers, the lay of the land. When you notice something interesting鈥攁n interpretive sign, a cool beetle, a grove where the light hits just so鈥攃heck it out. If you have fun, and as you get more confident, you can stay for longer periods of time or venture deeper into the woods.
If you want to plan a bigger adventure, try this: close your eyes and imagine your dream outdoor experience. It doesn鈥檛 have to be realistic, and you don鈥檛 have to be capable of it. Pretend that you鈥檙e the most competent version of yourself, and time, money, and skills don鈥檛 matter. What would you want to do?
Maybe you thought of scuba diving, backpacking, sailing to Antarctica, or going on a silent meditation retreat. Whatever it is, break that activity into parts. If you thought of sailing to Antarctica, for instance, the parts might be boat travel, cold weather, and the feeling of exploration. Is there anything you can try that fits into one or more of those categories? You might like snowshoeing or taking a canoe trip. Or you could drive somewhere you鈥檝e never been and challenge yourself to discover three new things by the end of the day.
What About Safety?
When we talk about safety outdoors, we鈥檙e usually referring to two things: the risks inherent to nature (snakes, sunburn, getting lost), which are aggravated by isolation, and the risk of encountering shitty humans who take advantage of that isolation. Both of these can be greater when you鈥檙e alone鈥攁lthough, ironically, they鈥檙e often at inverse levels. If you鈥檙e in the Alaskan wilderness, it鈥檚 very unlikely that people will mess with you, but it鈥檚 also unlikely they鈥檒l find you if you break your leg. If you鈥檙e in an urban park, you probably won鈥檛 get (irretrievably) lost or face bears, but you鈥檒l encounter more people along the way.
Which is to say: learn your environment and act accordingly. (If you鈥檙e new to nature, and don鈥檛 have access to a guide or experienced friend, you can learn by degrees: start with very short trips and work your way up gradually.) Unless you鈥檇 be comfortable sleeping outside in an emergency, stick to marked trails or paths you already know. Keep track of your energy level and water supply. Always tell someone where you鈥檙e going and when you鈥檒l be back. Realistically, as you spend more time outdoors, you鈥檒l have a sense of which precautions you can relax, but as a beginner it鈥檚 best to err toward caution.
Safety concerns aren鈥檛 just particular to your environment; they鈥檙e also particular to you. As a white cis woman, my concerns are different from those of my husband, a white trans man (I鈥檇 be hesitant to approach a group of drunk men around a campfire; he鈥檇 be concerned about receiving help at a medical facility he鈥檚 unfamiliar with). Race, class, gender, ability, sexuality, and the ways that we are perceived in public all shape people鈥檚 risks outdoors, and you might want to connect with others who have similar experiences. Groups like , , and offer resources, classes, and meetups鈥攁nd even if you can鈥檛 meet in person, you can find community and support online.
Most importantly: if you鈥檙e out alone, and you get a weird feeling, leave. Trust your gut. You can always come back another day.
Go Solo Around Other People
Your solo adventure is not contingent on other people being gone; the whole point is that it鈥檚 not contingent on other people at all. You might find that you鈥檙e most comfortable hiking 鈥渁lone鈥 on a busy trail with passersby in constant sight. Or you might like relaxing by a creek and watching the water as families picnic nearby. Bonus: if you see people doing something that looks fun鈥攆ishing, slacklining, bird-watching鈥攜ou can put it on your list to try in the future.
Set an Intention
This one鈥檚 optional, and introspective, but I鈥檇 encourage you to give it a go. Your intention could be practical鈥攇etting a good workout, developing a skill鈥攐r it could be psychological. Is there a problem you鈥檙e working on? A perspective you鈥檙e trying to keep in mind? You might want to focus on how your body feels, rather than how it looks. You could practice noticing all the plants and creatures around you. (If you want to develop your curiosity outdoors, I鈥檇 highly recommend reading Annie Dillard鈥檚 Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.) Maybe you need to get away from certain worries, the things that fill your mind in everyday life. When you find yourself dwelling on them, gently remind yourself to set them aside. You鈥檙e not going to fix everything while you鈥檙e sitting on a rock in the woods. In fact, you can鈥檛. That鈥檚 part of the beauty.