Solo Travel-The Beginner’s Guide to Essential Camping Gear

Solo Travel Guide to Camping Gear. Nothing is more exhilarating than seeing the sunrise at a national park or from a mountain peak. However, camping, hiking or backpacking can be a challenge for solo travelers. Staying safe is key whether from encountering a foraging mother bear with cubs, a would-be assailant or spraining an ankle in a deep canyon.  Always have a way to reach an emergency contact, especially when your cell phone may not get a signal.  In any case, be sure to leave your itinerary and planned return time with friends or family.

See our guest post below from Mia Clarke, Founder of InvertPro on how to get started!

Solo Travel Guide to Camping Gear:

Mia is the owner of InvertPro.co. As a keen traveler Mia started InvertPro after struggling to find the right kit to stay in touch in an increasingly connected world. Mia has travel every continent and plans to visit them all again.

Traveling alone is a fulfilling experience for many reasons. One of them is that it offers you a time of peace so that you can focus on yourself. However, several challenges exist when you go on a trip by yourself including security concerns.

That means you have to be more careful on these trips than you are when you are traveling with your loved ones. For example, you have to carry your phone, and the battery has to be full. The other critical items in the beginner solo travelers guide to essential camping gear are as follows.

• Hiking Boots and Maps

Hiking boots are necessary for easy mobility. They have additional padding for comfort. Some of them have waterproof membranes to prevent water from getting into your shoes even if you are moving through a soggy patch of soil. Others come with extra cushioning around the heel to protect your ankles.

Maps are critical because you can lose your sense of direction in a new environment. For example, you can go deeper into a forest when you should be heading the other way. You can also walk for miles for help when a rescue center is meters away. Therefore, maps help you save time and effort.

• Flashlight, Lantern, and a Headlight

You cannot see the dangers that lurk around you when you are in a dark environment. That makes you vulnerable to attacks from people and animals. You can also step on electrical wires or in holes in addition to walking into thorny bushes. These dangers among others can lead to terrible physical harm so avoiding them is critical.

The first defense against these hazards is traveling with flashlight, lanterns, and headlights. These devices help you see at night or in dark areas so that you can avoid danger. Having all of them is an excellent idea because you would have a backup plan when one of them fails. You also need one that you can hold in your hand and others that you can place somewhere as you do something.

• Water Treatment Tablets or Filtration Systems

You need a water bottle when you travel. Fill it to the brim before you go on your journey. Carry extra bottles if you will be traveling for a couple of days instead of one. You also need to prepare for scenarios where you do not have a water bottle, and you are thirsty. That is especially true if you are going backpacking. In this case, you can lose your water bottle, and you have to rely on streams for water.

Unfortunately, not all water sources are healthy even if you find them in nature. You have to filter it before you drink it. Remember, researchers have revealed that a glass of water from a tap contains more than 10 million bacteria. Imagine how much bacteria untreated water contains. One harmful bacterium can lead to an extreme case of diarrhea or even cholera.

At the same time, staying without water for a long time might lead to serious health consequences. They include dizziness, fatigue, headaches, and a dry mouth. It is worth noting that humans cannot survive without water for three days. Therefore, carrying water bottles on a solo trip is critical. Water treatment tables or filtration systems are your backup plan if you use up your water or lose it.