My First Solo Wild Camp

I have planned my first solo camp for years but finally got around to it this year and this is how it went ~

I am definitely a nervous camper. I am the kind of person who flinches at every sound and thinks that the distant rumble of a quad bike could only be someone coming to tell us off and send us packing. But despite this fear I love wild camping and have camped many times with others, but never alone. I have dreamed of solo camping and long distance hikes since I was 18 and read Cheryl Strayeds book, Wild. That book inspired me in so many ways, but I have just never found the courage, within myself, to just go and do it. I always find myself procrastinating and thinking that today is not quite right, and maybe next week would be better. But at some point, I guess I’ve just got to feel the fear, and do it anyway.

Skip straight to the tips if you want ~

The gravel crunches under my boots as I walked an old lane that led up to the foot of the moorland. It was a beautiful summer evening. Midges danced in the air, illuminated by the low sun, flitting about as though they were sparks from a fire. The air was warm and still. All my worries about coming out alone seemed to melt away and I began to feel at home and comforted, like the sun was a gentle hug.

I had been planning this night for weeks. And every time it came to the night I was meant to go solo camping, I’d find some excuse or reason as to why I shouldn’t go. But finally, I had persuaded myself that if I didn’t go now, would I ever do it? There could always been an excuse, if I made one. So I packed my rucksack (well actually it was Brochans) and Brochan dropped me at the lane I was now walking up.

Light flicked through the trees as I walked along. Birds sang softly and I could hear the mountain sheep in the distance bleating, probably settling down for the night. The land looked so mellow in the evening sun. Every shadow and highlight softened to an orange glow. I came out onto the moors and patches of cotton grass bobbed in a very gentle breeze. I was glad to have a breeze, I had panicked a little in the still air, realising that I had forgotten midge repellant! I seem to attract midges like a magnet and there is nothing less relaxing than having those tiny insects swarm every inch of bare skin, to nibble on it! But the breeze was keeping them at bay now thankfully.

I reached my camp spot about half an hour before sunset. I had planned to arrive quite late, as I didn’t want to have hours to worry and think about all the could happen in the hours of darkness before me. I was still feeling at home but there was a slight anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach now, a niggling worry about the night ahead. But I distracted myself for a while taking photos of the low sun, I love a sunburst!

My dinner was not the most fancy by any means! A basic pot noodle, but I only really wanted something to be comforting, I didn’t need to replenish calories after a long day of hiking. And after dinner I had brought vegan galaxy hot chocolate and Booja Booja truffles. I am definitely a person who likes to bring comforts with me when camping, I think there is an idea sometimes that you have to be minimal and somewhat uncomfortable. But I think, if it’s not too heavy, why not have some luxuries? Especially when camping alone! I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a comfortable sleep out :)

I set up my camp, which was the Alpkit Hooped Bivvy with my cosy winter sleeping bag (I get very cold at night) and big down jacket stuffed inside a brushed cotton bag, it makes the most comfortable pillow! I was actually feeling quite excited now, I love my bivvy and find it a bit like a comforting cocoon. But my friend calls it a tent coffin! I settled down to eat my noodles and watch the sun set below the horizon. It was a breathtaking sunset, the wispy clouds above glowed in warm tones and shadow. It looked like a painting in the sky. I wish my camera could do it justice but it can never quite capture just how sublime these views can be.

Once the sun was down I settled into my sleeping bag, I zipped my bivvy up leaving an open space around my face to feel the breeze on my skin. I was surprised how quickly I managed to drift to sleep, though I guess I was tired from an early start and a day at work. I woke a few times in the night but only once in fear. That time I woke and suddenly thought “What am I doing?! Maybe I should just call Brochan now and ask him to pick me up!” But then I thought to myself “How bad is it really going to be? You used to walk down a dark dodgy street in Edinburgh, renowned for it’s drug users and alcoholics! That was far more dangerous!”

Finally dawn arrived and I lay in my bivvy, relieved I’d made it through the night to see light in the sky.

The sky was pink again and the glowing moon hung above the mountains. A Raven flew down below the rocks in-front of me and proceeded to chatter to itself for about 10 minuets. It was a a wonderful feeling, I have to say, to wake up alone on the mountains.

Here are my tips on how I felt more confident to camp on my own, and hopefully they'll help you if you're trying to gain the courage to do so to.

1. Pick your spot carefully ~ I have camped and walked to my spot previously so it felt familiar. If you can go to the spot you plan to camp at before, then do. You’ll know the area better and know what to expect. Also pick somewhere with signal so you know that if you get into trouble or get really scared, you can call someone. I also picked a spot that was only half an hour walk from the road. This meant that if I really wanted to get out I didn’t have a whole days walk to get home.

2. Make your camp comfortable and cosy ~ I took a heavier sleeping mat (that was thicker) and my winter down jacket as a pillow. I didn’t want to be uncomfortable and therefore possibly not sleeping well. I think there’s an idea that you need to camp minimally, and granted, if you’re going on a long thru-hike then you want to pack as light as possible! But for a single solo night, taking some home comforts could be the difference between a restless night tossing and turning and a comfortable night of sleep.

3. Take some comfort food ~ I had pot noodle which isn’t fancy by any means but it is quite comforting! I also had hot chocolate and Booja Booja truffles to look forward to.

4. Have someone on call if possible ~ I had Brochan to call if I was really scared. So see if a family member, partner or friend can be there to call if you need some comfort or just someone to talk to.

5. Plan your camp for summer if possible ~ this means that there are less hours of darkness to potentially be scared of mysterious sounds! When I camped there was only around 5 hours of darkness and the moon was 3/4 full, so even after the sun had set I could still see to a degree.

6. Arrive late ~ I arrived about half an hour before the sun set, not only is it good practice to arrive late when wild camping, but it also means there is less time to think about things before you go to bed and (hopefully) fall asleep!

7. Other than that I kept thinking that I when I lived in Edinburgh, I used to walk down streets renowned for being dodgy, in the dark, on my own, late at night. This was far more dangerous than being on an empty mountain, tucked away out of sight. Although there are dangers in the wild, it’s often in urban areas that you run into trouble. That’s what I kept thinking anyway, to comfort myself :)