Camping alone?

[Gearitis]

Well, I have done a lot of "alone" camping over the years. I have traveled to Colorado, AZ, NM and others by myself as my wife could not get off work or was not interested. But she does like to go locally, to the Lake or state park as long as its within 45 minutes from the house. I enjoy a few days by myself. Allows me to get to do the simple fixes on the camper and try new things. On the longer trips alone, they usually last about 10 days and I trout fish a lot and camera hunt as I like to photograph wildlife. After the 10 days the longing to be home is in full throttle and I am ready to get back.
Locally I will go to the lake for 2 weeks at a time, once every 6 weeks. I will commute to work from there and the DW will come out every evening and all weekend. But during the week she will go back to the sticks and bricks for the night and head to work from there as its only a mile to work. I attribute a lot of our 36 years of marriage to this routine. This may be the difference between Country boy and City girl. Not sure, but just getting outside is the key to my sanity and if its alone, so be it. I love it all!

[redneck 92]

I camp alone every fall after the grandkids are back in school and my DW insists on going back to work. Truly enjoy the alone time and just getting out camping before the snow gets here.


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[Merlin14]

Extremely interested in this topic. Going this weekend just me and dog. Planning 4-6 weeks in summer. Photo trip and rougher conditions. Stay longer, walk more to photo sites. Agree that it will take effort to be comfortable alone, but will work to have social contacts. I wonder about cooking for just me. What to eat, etc. I can cook enough to get along and plan to read/write/edit photos. DW little interest in this trip, and unhappy DW makes unhappy everybody.

[bob caldwell]

I'm leaving here Sat. for 5months in Arizona.....it's a challenge after 49+ year's and learning what we've either forgotten or never did....gives one a lot of time to work on trailer and keep up here on forum

[ToniandSal]

If I could arrange for one of my DH's kids to come stay with him, I would pack up the dogs and take the MH for a camping trip. Peaceful...


2016 Forester 2291S Class C
2016 Jeep Wrangler

Dana Point, CA

[ToniandSal]

My DH doesn't care for camping. He isn't a chill out kind of guy, so I keep him fed!
I haven't camped alone but it seems like it wouldn't be much different than being at home by yourself, just outside more .

[gspot01]

Originally Posted by Merlin14

I wonder about cooking for just me. What to eat, etc. I can cook enough to get along and plan to read/write/edit photos. DW little interest in this trip, and unhappy DW makes unhappy everybody.

I don't like cooking for just myself either, so I limit big meal prep to those times when the whole family goes. The most I will do for myself is throw something small on the grill because I then use the coals to start a campfire.

Now that I have gone a few times by myself since starting this thread, I have found the microwave and frozen section in the grocery store to be my friend, whereas normally I never eat microwaved food. There are some really good, high-quality items available nowadays that are perfect for just one person, including breakfasts, organic, and ethnic foods. I've kinda enjoyed exploring what the frozen section has to offer on my solo trips, whereas normally I much prefer to prepare my food from scratch. I think you'd be pleasantly surprised also. As long as you have electric hookups or some other means to run the micro, I have found that to be one of the biggest conveniences of owning my TT.

And don't forget the old stand-bys either: canned goods. Last Friday night when I rolled in at 8pm, it was cold, dark, and rainy. After setting up camp, I opened and heated a can of Campbell's Chunky New England-style Clam Chowder. I ate it in the blustery darkness on the bank of the lake and thought to myself, "By George, those Yanks are on to something here!" I can imagine that other soups, stews, and chili would have been just as satisfying.

Lunches are always sammies&chips or leftovers from the night before. I have found "small and simple" to be the best strategy when alone. I came to the realization that I don't eat as much as I thought because eating alone isn't as festive as with other people. I get satisfied a lot quicker.

[wahoonc]

When I camp alone, one of two things happens when it comes to eating. I open a can and eat from it (aggravates the DW when I do it at home ) Or I go all gourmet and spend the whole time cooking and eating. I enjoy campfire cooking, I have several sets of cookware and can go from small portions up to enough to feed half the campground.

Aaron

[oldsmasma]

Interesting thread. My DH is retired from his real job but still does some consulting which often takes him overseas. Every time I go camping by myself (plus the dog) I fancy I can hear Helen Reddy warming up. Quite empowering to a female of my generation.


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[Terier]

I find that the fun tend to end once I open the can. Not being a cook my meals are somewhat limited. However, there are a handful of meals that I can cook & like. When I do cook I will often freeze some of it for camping. (Spaghetti sauce, chili, soup, Lasagna, meatloaf, stuffed peppers, etc.. I often will precook the pasta so all I need to do is heat it up but I have cooked spaghetti at camp. I like to keep the first day of camping as simple as I can. Often on the second day of camping I will bake BBQ chicken & scallop potatoes or put a small pot roast in a 4 quart slow cooker & let it cook all day.

Burritos, tacos, Sloppy Joes all makes for a easy meal especially if all you need to do is warm it up. I also will bring along some frozen meals that I do like. After enduring a blackout for almost 24 hours I will bring something that doesn't require power to cook. I also have placed a to-go order from my neighbor Mexican food restaurant to reheat up for dinner. The trick to warming up leftovers is to heat at reduced power (40-50%) for a longer period of time.

[crunchman12001]

Originally Posted by gspot01

I don't like cooking for just myself either, so I limit big meal prep to those times when the whole family goes. The most I will do for myself is throw something small on the grill because I then use the coals to start a campfire.

Now that I have gone a few times by myself since starting this thread, I have found the microwave and frozen section in the grocery store to be my friend, whereas normally I never eat microwaved food. There are some really good, high-quality items available nowadays that are perfect for just one person, including breakfasts, organic, and ethnic foods. I've kinda enjoyed exploring what the frozen section has to offer on my solo trips, whereas normally I much prefer to prepare my food from scratch. I think you'd be pleasantly surprised also. As long as you have electric hookups or some other means to run the micro, I have found that to be one of the biggest conveniences of owning my TT.

And don't forget the old stand-bys either: canned goods. Last Friday night when I rolled in at 8pm, it was cold, dark, and rainy. After setting up camp, I opened and heated a can of Campbell's Chunky New England-style Clam Chowder. I ate it in the blustery darkness on the bank of the lake and thought to myself, "By George, those Yanks are on to something here!" I can imagine that other soups, stews, and chili would have been just as satisfying.

Lunches are always sammies&chips or leftovers from the night before. I have found "small and simple" to be the best strategy when alone. I came to the realization that I don't eat as much as I thought because eating alone isn't as festive as with other people. I get satisfied a lot quicker.

gspot01,
I do close to the same thing.
When I go for a week to 10 days, I will buy 1/2 dozen frozen meals, a pack of hotdogs and buns, a box of frozen hamburgers and buns, a dozen eggs, a pack of sausage links, and a bulk pack of frozen hashbrown patties. Also, throw a tube of pringles in there,
I find my electric skillet and my microwave is all I need to cook everything for the entire trip. Saves on clean up.
It is not glamorous but it works. I am basically eating to keep the system going, not looking for anything fancy.

[SeaDog]

I camp by myself often and find that when others are along it requires me to adjust my routine which I find OK some of the time, but there is a limit. When I say alone Jake is always with me, he is part of the routine.

[W5CI]

For you folks going alone, what do you do in an Emergency. Say you fall and hurt yourself or like myself cut my head open on my bed room slide last week. I would never go camping alone for more than a few hours.

[gspot01]

Originally Posted by crunchman12001

gspot01,
I do close to the same thing.
When I go for a week to 10 days, I will buy 1/2 dozen frozen meals, a pack of hotdogs and buns, a box of frozen hamburgers and buns, a dozen eggs, a pack of sausage links, and a bulk pack of frozen hashbrown patties. Also, throw a tube of pringles in there,
I find my electric skillet and my microwave is all I need to cook everything for the entire trip. Saves on clean up.
It is not glamorous but it works. I am basically eating to keep the system going, not looking for anything fancy.

LOL! Had a can of Pringles and a pack of hot dogs this last weekend myself. Some things are classic.

[Terier]

I live alone so it's the same. Doesn't matter if I injured myself whiles camping or at home - I'm on my own. Now I have been ill while camping and it's not easy being by yourself. Both times I was worried if I would be feeling well enough to break camp, hitch up and drive home. It worked out but it was a concern.

[AbdRahim]

Originally Posted by W5CI

For you folks going alone, what do you do in an Emergency. Say you fall and hurt yourself or like myself cut my head open on my bed room slide last week. I would never go camping alone for more than a few hours.

This is always a concern, especially for those of us that hike alone or run limping distances etc. Thank God it has never happened and I just pray it never does. I often wonder about this for people living alone. I guess all one can do is call 911.

If I did not camp,alone I would almost never go camping.😥😥

[crunchman12001]

Originally Posted by W5CI

For you folks going alone, what do you do in an Emergency. Say you fall and hurt yourself or like myself cut my head open on my bed room slide last week. I would never go camping alone for more than a few hours.

Well, Keep your cell phone in your pocket, have a flight plan or maybe life alert. I am comfortable and enjoy my alone time. Don't get me wrong, I would prefer to have the DW with me all the time but I get more days off work than she does. The payments on the trailers never stop so get out and use it.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by W5CI

For you folks going alone, what do you do in an Emergency. Say you fall and hurt yourself or like myself cut my head open on my bed room slide last week. I would never go camping alone for more than a few hours.

Keep a cell phone in my pocket most of the time. Set up check in times with someone, etc.

I have done a lot of solitary stuff over the years and it has never been a problem. Many, many years ago I rode my bike across country by myself. I would check in with my parents 3 times a week from a pay phone.

Aaron

[gspot01]

Here in the Ozarks, you often hear of people falling 100' off of bluffs to their deaths.



Or, since our hiking season runs Oct thru May, getting lost and dying of exposure in the night.

I often wonder what I would do if I slipped and broke my leg on a solo day hike 5 miles into the Leatherwood Wilderness where there is no cell service. Or accidentally fell off Hawksbill Crag. It has happened many times and all ended up dead. The last one hung on for a few weeks in the hospital in a coma before finally dying.



Or fell in the lake in January after motoring a few miles to that special fishing spot.



Last week, a dude I knew several years younger than me (early 40s) died suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack. A few years ago, my friend's father dropped dead of a heart attack while packing up his office on the last day of work before his retirement.

I think our own mortality is a huge concern while alone, especially for those of us who are used to living in densely populated areas. What if the worst happened and there were no one around to save me?

The Vikings believed that the exact date and method of our demise has been predetermined, a worldview that fosters bravery, ferocity, and recklessness. Our modern view is that if the medical establishment can intervene quickly enough, we can be saved (which nevertheless doesn't always happen), a worldview that fosters excessive prudence and risk-avoidance.

I think a rational stance somewhere in the middle is the best course. You have to take measures towards self-preservation and survival in the worst case scenario, but at the same time realize that when your time is up, it's just up. In the meantime, if you want to go camping, hiking, or fishing by yourself, go. Just be careful.

[Sierra360PDEK]

Originally Posted by W5CI

For you folks going alone, what do you do in an Emergency. Say you fall and hurt yourself or like myself cut my head open on my bed room slide last week. I would never go camping alone for more than a few hours.

I solo camp in the Talladega National Forest and there is zero cell phone coverage at the campground. I drive six miles to a spot where cell service is and call my wife at 6:00 pm each night. If I do not check in by 8:00 pm she will call the Ranger Station and have them check on me.
My buddy was with me this spring and his BIL died. His wife couldn't reach us and she called the Ranger Station. Around midnight the Ranger came to our camp and informed my buddy about the death and then contacted his wife letting her know he was on his way home.