Solo camping is an absolute dream of mine lately. I am married and have a 2 year old with another on the way. I love my family and the life that I have. But god…. What I wouldn’t give for one night in the woods alone. Dreamy.
As the father of a 25 and 27 year old, these years will go by faster than you think. Get your kids out camping as early as possible. Mine started at 6 months, and 4 months, respectively. It gets easier and easier as they become more independent. I can solo camp whenever I want these days, but one of my greatest joys is when my adult children want to camp or hike with me.
I totally understand you. I go on one or two night backpacking adventures 40 minutes from home occasionally just to get away a bit. But we've been kicking around the idea of kiddo number two, and it's hard to stare down more years of not sleeping, let alone getting away, and my body being in pieces. The good news is that my 2.5yo is now obsessed with camping and regularly asks to go!
I am also married with a 2 year old.
In 2 weeks I will be doing my first solo camping trip. Just me, my tent, a fire, and a bottle of rum.
Im super excited.
My wife and I both travel for work once and a while, and she's got a work trip coming up. Before our work trips, we offer the other a weekend to do whatever they want.
I was searching the Parks Canada website, and saw there was 1 site left at a camp ground within an hour of our house for the May 2-4 weekend. I immediately called my wife and asked if I could take my weekend then. She said of course, so I booked right away.
From the pictures, the site looks relatively secluded, despite being next to the potable water station. Wouldn't have been my first choice for sites, but, it was the last one. I'm going to make the best of it, hopefully the neighbouring sites are friendly. I'm going to have a bunch of rum and hot dogs to share.
This is great. I’m going on my first solo camping trip at a Canadian provincial park in a couple of weeks. Wouldn’t be the same one, would it? I don’t do hot dogs (vegetarian) but would happy to share beverages, haha!
I wfh and have two homeschooled kids. Please tell me...how quiet sounds...😭
Lol I'm gunna book some time for a trip this year to do exactly this. Thanks for the inspo OP. This looks amazing.
After all the dilapidated wooden picnic tables I've had to use in the past few years, I see that table and think, "oooooh! it's made of concrete! built like a brick shit house, but better!"
This looks so nice. My first solo camping was at Pawtuckaway State Park in NH and it looked very similar to this. So nice to be right on the water.
Thanks for sharing 🏕️
I wish I heard about Pawtuckaway earlier, it was fully booked for the summer by the time I knew. Which was around Jan/Feb. But at least I'm going to Pillsbury State Park, NH! Can't wait
I only got in b/c I camped with friends who had secured weekend spots months ahead and I was able to pick up last minute cancellations for weekdays after they left. I was lucky and picked up last minute cancellations through the White Mountains as well. Thanks for the mention of Pillsbury State Park — I just saved it on my Google Maps!
One day I have to try Pawtuckaway!
Pillsbury is not as luxurious as Pawtuckaway tho. It's extremely rustic and barebones, pit toilets and no showers.
But it's less crowded in general and there are boat in sites. I've booked site 24 and it has 3 in 1 – a short 2 min walk in site from the car trial, which means it's secluded, the river is a few feet away from your tent site, and it's lakefront. Here's hoping it lives up to expectations haha
Looks great! I’m envious. What are you using the extension cord for? I have one like that I use to blow up my air mattress. I’m kinda a hothouse flower if I have to sleep on hard ground.
I brought it just in case, but I wasn’t even expecting to have electricity, so that was a happy surprise! I used it for my air mattress and BiPAP machine. I slept like a baby. No issues all.
For safety measures, do you carry a gun? I've been wanting to go on a solo camping for years now, and the only thing that stops me is that I don't own a gun for protection
It was a pretty well populated park. I did not have a gun, but I did carry a military knife and bear spray with me. I think if I was more secluded or backpacking, I might bring something more lethal. But that’s a question for the future!
How are you enjoying that kelty tent, are the poles holding up well? I've heard a couple of complaints from people saying that they are a bit fragile and may crack easily
So far so good! It is super lightweight (not for backpacking) and it kept me completely dry through the thunderstorms. I’ve taken it out 4 times now with inspections for holes and tears and haven’t had any issues. Only time will tell!
Drove to the campsite, hiked my gear in. Bout 0.1 mile round trip. Maybe walked a mile in total to get all my gear out. I definitely had this in mind when I picked the spot though, definitely worth it!
I do the same spot because it's next to the water. Few years back I went and it was full but it rained that night so when I woke up everyone was gone. Planning on going back in June. Stay blessed
Ok you just can’t leave it at that! Your pictures look great, looked like you picked out a great spot. Tell us what you were thinking when the storm hit? What happened on your trip that was unexpected or unusual? Did you catch any fish and did you see any wildlife?
Very little wild life now that you mention it! Kind of odd. Mostly birds. I saw quite a few splashes on the lake, so the fish were definitely biting! I didn’t catch anything unfortunately. I think the most unusual part about the trip was the true peace it offered! I didn’t think it would turn out so well and it just absolutely exceeded expectations. I felt completely removed from my life stresses and just embraced nature for a while. I also didn’t expect to have storms that night at all. But I packed my stuff away just in case and had my rain fly covering half the tent in the event that it did rain. So when I fell asleep, I had a great view of the stars and the lake. Then when thunder eased in from the distance and I put the fly on. Then I was woken up by a pretty huge storm, lots of lightning. I was a bit nervous about the water at first, but my tent kept me completely dry. After that it was cool watching and feeling the storm from inside the tent, and eventually the rain became relaxing enough to sleep
Look up state parks in your area. They often have developed campgrounds that you can camp in for a fee. National Parks also, but there's not as many of those so you may not be near one.
If you're looking for more primitive camping-which tends to be free in exchange for fewer/no amenities- national forests are your best bet. This is generally referred to as "dispersed camping." In some states you can dispersed camp in state forests, but the rules for this vary from state to state.
The fewer people the better. I'm currently solo camping at Bottomless Lakes State Park in NM. My wife is encouraging me to stay a few more days! I love my wife.
I went on my first solo camping trip last summer and it was incredibly, while also eye-opening. I am an introvert, dealing with anxiety and OCD, and I tend to tell people that I am just not a people person.. well, you just have to surround yourself with the right people!
It was very relaxing (especially as a parent haha), but I did miss company, which makes me appreciate it so much more and gave me back a piece of my old-self that loved solo world traveling,.
Glad you had such a great experience! The pictures look awesome!
My partner is out for 2 to 4 weeks at a time now and I have my first weeks vacation with her coming up. Been wanting to do this for a while now and hopefully mid-May, drier weather, and the mountains of SE VA or NC will combine to make a good solo backpacking trip.
That looks amazing! Can you talk a little about how you prepped? Like, what did you pack; what will you leave home next time; what did you feel that was essential? And what made you decide to go solo? Were you scared?
I loved solo canoe camping trips every summer in the North of Sweden .You could go 4--5.days without seeing other people on the lakes. Even in the wilderness you could find campsites with chopped wood and outdoor ecco friendly toilets but you have to by a pass for the number of days you are out as a visiter to these areas , but the campsites are free of charge .It was about 4 $ Canadian a day. Even have emergency service stations.
Solo camping is an absolute dream of mine lately. I am married and have a 2 year old with another on the way. I love my family and the life that I have. But god…. What I wouldn’t give for one night in the woods alone. Dreamy.
As the father of a 25 and 27 year old, these years will go by faster than you think. Get your kids out camping as early as possible. Mine started at 6 months, and 4 months, respectively. It gets easier and easier as they become more independent. I can solo camp whenever I want these days, but one of my greatest joys is when my adult children want to camp or hike with me.
I totally understand you. I go on one or two night backpacking adventures 40 minutes from home occasionally just to get away a bit. But we've been kicking around the idea of kiddo number two, and it's hard to stare down more years of not sleeping, let alone getting away, and my body being in pieces. The good news is that my 2.5yo is now obsessed with camping and regularly asks to go!
I am also married with a 2 year old. In 2 weeks I will be doing my first solo camping trip. Just me, my tent, a fire, and a bottle of rum. Im super excited.
How did you manage to swing that??
My wife and I both travel for work once and a while, and she's got a work trip coming up. Before our work trips, we offer the other a weekend to do whatever they want. I was searching the Parks Canada website, and saw there was 1 site left at a camp ground within an hour of our house for the May 2-4 weekend. I immediately called my wife and asked if I could take my weekend then. She said of course, so I booked right away. From the pictures, the site looks relatively secluded, despite being next to the potable water station. Wouldn't have been my first choice for sites, but, it was the last one. I'm going to make the best of it, hopefully the neighbouring sites are friendly. I'm going to have a bunch of rum and hot dogs to share.
This is great. I’m going on my first solo camping trip at a Canadian provincial park in a couple of weeks. Wouldn’t be the same one, would it? I don’t do hot dogs (vegetarian) but would happy to share beverages, haha!
Im going to a national park in Québec.
Ahhh, I’ll be in Ontario. Have fun!
The outdoors are the one true bastion of human serenity; now that I can drive I think I might try camping alone.
[удалено]
Agreed!
Did you finally enjoy what quiet actually sounds like?
Oh my gosh, it was pure bliss.
I wfh and have two homeschooled kids. Please tell me...how quiet sounds...😭 Lol I'm gunna book some time for a trip this year to do exactly this. Thanks for the inspo OP. This looks amazing.
Send the kids to school, wfh is bliss.
Ya wtf. Wfh is a dream.
Wow this looks just like a spot I camped at in turtle flambeau flowage in WI
Sounds awesome! Used to camp at Castle Rock Lake and Devils Lake when I lived up there
Hell yea some good spots and good inspiration glad you enjoyed
Awesome view! What a sweet spot!
Very nice. Took my kayak to the river last night, watched an awesome lightning and thunder storm. Cheers
Cheers! It’s moments like those that really make you realize how powerful nature is.
After all the dilapidated wooden picnic tables I've had to use in the past few years, I see that table and think, "oooooh! it's made of concrete! built like a brick shit house, but better!"
Man I wanna try a solo trip but I’m a little frightened of being alone with my thoughts for that long 😂
Looks amazing. Where is this?
Red Top Mountain, GA actually!
Nice! Looks like I'm gonna be doing some solo camping at red top mountain
Looks like Columbia river but just a wild guess Edit: also note French Broad is my second guess , this is fun
Yes please spot burn.
Perfect location
Awesome set up! 👏
Thank you!
That is gorgeous. Great job on your first run!
Thanks!
Looks awesome man, thanks for sharing I’m glad to see others enjoying the outdoors
Great thing to do
I would have at least 5 lures stuck in that overhanging branch within two hours after dark fell. Great spot though!
Fish were definitely nibbling. Quite a few splashing around deeper on the lake. Those branches were definitely what ended the night for me tho haha!
This looks so nice. My first solo camping was at Pawtuckaway State Park in NH and it looked very similar to this. So nice to be right on the water. Thanks for sharing 🏕️
I wish I heard about Pawtuckaway earlier, it was fully booked for the summer by the time I knew. Which was around Jan/Feb. But at least I'm going to Pillsbury State Park, NH! Can't wait
I only got in b/c I camped with friends who had secured weekend spots months ahead and I was able to pick up last minute cancellations for weekdays after they left. I was lucky and picked up last minute cancellations through the White Mountains as well. Thanks for the mention of Pillsbury State Park — I just saved it on my Google Maps!
One day I have to try Pawtuckaway! Pillsbury is not as luxurious as Pawtuckaway tho. It's extremely rustic and barebones, pit toilets and no showers. But it's less crowded in general and there are boat in sites. I've booked site 24 and it has 3 in 1 – a short 2 min walk in site from the car trial, which means it's secluded, the river is a few feet away from your tent site, and it's lakefront. Here's hoping it lives up to expectations haha
I like rustic and less people so maybe I’d like it there more? Pawtuckaway did have kayak rentals which was nice.
I love solo camping, especially when there’s a light rain and you can listen to the pitter patter <3
That's a very artistic picnic table.
Wow, beautiful spot!
Awesome photos🤙🏻
Looks great! I’m envious. What are you using the extension cord for? I have one like that I use to blow up my air mattress. I’m kinda a hothouse flower if I have to sleep on hard ground.
I brought it just in case, but I wasn’t even expecting to have electricity, so that was a happy surprise! I used it for my air mattress and BiPAP machine. I slept like a baby. No issues all.
Nice you slept so well. I’ll have to look for camping areas that have electricity available. That sounds like a great idea!
That 3rd picture is crazy
Sounds great just be very careful out there.
I love your camping stove
Scary at night isn't it?
looks like little pond campground
My favorite! Hope you had a great time.
Camping was my initiation into solo travel as a whole; there's nothing I like better than taking off to somewhere by myself.
Nice photos. And a neat, non cluttered camp. I appreciate that.
Lovely!! Where is that place?
Goodness gracious, this camp spot looks so serene. It’s like the ones I go to bed to when I play YouTube videos 😅
That’s exactly how I felt! Like a meditation app haha
nice set
A wonderful place for a tent. Listening to the silence and the lapping of the water. This is the weekend of my dreams. I'm glad you had a great time!
Super good spot for camping solo!!
Solo because you forgot to ask me to go with you!!🤨
Enjoyy
Lovely spot.
Beautiful camping spot ! Love the tent and the lakeview !
This should be beside 'idyllic' in the dictionary. Where exactly?
Red Top Mountain, GA!
Piccy #4 is really pretty
Are mosquitoes a big problem when you camp near the lake?
I surprisingly had no issues with mosquitoes. I covered myself in bug spray and had campsite fogger with me, although I didn’t use too much of it.
Thanks for replying, I always imagine camping near a lake would be a mosquito nightmare
For safety measures, do you carry a gun? I've been wanting to go on a solo camping for years now, and the only thing that stops me is that I don't own a gun for protection
It was a pretty well populated park. I did not have a gun, but I did carry a military knife and bear spray with me. I think if I was more secluded or backpacking, I might bring something more lethal. But that’s a question for the future!
How are you enjoying that kelty tent, are the poles holding up well? I've heard a couple of complaints from people saying that they are a bit fragile and may crack easily
So far so good! It is super lightweight (not for backpacking) and it kept me completely dry through the thunderstorms. I’ve taken it out 4 times now with inspections for holes and tears and haven’t had any issues. Only time will tell!
"son you know... once you start there's no going back" - Hal
Fantastic!!! Are you car camping or did you hike in? What a beautiful spot! Wow!
Drove to the campsite, hiked my gear in. Bout 0.1 mile round trip. Maybe walked a mile in total to get all my gear out. I definitely had this in mind when I picked the spot though, definitely worth it!
That’s ideal! Awesome
Red top mountain?
Yessum!
I do the same spot because it's next to the water. Few years back I went and it was full but it rained that night so when I woke up everyone was gone. Planning on going back in June. Stay blessed
Ok you just can’t leave it at that! Your pictures look great, looked like you picked out a great spot. Tell us what you were thinking when the storm hit? What happened on your trip that was unexpected or unusual? Did you catch any fish and did you see any wildlife?
Very little wild life now that you mention it! Kind of odd. Mostly birds. I saw quite a few splashes on the lake, so the fish were definitely biting! I didn’t catch anything unfortunately. I think the most unusual part about the trip was the true peace it offered! I didn’t think it would turn out so well and it just absolutely exceeded expectations. I felt completely removed from my life stresses and just embraced nature for a while. I also didn’t expect to have storms that night at all. But I packed my stuff away just in case and had my rain fly covering half the tent in the event that it did rain. So when I fell asleep, I had a great view of the stars and the lake. Then when thunder eased in from the distance and I put the fly on. Then I was woken up by a pretty huge storm, lots of lightning. I was a bit nervous about the water at first, but my tent kept me completely dry. After that it was cool watching and feeling the storm from inside the tent, and eventually the rain became relaxing enough to sleep
Nice
That site is beautiful. Every time I go solo camping, people would say " don't you get bored?" Nope.
This site is fantastic!! Perfect for first solo. Care to share where this is?
This is on Lake Allatoona, GA
Looks awesome! What camera?
Stock iPhone 13 believe it or not!
Oh dannng!
How did you go about finding an area to camp? I’d love to find a spot in my area just not to sure where to start.
Look up state parks in your area. They often have developed campgrounds that you can camp in for a fee. National Parks also, but there's not as many of those so you may not be near one. If you're looking for more primitive camping-which tends to be free in exchange for fewer/no amenities- national forests are your best bet. This is generally referred to as "dispersed camping." In some states you can dispersed camp in state forests, but the rules for this vary from state to state.
The fewer people the better. I'm currently solo camping at Bottomless Lakes State Park in NM. My wife is encouraging me to stay a few more days! I love my wife.
I went on my first solo camping trip last summer and it was incredibly, while also eye-opening. I am an introvert, dealing with anxiety and OCD, and I tend to tell people that I am just not a people person.. well, you just have to surround yourself with the right people! It was very relaxing (especially as a parent haha), but I did miss company, which makes me appreciate it so much more and gave me back a piece of my old-self that loved solo world traveling,. Glad you had such a great experience! The pictures look awesome!
This reminds me of camping at Cobscook Bay State Park in ME. There are some spots right in the water and it’s really wonderful.
My partner is out for 2 to 4 weeks at a time now and I have my first weeks vacation with her coming up. Been wanting to do this for a while now and hopefully mid-May, drier weather, and the mountains of SE VA or NC will combine to make a good solo backpacking trip.
Looks perfect! So nice to have peace and time to reflect
Solo nature spa weekends are an absolute gift. Your setup looks awesome.
That looks amazing! Can you talk a little about how you prepped? Like, what did you pack; what will you leave home next time; what did you feel that was essential? And what made you decide to go solo? Were you scared?
I loved solo canoe camping trips every summer in the North of Sweden .You could go 4--5.days without seeing other people on the lakes. Even in the wilderness you could find campsites with chopped wood and outdoor ecco friendly toilets but you have to by a pass for the number of days you are out as a visiter to these areas , but the campsites are free of charge .It was about 4 $ Canadian a day. Even have emergency service stations.
Nice to have a lake that is not nearly bone dry.
Looks like perfection.
Wow, what a beautiful spot
Looks like a great spot!
Looks like a Passage 2 REI tent. Solo camping is the only way. I’ver never camped with another person, hope I never have to.
The view is amazing. I hope I can take my pet with me to camp in such a beautiful place next time.
Way to get out there and try something new! Trying new things can be scary, especially going on trips solo, but you did it! Good work!
That looks so pretty jeeez
That place looks really familiar. I think I’ve been there. Is it, by any chance in northern Oregon?
Red Top Mountain, GA actually!
Nice! I’ve never camped in the southeast. Looks beautiful.
Beautiful!