Keeping entertained on a Solo Trip

[switchbackkid]

theres so much to do out in the wilderness! That's the biggest reason I love being out there so much. I'm honestly more bored in a city environment with everything going on than I am in the middle of no where with nothing going on! I'll give you a list of things I do most of the time to keep me busy while I'm out.

Always have one of my favorite books with me! You can really kill some time reading and I focus and comprehend so much better when i don't have any distractions!

Practice bushcraft! There are tons and tons of videos on youtube teaching you different bushcraft, some being easy and some needing a little more practice. I'm always entertained practicing making stuff in the woods with the materials i have available and its also a great skill to know in some situations.

Photography. I'm pretty into photography so I usually sacrifice a light pack and haul my DSLR with a small tripod and extra batteries. with all the different lighting and angles and wildlife and different views in nature you can stay very busy with a camera trying to be creative and capture an awesome picture even if the spot isnt that awesome. theres always an angle and lighting somewhere that will make a worth while photo. really gets you thinking...

writing. I usually always have a small notepad in my pack and while I don't always use it sometimes i get inspired to journal a little bit and reflect on my day and the trail and whats around and how im feeling so later i can look back on that trail and day and kind of re live it by bringing back all those memories and feelings. I recently did a 7 day backpacking trip on isle royale and journaled the whole time and when I read back on it i was surprised how many small details i forgot about and how looking back on the journal made that trip feel real again and put me right back there!

paying close attention. I do this pretty much all the time since its almost effortless and just makes the experience better anyways. if you're with a couple other people it can make it fun to see who notices certain things first and make a game out of it. I like to listen intently and see how many different sounds I can pick out, Rivers, Birds, Bugs, Wind, Squirrels scratching... 

I like learning about the landscape im on too and notice the different trees and grasses around and understand what they are, its fun to know whats around you.

Fire. while I'm extremely careful with this one since I live out west I love practicing my fire make skills. I keep my fires very small and safe and only use them for cooking if there is an open fire ban going on but its a very good and one of the most important skills to have if you play around in the back country a lot. Everything from fero rods to bow drills its fun to practice getting a fire going without the use of a match or lighter.

Thats about the most of it, the outdoors are great and theres tons to keep you busy out there. I think the more someone steps out into the woods the more they enjoy it and find other things they enjoy doing while out there. 

[Lunar_Herbalist]

7 hours ago, switchbackkid said:

Fire. while I'm extremely careful with this one since I live out west I love practicing my fire make skills. I keep my fires very small and safe and only use them for cooking if there is an open fire ban going on but its a very good and one of the most important skills to have if you play around in the back country a lot. Everything from fero rods to bow drills its fun to practice getting a fire going without the use of a match or lighter.

Think about getting a twig burning stove.  They are super helpful, keep your fire in check, and lift it off the ground so that it doesn't catch roots on fire.  

[ppine]

I could enjoy time with the switchbackkid.   I hope you can teach your friends these important lessons.

I am heading out this week to do some camping with a small travel trailer.  It was 5 degrees one morning this week.  Supposed to warm up a little.   I am heading to a nearby forest and have invited some friends to come and join me for dinner each night.  On Friday some young people will be showing up. We will have a nice fire and cook some stacked enchiladas in a Dutch Oven.  Yippee. I like to camp all year.

[switchbackkid]

On 11/12/2018 at 9:02 PM, Lunar_Herbalist said:

Think about getting a twig burning stove.  They are super helpful, keep your fire in check, and lift it off the ground so that it doesn't catch roots on fire.  

I love twig burning stoves and bush burners! takes a little longer for dinner vs just flicking a lighter at a gas stove but I love the hands on aspect of them and the free unlimited fuel is a nice peace of mind! 

I'm definitely cautious with in ground fires and roots. It's scary how far fire can travel underground and how few people take caution to it! 

[switchbackkid]

On 11/13/2018 at 9:59 AM, ppine said:

I could enjoy time with the switchbackkid.   I hope you can teach your friends these important lessons.

looks like your in north end of Nevada. shoot me a message if you ever get up north into Idaho! 

I try to teach my friends and others my way but not everyone is willing to adopt my habbits and views lol I don't mind as long as they hear it, maybe one day it will grow into something for them. At least have to plant the seed! 

[Lunar_Herbalist]

51 minutes ago, switchbackkid said:

I love twig burning stoves and bush burners! takes a little longer for dinner vs just flicking a lighter at a gas stove but I love the hands on aspect of them and the free unlimited fuel is a nice peace of mind! 

I'm definitely cautious with in ground fires and roots. It's scary how far fire can travel underground and how few people take caution to it! 

I didn't even know roots burned underground I thought they'd just smother out themselves.  I found this out after a few trips when someone told me.

[jay]

Roots will smolder and in rare instances, start pop up fires away from the actual area of the fire, if it is dry enough.  This is one of the main reasons it is always strongly encouraged to drown a fire out instead of simply smothering it and filling in the hole.  Earth will hold heat in for a good amount of time, as well, preventing covered embers from fully dying out.

While pop up fires like this are pretty rare, it is a possibility that needs to be kept in mind, especially in dry areas, in my opinion.

[ppine]

Thursday night I was in a campground in a Jeffrey pine forent but the only person there.  Sitting in the dark next to a fire with my dog, the only sound was a Great Horned owl.   As I stared in to the flames in the ancient ritual my thoughts became clear and deliberate.  
After a couple of hours I headed into the trailer to read,  "Building the Maine Guide Canoe."

I feel better now. 

Edited November 17, 2018 by ppine