Agreed. I have frequently hiked/backpacked & hunted alone and continue to do so. Other activities get dramatically more dangerous solo. Travel over glaciers, cayoneering, and a number of other activities too frequently create conditions where the solo adventurer is at a HUGE disadvantage.

Yes yes YES a thousand times Yes.

Solo hikers have many advantages - from being able to travel at their own pace, being able to make changes to the plans on the fly and best of all they are better able to witness with stealth and quiet the various animals in the wilderness.

hey, i'm back.

i have been able to read all of your posts several times.

what i take away is that hiking solo is a personal decision based on personal beliefs and on external factors.

where i hike is very different from where many of you hike.

and then we have all of you hunters who are out there by yourself in order to bring home the meat. solo, vs group hunting, wins the day in my book.

i also noticed in the thread that if not solo, then solo with a partner and then becomes solo with two partners and then higher numbers and then on to a group hike. which several posters pointed out could be counterproductive in that groups might take chances whereas a solo would not.

although i certainly see both sides of the arguments you all have put forth, for me i'm not convinced 1+ or more has an advantage over solo.

for me, i'd prefer to hike solo. but i am fortunate to have a hiking buddy who i can spend 8 - 12 hours a day with - without annoying each other or feeling like we're having to take care of each other.

thank you for all of your thoughtfullness and great ideas.

I have done most of my hiking solo (or with my beagle) but it is not 100 miles from nowhere, or on trails that are especially difficult. I am more concerned about getting her out if she gets hurt.

Most cases if I had a major problem there is cell phone coverage where I hike, although sometimes it is spotty.

I guess I never really thought about it much. I think it is more dangerous walking around in my neighborhood on our morning walks these days. Everything is icy and snow covered, and where there are sidewalks, they are often not cleared of snow and I end up having to walk on the street.

At 5:30am there is not that much traffic but I am not sure just how alert people are to pedestrians.