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Tips and advice for a solo backpacker

Tips and advice for a solo backpacker


Postby DevonRambler » Fri Jun 17, 2022 3:51 pm

Hello everyone

I’m hoping I can pick your brains. I’m looking at doing more long distance walking with overnight stops at campsites.

For context I’m a 5’3 female and used to carrying heavy packs as I’ve done multi day walks before and move from place to place. I usually stay in hotels and B&Bs but the cost can really add up. One day, I hope to wild camp. But, truth is, I’m finding it difficult to take the plunge so I’m trying to build my confidence. I figured that walk/campsite/walk would help with that.

First would you have recommendations for sleeping bags? I’d like a lightweight one that won’t clear my bank account :)

Also, I’m completely confused by stoves and cooking equipment. All I want is something that I can use for one pot meals and a lovely cup of coffee in the morning (I’m a huge coffee fiend… it’s the only way to start the day!). Any good ones to look at?

And thirdly, and most importantly, I’d love to hear any tips, especially with the benefit of experience - what is essential, what’s unimportant, how you built up your confidence and any nuggets of advice that helped you and will help me!

Thank you so much in advance :D
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Re: Tips and advice for a solo backpacker

Postby cruachan06 » Fri Jun 17, 2022 4:18 pm

I'm relatively new myself so I've been watching a few Youtube channels which have some tips, both are female and they have various videos about starting out, gear advice etc which may be helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/c/GracesAdventures
https://www.youtube.com/c/GirlOutdoors

I think the main advice for trying wild camping for the first time is pick an area you know and feel confident in and do an overnight, rather than plunging straight in to a multi-day trip.

Sleeping bags is a tough one without a bit more context, such as what times of year you are planning to use it and also if you are generally a warm or cold sleeper.

As for stoves there are a huge number of options. Twig stoves are a good option depending on where you are going, and most also have the option to take a Trangia burner (fueled by alcohol like Meths or Bio-Ethanol) or similar of you are in area with no trees. Gas stoves are very popular and easy to use, but gas availability isn't always great on the trails in places and also gas is getting very expensive at the moment for obvious reasons.
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Re: Tips and advice for a solo backpacker

Postby DevonRambler » Fri Jun 17, 2022 4:30 pm

Thank you so much. I’ll take a look at those vids.

I plan to camp from May - September. I’m not a winter camper :D I don’t tend to feel the cold too much - only my feet usually but thick socks will help with that.
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Re: Tips and advice for a solo backpacker

Postby HalfManHalfTitanium » Fri Jun 17, 2022 4:38 pm

DevonRambler wrote:Thank you so much. I’ll take a look at those vids.

I plan to camp from May - September. I’m not a winter camper :D I don’t tend to feel the cold too much - only my feet usually but thick socks will help with that.


Hi - you may find it useful to look at these options for summer sleeping bags

https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/camping/sleeping-bags/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwzLCVBhD3ARIsAPKYTcQYCwqsB5D9jHrj-aPt8UZY91xPoyj-1slDeler08kY1d2zHyDOfjgaArxBEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/browse/c0-sports/c1-trekking/c2-trekking-sleeping-bags/_/N-1txlxcq

If you are looking to do your first backpacking route in your area, this list of campsites might be useful

https://www.campsites.co.uk/search/campsites-near-the-south-west-coast-path

My tips would be

Rucksacks are usually not fully waterproof. I'd get a big "dry sack" to put everything in. Or a big heavy duty bin liner would do.

Comfortable boots are the most important thing.

Minimise clothes. If possible, take items which will do 2 jobs, eg

- the same item could be a base layer in cold weather, and a t-shirt in hot

- a coat that is good for wet weather, but also warm for sitting outside your tent in the evening

Wide brimmed hat + sun cream - a full day walking camp to camp can give quite a sunburn, even on an overcast day

Tim
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Re: Tips and advice for a solo backpacker

Postby DevonRambler » Fri Jun 17, 2022 4:55 pm

Thanks Tim that’s brilliant! I’m usually quite good at packing minimal items of clothes - I wash stuff overnight if I can - and that’s a great tip about bin bags. Being and fair skinned I’ve learnt the hard way about a lack of Sun team…
I’ll look up those links too. Thank you :D
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Re: Tips and advice for a solo backpacker

Postby Scottk » Fri Jun 17, 2022 6:42 pm

For one pot cooking and boiling water the jetboil minimo is hard to beat. Not cheap but great quality and will last.
The twig stoves are pretty restrictive as many parts of Scotland have high fire risks and they ask you not to use fires.
A sleeping mat makes a huge difference to how warm you are. If you feel the cold then get one with a good r rating. May and September can get cold enough for frosts.
Bothies can be a good option but can get busy and you need to take a tent in case there is no space.
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Re: Tips and advice for a solo backpacker

Postby cruachan06 » Fri Jun 17, 2022 9:13 pm

The twig stoves are pretty restrictive as many parts of Scotland have high fire risks and they ask you not to use fires.


Agreed but that's why I mentioned ones that allow you to use a spirit burner as well. Use free fuel where and when you can, and the spirit burner when you can't or if you can't be bothered going to collect twigs first thing in the morning when coffee is a pressing need (it is for me anyway!) :D
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Re: Tips and advice for a solo backpacker

Postby boriselbrus » Fri Jun 17, 2022 10:09 pm

I'm not a fan of jetboil stoves as they are expensive, heavy and have no temperature control - they are on or off.

I use a very light and cheap gas stove:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ONTOMYO-3000T-Ultra-Light-Miniature-Ultralight/dp/B099578TCR/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3KM4RJWU5M9DA&keywords=ultralight%2Bgas%2Bstove%2Bcamping&qid=1655499327&sprefix=ultra%2Blight%2Bgas%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExNU5EQVBMM0tXMTYxJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzg3MjU1M09FN0gyRFZLVjdDVCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODI4ODE0MjNWUkdMTDdWRzRLNiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1
along with a titanium mug and folding spoon from Alpkit. My gas cylinder, stove, lighter, spoon and small penknife all fit in the mug along with a cleaning pad and small canister of biodegradable washing up liquid. It's light, compact and versatile. It might take 10 seconds more to boil than a jetboil but that really doesn't bother me.

For sleeping, the mat is just as important as the sleeping back. Heat is lost from your body into the ground faster than into the air and the insulation is compressed underneath you. When and where you want to camp will determine what you need, but look for the "R" rating which is the level of insulation. You will probably want something of at least 4 if you want to go wild camping at altitude or camp outside the summer. Mine is rated at 6.9, but I camp in winter. I wouldn't be without it!

Another thing to bear in mind is a lightweight down jacket is great for sitting around in the evenings and can be worn at night to improve the sleeping bags performance.

Have fun!
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Re: Tips and advice for a solo backpacker

Postby Roo and Plum » Sat Jun 18, 2022 12:49 am

As the last post mentioned, Alpkit make quality fairly lightweight gear that is relatively cheap. They do good sleeping bags and stoves (gas and meths). You can get cheaper (such as decathlon as someone else mentioned) but then weight usually goes up so it's a trade off depending on what's best for you.

Never a bad idea to start out at the cheaper end first to see if you enjoy the experience. If you don't enjoy it then you haven't spent a lot on gear you don't use much. If you do enjoy it then you can always upgrade gradually later.

In terms of confidence, the only real way to gain it is to just go out and do it! But good advice already given about starting smaller routes, local/familiar area etc and then build up to longer and further away. Good weather helps too!
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Re: Tips and advice for a solo backpacker

Postby Roo and Plum » Sat Jun 18, 2022 12:54 am

Oh and I get cold feet at night too, it really helps when camping to make sure you're warm before getting in the sleeping bag. Have a quick walk round the campsite for example. You could do star jumps etc but you might get some funny looks on a campsite, so depending on your outlook you may or may not want to do that!
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Re: Tips and advice for a solo backpacker

Postby DevonRambler » Sat Jun 18, 2022 1:25 pm

Scottk wrote:For one pot cooking and boiling water the jetboil minimo is hard to beat. Not cheap but great quality and will last.
The twig stoves are pretty restrictive as many parts of Scotland have high fire risks and they ask you not to use fires.
A sleeping mat makes a huge difference to how warm you are. If you feel the cold then get one with a good r rating. May and September can get cold enough for frosts.
Bothies can be a good option but can get busy and you need to take a tent in case there is no space.

Thank you for your advice! I won’t be using twig stoves, that’s way out my comfort zone :lol:

I have a sleeping mat. It’s a 3.8 RR and I’ve used it once. I found it OK but I’m not likely to camp in cold conditions yet so I’ll keep trying it and building my confidence (and my savings!)
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Re: Tips and advice for a solo backpacker

Postby DevonRambler » Sat Jun 18, 2022 1:26 pm

cruachan06 wrote:
The twig stoves are pretty restrictive as many parts of Scotland have high fire risks and they ask you not to use fires.


Agreed but that's why I mentioned ones that allow you to use a spirit burner as well. Use free fuel where and when you can, and the spirit burner when you can't or if you can't be bothered going to collect twigs first thing in the morning when coffee is a pressing need (it is for me anyway!) :D


Coffee is definitely needed in the morning! I agree :D
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Re: Tips and advice for a solo backpacker

Postby DevonRambler » Sat Jun 18, 2022 1:31 pm

boriselbrus wrote:I'm not a fan of jetboil stoves as they are expensive, heavy and have no temperature control - they are on or off.

I use a very light and cheap gas stove:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ONTOMYO-3000T-Ultra-Light-Miniature-Ultralight/dp/B099578TCR/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3KM4RJWU5M9DA&keywords=ultralight%2Bgas%2Bstove%2Bcamping&qid=1655499327&sprefix=ultra%2Blight%2Bgas%2Caps%2C155&sr=8-1-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExNU5EQVBMM0tXMTYxJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzg3MjU1M09FN0gyRFZLVjdDVCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODI4ODE0MjNWUkdMTDdWRzRLNiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1
along with a titanium mug and folding spoon from Alpkit. My gas cylinder, stove, lighter, spoon and small penknife all fit in the mug along with a cleaning pad and small canister of biodegradable washing up liquid. It's light, compact and versatile. It might take 10 seconds more to boil than a jetboil but that really doesn't bother me.

For sleeping, the mat is just as important as the sleeping back. Heat is lost from your body into the ground faster than into the air and the insulation is compressed underneath you. When and where you want to camp will determine what you need, but look for the "R" rating which is the level of insulation. You will probably want something of at least 4 if you want to go wild camping at altitude or camp outside the summer. Mine is rated at 6.9, but I camp in winter. I wouldn't be without it!

Another thing to bear in mind is a lightweight down jacket is great for sitting around in the evenings and can be worn at night to improve the sleeping bags performance.

Have fun!


Thank you so much for your advice! I’ve been looking at Jetboil and a couple others on Alpkit. Tbh, I never even knew about Alpkit until I started coming on this forum so that’s been dead helpful.

I like your streamlined camping kitchen - I’ll definitely make a note of that. I’d never even thought about washing up liquid!

Daft question but one thing that has crossed my mind is carrying fuel cans. Presumably they are very safe but do you pack it a certain way to keep it cool in your bag?

I’m aware I might sound an idiot with that last question :shock:
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Re: Tips and advice for a solo backpacker

Postby DevonRambler » Sat Jun 18, 2022 1:36 pm

Roo and Plum wrote:Oh and I get cold feet at night too, it really helps when camping to make sure you're warm before getting in the sleeping bag. Have a quick walk round the campsite for example. You could do star jumps etc but you might get some funny looks on a campsite, so depending on your outlook you may or may not want to do that!


I hate having cold feet :lol:

That’s a good tip about walking the campsite. I plan to stay at campsites until I feel ready to go wild. I think it’ll be a case of getting used to pitching up, taking down and using my camping equipment effectively.

I love multi day walks but more recently I’ve yearned to camp rather than stay in BnBs. Obviously I can switch between the two but I’d love to get to the point where I can multi day walk and camp as it’s so good for flexibility, budgets and being a little closer to nature.
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Re: Tips and advice for a solo backpacker

Postby cruachan06 » Sat Jun 18, 2022 3:15 pm

Daft question but one thing that has crossed my mind is carrying fuel cans. Presumably they are very safe but do you pack it a certain way to keep it cool in your bag?

I’m aware I might sound an idiot with that last question :shock:


Not at all, it's a valid question as you're carrying something that is potentially dangerous and obviously you couldn't carry on a plane. As an added protection (and to save space in your pack!) a lot of stove sets have a pot that is large enough to keep a gas canister in as well, although you may need to avoid using the largest size of can (Coleman is one of the big names in gas cans so their sizes are often used, C500 is the largest)

My first stove, which I still use, was this one which was a cheapie from Amazon I bought on Prime Day. The pots are aluminium so light, and big enough to carry a C350 can inside as well as the burner. Even if you prefer not to buy from big companies like Amazon they're worth checking out as the reviews can be helpful.

Bear in mind though that gas is not available everywhere so some planning might be required for longer trips when you get there.
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