Hiking Solo: Presidential Traverse White Mountains

Hiking solo was not my original plan for the Presidential Traverse in the White Mountains. I have done many adventures solo, including hikes but none as epic as this. This hike was to mark my 55th birthday and it turned out to be more than epic with a slip on a boulder in the alpine and a wrong turn near the end.

Presidential Traverse White Mountains	Hiking Guide
Mountain Boulders: A Small Fall in the Alpine	Hiking Training Plan
Regrets Heading up Mt. Adams	Hiking Snacks to Fuel Your Performance
Hiking in 40 degree weather	Monitoring Weather Conditions
Mt. Clay to Washington	List of Hiking Gadgets and Gear
	What to do During Hiking to Stay Safe

Hiking Solo – Not the original Plan

Is Hiking Solo Safe?

“Is hiking solo safe?” This is the first question people ask when I tell people about my solo hike on the Presidential Traverse. Yes I had some pretty psychedelic experiences out there, mainly because the weather in the White Mountains in New Hampshire can be the worst in America, if not the world. But I don’t feel like I have to give people my hiking resume in response. I know that I’m qualified. I know I take precautions. I know that there is innate risk to mountain travel.

Presidential Range Hiking: Hardest Peaks are in the North

Presidential Range Hiking includes four peaks in the north and three in the south. This is the minimum number of peaks hikers must do to say they did the Traverse. The first four are the hardest peaks and why most hikers, myself included started in the north.

Mt. Madison / Mt. Adams / Mt. Jefferson / Mt. Washington

Mountain Boulders: A Small Fall in the Alpine (Madison)

I love travelling on mountain boulders and was excited to reach the alpine leading to my first peak, Mt. Madison. I started at 3:15 a.m. and had little issue navigating in the dark.

I spent a fair bit of time studying the route and decided I would start on Valley Way Trail. With my love of mountain boulders and steeps, I decided I would veer off onto Watson Path and head to the summit.

It was pretty tough going and maybe not the best move as this was the start to a very long day. I was using hiking poles, which I never do, especially on boulders as I tend to hop from boulder to boulder, even on uphills. I dropped one pole and extended myself backwards on the boulder to pick it up. This is when I slipped and hit my head on the boulder. I was so mad with myself as I don’t think I’ve ever fallen or slipped in the mountains before.

I felt fine so continued and thought nothing of it. I arrived at the summit of Mt. Madison, took a photo and recorded my time in a text to my husband. I found it difficult to identify the exact summit of Mt. Madison, which could have been because of the weather.

Hiking Solo: Regrets Heading up Mt. Adams

I had a moment of regret hiking solo to the peak of Mt. Adams. I felt winded. My legs felt like lead. I was no longer hopping boulders. I was super slow and the rocks were super slippery, or so I thought. This was only the second peak of seven. Summit time 9:10 a.m.

Hiking in 40 degree weather: Mt. Adams to Jefferson

I was prepared for hiking in 40 degree weather (just above freezing). In the White Mountains you have to be prepared as the weather can be brutal.

Although it was quite cold, I came alive in the extreme weather as I travelled along the ridge from Mt. Adams to Mt. Jefferson.

I made a slight wrong turn approaching Jefferson but pulled out my topographical map and turned myself around. I also hit a few patches of snow that I had to traverse through. One patch was knee height. Some hikers I met asked about my choice of running shoes given the conditions. I always wear trail shoes and my feet stay warm as I’m always moving.

You do have to pay attention to the trails ascending and descending a peak. I met a couple of guys coming down Jefferson the same way they went up. There was another trail leaving the peak that makes the route shorter. I always consulted my topographical map and checked in with others on a peak if I was unsure. Jefferson, peak number three was complete.

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Text to my husband right before reaching the summit of Mt. Jefferson:

“Moving pretty slow on route to Jefferson. The winds are gale force and I’m trying to hang on, on the ridge. The rocks are super, super slippery here.”

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Hiking Solo: Mt. Clay to Washington

Hiking solo was beginning to wear on me. After Jefferson I grew very tired. I started to slip a lot. Again I blamed the mist that was falling all day long in the mountains.

Mt. Clay is not an official peak of the Presidential Traverse but it dumps you high on the backside of Mt. Washington. This definitely gave me a psychological boost when I was beginning to feel defeated.

I drafted behind a group of hikers to keep myself moving to the summit of Mt. Clay.

Once on top my spirits picked up again so I ran down the peak, hopping rocks and skirting trails again. I felt myself start to come alive after feeling so defeated on the ascent.

I always forget how brutal the climb to the summit of Mt. Washington is. I love the trail from Clay to Washington as it’s pretty much a manicured path, compared to the ascent from Tuckerman’s Ravine. You do encounter the big black boulders found on Tuckermans, but it seems like a shorter stretch from Clay.

My husband met me at the summit and we enjoyed lunch together in the warm building. I made a mistake that I’ve made in ultra running. I began to check my expected time to finish, and my resources online and decided it would take me nine hours, not the five and a half hours I had estimated, so I called it a day. When I was warm, fed and showered back in the trailer I realized I made a HUGE calculation error in my fatigued state. Lesson learned:

NEVER RECALCULATE TIMES WHEN YOU ARE FATIGUED!

Estimate time at Mt. Washington: 11:30 a.m./12 p.m. vs Actual Time: 3: 15 p.m.

In hindsight, I think I became painfully slow on the ascents from bonking my head at the two hour mark into my hike. It just didn’t make sense as I’m pretty accurate with my pace estimates. I also did speed ascents of various mountains (Tuckermans Ravine to Mt. Washington included) last summer. I also think my slipping and sliding all over the place was my balance being off from hitting my head.

Overcoming obstacles is key to achieving your goals!

Presidential Range Hiking: Easiest Peaks are in the South

Mt. Monroe / Mt. Eisenhower / Mt. Pierce

Presidential Range Hiking includes three peaks on the south side of Mt. Washington. Compared to the north side, these summits are relatively easy.

The weather forecast for my return trip to finish the Presidential Traverse was bad:

• Wind gusts up to 75 miler per hour (120 km/hr)
• Pouring rain
• 17 F (-8 C)

While the chunks of ice that lined the stairs going up to the Visitor Center scared me, I knew I would be descending right away after leaving Mt. Washington. Sure enough the winds died down and the rain eased up when I began my hike to Lake of the Clouds hut.

I checked in with staff at the hut and used the indoor washrooms (what a luxury!)

Mt. Monroe Brutal Winds

Ascending Mt. Monroe I was reminded that the winds were brutal, even without the gusts. It was also hard to distinguish the actual peak with the fog and I did not want to stand still for too long with the cold to contemplate which cairn represented the peak. I recorded my summit time as 11:25 a.m.

Hiking Solo: Accepting Responsibility for Mistakes

When hiking solo, you have to accept responsibility for the mistakes you make. After I left Mt. Monroe I began to ascend Mt. Franklin, in error. I hadn’t gotten that far as something didn’t seem right with the topography. I checked my Travel Cheat Card and sure enough, I was expected to arrive at the peak of Mount Eisenhower in one hour fifteen and only thirty minutes had passed. This mistake is easy to make as there is no signage that indicates what the name of the trail is.

Ridge to Mount Eisenhower: Worst Weather Yet!

I felt very defeated travelling the ridge between Monroe and Mount Eisenhower. My arms and hands also began to grow cold at this point in the hike. You have only one choice in the mountains:

YOU MUST GO FORWARD.

It was a Monday, raining, freezing and extremely windy. It was not surprising to only see a couple of people hiking in the White Mountains this day. I reached the summit of my second last peak, Mount Eisenhower at 1 p.m. I made another mistake. I didn’t take the correct trail down the peak. That wasn’t the problem though. In the fog, with my fatigue and feeling worn out, I ended up going the wrong way on Crawford Path and heading back into the eye of the storm on the ridge.

Read the full story on “Going the Wrong Way” in the White Mountains

The experience of going off trail was miserable. I was drenched from the pouring rain and defeated from the winds constantly whipping at my face. I had enough.

My husband was hiking up to meet me and there was a point I had to let him know I would be late as I’d gone off course. With everything that happened, I waved as I marched past Mt. Pierce. I did not summit. I could care less.

Hiking Solo – Would I do an Epic Adventure Again?

Yes. I would be thrilled to be hiking solo again.

Hiking Guide

In this Hiking Solo Guide I summarize the courses I’ve taken and those I recommend, how I train, what gear I use and what I eat to fuel my performance. This Guide can be used for anyone wanting to do their first hike or improve their performance.

Mountain Safety Courses

We gain knowledge of safe travel in the mountains through either mountain safety courses or experiences or a combination of both. Here are some recommended courses to look into to further your skills:

• Yamnuska Mountain Semester (Rocky Mountains, Canada)

I personally did the three month Yamnuska Mountain Semester course in 1999 and it was absolutely fabulous and incredibly tough. It was very much focused on safe travel in the mountains.

• NOLS (USA)
• Outward Bound Canada
• Outward Bound USA

Choosing a Mountain to Hike

Sometimes choosing a mountain to hike is based on a failed hike in the past. Or we want to improve our time. Or we just google “day hikes close to me.” Or we arrive in a new country and want to know what peaks are up for bagging. Check out my article Hiking Challenges for hikes in the NE of the U.S. and one stellar hike in Southern Ontario (Canada). Otherwise, here are two of my fave resources for choosing a peak:

• Peakery.com
• Alltrails.com

Check out more hiking ideas on Whiteface, Niagara Escarpment or in Ellicottville

Hiking Training Plan

This Hiking Training Plan includes how to master hiking uphill, endurance training and descents. Jump to list of BEST EXERCISES to master mountain ascents.

I’ll start by sharing how I began to master ascents, which is what I consider the most challenging part of mountain hikes. Weightlifting. Simple.

I mastered mountain ascents by focusing on weightlifting and building my glutes, hamstrings and quad muscles.

I’ve been lifting weights since December 2016. I started with crossfit and did that until my knee tore a bit more (yes I have severe osteoarthritis in one knee and have had ACL replacement and many other surgeries). I switched to a regular gym and followed weightlifting apps. The one I use now is Brook Ence’s Naked Training app. It’s excellent and I highly recommend it as there are a number of programs to choose from, depending on your skill level and access to equipment. Brooke’s online community is also top notch!

Bottom line, it’s all about building the glutes, hamstrings and quads. Here are the BEST EXERCISES to do this in order to master mountain ascents:

• Squats
• Hamstring curls
• Deadlifts
• Calf raises

You can read more about different weightlifting resources in my article Exercises for hiking uphill and endurance training

Has weight training helped my uphill? See my article: Hiking Whiteface: Fast and Steep

Endurance Training for Hiking

Depending on the length of your hike, you are going to have to get used to spending time on your feet and this is why endurance training for hiking is critical. It’s that simple. At the end of the day, you are walking. And guess what? The best way to mimic what you will be doing on the trails is to hike at home. You don’t need to run unless you plan to run in the mountains. What you do need to do is come close to the distance that you will be doing in the mountains without overdoing it. In North America we can be very endurance training obsessed. Honestly, in 2022 I was going for age group speed records on Strava in the mountains. I did only weightlifting and HIIT training (HIIT = high intensity training).

You can read more about endurance training for hiking in my article Exercises for hiking uphill and endurance training

Downhill Running Training

Whoa! Now you’re talking next level with downhill running training! My husband and I used to LIVE, absolutely live for tearing up downhills. Did I mention the severe osteoarthritis in my one knee? I still wouldn’t change every knarly downhill I’ve experienced for the world! Maybe there will be a future blog post about how to master downhill running but to get yourself safely down a mountain slow is best!

For mountain descents you need to consider elements like:

• Will I have a large and semi heavy backpack that will make me go slower?
• Am I using hiking poles?
• Am I comfortable with rock and root navigation?

In addition to a slow descent, I would advise that you make calculated decisions about where to place your feet. Rocks and roots can be very tricky to hike on.

Approach to Overcoming Injuries

This section in the Hiking Solo Guide deserves an entire blog post and you can link to my article entitled Sore Legs after Hiking and Trips for Recovery to read more in detail about overcoming injuries. Injuries are an inherent part of pursuing epic adventures in the mountains or in any other athletic pursuit.

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Here is the general rule of thumb for deciding whether to venture out on a hike with an injury:

Are you able to hike flats, uphills and descents while maintaining a pain level of around 2 or 3?

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If the answer to the above is no, then remember this golden rule: The mountains will always be there.

The biggest issues you will face on a hike as far as injuries go is blisters and low level sprains.

Blisters

For blisters, prevention is really key. It rained and snowed for the full 19 hours of my hike in the Presidential Traverse and I managed to escape all blisters despite having to fjord many streams. Here’s what I suggest for blister prevention:

• Wear shoes that are WELL worn in
• Have a change of socks
• Make sure your socks are wicking (i.e. no cotton)

Beyond that, blisters are a normal part of endurance pursuits. I don’t advocate blister repair on the trails under most circumstances. One MAJOR thing that happens with any kind of blister application such as bandaids and moleskin is that it shifts in your shoes and either creates a new blister or makes the original blister worse

Sprains

For sprains that happen in the mountains, prevention and a safety plan are key. I wear kinesiology tape on my lower legs for all hikes. For light sprains, which happens more often than not on trail runs, I’ve learned to not give attention to the sprain and divert my mind elsewhere. Sometimes on a hike there is NO easier or faster away out and finishing the hike is the only option. This is why prevention and having a SAFETY PLAN are key.

Inflammation

Let’s face it, whether this is your first hike or a Mount Everest style of challenge, it is going to be painful. To minimize inflammation that is inherent with major endurance activities, I do ~400mg ibuprofen plus 850mg EPA (key ingredient in fish oil) every 3-4 hours. Be cautious that whether you chose ibuprofen or Tylenol, you absolutely must drink and not allow yourself to become dehydrated.

Hiking snacks to fuel performance

In choosing hiking snacks to fuel performance in the mountains I draw on my experience as an ultra runner and in bodybuilding that taught me about adequate electrolyte intake to account for sweat loss, and calories to sustain my efforts in an arduous activity over a long period of time. Here are my body stats and what I ate over 19 hours during the Presidential Traverse to sustain my performance:

My Body Composition	Weather during the Presidential Traverse	Hiking Snacks
125lbs	Overcast	Total water/electrolytes: 4.5L with 10 NUUN electrolyte tablets See my detailed article on hydration
Approximate 22% body fat	Rain and snow	4 sandwiches each made from: 1 bagel, 3.5oz 98% fat free roasted turkey breast, 1 slice cheese, 1tsp butter
5′ 1.5″ tall	Windchill between 0 and -8 C (32 and 17 F)	3 Rx Bars (peanut butter chocolate is my favorite)
		3 Lara Bars (fudge brownie – yum!)
		1 Mars bar

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Read more on Best Lunches for Hiking and High Energy Snack Ideas

How to calculate your food needs

I do “flexible dieting” so have learned to calculate my caloric needs per day, broken down between fats, carbohydrates and protein. To figure out my food needs, I used the data from my GPS watch that estimated my caloric output from hiking up Tuckerman’s Ravine to the top of Mount Washington in 2022. Note that caloric output by any device is a VERY rough estimation. Always carry more than the minimum calculated calories needed.

To calculate my total caloric needs over the estimated number of hours of my hike I assigned my hiking snacks as follows:

• Bagel sandwiches represented my breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Rx and Lara bars represented the extra caloric output per hour I calculated from my GPS watch from my mountain ascent last summer
• Electrolyte water calculations were based on my years of experience running. In general, we need 300-1000 mg of sodium replacement dependent on body size, sweat rate, activity, weather. I use NUUN electrolyte tablets. Make sure you use a good quality electrolyte that has sodium, potassium and magnesium at a minimum. See my detailed article Electrolytes for Hiking.
• I also did 1 salt cap every 3-4 hours. I use SALT STICK brand. Again, it has more than just sodium
• The Mars bar was my “I’m sick of all hiking snacks I have brought and am tired and cold and want comfort food.”

More details on calculating customized hiking snacks can be found in my article Best Energy Food for Hiking

Monitoring Weather Conditions

When my husband bowed out of the Presidential Traverse hike my eyes grew big with excitement as I realized this meant I was hiking solo and as I began the process of monitoring weather conditions I realized that I would be facing freezing temperatures with rain and 75 mile wind gusts on top of Mount Washington. These mammoth challenges excite me.

I even shot some video footage while in the mountains showing my immense enthusiasm as the wind howled and practically blew me off the mountain. Add me being all alone up there and the sky painted tumultuous shades of blackened blue I was completely in my element.

But the weather wears on you. After awhile, with the unrelenting rain I was too chicken to stop to pee as the conditions would not let up. I eventually had to stop and took shelter by a rock outcropping. In ascending my second last peak in the Presidential Traverse the cold, beating wind and loneliness started to test my will to continue. You have no choice though in the mountains. I have read that a great majority of the people that perish in the White Mountains do so from exposure and losing their will to go on. Had I not had a change of clothes and regular communication with my husband I’m not sure I would not have become a statistic as well! I knew the challenges that the weather would bring but they were really testing my mental strength.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to monitor weather conditions as your hike approaches. Here’s the golden rule for assessing weather for a hike:

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If the weather is reported to be bad and you do not have experience in dealing with the conditions or have fear of bad weather, remember:

The mountains will always be there.

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What to do during hiking to stay safe

I came to realize that sharing with others what to do during hiking to stay safe was important after I made a critical error on the Presidential Traverse. It was a time during my hike that my spirits were already beaten by the fierceness of that second last mountain, Mount Eisenhower. I went the wrong way. I went back up the route that I had just come from. I headed into the eye of the storm. I was already feeling defeated so I sunk so low I almost gave up. I could not believe it was happening to me. I have over 25 years of mountain travel experience. I did mountain schooling. I can read maps. I did everything right. Know that this can happen to ANYONE, especially in bad weather conditions where visibility is poor and signs not well marked. Decision making is also worse with fatigue. I made my mistake at hour 16 of 19.

Read more of the story how I was “temporarily displaced” in the White Mountains by clicking here

Here are the top tips from the Hiking Solo Guide on what to do during a hike to stay safe:

• Know the mountains/areas mountain evacuation process. In New Hampshire mountain rescue is by foot and may or may not be covered (rescue on other mountains when helicopters are available may cost upwards of $25,000). In New Hampshire they highly recommend you buy the New Hampshire Hike Safe Card
• Always carry a topographical map as a backup and learn how to use it

• Highly recommended is the Garmin inReach with a topographical map that allows you to zoom in to see where you are on a trail and has an emergency beacon to send a satellite signal when help is needed. You can also “ping” a family member to follow where you are. These are based on satellite signals. Cell phones can drain on a mountain, faster in cold conditions and often, as I experienced, do not have coverage on the highest peaks or in bad storms
• A zoomable trail map for your phone is a more economical alternative than a GPS. A good choice is the AllTrails app
• I will reiterate what I said above about cell phone coverage and batteries dying
• Have someone monitor your hike from home and share your Travel Cheat Card and what the plan is if you stop communicating

HIKING SOLO ESSENTIAL: Travel Cheat Card

Researching your route and estimating your travel time between landmarks and recording this information on a Travel Cheat Card is going to be key in making sure you do not get lost. This card is to make sure you are on time at all key checkpoints you have identified on your route. Here is how to prepare your Travel Cheat Card:

• Google your route and compare several different accounts of the route. You need to identify landmarks to add to your Travel Cheat Card along with estimated arrival times. Landmarks can include peaks, trail intersections or other identifiable physical locations
• On a piece of paper, write down in chart form the landmarks you have identified and your estimated arrival time at each. Since I was doing 8 peaks, I used an average of time it would take me to travel from peak to peak based on cross referencing several charts by others I found online
• Wrap the paper in packing tape on both sides to protect it from rain then photograph this card if you will be carrying your phone on your journey and lose it. Also send it to your family/friend that is following your journey so they make sure you are hitting your checkpoints and can guide you along in case you lose this card

What to do if you get lost

I include information in the Hiking Solo Guide on what to do if you get lost because it happened to me and I thought it never would.

Preparation in case you get lost

• Make sure you wear appropriate clothing for mountain travel. See the next section “A list of all the wonderful hiking gadgets and gear a Badass Babe needs”
• Carry an emergency tarp in case you do need to stop
• A garbage bag with holes punched out for arms is the best lightweight cover to keep you warm in an emergency
• Keep a calorie dense food like a Mars bar in a separate compartment in your backpack for emergencies. We can actually go for days without food and water.
• Although it’s pretty darn hard to start a fire on a mountain top, carry a few matches wrapped in duct tape in case you need to and can start a fire
• Looking for more survival info? See GoNomad’s article Survival 101: Expert tips on how to stay alive

Getting yourself found

• Never ever ever leave an established trail
• Absolutely keep moving as exposure is one of the key reasons people don’t make it when lost
• It is hard not to panic so if needed, take shelter (a rock outcropping on an exposed mountain is great for this, even if it means lying down), have a bite to eat as it is easier to think straight when your blood sugar is not low
• Check your Travel Cheat Card to see what time you were suppose to be at the next landmark. Pull out your map and evaluate again where on the map you might be
• In most scenarios, the best option is to go directly back to the last known point where you 100% know where you were on the map

List of hiking gadgets and gear

The Hiking Solo Guide’s list of hiking gadgets and gear is an overview of what gear to carry, not specific brands. Any outdoor store like EMS (North East USA), REI (USA) or MEC (Canada) will have a great quality selection with materials that are rated for outdoor use (i.e. materials made from fabric meant to keep wetness away from the body – aka “wicking”).

Backpack	Shoes or boots	Gloves	Hiking Poles
Wicking base layer tops	Watch	GPS	Pack rain cover
Wicking bra	Jacket	Hat
Wicking tights, running skorts or shorts	Raincoat	Toilet paper
Socks	Neck scarf	Headlamp

Backpack

• For hikes under 7 hours I use only a running pack (Aspire) with a 2L bladder
• For hikes above 7 hours I use my Salomom backpack with my 2L bladder
• I customize my backpack by tightening and then tying up all lose straps
• For hikes over 7 hours I use a 3L or larger backpack

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Wicking base layer tops

• I prefer to wear and carry light/medium base layers to change into if it’s cooler weather and I have drenched my top with sweat
• I look for options around the $30 mark if it is an “underwear” layer
• For wicking tops sold not as underwear, I look for tops priced around the $60 marking
• For warm/hot weather travel, I choose to wear a body hugging wicking top with a built-in bra and carry a light/medium top in my pack along with a raincoat that can also protect me from the wind
• I prefer all my tops fitted as I feel irritated if material is flapping against my skin, especially if it is hot out

Wicking Bra

Very simple running bra with minimal seams that will be comfortable at hour 10 and 20

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Flat seams are important on workout clothes to minimize chafing against the skin from arduous and/or endurance activities

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Wicking Tights, Running Skorts or Shorts

• I prefer to wear classic running pants (usually plain black as I save my pretty designs for the gym) that move with every extreme movement I make – e.g. over boulders
• I actually go commando as I do not like having my underwear slip out of place while doing activities and I can minimize touching my pants (both to keep my hands free and to focus on the trail)
• For warm/hot weather travel I prefer a wicking running skort that does not ride up my legs
• I do not like too much material touching my skin, especially flapping against it as I am moving as it begins to irritate me after awhile and can feel warm if it is super hot out

Socks

• For cool weather hikes I prefer marino wool tall socks for extra warmth
• For warm hikes I love ankle height, very thing wicking socks with minimal seams

Shoes or Boots

• I personally prefer to use trail shoes with great grip that allow for fast movement in the mountains
• I use Hokas or Altras for their thick cushioned soles that provide comfort for long hours of activity
• For those that prefer hiking boots to protect the ankle, fit is what you should go for
• I never get cold feet, even on my presidential traverse where I was fjording streams as I was always moving
• Footwear can cause hot feet and in turn, blisters so consider material options when buying

Watch

I use my phone to verify times but have a Garmin watch as a backup that I carry in my pack

Fave Piece for the Mountains – A thin down hiking jacket

I prefer a thin down jacket that is water repellent and fits comfortably under a raincoat

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Raincoat

• Splurge a bit on this so that you get one that blocks the rain and one that repels for lighter weather
• I like a raincoat with zippers that open under the arm so you can ventilate under light rain conditions
• Make sure the cap of your raincoat does not cover your eyes when you pull the strings tight around your face, which you will do in cases of pouring rain
• Also make sure that the coat covers your neck so rain doesn’t pour down your front side

Neck Scarf

• Essential if cold and wind is blowing as this will prevent chills to the chest
• Should be a wicking material so it does not get soaked in pouring rain and then make you cold
• Can double as a headband in warmer weather

Gloves

• Essential if cold and wind is blowing as this will prevent chills to the chest
• Should be a wicking material so it does not get soaked in pouring rain and then make you cold
• Can double as a headband in warmer weather

GPS

Garmin inReach specifically for it’s zoomable map reading abilities

Hat

• Make sure it fits your head well and does not cover your eyes
• Make sure it fits well under your rain coat’s hood
• A ballcap may be a good solution if it’s pouring rain as it fits nicely under a raincoat’s hood

Toilet Paper

• I always carry plenty of tp, folded up in precut sections and secured in a sealable plastic sandwich bag
• If you carry wipes make sure you pack them out as they are not biodegradable

Headlamp

• I prefer a waist lamp as you can become almost hypnotized by the limited light range of a headlamp
• I do not carry an extra flashlight as I like my hands to be free in case I need to brace a fall or grab a tree to steady my balance

Hiking Poles

• Practice is essential and hiking poles are probably best for dirt trails and not boulder fields or scree at the top of a mountain
• Learn how to collapse and expand poles before your hike
• Know where in your pack you can store your poles. You may need to macgiver a holding device onto your pack if you use a pack rain cover

Pack Rain Cover

• I do use a rain sack to cover my backpack in pouring rain
• I also make sure that all items, especially spare clothing is stored in a sealable ziplock bag in my pack
• Alternative is to line the inside of your pack with a cover or lightweight dry bag

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I hope you have enjoyed reading the Hiking Solo Guide and can use it as a reference for embarking on your next epic adventure in the mountains. The mountains are such an incredible place and sharing information on everything from hiking snacks to fuel your performance to getting yourself found if lost are topics that really get me jazzed up and if I can help someone achieve their dreams, even better! I will leave you with this quote for inspiration:

The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Check out more inspiring quotes to get you out there exploring!

Read more to help master your next hiking challenge…