"Rivers and waterfalls, meadows and lakes, hills and rocks, mountains, forests and ancient trees are all beautiful. They are very valuable, and neither dollars nor cents are worth them ... They teach people more than higher schools, preachers, or any the modern education system, ”as Henry David Thoreau, an American writer of the 19th century, described the importance of nature in human life.
Why do people go camping alone?
What pushes people to renounce civilian goods and completely immerse themselves in the bosom of the mother of the Earth, which leads to this spontaneous desire to remain alone with nature, to become a miniscule part of something absolutely huge, endless? There may be a desire to plunge into the green world, to feel unity with the Creator, to find answers to many questions. Only a single trip will help in this, when the company will not distract from contemplation and knowledge of the surrounding beauty, knowledge of oneself.
Psychological difficulties of a single trip
At first, you will especially feel loneliness, it will press on your mind like an annoying headache, you will be twisted inside out and squeezed to psychological exhaustion, and sudden outbreaks of memories from the past will bother you. This will not last very long, but it will become a historical event for you.
Soon, your loud and quick thoughts will suddenly stop, as if you open your eyes again and see that in this world such a concept as loneliness simply does not exist, and everything around you will be filled with living meaning. The sky will become your friend, each tree will speak a language that you understand, you will understand the depth of the meaning of birdsong, everything will be filled with rich colors, and most importantly - your thoughts will find lightness, and your soul will become calm.
Other difficulties in this way
This is the main of the many psychological difficulties that you will have to overcome, it is faced by everyone who decides to go the path alone. In fact, there are a lot of them:
- abandonment of familiar comfort may seem rather difficult for some;
- fear of sterility, insects, heat;
- fear of disease;
- physical unpreparedness;
- inability to navigate the terrain;
- ignorance of the basic rules of conduct in the forest, in the mountains, on the water.
It is very difficult to give practical advice on how not to worry about such things, everything is strictly individual, each has its own complexes, you just need to remember that you can always get rid of them if you certainly want this.
Physical exercise
Psychological and mental barriers are only half the battle to achieve your goal, it is difficult to prepare for them in advance, which cannot be said about your physical condition. Your body is the main tool with which the surrounding world is known. It is worth preparing it. First you need to determine how much time you are ready to devote to the campaign, this will make it clear how much and what equipment, what provisions you will take with you. The weight of the backpack largely determines the difficulty of the hike.
When everything becomes clear with this, you need to start preparing. Work with the weight you have to bear. You can go to the gym, or you can just load your backpack and carry it on your shoulders for several days. Particular attention should be paid to the usual workout complexes, with the help of which the muscles will warm up, strengthen and the level of normal tone will increase. Work hard on warming up the lumbar muscles, as the weight of the backpack will mostly be on the lower back and shoulders. To prepare the legs for excessive load, long walks, with or without a loaded backpack, as well as exercises with a jump rope, are suitable.
The route is a very important point
When planning a single hike, you need to get directions in advance. It is advisable to determine the approximate end point of the destination in order to have more opportunity to choose the best path. Be sure to tell loved ones the approximate coordinates of your route.
Tent and sleeping bag
Having chosen a route, you can start collecting a backpack. If traveling for one night, then a small backpack (40-50 liters) is enough. A standard set of equipment for camping with an overnight stay involves:
- Tent - there are completely different types, it is better to take a single (less weight), divided into categories: high-mountain, mid-mountain, for the plain. Alpine tents are characterized by increased wind resistance, reinforced frame and significant weight. Mid-mountain tents - this is something between high-mountain and a tent for the plain, have an average weight, good resistance to rain and wind. Tents for the plain tolerate rains and high humidity, standard tourist tents, an excellent option if you plan a single hike in the forest with an overnight stay. Installation of the camp for the night is carried out in a dry place, protected from the wind as much as possible. The tent is set by the exit to the opposite side of the gusts of wind.
- Sleeping bag - for each season of the year, a sleeping bag is supposed. There are completely different variations. Price implies quality, it’s better not to save, the sleeping bag is more expensive and more comfortable and protects better. The main thing is to choose the right size.
- A karemat is a tourist rug where you can sleep in a tent or put it under a sleeping bag. It guarantees heat and moisture insulation. The most popular variety is Izhevsk. Budget, durable karematy, suitable for almost any trip.
A single camping trip without an overnight stay can also be carried out without a tent with a sleeping bag, replacing them with a hammock. You can do without even a hammock, but in this case it is advisable to take an awning from the rain.
Other equipment for single trips
If you have a long stay away from home, then you will need some more equipment:
- Terrain map - necessary for orientation on the terrain, finding water bodies and determining heights.
- Compass - not a single single trip to the forest, to the mountains, or anywhere else, can do without it.
- Gas burner - burdens with additional weight, but will greatly facilitate the hike. In the mountains, rain is not uncommon, with high humidity, fuel for a fire becomes useless, it takes a lot of time to dry firewood, and a burner will always serve as an alternative for quick cooking. You can take dry alcohol, with which you can dry the firewood. These items are especially relevant if you plan a single hike in the mountains.
- Knife - any strong and sharp will do.
- Rope - useful in any situation, from tying a canopy to use as a harness.
- A pot - on a single trip (to the forest, mountains, to the lake - it does not matter) it is better to take a small container (up to one liter), most kitchen pans will do, but it is better to get an aluminum tourist pot.
- Matches, lighters, flint - all that may be needed to make a fire. These items should be isolated from moisture, a good way would be to put them in a regular condom. By the way, it is useless to take liquids for kindling, they add significant weight to the backpack, quickly end, do not contribute to the experience of making a fire in extreme conditions.
Camping Water
Since a solitary trip to the taiga or to another secluded place implies your isolation from society for some time, the issue of maintaining health is very relevant. The quality of drinking water plays an important role in this. There is a method of purifying water from almost any degree of pollution. In tourist stores, iodine-based tablets are sold, which are thrown into a container with liquid, and after the time indicated on the package (from 15 to 30 minutes), the water is purified and ready for use. You can also do with ordinary iodine: 4 drops of the drug per 1 liter of water, wait 10-20 minutes.
Before purifying water from harmful bacteria, it should be filtered through a cloth or sand in order to cleanse large particles of contamination. After applying the tablets, water must be boiled.
clothing
It is important to think about what clothes to take along, especially on single water trips, as it is easy to wet the clothes, but drying is not always easy. Clothing should be as light as possible, comfortable, water-repellent, quick-drying. You cannot go camping in cotton clothes (jeans). It is better to dry wet clothes on oneself, or on a fire, but paying all this attention. If you plan a long hike, take a raincoat with you.
It has long been known that wet feet are the main cause of colds. Therefore, you need to carefully choose the main and interchangeable pair of shoes. Replaceable shoes come in handy when moving around the camp, usually sandals. Still removable shoes will become indispensable when wet main pair.
Carefully consider the choice of trekking boots, do not confuse trekking boots with climbing boots, the latter are designed for long-term climbing in mountainous areas, but less convenient for trekking crosses on the plain. Of course, you can do without specialized shoes, the main thing is that it be as comfortable as possible and preferably with an oversized boot.
Also bring along a few pairs of socks, it is advisable to change them every day.
Do not forget about the first-aid kit
The first-aid kit should be stored in an easily accessible place, it is worth splitting it into two parts: main and emergency.
The main one contains anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-burn, anti-cold and anti-allergic drugs, as well as analgesics, bandages ...
Emergency is anesthetics, antiseptics, nitroglycerin.
If you go on a hiking trip, be sure to take a patch and gel from stretching, in the mountains - funds from mountain sickness, and when going to a lake (river), cold medicines will come in handy.
A trifle, but nice ...
A tracking or ordinary stick is an indispensable friend in long pedestrian crossings, distributes the load of the backpack throughout the body, reducing it from the joints of the legs and lower back. Visibly saves the effort spent on maintaining balance. Therefore, take it with you if you go on a solo hike.
Provisions
The campaign takes the most high-calorie foods with minimal weight. If you decide to take canned food, do not be too lazy to take a little semolina, after using canned food, pour semolina in a tin can, after a few hours it will swell and will be a wonderful, tasty and nutritious putty on bread. In general, for cooking at the stake it is better to take various instant cereals; dry noodles are also suitable. Indispensable will be: jerky and fish, dried mushrooms, nuts, raisins - nutritious, light, long-stored foods that do not require cooking.
Important!
Going on a solitary hike with an overnight stay, always remember that you are part of the surrounding nature. Having decided to move away from your usual, facilitated life, you have taken a big step towards yourself. Do not despair in difficult situations, you need them so that you become stronger, more attentive and more determined. Overcoming obstacles, changing each time, changing your view of the world, you are changing this world for the better. Good luck