I’m a 22 yo girl and a goal of mine this year was to do at least one night solo camp. I slept with my flashlight on and my knife open. I couldn’t start a fire. My food wasn’t cooked all the way so I didn’t eat much. I slept in my car which I typically do. I was too scared to get out to pee in the middle of the night so I held it. I woke up every hour unable to relax until the sun came up.
Unfortunately I’ve been listening to a lot of scary podcasts recently and I was camping in the Appalachians of Virginia. The campground was full, families around me. I wasn’t scared of people I was scared of the woods
Now that I did it once I am satisfied but I would like to try again. Just maybe not in the mountains
by tatertothotdishh
50 Comments
You did it! Try camping close to home first it may seem to easy but at least you could go home and then come back to your camp the next day.. and plus there will be people you know..
You learn something each time you go & over time it gets a lot better. Glad to see some solo camping!
Good on you on sticking through your first solo night. I would suggest not to have bright flashlight on while you sleep though, if possible use your red light from the headlamp.
The direction of where the flashlight pointing out gives out your body position inside the tent because flashlight will always be pointed away from your body.
I would suggest look up for a spot where theres disperse camping around and you know there is some group or other camper just an earshot away then ease in from there ?
Just keep going. I was scared on my first few solo camping trips. Now, I regularly backpack dozens of miles solo (late 30s woman)
Do you follow the Reddit channel “women solo camping”? There are so many great posts there about staying safe out there. Kudos to you for getting out there!
Get a few MRE pouches if you are out in the boonies doing Dispersed camping.
bring a gun next time
It’s always been tough for me to solo camp out there without worrying some hills have eyes type is gonna pound my stinker smh.
Oh man, this is so common and you did such a good job sticking through it. I promise it gets less scary the more you do it. And you’ll get better at fires and cooking, don’t give up! I’ve had these exact nights a handful of times and it really did just start to go away after a while. You learn little tricks too. Best of luck!
Is that a cooler? Maybe keep the cooler in your car not in your tent.. animals will smell food.. but anyways you were okay! And you made it! I bought a portable potty it folds up to the size of a notebook! Check those out
Bring ear plugs.
It gets easier!
Im late 30s/f. I went on a roadtrip to a bunch national parks. The first night I spent the night at a rest stop, while driving to the first park – I was scared. By the end of my trip I was backpacking in Alaska/Canadian Rockies by myself, only kind of scared some nights.
Excellent work!
My first solo night was terrifying, every single noise woke me up. I was afraid of the whole thing- and I wasn’t even listening to scary stories ahead of time. Sticking with it has made it so much easier, to the point that solo camping is as fun as going with people, and sometimes I prefer it.
Keep it up
Your mind will play tricks sometimes. I remember waking up at 2am to hear what I thought was pig snorting. So I think its boar outside my tent but it ended up being another hiker snoring like a freight train.
Awesome job and everything. Good on ya! You should be really proud of yourself.
But what I really want to know is, what are these podcasts you are listening to?!?! I need to know, please!
It’s the people that scare me!
Honestly I barely sleep til the sunrise also. But camping in a campground always makes me feel better! Less odds for an animal attack is my theory lol. We upgraded to a roof top tent this summer and that has been a GAMEchanger! I sleep amazing and I’m way less scared
Stop listening to the scary podcasts. I solo camped for years every season in big bend. One year, I started listening to to last podcast on the left (true crime and para penal stuff), and when I did my nearly camping trip I was a nervous wreck every night for the whole trip. I stopped listening to that stuff after that trip and other than occasional bad vibe, I haven’t had any issues since.
Turn the light off before you get seen.
Honestly, your car is a pretty tough nut to crack. It’s not impossible to get into but it certainly isn’t as easy as movies make it out to be. People camp by the hundreds of thousands every year and the chances of something really bad happening are vanishingly low. Dr Creepen has you spooked, don’t let it get to you. Keep trying and you’ll get used to it.
Congrats! I would suggest a soft night light so that you can save that flashlight battery!
The fact you have to say you’re a woman makes me want to let you know as a man, I was also pretty scared during my first solo camp. You should feel proud to have made it the night. Next time maybe you’ll turn the light off, and then maybe you’ll gain the courage to pee lol it’s a process but now you know you can do it.
Now go home and watch the latest “Twin Paranormal” episode on YouTube 🥲🥲
Glad you stuck it out! It will get easier. Carry a can of wasp foam spray if that will make you feel safer. Ive been camping since I was a kid,sometimes solo,for four decades.One thing I never have done,or will ever do,is watch horror movies lol. Just can’t do it
My first solo night I went backpacking. No one for miles, I fell asleep listening to distant coyotes. Woke up at 2am with some very bold coyotes less than 50 yards from my site that definitely didn’t want me there and/or wanted my food, screaming bloody murder, and I noped the heck out of there in under 20 minutes hiking 2 miles in pitch black fog apart from my headlamp. The fire with the light rain and lack of people distracting me from the silence before bed was amazing though. I’m nostalgic for how the forest smelled and looked at dusk that night.
That is good that you want to go camping again and have a plan to ease yourself in.
It does get easier
At times I do get a little spooked still. Mostly people and not critters.
Single woman backpacking with my tiny pup here.
I’ve been solo camping many times and I still get scared sometimes. But I always end the trip very proud of myself and I have such a good time…when the sun is out lol. It gets better 🩷
As a grown 37 yr old man, thats 6’2”…. I would never camp in the mountains solo. So be very proud of yourself for sticking it out!! Keep going for what you want in life!! 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
My first solo camping was also near people. Slept in a tent and was asking myself why I’m camping around people bcuz I was on edge most of the night.
Most of my camping is now dispersed out in the in the sticks, away from people. Listening to Forensic Files podcast on the drive out there isn’t as scary as most people would think.
Keep on with the solo camping, you’ll overcome your fear soon.
I camp regularly in the Appalachia side of VA. From way up at Flagpole Knob (Dispersed Camping) to a lot of tent camping around too. Im located in Norfolk though and I’d say if you’re in VA, if you haven’t, check out First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach. I’ve done a lot of “staycations” there because it’s just down the street from me but it’s nice being next to the ocean and also like a 10 minute drive to all your amenities but you also get the ability to find a comfort zone camping. When I started car camping a few years back, I went there like every weekend to try and figure out my set up and what worked best for me!
Best of luck on your camping journey! You got this.
Wait. You were in your own locked vehicle and were afraid? Of what?
You were in a campground, which means that there were bathrooms. You even had a light. Why didn’t you just go to the bathrooms to pee?
Do you mean you were not able to start a fire or were not allowed to start a fire?
Sorry you had a rough night. Having a couple of snack bars for back up is handy.
Good for you! I took my kids camping by myself for the first time last summer. I am in my 40s and never did everything all by myself before.. I felt so proud making a fire and cooking all the meals, too. I also held it all night, though. 😆
You did it! Stay safe and don’t let anyone in the campground know you are camping alone- especially as a young woman.
It gets easier with experience. Definitely work on your fire building skills and that will go a long way to improving your experience. Good luck in the future 🤞🏼
I’ll be camping solo after a night of drive in horror movies out in the Poconos 🤣 I’ll be just as paranoid as you -trust 😆
I carry disposable gelling urinals for those times I don’t want to leave my car or tent. I cant sleep if I need to pee. When you gotta go, you gotta go.
Don’t know if you’re in the states, but I always bring a 10mm pistol. I live in bear, moose, wolf and mountain lion country. Chances are never 0 man.
Kudos on sticking through it! Everyone’s first solo trip is probably pretty unnerving. Keep in mind what didn’t work this time and what comforts would have helped you as you plan your next trip. Since you are car camping right now it should be easy to justify packing some extra comfort items if it will improve your trip. They generally get easier as you keep up with it. Hopefully you give it few more tries. 🙂
Hey, just wanna say, holding your pee can actually be dangerous. Obviously we all do it, but if you’re talking hours… just don’t. It can be a good motivator to face the fear!
You might want to keep your cooler / food away from your tent and hung in a tree, otherwise you are inviting black bears to possibly visit your tent.
I never camp without carrying or having one nearby. I car camp but still like to have it with me just in case.
Congrats and way to stick through! Solo camping can be very rewarding for a lot of different reasons.
Prefacing by saying I’m a man, and my experience is different than yours. But I would reccomend finding somewhere open to camp to feel more comfortable alone outdoors. You will likely feel safer as you would most likely see any potential threats coming towards you and will feel safer because of it. The desert was amazing for this, but it sounds like that’s probably inaccessible to you. Find a big open area and enjoy! Happy camping!
I think the woods should be scared of you, lol. But yeah, it’s dark as hell in those mountains and your mind plays tricks.
I just came back from a solo trip, what helps me is texting my wife regular updates so it feels like she’s with me. I will admit, camping in the mountains scares me because of animals like bears or mountain lions. Camping in a campground really helps since you know you’re really not alone in the middle of nowhere. Keep at it and you’ll build confidence.
Proud of you for toughing it out. I’ve known some who leave and return in daylight to pack up for home. Next time you want to go I suggest a State park campground close to your area. A commercial park is okay but usually lots of RVs giving off too much annoying noise for my likes. But some of their decorations are at least worth mentioning. Talk with the camp host as you check in and thoughout your stay about wildlife and any other concerns you have. Even about your safety if it relates. They serve a purpose in their duties as host and I feel 90% of them are very good people. Avoid camp sites near dumpsters or trash stations. Hopefully you might get a site close to the bathroom facilities which are always lighted outside in the evening. If you feel comfortable with the people nearby, communicate with them as most people camping have been involved with it for years and are friendly. If you are reserved and just want to enjoy your time then don’t sweat it. Stay to yourself as I do other than just hellos in passing or a wave. But from your post I would suggest avoiding watching or reading scary stuff that usually creates imaginative thoughts especially when you’re going to be alone.
As a girl, it takes a lot of courage to camp alone in the mountains. Your worries are not unfounded. Being cautious is never a bad thing. I would choose a campsite that makes me feel at ease, which would also be a relaxing and comfortable experience. Maybe I value the experience and safety more, haha. Where you camp is not important. I think camping is only meaningful if you feel at ease.
Congrats!! I (mid 40s) still get scared sometimes but I love camping! Since I started camping alone I stopped scary movies, creepy pastas and such! Walking around the campsite while it’s getting dark until I have to turn on my headlamp has helped me a lot to ease anxiety; the only thing different is there’s no sunlight, everything is just the same (+nocturnal critters).
Little by little I have been conquering my fear and now (sometimes) I can sleep with earplugs whatever is out there be damned. Another time a stray dog (at least that’s what I think it was!) started howling its lungs off next to my tent at 2am, I suprised myself banging the tent wall and shouting “STFU!!” and fell asleep again. Next morning I was “whoah, did I not panic?”.
🙄
There’s a cooler in this pic. Do Not bring a cooler into your tent. Ever !
You don’t want any scent of any kind of food in your tent. Ever !
Don’t listen to the scary Appalachian stories, because that’s what they are – stories. I live in the Appalachian mountains and know
You’re fine in WV unless you hear banjo music.