Solo Camping Guide: Essential Tips for Your First Trip
There’s something quite different about camping on your own.
You don’t have to work around anyone else’s plans, you can arrive when you want, eat when you want and spend as much time as you like sitting outside doing absolutely nothing.
That freedom is a big part of the appeal.
But if you’ve never been solo camping before, it’s also normal to feel a little unsure about it. What if something goes wrong? What if you forget something? What if you wake up in the middle of the night and every noise suddenly sounds much louder than it did before?
The good news is that solo camping doesn’t have to be complicated or scary.
In fact, for your first trip, I’d keep things as simple as possible. A familiar campsite, sensible planning and a few reliable bits of kit can make the whole experience much easier.
You don’t need to head into the wilderness with a huge rucksack and enough equipment to survive for a month. A simple campsite, a manageable route and a bit of preparation are more than enough for a first attempt.
The key is to make things manageable.
Here’s what I’d think about before heading off on your first solo camping trip.
Start With an Easy First Trip
Your first solo camping trip probably isn’t the time to test yourself with a long-distance hike into somewhere you’ve never been before.
There’s nothing wrong with keeping the first one fairly easy.
Choose a campsite that’s straightforward to reach, preferably somewhere you’re reasonably familiar with or somewhere with other campers around. A site with toilets, parking and staff nearby can also make things feel much easier when you’re still getting used to camping alone.
I’d also make the first trip fairly short.
One or two nights is plenty. You can always stay longer next time once you know how you feel about it.
There’s a lot to be said for arriving in daylight, getting the tent up without rushing and having time to look around before it gets dark.
If you’re carrying your kit rather than travelling by car, have a look at the lightweight tents available on CampingStyle. The lighter your shelter is, the easier the whole trip becomes when you’re carrying everything yourself.
Tell Someone Where You’re Going
This is one of the simplest things you can do before heading off.
Tell someone where you’re going, where you’re staying and roughly when you expect to be back.
You don’t need to make a huge production out of it. A quick message with the campsite name, your route and your expected return time is enough.
If you’re heading somewhere remote, it’s worth giving them a little more information and agreeing what to do if they don’t hear from you.
It’s also worth checking your phone signal before you leave. Don’t assume you’ll have a decent connection just because your phone works perfectly at home.
Choose Your Campsite Carefully
When you’re camping with other people, you can sometimes be a bit more relaxed about where you stay.
On your own, I’d put a little more thought into the campsite.
For a first trip, somewhere established is usually easier than finding a remote wild camping spot. You’ll have other people nearby, facilities available and a better idea of what to expect.
Think about how you’ll arrive too.
Getting to a campsite at 8pm, putting up an unfamiliar tent in the dark and then trying to cook dinner isn’t exactly the easiest way to start.
If possible, aim to arrive with plenty of daylight left.
It gives you time to get organised, find the toilets, work out where everything is and settle in before night arrives.
Check the Weather Before You Go
The British weather can make a big difference to how enjoyable a solo camping trip feels.
A bit of rain isn’t necessarily a problem. Spending an entire weekend in strong winds and heavy rain when you’re camping alone is another matter.
Check the forecast before you leave and have a look again on the morning of your trip.
If conditions look particularly poor, there’s nothing wrong with changing your plans.
That’s one of the advantages of keeping your first trip fairly simple. You don’t have to push on with a difficult route just because you’ve already decided to go.
Keep Your Tent Simple
When you’re camping alone, you don’t really need a huge tent.
You do, however, want something you can put up confidently.
A tent that’s quick to pitch and easy to pack away can make life much easier, particularly if the weather isn’t cooperating.
If you’ve never used the tent before, put it up at home first.
It sounds obvious, but trying to work out which pole goes where while it’s raining and getting dark isn’t much fun.
For a first solo trip, I’d rather have a simple tent that I know how to use than something more complicated with loads of extra space that takes ages to pitch.
You can browse the current lightweight tent range on CampingStyle if you’re looking for something easier to carry.
Don’t Underestimate a Good Sleeping Setup
A bad night’s sleep can make camping feel considerably harder than it needs to.
Your sleeping bag needs to be suitable for the conditions you’re expecting, and your sleeping mat is just as important.
There’s not much point having a warm sleeping bag if you’re lying on a thin mat and feeling every stone underneath you.
For your first trip, I’d concentrate on getting the basics right rather than buying loads of specialist camping gear.
Take a look at the sleeping bags available on CampingStyle and choose one that’s appropriate for the time of year and the temperatures you’re likely to encounter.
And don’t forget a pillow.
You can use a rolled-up jumper, of course, but after a long day outside, a proper camping pillow can feel like a surprisingly worthwhile bit of kit.
Keep Your Phone Charged
Your phone is useful when you’re camping alone.
You might use it for directions, checking the weather, contacting someone at home, looking up campsite information or simply listening to something while you’re sitting in the tent.
The problem is that batteries don’t last forever.
A power bank or solar charger is therefore worth considering, particularly if you’re going to be away for more than one night.
You don’t necessarily need the biggest power bank you can find. Think about what you’ll actually be charging and how often.
For a simple weekend trip, something that can recharge your phone a couple of times may be plenty.
Don’t Rely Entirely on Your Phone for Navigation
Your phone is useful for navigation, but I’d avoid making it your only option.
Batteries run down, signal disappears and phones aren’t particularly happy when they’re dropped in mud or rain.
For easier trips, carry a paper map and know roughly where you are.
If you’re going somewhere more remote, a dedicated GPS can also be useful.
CampingStyle’s Navigation & GPS section has a range of handheld navigation equipment.
For example, the Garmin GPSMAP 79s is a dedicated handheld GPS designed for outdoor navigation.
You may not need something like this for a simple campsite weekend, but it’s the sort of equipment that becomes more useful as your trips become longer or more remote.
Take a Headtorch
A headtorch is one of those bits of camping equipment that takes up hardly any space but can be incredibly useful.
Once it gets dark, you’ll want both hands free to get into the tent, find something in your bag or walk to the toilet block.
A torch on your phone works in an emergency, but it’s not something I’d want to rely on for an entire evening.
It’s also worth taking a spare light source.
You don’t need to go overboard. A small torch or lantern tucked into your bag is enough.
CampingStyle has a range of camping lights and lanterns worth looking through.
Keep Cooking Simple
One of the easiest ways to make solo camping more complicated than it needs to be is taking too much cooking equipment.
You probably don’t need three pans, a chopping board, a full set of utensils and enough ingredients to recreate Sunday lunch.
Keep it simple.
Pasta, rice, soup, noodles, porridge and pre-prepared meals are all easy options. You can always get more adventurous once you’ve worked out what you enjoy cooking outdoors.
If you’re taking a stove, make sure you’ve used it before you go.
It’s much easier to discover that you’ve forgotten something at home while you’re still in the garden.
You can browse the portable camping stoves on CampingStyle.
For a lightweight option, the Lixada Camping Stove is one example of the sort of compact cooking equipment you might come across.
Always use camping stoves according to the manufacturer’s instructions and make sure they’re suitable for the conditions and location where you’re using them.
Take Enough Food and Water
When you’re camping alone, there’s nobody else to borrow a snack from when you realise you’ve packed three cereal bars and that’s your entire food supply.
It’s worth taking a little more food than you think you’ll need.
You don’t have to carry enough for an extra week, but having something spare is useful if you’re delayed or simply get hungrier than expected.
Water is even more important.
If you’re camping somewhere with drinking water available, that’s fairly straightforward. If you’re going somewhere without a reliable supply, plan how much you’ll need before setting off and think about how you’ll refill.
If you’re collecting water from natural sources, you’ll also need a suitable method of treating it before drinking.
Pack a Basic First-Aid Kit
You don’t need a huge medical kit for a normal campsite trip.
A small first-aid kit with plasters, bandages, antiseptic wipes and blister treatment can deal with many of the minor problems you’re likely to come across.
Take any personal medication you need too, along with a little spare if appropriate.
The important thing is knowing where your first-aid kit is.
There’s not much use having it buried at the bottom of your bag when you’ve got a blister that’s already becoming uncomfortable.
Take a Few Basic Repair Items
A few small repair items can save a lot of frustration.
I’d pack things such as:
A small multi-tool
Duct tape
Spare cord
A few spare tent pegs
Tent or sleeping-mat repair patches
Cable ties
A small knife where appropriate and legal
You don’t need to carry a complete workshop.
The idea is simply to have something available if a tent peg snaps, a strap comes loose or a small piece of equipment needs fixing.
CampingStyle has a multi-tools section with various compact options.
Don’t Forget Something Comfortable
When you’re camping alone, it’s easy to concentrate entirely on the practical stuff.
Tent? Check.
Sleeping bag? Check.
Food? Check.
Map? Check.
Then you realise you’ve brought absolutely nothing to make sitting around your campsite enjoyable.
A comfortable chair can make a surprisingly big difference.
You might spend an hour outside with a cup of tea, read a book, have something to eat or simply sit and enjoy the quiet.
The Vango Malibu Padded Camping Chair is one example of a folding camping chair designed for this sort of use.
It’s not essential camping equipment, but neither is sitting on a wet patch of grass particularly enjoyable.
Keep Your Valuables Secure
You don’t need to spend your entire trip worrying about your belongings, but it’s sensible to take a few basic precautions.
Keep important items such as your phone, wallet, keys and any medication somewhere secure and easy to find.
If you’re leaving the campsite during the day, don’t leave valuable items sitting in plain sight.
It’s also worth keeping your car keys somewhere you’ll be able to find them easily in the dark.
Simple things like this aren’t exciting, but they’re the sort of habits that make camping alone feel much more straightforward.
What About Wildlife?
For most ordinary UK campsites, wildlife isn’t something you need to spend your trip worrying about.
You may hear animals moving around at night, though.
Birds, foxes, badgers and other wildlife can make considerably more noise than you’d expect once everything else has gone quiet.
Keep food properly stored rather than leaving it outside your tent, and don’t feed wild animals.
If you’re camping somewhere with specific wildlife concerns, check the campsite or land manager’s advice before you go.
What If You Feel Nervous at Night?
This is probably one of the biggest concerns for people trying solo camping for the first time.
During the day, everything feels normal.
Then it gets dark and suddenly that little noise outside the tent sounds like someone walking around with a torch.
Most of the time, it’s probably a bird, an animal or something moving in the wind.
The best thing you can do is make your campsite familiar while it’s still light.
Know where your torch is. Keep your phone nearby. Know where the toilet block is. Keep your shoes somewhere you can find them.
You may still feel a little nervous the first night. That’s normal.
You don’t have to pretend you’re completely comfortable with everything straight away. After a couple of trips, the unfamiliar noises tend to become just part of camping.
A Simple Solo Camping Checklist
Before leaving home, I’d run through something like this:
Tent and all poles, pegs and guy lines
Sleeping bag
Sleeping mat
Pillow or something suitable
Suitable clothing and spare layers
Waterproof jacket
Spare socks
Food and snacks
Drinking water
Stove and fuel
Basic cooking equipment
First-aid kit
Phone and charging cable
Power bank
Headtorch
Spare torch or lantern
Map and compass
GPS or offline maps if required
Multi-tool
Basic repair kit
Duct tape
Spare cord
Toiletries
Toilet roll
Bin bags
Any medication you need
Car keys and wallet
Emergency contact details
Before you leave, tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to return.
It only takes a couple of minutes and is worth making part of your normal routine.
Is Solo Camping Safe for Beginners?
Solo camping can be a manageable way to get started if you choose a trip that matches your experience.
The important thing is not to make your first trip harder than it needs to be.
A campsite near other people is very different from heading deep into remote countryside on your own.
Start somewhere straightforward.
Choose a sensible route, check the weather, tell someone where you’re going and take equipment you already know how to use.
You can build up from there.
There’s no prize for making your first solo camping trip as difficult as possible.
What If Something Goes Wrong?
This is where a little planning before you leave can make a big difference.
Think about the things that could realistically cause a problem on your particular trip.
Could you get lost?
Could the weather change?
Could your phone run out of battery?
Could you damage your tent?
Could you run short of food or water?
You don’t need a complicated emergency plan for every possible situation. Just think through the basics and make sure you have a way of dealing with them.
For example, carrying a paper map means you’re not completely dependent on your phone.
A power bank gives you some extra battery.
A small repair kit can deal with minor equipment problems.
And telling someone where you are means somebody else knows where to start looking if they don’t hear from you when expected.
Solo Camping Gets Easier
The first time you camp alone, you’ll probably notice things you wouldn’t think about when you’re camping with other people.
You’ll learn how much food you actually need, how long it takes you to put your tent up and which bits of equipment you barely use.
That’s all useful.
You don’t have to get everything right on your first trip.
Keep the first one fairly simple, learn from it and make adjustments next time.
You may find that you really enjoy the freedom of being able to choose your own route, eat when you want and spend an evening sitting outside without having to worry about anyone else’s plans.
And if you discover that you don’t enjoy camping alone quite as much as you expected, that’s useful to know too.
Either way, the first trip gives you a much better idea of what works for you.