There are a variety of reasons for going solo on a trip and each one of us has different ones.
In today's hectic world it can be very hard to arrange a trip with your paddling buddies where you can all get together for a trip and that can include just an afternoon paddle, or even paddling a solo boat with a group or tandems.

The trick is to define what you want/need to do and work on your skills to be able to accomplish that.

Some like to travel light, others like me like to be comfy, which means a few more carries.
Most of us that do it on Myccr here I suspect are not on the "younger" side but we love to be out there.
Remember no question is without merit.
And if you are shy send a p m or email.
One thing is for sure we can be a "little" different in our opinions, and I am one who is always looking for some new tips.

Jeff

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Choosing to save a river is more often an act of passion than of careful calculation. You make the choice because the river has touched your life in an intimate and irreversible way, because you are unwilling to accept its loss. — (David Bolling, Ho

my reasons-
-i leave and go and come back when i want
-i get up,launch,and make camp when it pleases me.
-i paddle as fast or slow as i want,make detours,change route as i please
-much opportunity for prayer,contemplation,meditation,oneness with nature.
-knowone complains about my snoring
- the challange of being on my own hook
-i can't wait
turtle

Can't tell you how many trips have been scuttled due to things coming up in other peoples lives. If things come up in my own life and I am solo, no one else is affected. I got tired of trying to organize group outings and having things fall through at the last minute.

No more. Most all trips now are solo or with a family member. I like meeting people on trips, so people avoidance is not my goal as it might be for others.

While making and breaking camp can be slower due to having to do it all, that job is on your own schedule and it can be faster than with a group. Some groups move incredibly slowly; its like moving an army.

OTOH if I forgot something, its all my problem. No one is going to help.

Off today on something like my 100th solo. I have't really kept track. I have been soloing for 17 years at five or six a year..I just guesstimated. The trips seem to be evolving into more portageless or fewer portage trips. This one will be cruising the Gulf of Mexico.

On most trips I take, I'm dragging 20 or so teenagers with me. With the exception of one of my buddies, every other trip I go on with adults, I usually end up in "charge" as well. I go solo to be free of that....plus I like to challenge myself physically. New solo plan is to slow down and do more fishing and eating.

1. Being alone in nature.
2. Having to rely on your own abilities and deal with your own inadequacies.
3. No people. No conversation. No complaining.

Don't get out much anymore, but when I did I loved going solo!!!
Did trips that no one else wanted to do cause of location or paddling distance...
Was fun to challenge myself & see how far I could go, especially in the kayak!!
Solitude is peaceful... as long as you control the imagination when things go bump in the night!!!

THis is why:




Yeah - hear that?? - yeah......nothin'.........that's "why"........

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In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.
Mark Twain

Last year was my first solo overnight trip, and I'm hooked! Many solo trips planned for this year!

I'm just tired of other people's BS excuses for not coming at the last minute and leaving me hanging...or they bi*ch and complain the whole time, ha. I think reliable people are few and far between...so now it'll just be me-much more enjoyable

Matt

To connect.

It feels so good while you're out there and you feel recharged when you get back.
To charge MyBod, just unplug till fully charged.

I grew up car camping with my family and many many years ago when I got my first motorcycle, it was only natural to strap the tent to the front fender and see where I ended up.
Never really gave much thought to travelling with buddies and the couple of times I tried, the logistics always gave me a headache and only reinforced the enjoyment of solo travels.
My first canoe trip was with a friend and when it came time to plan for the next year, holidays did not line up so it was just natural to go solo and I have never looked back
In daily life we rely on to many people and in turn they rely on us and I need to get away from that.
Where I am responsible to no one and also where no one is responsible to me.
Where my choice, right or wrong means that I alone will have to deal with the consequences so it better be the right one and just in case, I have severely upgraded my first aid courses.
I find that when alone on a portage or hike, not being distracted by the interaction with others allows me to be better in touch with my surroundings letting me notice little things that I would otherwise miss, not to mention that I am more aware of where my next step will be placed taking us back to making the right choice and not having to deal with a twisted ankle.
When you are sitting by a small fire at the end of the night, the satisfaction of the day just seems so much more, knowing you got yourself here and you can still carry everything you need on your back.
Although company is nice sometimes and there is nothing like sharing a morning coffee with a good friend on the side of a remote lake, there is something special about the mornings you sat there alone.
It is true, the only people who say I am nuts for going alone are those who have never done it.

Cheers
Rob

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Cheers
Rob

Ya, what they said!

But I become more prone to the likes of what this guy said...

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"That's all I have to say about that..." (Forest Gump)

I started paddling solo, when I got tired of getting stuck paddling with the “rookie”.

Then on a 2 week long trip the other boat had to pull out on day 2. As I repacked food, rechecked gear, I went through all the pros and cons of continuing alone. Made contacts back home with my new plan .......... I’ve never looked back.

With skills and confidence you can go ahead and plan trips even if others have to cancel on you.

I love the way my heart pounds when solo tripping.

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Keep your paddle in the water and lean downstream!

I usually plan a trip, ask around to see if any of my paddling buddies want to come, and if not then I go ahead alone. I figure I like having company but I'm not going to cancel a trip for the lack of it! And sometimes it's just nice to get out alone and see how long it takes before I start talking to my boat....the conversation can be quite intriguing!!

i though i was the only one that talked to my boat. solo canoers tend to have a close personal relationship with their boats,but solo tripping with it always deepens that for me. i have several time finished a trip having named my new boat.
Turtle

I love the quiet of solitude; no distractions from all the advice, warnings, and celebrations that the natural world offers to those who will listen.

I like being in a situation where I am solely responsible for how I deal with what comes, with only me to look out for, and only me to congratulate or blame. Selfish maybe, but it seems to help in dealing with others afterwards somehow.

I love gliding silently and encountering wildlife that you would never have seen with two people in the boat talking.

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Ubique