Solo “hiking”

[ApricotDanish83]

Posting here mainly for traffic to be honest.

I’m planning a day out to Dartmoor this weekend to go on a pretty long walk up a couple of the tors. Going by myself because I have nobody to go with but I’m craving being outside 😂

the route is set to be about three and a half hours back, two hours in, and about 12 miles all together. I’m relatively fit but wha do I need to take with me??? I know I’ll need some snacks but that’s about all I can think of

Sounds amazing OP, I’m very jealous! Haven’t RTFT so I might be repeating someone, but will you be sharing your live location with someone on your phone? Either with FindMyPhone or on WhatsApp? Have a great day 😊

I’m on life360 haha so my parents will have my location!

I've been looking at these walks from okehampton station im thinking I might start with the east hill one, the only thing putting me off, and it is daft, is I grew up in Devon and used to go on family walks there when I was young. We were told lots of spooky tales about the mist coming down all of a sudden and hikers being led astray by the Will-o-the-wisps. That said I believe if you do get caught in the mist I think the advice is to stay still till it lifts.

I'm not sure I would trust that, mind you! I can walk 4 miles an hour on flat pavement....half that on a long day's walk on the moors though!

I'm a late riser, but still like long walks, even in winter time. What I tend to do is bring various little lights and hi vis bits- hi vis wristbands and a flashing light that attaches to my rucksack- and plan the last bit of a walk on the lanes. It's easy to lose a path in the dark, not so much a lane, and the lights etc make me visible to cars.

You say the last section of your walk is the lane down from the Army camp, so that sounds perfect.

A good flask maybe but they are heavy. Small plastic bags to keep rubbish in.

With respect, you don’t sound like an experienced walker and I would suggest the best thing for you to take would be another person.

OS Maps is great, but you've mentioned that your phone's battery is dodgy and that you'll have other apps running in the background. Even though you're taking a battery pack, I'd still reiterate the advisability of a paper map. Unless I know an area very well, I take paper maps, and tend to use them more than the phone. One advantage is that they allow a far bigger overview than the phone (without an irritating amount of scrolling).

I don’t have anyone to come with me so it’s I do it alone or I don’t go. I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine, it’s all open moor land not dense forests and all well covered by my phone provider

Yes - that does make sense and good point re grid refs. I use the OS maps app which I find good (I pay an annual subscription)

I live not far from here and you'll be fine. It's a well walked area so you can't get lost. There are stone tracks in parts that are in use by MOD vehicles and are even part of a circular cycle route. The ranges are very rarely closed to the public on weekends so you'll won't have any problems there.

The only thing to bear in mind is the weather hasn't been great this week and more rain is forecast so make sure you have good boots and steer clear of any boggy areas.

You definitely don't need a foil blanket 😂 and a day pack will be fine for any rubbish you have from lunch.

I’ve cut east hill from the way out, it makes it a 5.49 mile walk on the way out and 4.58 on the way in (I think because I’m not going up all the tors!), or 2hr41 out and 2h 3 on the way back in. I should have time for my M&S picnic up the top of yes tor too!

IME the risks of mist coming down while walking on Dartmoor have been overstated, and the risks of losing your path in the maze of identically sized ones made by cows, ponies and dog walkers have been greatly understated 😆

(Mind you, that is because, like most of us, I am a fair weather walker. I think DS got enmisted once or twice when doing his Ten Tors training, but what sane human being does a 35 mile two day hike and camps out in the pissing rain in February?!)

Yeah I did think the foil blanket was a bit OTT. I know Dartmoor evokes images of being totally abandoned but okehampton etc is pretty well connected and it seems to be all surrounded by villages.

Ooh wow all the way from Canterbury! Many many miles! And tbh, part of my appeal is in saying the word Appalachia haha. Also I love forests. And also. I’ve heard people leave beers in rivers for walkers. I’d love to be high on self defence so fear didn’t take part in my being put off. And no, I’ve not read it but of course have heard of it!

I honestly don't think it's wise to publicise your exact walking route, the date you are going and that you will be alone.

I'd feel very vulnerable if a few million people had access to my exact whereabouts in a desolate area like that.

This sounds amazing, have fun OP. I went to Dartmoor this time last year and it was stunning, I'm really jealous! Not much advice beyond what has been suggested here. Avoid valley floors if you can, they will be very boggy. And I definitely second having 'what3words' on your phone.

They don’t know the time I’ll be going or if I’m even being truthful about the date, I also don’t think they’d really care.

The foil blanket is not OTT.

It’s light, it’s small and it might be the one thing that saves your life.

Australia has lost four hikers in the past month.

As someone who found her way onto a hummock bog on Dartmoor and struggled to find a safe way off I’d say take collapsable
walking poles. They were a godsend! Also if you were to injure yourself they’re v handy.
oh also handy for a bit of confidence if you encounter cows!
they’ll last years so an excellent t investment to o

Fair enough.

I think a Dartmoor trail that’s well used is a little different to Australia

Ah the cows has just reminded me of the time I came across a cow in a field and fought it off with a golf umbrella 🤣

Oooh now I’m thinking I might take a couple bags full of the M&S mix that’s gone viral as some nice snacks along the way 😂

When my teen son did a long solo hike earlier this year, I asked him to send a screenshot of his map location every 45 minutes or so to the adults in charge of his group, so we'd know where to start looking if he didn't get back. I feel this is more useful than planned route information.

We had a death on one of the most popular trails in the country.

For the sake of a foil blanket - just take it.