Why Do You Hike Alone?
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
- I'm talking a little about hiking solo, what it means for me.
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Yes, why do You hike alone?
I’m a solitary animal, and not much for forced and awkward “chit chat “
I don't have any friends. 😄 Actually, not a lot who would go hiking. I grew up in a wooded area and lost that after high school. I'm getting it back by hiking more and most is solo.
Photography has made solo hiking more enjoyable too.
... I like it. I am me.
I've gone into the back country of the Grand Canyon 5 times (usually 7 days at a time). Three times solo. Twice with others (once with 3; once with 1). I discovered that I preferred solo. There are some places/experiences for which you need your attention to NOT be divided. Where you can focus on the place and YOUR place in it - without the distractions of other peoples' personalities. Could be a definition of a "good selfishness" maybe?
I tend to wander off from trail to explore the area. Besides my hiking partner who would tolerate my behavior, my lovely wife, passed away last year. Now I reflect upon the memories where we used to wander around, while hiking alone together. 🚶♂️🚶♀️🏕
I've spent(wasted) most of my 67 years trying to please other people, thinking that I couldn't be alone. After a hellish 2nd marriage and amicable divorce, I discovered the peace that comes with a simple life of contentment Eric can provide these exquisite videos because he is in control. He knows his strengths and weaknesses and knows how to enjoy his personal space. And, thankfully he invites us to enjoy his solitude vicariously. 🌛🌠🙏
"Mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion.”
- Anatoli Boukreev
Love that quote
Very good comment.
Amen! 😊
I agree, solo hiking is fantastic. No talking no compromises. It‘s not better than together. It‘s just a complete different thing. Almost not comparable. Nice video!
I talk to myself. :D
Well put :)
@@Saareem But, do you answer yourself?
@@eugenemcgloin6780 Only when I question myself. So, yea.
@@eugenemcgloin6780 When it's reflective talking, then maybe. 😄
I am somewhat a loner, and very introverted. Basically, I can't stand being around other people.🙄 Being alone in the mountains, the smells, wildlife, the bugle of an elk, the squawk and a crow, chatter of a ground squirrel, the weather, and how I fit into all that, is really the only place and things that makes sense to me. Everything is, quite simply, real. I enjoyed this Erik. Stay safe. Roger
Solo is way more chilled no worrying if the other person is ok with everything
My Personal Thoughts on this man:
He is a man's man! Confident and brave! A man of few words; but when he speaks 149+K listen and enjoy.
Living in a concrete jungle in Central California, I wish I could consider myself with the rest of you. Alas, all I have is smoke from the fires around us; sirens, vehicle horns going off and rude people fussing. His videos are a serious get-away from all this.
His personal life is really none of our business. His marital status doesn't affect my interest in the moments of nature he provides for us. Sure, there are others, but there is only one Erik!
He's kept it real! I believe 149+k will agree: (fast heading for 200K; and well deserved.)
Mr. Normark; continued good health and constant physical strength.
Erik Normark, Thank You.
keep up your spirits; I also live in the west coast fire zones; rain being a thing of the past apparently. Just vote environmentally.
So well said🌟
I could watch you read a phone book - and think that was best thing I saw all day....you are special and I love all your videos....Hiking alone is the way to go - peaceful and easier to film things
“It’s not a competition, after all.” A lesson to take to heart.
The vibes I get from watching your videos are overwhelming. Nature is so loud and powerful it’s come through your videos . And you share it with us for free . No words just thank you .
If you are with several people, then everything is a compromise.
When you go alone, it Will be as you want. But nature always gets the last Word ☺️
@Crawled Out Of Plato's Cave Sometimes one has to compromise . Safty first.👍
Well said. I’m a solo camper for the same reasons
I'm very comfortable camping alone, and now living alone. Love my family and my friends, but alone is good sometimes. I like hanging out with me. lol.
I chuckled at your last sentence. I'm nearly 70, and I often have comments made to me that maybe I shouldn't continue to hike and camp alone. I told someone once, "I like hanging out with me better than with other people".😉 Be well.
Hiking out alone into the wilderness is the only chance I can get to watch Erik Normark videos in peace and quiet.
You are blessed to have the opportunity to walk in such a beautiful and calm place, even if alone, because we are often surrounded by people but we feel lonely!Hugs!
He is back i am back too god bless you all and erik viewers stay safe.
I agree. I'm sixty-two years old, I started hiking alone at about age eleven. Now when I go hiking and backpacking it is almost always a solo trip. I am very social and an extrovert. I talk to everyone I see on the trail, but I prefer to be alone in the end. Occasionally I will hike with one or two other friends. But more than three people is just too many to enjoy the wilderness experience for me. While solo, you can do what you want, when you want. When I am with others, I always feel somewhat responsible for them, and my mind wanders away from the land. Only when you are alone can you be fully immersed into the land. As you say, if this is new for you, start small; try a solo day hike at a familiar location. Then, solo hike to new places. Finally, go overnight alone in the wild. Even if you are a little scared at first, it will be very fulfilling. Very good video.
Well said Erik! The point you made of being comfortable with your own self alone is a must. I know some, that cannot do that very thing. The whole uncomfortable silence. I love it, thanks for a great video!
Thank You. Erik Normark , I always appreciate your Video’s.
To sit in the forest and just listen is bliss, away from everyday life. Great video Erik, thank you.
You listed all of the reasons why I like to go solo. I started solo camping when I was 12 and today I'm 76. I like to joke and say there are three ( 3 )of us on each camping trip , Me , Myself and I. Me and myself get along really good but I likes to argue at times , especially about camping spots. For years I organized ( group ) canoe trips and my rule was simple. Each paddler and canoe had to be equipped so they are self sufficient , the same as if going solo. Same for camping (backpacking ) trips. I really enjoy the quiet and sounds of the woods and rivers. My favorite night sounds are when the rain is hitting the rain fly over my Jungle Hammock and an Owl is hooting off in the distance.
Peace and quiet. Reflect on life and enjoy the natural surroundings, the noise of the wind, birds, trees, water, wild animals. It's the best therapy in life :) Thanks for sharing Erik.
I enjoyed very much your words, shared thoughts and video quality. I agree completely with everything you stated. Thanks. The older I become, the more I enjoy the periods of solitude with nature.
I like your thoughts on hiking solo. In my experience it is necessary to be quiet to truly connect with nature.
It's been less than a year since I started doing solo trips on my own but now I do them all the time. I like it for all the same reasons as you. I particularly appreciate the need for knowledge and self-reliance. I even did my first cross-country trek alone this summer and it was an incredible experience.
Well said. 👍
"Solo trips" is such an unassuming term for the amazing places you take your viewers.
Kimberly G. 🥰
Hey Erik
When I am alone in nature and there is only silence around me, then sometimes the silence comes into my mind and all thoughts disappear from my head. Then I am completely in the here and now. That's great. Then I see things and hear things that I wouldn´t notice otherwise. You only experience that when you are alone. Thank you for another great video.
The quiet alone time. Love it. Everything slows down and my breathing does too.
What a gorgeous setting! I admire your self reliance, independence, and freedom.
Thanks Suzie
You're videos are really great.😍 You're one of my inspiration going solo hiking and camping. You're right, going solo gives you a lot of freedom, doing your own things at your own pace.❤
True! 👌
Erik, I really enjoy your videos. I am from North America but I have lived and worked in Sweden. I recently completed a solo 3 day hike in the Grand Canyon. Your description and rewards of solo hiking are spot on! I remember an old swedish beer commercial from the 1990’s, maybe Norrlands Gold? Enjoying the nature with limited words:-) Keep up the great work. Your a true artist.
Solo hiking is a very rewarding experience for me. I can go at my own pace and go where I want to go. Take breaks as often or as little as I prefer. Honestly I prefer solo hiking to going with other people most of the time. Yesterday I did a 12 mile solo hike in a local state forest and had a fantastic day. I recommend doing exactly what Erik said - get to know your gear, know your skills and develop a trust for what you are capable of doing. Then get out there on a solo trip.
This. Soaking up all the knowledge from everywhere (including videos like these) just so I can keep pushing the boundaries of my next solo adventure. Manage the risks as much as you can, then go for it. It's quite addictive.
Thanks to you, Erik, I went on a multiday hike alone. I have gone several times before, but stopped for a few years. Your videos made me pick up my backpack again. A few days of struggle makes me come back home and appreciate everything that we have. In my 3 days hike, I only came across one person and had the hut all to myself during a lightning storm.
Brilliant and so true. Thanks!
I grew up pretty much alone. so I've gotten used to solo hiking. I've been out a few times over the years. in fact I did a 5 mile hike today. My body is mad at me right now. LOL. BUT I'm glad I did it. looking forward to going back out again sometime in the next few weeks.
What a very good video and love the line u said its not a compaction. After some 30 years of not off grid camping I just sort of restarted this past weekend. Like u said stayed close and now I'm thinking about going a bit farther next time. Thanks for the unexpected boost to me.
I`ve always had a bit of a haunting lonely spirit. I dunno, sometimes I like being alone because it`s a sense of my own unique adventure. And frankly other than boredom, I never minded my own company. Having said that, I WISH I COULD FIND a perfect companion, but that seems harder and harder the older I get. Fond and warm memories of my life, will always travel well with me. Peace be with you stranger.
Solo is something special. No other voices. Just nature. Don't take too many risks and you will be fine. Most people don't understand what being in the wild alone is but after your first solo wilderness trip you will know. Thanks E.
He’s not hiking alone
He’s filming it for thousands but only brought enough coffee for himself
How selfish.
Yep .. sharing one's own-brewed coffee .. that's something else ..
It is weird when you are out alone in the woods and decide to make a video. I've done several, may I suggest one I've got up called shelter in place. A debris shelter I made on an island. Cheers.
How strong does he make his coffee? Looks like enough caffeine to make a moose run.
@@GandalfWalks Wouldn't surprise me if he walks half a day on a single cup.
Growing up in a rural environment developed in me a deep appreciation for personal space. I enjoy meeting people and can be very social but sometimes I just want to be alone. Solitude enables me to think and reflect.
Long wolf club! Love going with my dog. No talking. Always cool with whatever we do (so long it’s not raining) That counts as solo.
Love your videos! 🙏
I hike and backpack most of the time. Just like you said.. I can go any direction I want and camp where I want. But I also enjoy to talk with other hikers when I run into somebody.. Thanks for your videos Erik :)
Looking forward to your winter storm camping videos. Endlessly fascinating.
Could not agree more. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
The best thing for me personally has been finding my soulmate and being able to hike silently with someone who I know is feeling the same elation and deep connection with Nature. No words needed, just a path, a forest. I guess I agree with Christopher McCandless when he wrote: "Happiness is only real once shared." ~ francesca
true
@@LettiesLife It definitely doesn't make it happier, everybody's favourite way way to hike, enjoy Nature, or enjoy life in general for that matter, is the best possible way in their life. 💜 I was just adding my two cents. I love reading all the different experiences :-)
@@LettiesLife thank you so much!! 🙏
Hi Erik,love your videos and content.Your soul or spiritual awareness is very high.Thank you very much,be safe and good luck friend.
Well said and explained
I have been hiking and backpacking solo 50 years
Im a carp angler in the uk , and spend many a weekend on the bank by myself. Bivvied up with my gear around me. Switched off from the outside world. Doing my water craft to catch my chosen fish. Absolutely love having my own time. ... and returning to my family and friends. We all need an escape.
Take care Erik... all the best.
I LOVE to hike alone...communing with Nature and with myself...I could call it a more spiritual experience than when with friends...and yes! I like my own company, and I am careful. Thanks for this video! Special. ATB
I understand. Thank you for answering my question sir. Please be safe!
What fantastic words of wisdom and common sense.
Just hit 86, yeh a few hiccups along the way but hiking and traveling alone is right for me too. As you say yours is the choice and it is good to be able to stop and smell the roses if that is what you want. Just a few kilometers or a lot, it is the pleasure gained and the peace and contentment, coffee, of course, helps a lot!
Your videos are always so soothing to watch. And I always grab my headphones when I start watching your videos. Keep up these coming and have a nice week! 👍
Started doing solo trips recently after watching Erik's films.
Now I like my company better than anything else. 👍
I love wildlife photography and hiking alone is the absolute best way to enjoy it. You get a lot more perceptive of things when out alone in the wilderness. You hear that stick being broken meaning something just stepped on it. You don't miss that Owl sitting like a frozen statue in the tree with only the movements of its eyelids giving it away. But maybe the best thing of all is that you have your own time to reflect and to load your mental battery. Even though you might be physically tired after a hike you are refreshed mentally.
You have said everything I feel about hiking or camping alone Erik. Rather than teaming up with people we are teaming up with nature. Time stands still. We rely on ourselves. It’s the best feeling. Thanks for sharing. Ben
Just watching and listening to your videos brings me close to those moments I find in nature when I go solo. Thanks, Erik
Cause that is my own time, I also make nature films here to UA-cam. In my heart there is also place to hike or camp together too, but alone everything is just perfect for me. You can focus to nature and have a kind of discourse with it.
Greetings from Finland
Esa / Keloja Luonnosta
Moro Esa, tilasin kanavasi :)
Kiitoksia Makke🙋♂️😊
I have only backpacked solo a few times, but each time I came away with something profound that I wasn’t expecting. Even a couple of car camping trips by myself were quite meaningful.
I am 100% with you, Erik. It's heartening to know, from reading other comments here, I've got company when it comes to how hiking alone is perceived. Thanks for this vid, and your good work (which I love).
That’s right, only hiking by yourself can show trust yourself not depend on others, you must have courage and confidence to do so, freedom, by your own speed or closer to nature is not the core .
Hello Erik, greetings from Northern California. It's good to see you again.
I hope that you are staying healthy. A big thank you for sharing this fine video. Please take good care of yourself and keep your great videos coming along. 🤗
I love hiking alone. I pace myself better when I'm not worrying about keeping up or holding others back. I can stop to gaze whenever I want. On the trail solo is where I feel real.
Hey brother just wanted to say i really loved watching your video it was very informative..
Love from a fellow woodsman from uk
I feel the nature more when I hike alone.
I’m kinda like going alone lately.. I’m tired of some people around me who pretend to be good friends. I hope I’ll get enough courage to go solo...one day maybe. Look at you, how creative and resourceful. I’m glad I found your channel 💙
Interesting, but I love the teamwork of my husband and I going together. Thanks for the lovely video Erik.
My thoughts exactly. Nature can be fully appreciated even if you have your soulmate walking (in silence) at your side.
Yes I think it boils down very much to who you are hiking with. Going with a soul mate can be very enriching. Thanks!
@@TheWindyBurrow Somehow I read that "soulmate _viking_". Don't we all wish we had a soulmate viking. :-D
@@Saareem gosh yes 😂😂😂😂
@@Saareem Haha! I guess if someone was with Erik, they WOULD be hiking with a viking.
I am on the precipice of exploring this level of sovereignty and freedom thank you for sharing. As a deeply introspective Scorpio solitude is my comfort zone.
Those are some very big sprue trees! Well done!
Yes I like those trees, have done a few videos there! Thanks Kevin
@@erik_normark LOL, and I probably make the same comment every time. :)
Beautiful and thought provoking.
Hey Erik, do you ever wake up in your tent and discover it's raining and cold outside and just say "no thanks, I'm staying in the tent today reading my book instead of hiking further" ? And also, do you ever pick mushrooms or berries on the way to supplement your food?
Good questions
Its nice to have an update on the new cup. 👍 I was thinking about it the last couple of videos.
At One with the world ... the most rewarding feeling a person can have. The feeling of self confidence brings on an inner strength. Well put Erik you make your adventures seem so easy for all to enjoy. Thanks mate. Bushyboy Oz.
Great video Erik. I do the majority of my hikes Solo, too. Have recently done a few with two old work colleagues who I have known many years. I like both to be honest, but your comments here resonate very much with my own experiences. I think you could have said this for me. 100% agree with your thoughts. Love watching your blogs. You are an inspiration. Regards Ian.
I've camped "solo" on road trips utilizing established camp grounds. As of lately though I've been camping solo in remote sites where you need to hike or kayak to. It's a different experience. You're right...it's just you. You learn self reliance, what works and what doesn't and how important it is to be cognizant of doing things correctly, safely and consistently. I have anxieties and fears at times. In the pitch black woods....alone at night and miles from anyone. It's revealing and rewarding. Your videos; like hiking and camping are therapeutic, calming and helpful. Every time you put something out it's interesting, intriguing, informative and entertaining. Thanks so very much. Be safe - Be well
Thank you!
You are so chill, and a real inspiration!
Thank You. Know Yourself. Trust Yourself. Explore. Great Message. Good things to you.
Great video, dude you need a Jetboil in your life 😀✌🏼I’ve just spent 5 days camping solo in Cornwall, UK. Finding one’s self, being self reliant and free is empowering. Everyone needs a bit of this especially during this hard time.
Favorite was hiking with one of my sons at a time. When they were young and everything was near mystical to them. Next, it was with my brother when he was 14 or 15, and I was 9 or 10. Had a couple dogs I liked hiking with. Current one is OK, good most of the time, but not as stealth. Nice cup.
I think several people who works full time, having kids and a buissy familylife can imagine why it’s nice to walk alone in the woods some times 😉 I sure do, at least!
Other people are draining
Their incessant chatter tires the ears and never lets you become one with yourself
He travels fastest who travels alone
ShakespeareCafe I agree with the first statement. The last line leaves me a little puzzled. If you are already in nature why are you still in a hurry? To get “where”?
As Eric said - "It is not a competition". As I say - Follow your own path
and don't obsess about "who gets there first". The journey is about
the journey, not about who is the fastest.
Outstanding explanation and right on point. I bring along a good book for my company. Take care and stay safe, Al
When alone i nature you see much more and realy feel nature.Great video !!!
Thanks for sharing, We hike alone get refocused.
Everyone is alone in life. It also depends what we each consider being alone. Some are lost being alone, Erik has himself, his thoughts, beliefs and direction. That's Not being alone but being together or leading ones self. Even his voice and movements show his confidence. Great video.
Couldn't agree more,thanks for sharing 👍
I like to hike alone but mostly it's with company! But as older I get I appreciate the loneliness more and more. And I like what you said "It kind of helps to like your own company" :)
Solitude, not loneliness, there is a profound difference.
@@davidtomkinson1570 english is not my language.....in my langugae it's the same word......
@@davidtomkinson1570sorry for not being so good at english........
@@davidtomkinson1570 so today I learned something really profound, thank you........
Awesome video!! Made me smile so much because it resonates so much with me and I guess most of us. I live alone but have many friends. I hike alone most of the time so I can enjoy photography, my thoughts and nature. Occasionally I hike with another friend or two but smaller groups are better.
Well spoken, if you love nature and don't rely on people. Solo hiking is the best, so close to nature and your own inner trust and confidence.
Excelente...👏👏👏🎒🎒🎒🎒... el café es lo más.....🥪🥪☕☕...saludos desde Argentina..🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷👏👏👏👏👏👏
Thank you very much, for inspiring me to go back into the jungle again like this
Dear Erik,
a couple of months ago you and your great work inspired me to go for my first solo hike as well. During the last years I've spent some holidays in the Austrian Alps, together with a good friend of mine, hiking from hut to hut. But sleeping in a tent and having to bring my own food was something completely new to me.
So I started to buy gear and spent many nights doing research and preparing my first real outdoor trip. In Mid of August I went to Norway and spent 12 days solo in the Femundsmarka National Park, right on the border to Sweden. Going solo for nearly two weeks was something completely different compared to my normal life, since I'm really enjoying to be with people, friends and family. Especially the evenings have been really lonely. But all in all it was definitely my biggest adventure so far. A time I will never forget. I'm already excited to head off in the woods next year. Maybe I will bring some friends/family and for sure I will go a couple days alone again. I just want to let you know, that I'm really glad that I discovered your work a couple of months ago since without the impressions that you are sharing with us, I would not have done that. Thank you very much, Erik! And maybe take a trip to the area around Rogen/Femundsmarka National Park by yourself. The landscape is stunning and there are few people. I bet you would do a heck of a movie there!
Warm regards,
Alex
Thanks Alex. One has to find a balance that works for oneself. Not everyone likes long solo trips. It can be only for a day or two. The important thing is that one feels good about it! Atb
Great explanation Erik. Everyone has their own reasons for soloing, I try to get out once a week to decompress and challenge myself. Nothing like getting out into beautiful areas and filling in more of your map on unexplored areas. I often like to ask myself a tough question at the beginning of a long trek. all the time in the world to hash things out. Keep exploring Erik, we're loving it!
Thanks, I appreciate it! Atb
Great response! Love your videos, keep hiking. Love the scenery.
I love this channel so much; he is so strong! he camps on snow, on a wild forest wow!!!
Yes. I like to travel or hiking with company, but I also like to travel or hiking alone. When you alone, you can understand yourself deeper, you can find decisions on your old mental problems and understand who you are. It's funny to split your emotions with other people, but it's also good to talk with yourself in alone traveling.
Best is alone you enjoy 😊 nobody disturbing you 👍👍👍
It's so calming to hike alone.
I used to but then I found the girl of my dreams without even looking or imagining that I'd ever find her. The planets and stars aligned I suppose but I found her through making a youtube channel. UA-cam started out just as a hobby and turned into a life changer. Great video!
I agree totally with you. I like to hike alone for it gives you total freedom bit that doesn't mean I don't like to socialise. To immerse in the nature, going solo is the way to go in my personal opinion.
Your episode's make me so calm