Whether it’s your first time camping alone or you’re a seasoned solo camper, this list of things to do will keep you entertained. When you’re out in the wilderness alone, it can be relaxing. It can also get boring if you haven’t planned any activities.
To thoroughly enjoy a camping trip by yourself, you should use your time to yourself wisely. Here are some tips for making your trip fun as well as twenty awesome things to do when you’re camping alone.
How to Make Camping Alone Fun
While some might think it’s weird to camp alone. It can be a great way to unwind and take a break from life. Many people enjoy solo camping because of the freedom and time to themselves.
We’ll admit that while solo camping is great, it can get boring pretty quickly. Especially if you don’t have much to do.
To make camping alone fun, you need to plan the right activities and bring the right things for your trip. Make sure that you have plenty of options for things to do while you’re outdoors.
You should have things planned during the day and especially for the nighttime when you likely won’t be venturing out of your campsite. Use the following list to get ideas for your solo trip. Make sure you plan out what you’ll do in advance so you can bring the right things and pick a good camping spot.
Things to Do While Camping Alone
Here is a list of ideas for fun things to do when you’re camping solo. When planning your trip, use this list as inspiration. Add in your favorite activities and choose some from below for the best trip ever!
1. Meditate
What better way to meditate than outdoors by yourself? Take advantage of the quiet and practice meditation. You can bring some guided meditations with you if you plan ahead of time and download them.
2. Read
Reading is a favorite camping activity of ours. Time seems to move slowly when you’re camping and it’s a great time to catch up on the books you’ve had sitting around waiting for you.
Plus, the stories seem more magical when you’re reading them in a hammock. So, don’t forget to bring some books and something comfy to lounge on for the ultimate cozy reading session.
This is my favorite thing to do while camping in the rain.
3. Write
If you’re more of a writer, you can take advantage of your time alone to come up with some of your best works. Whether you write poetry, songs, or stories, you’ll be sure to find some inspiration alone in nature.
Don’t forget to pack up your journal, notebook, or charged laptop and get to writing! You never know when inspiration will strike you on your solo camping getaway.
4. Sketch
When you’re outdoors, there are so many beautiful things to see. If you love to draw or sketch, this is the perfect opportunity to grab a drawing pad and put pencil to paper.
You can see how realistically you can draw things like plants, animals, and the scenery around you. Or, take the gift of free, alone time to work on finishing some other projects.
5. Hike
When we tell you to take a hike, it’s because we like you! Hiking in general is fun, but you’ll feel a great sense of freedom by taking a lone walk or hike around your campsite.
You should take extra safety precautions when setting out on your own. So, make sure you pack the gear you need and let someone know where you’ll be. Find some trails before you go and pick one that has some great views and is practical to your skill level.
6. Fish
One of the most relaxing things in the world is fishing by yourself. If you’re camping alone, it’s the perfect time to do some solo fishing.
Plus, if you cook what you catch, you’ll be in for a delicious meal afterward. Bring along your fishing gear and find the perfect hole to fish.
7. Swim
If you’re camping near the water, you can go cool off and have some fun swimming. You can even bring some floatation devices and relax out on the water.
8. Explore
Since you don’t have to worry about anyone else on your trip, you can take all the time you want to just go exploring. Wander around and see what you can find around your campsite.
Make sure you stay safe while wandering off though. Bring the right gear for your exploration activities. You’ll probably want to bring a camera along to document the cool stuff you find along the way.
9. Cook a Meal
Even if you don’t regularly enjoy cooking, there is something different about barbecuing or cooking over a campfire. Plan out some yummy meals and take the time to enjoy the process while you’re in camp.
If you feel like taking a break from cooking, you can check out these no-cook camping food ideas here.
10. Practice Whittling
If you’ve ever been intrigued by wood whittling, camping is the perfect time to try it. You’ll probably be able to find some cool pieces of wood to work with. Make sure to bring a guide book or download a tutorial before you head out.
11. Build a Fire
Having a campfire is a must for our camp trips. There is something really special about enjoying yourself around a cozy campfire.
Plus, it’s pretty fun to find wood and build the perfect fire by yourself. You can bring along some s’mores or roast some food over the flames.
12. Yoga
If you like to do yoga, it’s really fun to do it while camping. The outdoors is a great place to enjoy yoga poses. It can be very therapeutic too. Bring a mat and your favorite moves or a guide to follow.
13. Activity Books
This is the perfect time to complete an activity book. You can sit down with a cup of coffee or your favorite drink and relax while you complete some puzzles or other activities.
Some of our favorite kinds of activity books are these:
- Coloring books
- Word Searches
- Sudoku
- Crossword Puzzles
14. Practice Your Photography
If you love photography, there is no better place to capture better images than out in nature. Take advantage of being away from home and find things to take pictures of. This could be anything from the scenery to animals and plants.
15. Play an Instrument
Playing guitar around the campfire is super cliche. It’s also super fun. So, if you play the guitar or any other instrument, bring it with you!
Also, if you’re not close to any other people, you can practice a new instrument without anyone around to hear how bad you are. Feel free to sing too.
16. Go Kayaking or Canoeing
If you enjoy being out on the water, bring or rent a kayak or canoe and get out and enjoy yourself. You’ll have time to relax by yourself and have some fun.
17. Tie Flies
A lot of fishermen love to tie their own flies. It’s quite an art! If you are an expert or would like to learn how to tie a fly, bring a kit and get to work. You can use the local bugs for inspiration or follow a guide to learn how to make some common flies.
18. Knit or Crochet
You can work on a knitting or crochet project just about anywhere. Even while you’re camping. So bring along a project or two and enjoy creating something right in your campsite.
19. Paint
If you’re looking to paint a beautiful scene, where better to gather inspiration than nature? Bring along some canvas and your paints and create a masterpiece based off of your surroundings. It’s a great way to be able to remember your solo trip later on.
20. Look For Animals and Insects
One of the fun things about camping is spotting different animals and insects. Go on a nature walk and see which animals you can discover. Scour meadows to spot deer. Lift rocks to find insects. You might be surprised by what you find!
21. Identify Plants
Are you familiar with the native plants in your area? Camping is a great way to be able to discover new plants and flowers. Take a guide book with you that covers plants in your area.
Make sure you know how to identify any poisonous plants before you go exploring. You’ll be able to use this knowledge forever.
22. Play Solo Games
There are plenty of games you can enjoy alone while camping. When’s the last time you played Solitaire with a deck of cards? Bring some of your favorite one-person games along with you to pass the time during your camping trip.
23. Listen to a Podcast
Need some time to catch up on your favorite podcasts? Camping is a great time to listen to your favorite shows. You’ll probably need to download them in case you don’t have service.
We love to download podcast episodes about bigfoot and the unknown to listen to at night time when camping. However, you might save the spooky ones for when you have a partner with you!
24. Find Constellations
Stargazing doesn’t have to be done in a romantic setting. You can appreciate the stars all by yourself. You’ll probably be able to see them really well from your campsite.
If you have never looked for the constellations, take this opportunity to learn where they are. You’ll want to bring a guide with you to learn where and how to find them.
25. Watch a Movie
Okay, we usually don’t recommend bringing electronics camping. However, when you’re camping alone, sometimes it’s fun to watch a movie while you’re snuggled up in your sleeping bag.
Fun Things to Do While Camping By Yourself
If you’re wondering what to do when solo camping, the possibilities are pretty endless. You can do almost anything you would while camping with other people.
In fact, you sometimes have more freedom camping alone. You’re on your own schedule and don’t have to answer to anyone else.
This list was brought to you by our own experiences while camping and experiences of other people who love to camp alone. What will you do on your next solo camping trip for fun?
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