Tips, Tricks and (not so final) Thoughts

What an indescribable feeling, to return to the life you left as though you were never gone. The world felt like it had stopped spinning in the mountains. I was on no clock, no schedule and the only moments that existed were the ones that I was living in. I mostly had no connection to the internet so social media wasn't a distraction and I allowed myself to fully immerse into the adventure I was on. This made coming home a sort of culture shock though, considering I feel like I had so much that changed me in the few short days I was away. I came home to some news that I wasn't expecting and sort of turned my coming home experience into a whirlwind of emotion and trying to readjust myself to my routine. I am now camping a few hours from home back in Ontario, and while there are no mountains, my site is absolutely stunning. But it got me thinking that I should share some tips and tricks from a solo female traveler.

1) Be Organized

As much as I wanted a very spontaneous trip, I also knew that traveling solo could be incredibly intimidating if I wasn't prepared for the unknown. I made sure to print off all of my campground confirmations, flight details and basic maps to the campgrounds I knew I was staying at. This came in handy more than once due to change in my plans, no internet for google maps and when campgrounds requested I had hard copies of my confirmations. Going with the flow is a great thing but if you find yourself stuck, unable to find your campsite or without travel documents it can throw an unfortunate and unexpected wrench into otherwise great plans.

I recommend: having flight details printed, confirmation emails/tickets for anything you have booked and generic maps of the area.

2) There are bathrooms everywhere

But there isn't always toilet paper. As a male, this more than likely won't be something that inconveniences you frequently. As a female, I was grateful for not having to just squat on the side of the road but I was really thankful I had brought my Kula cloth with me. This is something I take backpacking and camping as well, it is "the first of its kind - an intentionally (and obsessively) designed reusable antimicrobial pee cloth!". I am huge on the pack it in, pack it out and leave no trace philosophies which essentially mean you don't leave anything behind while you are enjoying nature. This means no food scraps (even if they're compostable) and no toilet paper. The Kula cloth snaps to your pack using a durable, hypoallergenic plastic snap, is waterpoof and is not only good for the earth but means you won't be left drip drying in the port-a-potties. I recommend: Purchasing a Kula cloth (here: https://kulacloth.com/collections/shop-all-kula) and bringing it with you everywhere!

3) Firewood is free

Maybe only people who have camped at Ontario Provincial Parks will think this one is odd but I was very confused my first night in a national park campground. I knew when I paid for my campsite that I also paid a "campfire fee" but I assumed this was just to use the firepit and that firewood would be for sale once I got there. However, the check in process involved me driving by a kiosk with no firewood in site and then driving around the campground looking for a camp store. Instead of a store, I found a massive pile of chopped firewood with no one around. I loaded the fire into my van waiting for someone to come and yell at me but it never happened. After some asking around, I have discovered that this is how it's supposed to be done and not to lose sleep because you're not a firewood thief.

I recommend: If you're camping at a national park, find a site that has a firepit because you'll be able to have unlimited fires (not all sites have firepits*) ask on check in where the firewood is so you don't have to drive around looking for it.

4) Showers Aren't Free

Or are they? When doing some quick research for what I should expect when I got out west, almost every blog, review, website recommend that you bring quarters to shower at the parks you’re camping at. I had an entire change purse full of them and didn’t use a single one. The only park I found that required you to pay for showers didnt take quarters, you had to buy tokens from the camp store that were $3 for 5 minutes of shower time.

I recommend:

Bring quarters just in case! This seemed to be a very similar recommendation from multiple people, perhaps I just got lucky with free showers! 5) Pack for everything!

The weather out there was significantly cooler than it was here in Ontario. I left 40° heat to wake up in Alberta in 1° temperatures. Thankfully, I had not only packed plenty of summer hiking clothes but also pants, sweaters, my Patagonia down jacket and a hat and gloves. It’s so important to be prepared for any type of weather especially when you’re travelling to a place that’s unpredictable like the mountains.

I recommend:

Packing layers! Base layers, mid layers and outer layers are a go to every single time I head out on an adventure. Adding a hat and some gloves to the mix doesn’t take much room and you never know when you might need them.

I could go on forever with things I learned in my short few days but I’d say these are my main takeaways and things I think you might find useful if you’ve never travelled west before. As always, learning is part of the adventure so don’t be afraid to be unprepared for whatever may come and be excited to figure things out along the way. If you have any questions shoot me a message below or on Instagram I’d be happy to help!

I am adding this photo because it not only makes me laugh but it also makes me really happy I had my Kula cloth with me at all times. This was definitely the most outrageous spot I had to use the bathroom in the middle of the woods at a picnic area I stopped at along my kayak route.