GraniteCliffs post got me to thinking about something and i did not want to hi-jack that post, so....
Since you started solo tripping, have you changed, or what impact has it had on you as a person? I feel it has really changed me, for the better. I have discovered, that after my solo's, that it has made me a much better tripper, I also feel that personally it made me a stronger, and better person. It has helped me to be more "thankful" for the luxaries ofthe world and at home, you know the things I took for granted. Most of all, it gives me a chance to "clear the cobwebs out of my head" the stress of life if you will. The Best part, it sharing the experince with my wife, family and friends. Also, I think about my life and family a lot when soloing, so I feel it's made me a better husband, father, and friend.
What has solo tripping done for you?
Thanks for sharing.
SunCatcher

I don't think I have changed too much. I started soloing to chase lake trout in may. I could not find any friends that were interested in tripping in may so I just started doing the solo trips. I really like the challenge and have confidence in my abilities.

tony

I pretty much echo Tony's thoughts. I enjoy the challenge and it reinforces my confidence in my abilities to handle outdoor situations. My solo tripping started when my usual companions couldn't go when I was able to go. Now I find the solo trips relaxing and exhilerating at the same time.

Family and friends noticed a change, I think they described it as going from odd to weird!!
What do they know anyhow?

butthead

quote butthead: "Family and friends noticed a change, I think they described it as going from odd to weird!!
What do they know anyhow?


butthead
"

hahaha rofl you crack me up butthead!

I started soloing because wanted to do loops, serious portages and move every day. None of my partners wanted to do that sort of thing.

I did get a coworker to do a loop through Clearwater in a long weekend. He enjoyed it but I dont think he will sign up again or that much abuse. My adult son has expressed interest in doing a challenging loop, I'd love to be able to share trips like that with him..

I don't know if it changed me much. It does make it easier for me to slow down on other trips instead of trying to convince people to do routes they really don't want to do. Actually I wish I'd have started earlier.

There is a unparalleled challenge, sense of accomplishment and oneness with the wilderness that you can only experience by being in it alone (hmmm, maybe it made me more reflective).. I will continue to solo as long as i am physically able.

My tripping style has changed for sure. I am now much more concerned with weight and size of packs. I used to be a huge camp cook, now food is simply fuel. I used to bring a lot of stuff I might need. I now bring less of what I need. I take more time when tripping solo. I get up early and get my miles in by early afternoon and take a nap under the pines. Going solo has made me a better paddler and much more focused on the less it more theory.

I agree with Sunny that it makes you a better person. I feel I've gained a greater appreciation for things and people. I also have a better idea of what I'm capable of doing. I feel it helps with self confidence. And best of all, I'm happier.

for some reason i became a fanatical birdwatcher at about seven years old. from then on all i wanted was to be alone in the woods. i have since found some balance.

Since I started soloing 16 years ago things have changed.

Everyone asks me questions and they look to me for route planning and packing planning if there is a tandem trip upcoming. This is not what I wanted nor sought all the time.

Soloing helps me with self reliance. It does NOT make me a better person, just more independent and confident that my methods are "right".
Sometimes they are not the only choices.

The only thing that seems to happen is that I'm more relaxed when I return home after a solo. Lasts for a few weeks. Then the old grind kicks in, raising the stress, working harder, etc etc. Then it's getting antsy for the next canoe season to start again. And the whole process repeats itself.

And like butthead, I notice after really grueling/long solos I'm even nuttier than before....

For me it is a benchmark for the challenges of life. When shit gets really tuff at home or work, I just think to myself "this aint nothing, remember last May?" I am constantly using problem solving skills of solo trips to help me sort out junk in the real world.

I am not sure how it has changed me, perhaps that is why I continue to do it, perhaps some day I'll know.

I know it changes how people look at me, they seem to think "well if he can do that, I guess I can trust (reliable) him more.

I don't really know how it changes me. I guess it makes me more confident in dealing with problems that come up in regular life.

I sometimes feel guilty for going solo. My vacation time is limited and being married some people may perceive that I'm selfish by not spending vacation with family. Hmmm. It's a quandry.

I suspect that a high percentage of people look at someone going off on vacation by themselves as being a bit weird. I've learned to really not give a shit what others think over the years but I don't openly talk about my solos with anyone other than you people on this board.

I sent a link of my latest trip report to some family and friends and the reaction was strange. Anyway, I'm rambling. Glad there's others out there who like to be a lone wolf once in awhile.

thats a good question paul, im going to have to ponder it a while.

i'm with Jan,thats a big question that need some mulling over before just pounding out a answer before moving on to the next post.

quote wetcanoedog: "i'm with Jan,thats a big question that need some mulling over before just pounding out a answer before moving on to the next post."

Perhaps something to ponder...while on your next solo?

LOL

I feel that those of us who venture out on solo adventures share a
quiet confidence. That feeling was totally reinforced and deepened for me after my first solo canoe trip across northern Quetico and back in 1989.

I have found over the years that solo adventurers are quicker to get going on one. They don't know it all or need to. They are happy learning on the go and from others. They don't get excited with the elements, they just deal with whatever comes their way. They don't whine if something breaks or they forget something, they just make do and press on.

I feel that solo adventurers are truly at home and comfortable wherever they might be at any given moment. They are happy and at
peace in their lives.

ill put it this way...

i didnt find solo tripping, solo tripping found me.

i feel ive always had the mentality for solos. its a good fit that just took a while to get to me.

that said, if solos have changed me at all its been very minimal.

another post inquired about our age on our first solo trip. i was eighteen on my first solo trip. i was out for seven days and it required a real effort on my part to be comfortable with the solitude, i saw no other person the entire trip, and i covered a lot of country.
i have just finished a five day ski solo trip, cold camping (it wasn't cold) at age 52. the last trip wasn't even my idea, my wife could tell it was necessary and urged me to go. she wanted to know what entry point i was using, and about when to expect me back.
the change is now when i solo trip, as soon as i am out of sight of my car, i am totally at peace with everything. to be truth full, bwca tripping is less eventful than driving a car in the cities, and safer by far. i quickly fall into my wilderness rhythm, a natural yet monotonous one. it could become dull but the beauty of the north is always so exceptional, sometimes intimate, sometimes inspiring, always enchanting.
i've added a few tricks to my trips to keep things interesting. i am now paddling a dinky little wood/canvas canoe that i have restored. my canoe is a part of this wilderness, it was used by an ontario trapper in the country north of armstrong, ontario, at the time that the world war II was overtaking the civilized world. this canoe requires that i handle her like a precious Fabergé egg. it is really a pain in the ass, but when you are one a multi day trip in one of these canoes, knowing that every landing will probably put another big ugly scratch in the paint, one that will almost certainly create a condition where the boat will gain water weight, and it already weighs twice what a "normal" boat should weigh, extra caution rewards its self.
i also use a minimalist bivy sack too compensate for my over-heavy canoe. this really puts me out there in the woods. just not in june.

I don't think soloing changed me, I think I've always been different ;). Even when I was young, I spent a lot of time alone - reading, playing, hiking, fishing, hunting.

I am planning on first BW solo this Fall but I have already done several solo overnighters on the river. These experiences haven't changed me necessarily but they have enhanced what I already was.

Each time I go out alone I think deeply about all aspects of my life. I reflect on my marriage, my work, and my friends. I come out of each short experience with just a little bit more of an appreciation for what I have. I am expecting my trip this fall to have a deeper effect on me.

quote boonie: "I don't think soloing changed me, I think I've always been different ;). Even when I was young, I spent a lot of time alone - reading, playing, hiking, fishing, hunting. "

Me too boonie. My mom always said that I marched to the tune of
a different drummer. She was also my biggest advocate. Gosh how I miss her. God may have taken her home; but, he gave me you all here at BWCA.COM and that too is a very beautiful thing. :+]

It started young for me too. My mom would tell the story of when I played by myself outside in the snow for 2 hours. I was 5 years old.

In my early teens after school I would frequently grab my pellet gun and go rabbit hunting in the woods by myself.

I don't remember my friends doing this sort of thing.