How to Build Confidence for Solo Camping: 10 Small Steps Towards Your First Night
Updated: 6 days ago
Camping alone at night can sound lovely when you’re looking at somebody else’s photographs. Choosing where to go, booking a pitch and imagining yourself there after dark can feel quite different. Perhaps you already enjoy walking alone, but overnight feels like a much bigger step. Or perhaps even heading out for a short walk by yourself is something you’re still getting used to.
I share my solo adventures because I want more women to feel able to head outdoors. But a photograph of my tent or car-camping setup doesn’t tell you everything that goes into getting there: checking the weather, figuring out where to park, weighing your options, and sometimes changing the plan altogether.
If you’d like to build confidence for solo camping, you can start with something much smaller than a night away. Drawing on my own hiking and camping experiences, these are ten steps I’d suggest. Start wherever feels relevant, repeat anything that helps, and leave out the steps you don’t need.
1. Spend a little time outdoors on your own
Your starting point could be a familiar park, a local footpath or a bench somewhere you enjoy. You don’t need to turn it into a proper outing. Take a drink, sit for a while and give yourself a chance to find out what being there alone actually feels like. It can help to notice what makes you uncomfortable. Are you unsure what to do with yourself? Worried about getting lost? Wondering whether other people are looking at you? These are different concerns, and they need different responses. A familiar place can ease navigation worries while you get used to having some time to yourself.
2. Build confidence for solo camping on a familiar walk
Choose somewhere you’ve walked before, with a clear route and an easy return.
Keep the practical side straightforward: suitable weather, plenty of daylight and the clothing and supplies you need. Let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to be back.
The useful part is making your own decisions. You choose when to leave, where to pause and whether you’ve had enough. There’s no need to add distance just because the walk feels manageable. If you enjoy it, it's a good reason to do the same route again.
If you’re starting with a few walks on your own, my solo hiking safety tips cover the practical things I think about before heading out.
3. Stop for a drink or something to eat
On your next walk, give yourself time to stop. Bring a flask and a sandwich, or choose a café you’d like to visit. An overnight trip includes plenty of time when you aren’t walking or putting up a tent. Getting comfortable with those quieter moments can be part of the prep. A brew is one of the things I enjoy about car camping. Having somewhere to sit and take my time before a walk is part of the appeal. You can try a small version of that now, without packing for a night away.
4. Plan a half-day outing yourself
Pick a place, check the route and work out the practical details: where you’ll park or get off the bus, where the toilets are and how you’ll get home. For my own trips, knowing where I’ll park makes a real difference. It removes one thing I’d otherwise be trying to work out on arrival. Choose a main plan and an easier alternative. If the weather changes or you don’t feel like doing the whole walk, what else could you enjoy nearby?
That gives you some room to make decisions on the day. You haven’t committed yourself to carrying on regardless.
5. Practise changing your mind
This might sound like an odd step towards camping alone, but it’s something I think matters.
On a recent Lake District trip, I reached the first gate of a planned early hike and found a bull in the field. It was dark, and I decided against continuing. I changed my plans and went for a low-level walk around Buttermere instead. That walk became an enjoyable part of the trip in its own right.
Experience hasn’t removed the need to make those decisions. Being on my own means I need to be willing to make them. You can practise this on smaller outings. Shorten a route when you’re tired. Choose a sheltered walk when the weather doesn’t suit your original plan. Give yourself permission to leave somewhere you don’t feel comfortable. Knowing you can change your mind is useful when you start thinking about an overnight stay.
6. Build confidence for solo camping by practising your setup
Before sleeping in your tent, practise putting it up and packing it away. If you’re planning to sleep in your car, set up the bed and work out where your belongings will go. Use a garden if you have access to one, or somewhere you're allowed to practise. Try the ordinary things. Can you find your torch? Reach your warm layer? Keep your shoes somewhere sensible? Get in and out easily?
My car-camping setup is in a Suzuki S-Cross. Making that space work involves quite practical questions about sleeping, storage and what I want to reach within. Whatever you’ll be sleeping in, familiarity can take some of the effort out of your first night. You’ll already know how at least part of the evening works.
If you’d prefer to sleep in your car, check out my car-camping essentials post to see how I make the space work for nights away.
7. Choose a campsite that answers your actual worries
For a first solo camp, I’d look for an established campsite with facilities and a straightforward journey home.
Start with what would help you personally. That might be an on-site warden, toilets close to your pitch, parking beside your tent or reliable phone reception.
Contact the campsite before booking. You can tell them you’re planning your first solo stay and ask:
Will a staff member be available when I arrive?
Can I request a pitch near the facilities?
Where will my car be parked?
Is there usually mobile reception?
Who should I contact if I need help overnight?
Their answers will help you judge whether the site suits you. If it’s nearby, you could also ask whether a daytime visit is possible. A beautiful photograph won’t tell you how comfortable you’ll feel arriving there. Practical information is much more useful.
For a Lake District option, you can read about my experience of camping at Rydal campsite to help you decide whether it would suit your first solo stay.
8. Try a supported version if you want one
You don’t have to move straight from day trips to camping completely independently. You could book your own pitch while a friend stays elsewhere on the same site, or attend an organised camping weekend where you sleep in your own tent.
A solo night in a camping pod could be another option if being away alone and managing unfamiliar equipment feel like too much to tackle together. I’ve attended an organised camp myself, and I think it’s valuable to have company while still doing parts of the experience independently. You can choose the amount of support that helps you enjoy being there.
9. Plan one straightforward night
When you feel ready to book, keep the first trip manageable. Choose a campsite within a comfortable distance of home. Look for a suitable weather window, arrive well before dark and leave yourself time to settle in. I’d avoid combining the night with a demanding hike, a long drive and a complicated meal. Give yourself enough energy to get used to camping.
Have an evening in mind, too. Bring something you’ll enjoy eating and something to do once you’ve finished setting up. For me, reading or listening to a podcast is part of the pleasure of time away. Tell someone you trust where you’re staying and agree when you’ll check in. Make sure your phone is charged, your sleeping equipment suits the expected temperature, and you understand the site’s arrival and departure arrangements.
It also helps to know how you could leave if you needed to. Check any vehicle-gate restrictions, and don’t rely on driving home when you’re too tired to do so safely.
10. Take the next step towards your first solo wild camp
Once you’ve spent a night on a campsite and feel comfortable with your equipment, you might start thinking about taking it somewhere more remote. That’s where the earlier steps come together: planning your route, making your own decisions and knowing how to look after yourself overnight. A few extra things to work out before a wild camp. You’ll need somewhere you’re allowed to camp, a route you can navigate confidently and equipment suitable for the conditions. Without campsite facilities, you’ll also need to plan your water and toilet arrangements, and how you’ll carry everything out again.
I’d keep your first trip straightforward. Choose a familiar area, a short walk in and a settled forecast. Visiting in daylight beforehand can help you understand the terrain, although you’ll still need to check permission and whether the location is suitable for an overnight stay. You don’t need to combine your first solo wild camp with a big mountain day. If the jump from a campsite still feels too much, try wild camping with someone experienced first. You can practise carrying your kit, choosing a suitable pitch and spending a night away from facilities with some support nearby.
Before heading out alone, share your route, intended camping area and expected return time with someone you trust. Know how you’ll get back if conditions change, and choose a trip that’s within your skills.
For me, the appeal is having time to enjoy a place beyond the walk itself: settling in for the evening and being there when the next morning begins. Those are the moments I want to encourage other women to experience.
You may still feel nervous when you set off. The useful question is whether you’ve prepared for the things you can reasonably anticipate and chosen a manageable first trip. Give yourself that foundation, then take it at your own pace.
If you’re curious to go further, I’ve also shared my first solo wild camping experience. There’s no rush, but it might inspire you for the future.
You can stay on the same step for as long as you like
I’ve called this a confidence ladder, but there’s no deadline for reaching the top.
You might enjoy several local walks before wanting to go further. You might find that campsites with facilities suit you so well that you lose interest in wild camping. You might prefer sleeping in your car.
My own outdoor time includes mountain walks, low-level routes and the quieter parts of camping. The Buttermere walk I chose after changing my plans reminds me that a day doesn’t need to be demanding to be worthwhile.
The question I’d start with is: what would make the next experience feel more manageable?
If you’re worried about pitching the tent, practise that. If you’re worried about being isolated, choose somewhere with staff and other campers. If you’re unsure whether you’ll enjoy an evening alone, try spending a little more time by yourself on your next day out.
You don’t have to feel fearless before you make a plan. You can be interested, a little uncertain and prepared enough to try a small next step.
That might be booking one night. It might be taking a flask on a familiar walk this weekend. I’d love more women to feel that either is a worthwhile place to begin.
Which step are you at, and what would help you take the next one?
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