I have yet to find a hunting buddy that will hunt my preferred style, so I have been going solo. I started out climbing mountains. The popular climbs usually have many people on the trail, so you are not really by yourself. It’s a good testing trip, though. Start small and work your way into more advanced expeditions. In the fall however, I would not count on other people being around. So, make sure you leave a detailed map and agenda with somebody. Leave a map and agenda on the dash of your vehicle. If you can text someone your lat/long at night, or when you get service, do it. If you can get a satellite distress signaler, do that. Keep a redundancy in navigation, like a map and compass and a GPS unit. Keep a good first aid kit. Take a couple ways to acquire water. In predator country (which is pretty much everywhere in the mountains), always have your gun on you. I guess its all the boy scout/backcountry stuff, but it’s even more important when by yourself. Ultralight is also very important, because you have nobody to split the weight of common items like a tent. Also know your limits. But know that your limits are not really your limits. You think they are, and then you get a second wind. But you need to find this out before you are 5 miles from the vehicle with 80 pounds on your back. So, you need to train. There is a certain amount of fear present when venturing out on your own, but when you conquer that it is very freeing and enjoyable. Just like anything, start small, work your way up, and pay attention to detail. Good luck!
