Longest you've gone without seeing another person

How many days have you gone without seeing / talking to another person?


  • Total voters
    19

Ben

Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2014
Messages
1,873
What's the longest you've gone without seeing or talking to an other person. For the purposes of this thread i am asking specifically about solo time. If you're curious how long people have gone on a multi person trip with out seeing an other party, may be start an other poll? Feel free to share your answer in comments.
 

wsp_scott

Member
.
Joined
May 16, 2016
Messages
1,107
The majority of my trips are solo, but in the Southeast, it is hard to really get away from people. A couple of trips in the Smokies in the winter I've gone a couple days without seeing anyone.

I'd love to go a week in the woods without seeing anyone :)
 

4shot

Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2019
Messages
8
The majority of my trips are solo, but in the Southeast, it is hard to really get away from people. A couple of trips in the Smokies in the winter I've gone a couple days without seeing anyone.

I'd love to go a week in the woods without seeing anyone :)

I live in the SE as well. If you haven't hiked it, check out the Benton McKaye trail, especially outside the GSMNP. I have regularly gone 6 to 7 days without contact on this trail. Very little cell phone service either. Another place is the Big South Fork NRA, although I will see people on horses there but few (or no) backpackers.
 

wsp_scott

Member
.
Joined
May 16, 2016
Messages
1,107
I live in the SE as well. If you haven't hiked it, check out the Benton McKaye trail, especially outside the GSMNP. I have regularly gone 6 to 7 days without contact on this trail. Very little cell phone service either. Another place is the Big South Fork NRA, although I will see people on horses there but few (or no) backpackers.

I was just in BSF for 3 days, only one backpacker, but dayhikers everyday. It is possible to find some quiet in the SE, but I get tired of 4 or 5 days of green tunnel hiking and start looking for a view and then I run into people. My usual solution is to hike in the winter when most of the fair-weather hikers are hiding inside :)
 

LarryBoy

Hiker Trash
.
Joined
Jan 4, 2015
Messages
2,748
I've gone six days at least half a dozen times, but never seven. I think it has to do with the length of typical resupplies. I generally don't carry more than 8-9 days of food at a time and you're bound to see people on the first day out of town and the last day into town.
 

Jackson

I ❤️ GYE
.
Joined
May 31, 2015
Messages
3,065
I've gone six days at least half a dozen times, but never seven. I think it has to do with the length of typical resupplies. I generally don't carry more than 8-9 days of food at a time and you're bound to see people on the first day out of town and the last day into town.
I figured you would have had like a 2-week span or something on your RIB hike. Makes sense with the resupplies though.
 

LarryBoy

Hiker Trash
.
Joined
Jan 4, 2015
Messages
2,748
I figured you would have had like a 2-week span or something on your RIB hike. Makes sense with the resupplies though.
To me, the only way to go much longer than 9-10 days is if you're carrying a TON of food, or you're burying caches.
 

Ben

Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2014
Messages
1,873
I've gone six days at least half a dozen times, but never seven. I think it has to do with the length of typical resupplies. I generally don't carry more than 8-9 days of food at a time and you're bound to see people on the first day out of town and the last day into town.

that was the limiter for me too. seven days is about the longest i look to do a self supported trip.
 

Bob

Trailmaster
Joined
Mar 3, 2013
Messages
3,741
The difficulty of trips I usually take, plus I like the company to enjoy a good trip ... 3 days is the longest solo...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ben

Take No Prisoners

New Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2020
Messages
1
What's the longest you've gone without seeing or talking to an other person. For the purposes of this thread i am asking specifically about solo time. If you're curious how long people have gone on a multi person trip with out seeing an other party, may be start an other poll? Feel free to share your answer in comments.

4 nights in isle royale when my kids were 4 & 6. They trudged into the wilderness without complaints. They experienced watching a bull moose graze the bottom of a lake, a cow and her twins cross the trail in front of us, and were woken up by our tent billowing from the breathing of a bull moose grazing under the tent! You could smell his breath! That was 1998 when the wolves still occupied the only true eco system left


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Kmatjhwy

Wilderness Wanderer
Joined
Sep 23, 2016
Messages
726
Now there have been a number of times when I went over two weeks without seeing anyone when hiking back in the South Absaroka - Yellowstone - Thorofare Country thru the years. It was absolutely fabulous. Time or two on my big trips it was close to three weeks. Now such time only in the wilds .... Just phenomenal. Wishing Everyone the Best!
 

Michael

Alien from over the pond...
Joined
Sep 5, 2012
Messages
1,037
4 days in 2018 during the OSR-Upper Sandslide-Lower Sandslide-OSR loop.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ben

Similar threads

Don't like ads? Become a BCP Supporting Member and kiss them all goodbye. Click here for more info.

Top