Traveler III
If it wasn't for solo travel I would pretty much never go. Unfortunately my wife isn't so much into the kind of deep bush, off grid adventures I enjoy and she has some medical struggles that all but preclude it even if she wanted to go, and my kiddos are all a bit too young for it yet, although the oldest is getting there.
Fortunately, I'm pretty strongly introverted and enjoy solitude, so solo overlanding suits me fine most of the time.
When traveling solo, there are a few principles that have served me very well. First and foremost is a healthy respect for how fast and how thoroughly nature can kill you. I'm not overly fearful when deep in the wilds alone, but always I go with the understanding that things can go badly wrong very fast, and I guard against this possibility at every step. Carrying a 12 gauge shotgun is just one of many aspects of this vigilance, as is proper preparation with extra food, water, med kit, etc.
Telling someone your planned routes and itinerary is also key.
Others have touched on it, but the second principle is that "discretion is the better part of valor." Many times I have passed on an obstacle or track because I was alone when I would surely have tried it if someone was right there to pull me out if things went pear shaped. I'm not saying avoid all risks, just carefully consider risks vs rewards when considering a track or route.
More later perhaps, gotta run because a thunderstorm is coming in and I gotta clean up the yard! Lol
