solo self-supported bikepacking alumni: give me your advice

amandaeve

I'm headed out on a 14-day bikepacking trip on my own. My bike, equipment, food, supplies, route, alternate plans, backups, and details are all planned down to the quarters I'll need for showers.

I have one hanging question: What if I get bored and/or lonely? I have audiobooks, ebooks, podcasts, sketchbook, journal, blog. But even on a long solo century I can get pretty stuck inside my own head. How am I going to handle 2 weeks? I feel like the biggest challenge won't be the demands on my body or thinking (I know the area I'm riding through), but my emotions. Anyone have any words of wisdom to share? Maybe I'm posting this in the wrong forum (sorry if so!)

MargaretYakoda

Have you ever read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance?

It might resonate.

AnnPT77

Is this all backwoods/wilderness? If no, there should be some interpersonal opportunities at campsites and such, maybe?

Other than that, I guess I'd look at it as an interesting opportunity to see what does happen . . . but I maybe have the wrong bias for this question: I'm pretty introverted, already spend lots of time alone pretty happily, not inclined to ruminate in negative ways. I haven't done an unsupported backwoods trip like that, but I'm sure I spent some 2-week-plus periods alone in the house during the pandemic with similar resources for self-distraction, though I don't remember specifically. A trip would be more stimulating, it seems like.

westrich20940

I have not done this type of solo/unsupported trip --- but I'd suggest a couple of things:

1. Try to do some more mindfulness things...if that's not something you do usually. I often sit at the base of a particular tree for the duration of a song at least after my runs (to cool-down and also to just feel myself on the ground...and sort of idk...kind of meditate?). I'm v bad at actually meditating or doing any type of journaling (traditional mindfulness exercises - but they are good for you). Running is that for me - a way to feel connected to my body and present.....but now that I've added my little sit-down with my tree, I think I really like it. So, try to 'connect' a bit more with nature I guess if that's not too cliche.

2. Are you able to have your phone with you and a set of bluetooth headphones/mic? I saw someone on a running forum once talk about how they used their long runs to make phone-calls to people (friends/family) that they don't often get a chance to call up and catch-up with. I wouldn't be able to do that bc...even though it's repeated all the time to run at a pace where 'you can have a casual convo'...I cannot do that. My heart rate is basically ~160ish for my whole run once I get going...so I'm not a big talker while running. But, maybe on a bike it might be easier to pick some peeps to catchup with that way if you find yourself getting bored?

3. You said you are stocked up on books/podcasts, etc.....and my only other suggestion would be to find something very engrossing to listen to that is also long. This is completely subjective obviously but some that I use when I know I have a LONG trip (like a roadtrip or something where I know I could be bored out of my mind even listing to music on spotify or something) are: Oh No Ross and Carrie (this is one of my fav podcasts...most episodes are only like an hour but they did a series about ayahuasca and it was multiple episodes ... like into the teens number of episodes...and it was one of the most fascinating things I ever listened to). Or something like Unobscured...there are 3 seasons of that - one about the Salem Witch Trials, one about Spiritualism, and one about Jack the Ripper. But these are like...season long deep deep dives into those subjects and the history and other contexts of those events. Very interesting.

Hope you have a great time. Be safe!