>>714337
A lot of the times I prefer just going alone.

You don't have to really be concerned with anyone else's needs. You can see what you want to see, rest when you want to rest, etc. Take a dog with you if you want some companionship.

I always carry a pistol on my person just in case if I run into an animal that I'm not able to take care of by running away or scaring off.

And make sure to tell someone where you're going, how long you'll be gone, and what you want them to do if you end up going missing.

Hiking is great alone. I prefer to fish with one other person at most. And innawwods I prefer to take the mutt with me as he'll bark when something's wrong.

>>714363
OP said wanting to learn. Beginners shouldn't go out alone. Lots of little things can happen that wouldn't be an issue for most of us, but someone who's never dealt with it before could have a lot of difficulty. Take bear encounters for instance. You or I would probably just hang back and let it do its thing unless it engaged, but OP would probably panic and end up getting mauled.

>>714337

On behalf of Darwinism, your call OP

>>714371
Very true. I completely forgot that he was a beginner as I was writing. Got a bit carried away.

OP I would honestly do the stuff one at a time. Give a nice morning/afternoon hike a go. Find someone on the trails and just strike up a conversation, make a new buddy. Ask them if they'd mind showing you the ropes, or just follow their lead.

I am in the same boat as you at times. I love the outdoors, but the only one of my friends that also does is one of those "I could only really interact with them in groups without getting bored" types of friends.

I don't really know what to tell you other than to start safe and make friends in the field.

>>714337
You just keep visiting trails near you and remember the golden rule: be polite and well mannered to those who you meet in the trail. You're bound to make a hiking budy that way, specially in crowded trails where there are usual spots to eat or get water. In that manner it will all be more organic and not resembling a tinder one stand, digg?

Start by going to popular local spots. Just like a community lake, an easy trail. Once you feel comftorable doing that branch out to some longer daytrips, and then multi day trips. Just take it easy and progress at your comfort level.

I always like to bring snacks/baby wipes/water/basic OTC meds stuff like tylenol/Tums so I'm always comftorable for basic bodily functions regardless of trip length.

Try to do some research on weather so you know what to wear to be comftorable. It's usually better to bring extra layers because you can always shed them as needed.

For longer trips I have a spreadsheet of the basic stuff I need e.g. food/water/shelter/1st aid/communication etc. There's a bunch of camping checklists online, I took a bunch of them and condensed it down to my own personal list. That way I have peace of mind knowing that I have everything that I need+the extra things I want.

Overall don't stress too much about it. Don't get caught up too much in overpreparing, because as long as you have the basics you can improvise on the rest. Good luck anon, just start on a small trip to the lake or something easy have a picnic and enjoy yourself!

>>714337
I've never understood why people wanna meet other people from /out/. I hope I never meet any of you.......ever.

Are you in north or south ga op?

>>715515
North GA

>>715539
>North GA

Which county?

How old are you? teens, 20's, 30's?

>>715550
Cobb

24

Is it wise to go /out/ alone as a female?

I'm in the UK so the environment in very gentle.

>>715551
I live up in Cherokee, near the lake...

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>>715556
>Is it wise to go /out/ alone as a female?

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>>714440 had some really good advice:
>Start by going to popular local spots. (then) branch out to some longer daytrips ~ Just take it easy and progress at your comfort level.

There's a lotta great hiking trails near Cobb Co.

Climbing Kennesaw Mtn. is a great place to start and there's also several nice trails at Red Top Mtn State Park. Both of these places are relatively urbanized so there will be lots of other folks around and there's little to no danger of becoming lost or otherwise getting in over your head.

Don't worry about getting a bunch of equipment right away, all you really need is a pair of tennis shoes and a cheap pack (like a Jansport book bag) to carry some water, snacks and maybe a jacket.

Like I said earlier, I live up in Cherokee Co. near the lake and that's where we usually canoe, hike, camp, fish and practice our bushcraft skills. It's fairly close to Cobb Co, however I'm not sure if I'd want to meet up with an internet stranger at this juncture but if you'd post some kinda contact info like a throwaway email address, maybe I could suggest some more places to go in the future or give ya some tips or something...

>>715556
Yeah its' fine... It's a bit boring though. Source - not even remotely female but have done a bunch of /out in the uk.

>>714337
You are in Georgia, so go to any point on the A.T. and hike to a shelter there you will find an even mix of retards and experts who will show you both what to do and what not to do.

OP, I'd recommend joining the Georgia Canoeing Assocation (GCA), if you're at all interested in canoeing, or whitewater kayaking, or touring kayaking.

There are tons of outfitters to rent kayaks or sit-on-tops from, so you can have a boat to try it out and see if you like it. Anyway, boaters are some of the friendliest people you'll meet. I've been friends with some of the people I met through GCA for 15+ years now.

Go alone you fucking pussy