Safety in the Outdoors: A Practical Guide for Solo Travelers, Hikers, and Car Campers

Safety is a broad and nuanced topic. Most dangers never actually happen — but that’s the wrong mindset when you’re traveling solo or spending long stretches outdoors. Good preparation doesn’t make you paranoid; it keeps you alive, comfortable, and able to enjoy what you came out there to do.

Below is a breakdown of the different types of safety you’ll want to consider, from basic first-aid to vehicle safety, wildlife, and human encounters.

1. General Safety: The Things That Actually Happen

Most safety issues in the outdoors are small but important:

  • Sprained ankles

  • Small cuts, scrapes, or bruises

  • Burns

  • Getting wet in cold weather

  • Slips and falls

A misstep is all it takes. Having a basic medical kit and knowing how to clean and patch a small or medium cut is non-negotiable. Be aware of your footing at all times — a fall can lead to a sprain, fracture, concussion, or worse.

This is stuff you already intuitively know. You apply it daily in normal life: cooking with knives, walking in the rain, carrying heavy objects, etc. The outdoors just raises the stakes.

2. Vehicle Safety: Your Lifeline In and Out

Most of the “advanced danger” outdoors comes from your vehicle, not animals or people. When you’re far out, your car is an extension of your safety and mobility.

A few key rules:

  • Move slowly on unfamiliar terrain

  • Know your vehicle’s limitations

  • Think before every obstacle

  • Don’t force a line your vehicle can’t clear

Off-roading takes practice, and mistakes can be expensive. Your vehicle is also your shelter, especially if you sleep in it. Choosing a car over a tent eliminates a ton of risks right away — wind, cold, animals, and human intrusions.

3. Wildlife Safety in Washington State

Washington has incredibly beautiful wildlife — and a few animals capable of seriously hurting you. Below is a quick, accurate breakdown.

Black Bears

  • Population: 25,000–30,000

  • Size: 100–300 lbs, ~3 ft at the shoulder

  • Incidents: Only 19 injuries and 1 fatality in 50 years

Black bears avoid humans. Make noise, don’t run, carry bear spray. A firearm is optional and covered later.

Grizzly Bears

  • Population: about 10–20 total in the entire state

  • Found only in far NE Washington (Selkirk Mountains)

Grizzlies are nearly nonexistent in the Cascades and Olympics. If you happen to travel through grizzly country:

  • Make noise in dense forest

  • Back away slowly if you see one

  • If charged in a defensive encounter: play dead

  • If it’s predatory (extremely rare): fight back

The chance of encountering a grizzly in WA is basically zero, but awareness is still important.

Cougars

  • Population: 1,500–2,100 statewide

  • Rarely seen because they avoid humans

  • Danger comes from surprise encounters or crouching/turning away

If you see one:

  • Don’t run

  • Stand tall, arms up

  • Make noise

  • Maintain eye contact

  • Be ready to fight if needed

Moose

  • Population: 3,000–5,000

  • Mostly in NE Washington, Okanogan, and Selkirk areas

Moose cause more injuries in North America than wolves, cougars, and bears combined — mostly because of proximity and size. Give them space, especially during rut and calving seasons.

Elk

  • Tens of thousands in Washington

  • Roosevelt elk (west) and Rocky Mountain elk (east)

  • Mostly peaceful, but aggressive during rut

Keep distance from bulls and cows with calves.

4. Human Safety: The Hardest Topic

Human-to-human danger is rare in the outdoors, but it’s still important to acknowledge.

Being alone cuts both ways:

  • Positive: You’re unlikely to encounter people at all.

  • Negative: If you do meet someone with bad intentions, you’re isolated.

My own context:

  • I’m a 6’0, 190 lb male, so I automatically gain certain advantages smaller people don’t.

  • Predators (human ones) look for weakness. Body language matters.

  • In my years camping, I’ve never once had a bad encounter. The people I meet are outdoor lovers, not threats.

For women, the reality is different and unfair. I’ll never fully understand that perspective, but I take safety seriously — especially as I think about marriage and future kids. Protecting my family matters.

5. Firearms in the Outdoors: A Practical Perspective

This is extremely controversial, but here’s my honest take.

I worked at a gun store for about 5 months, helping people of all backgrounds — especially women — choose firearms because they had legitimate safety concerns.

Here are the important points:

Guns aren’t required outdoors.

Group travel, having a dog, staying in your vehicle instead of a tent, and trusting your instincts reduce risk dramatically.

But guns are useful tools when used responsibly.

Washington limits magazines to 10 rounds, but for outdoor defense (especially against animals):

  • 10mm is the ideal mix of size, recoil, cost, and effectiveness.

  • Brands like Glock, Smith & Wesson, and Sig all make reliable 10mm options.

If you choose to carry:

  • Train with the clothes and backpack you’ll actually wear

  • Practice drawing safely

  • Shoot a few hundred rounds through your firearm to understand it

  • Accept the responsibility fully — mentally and legally

For transparency:

I haven’t bought a handgun yet because I’m still weighing the responsibility, but I absolutely plan to in the future.

Final Thoughts

Safety outdoors is about preparation, awareness, and honesty with yourself. Whether it’s wildlife, terrain, weather, or rare human encounters, the goal is to minimize risk so you can actually enjoy what you’re out there for — solitude, exploration, painting, and the freedom that comes with it.