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Exploring the outdoors can be fun, especially if you like camping or hiking alone.But if you often explore new areas solo, you can prepare before SHTF by considering important factors like safety and decision-making.

Keep reading to learn more about five importantaspects of solo hiking that you should carefully consider.(h/t to Survivopedia.com) Safety

When exploring the outdoors alone, you should prep ahead so you can keep yourself safe if things go south. Common emergency scenarios you may face include getting lost or getting injured.

If you plan your hiking route ahead of time, you can avoid dangerous wildlife or pests that pose a significant threat.

Self-management is an importantaspect of safety, especially regarding fatigue and hypothermia. In a group setting, you may hesitate to voice some concerns or disrupt the flow of the group’s conversation to address personal needs. (Related:Bug out survival planning: How to get out of the city after SHTF.)

But when you’re hiking solo, you can quickly attend to different concerns like thirst, hunger, cold, heat, fatigue, or blisters on your feet.

Certain accidents, like fatal falls, are just as dangerous if you are alone or hiking with a group.

Statistics show that going solo does increase the inherent risks. For example, more than 50 percent of search and rescue operations are conducted for solo hikers, campers, or people who got separated from their group during group trips.

When you’re outdoors alone,safety becomes your main priority.

Protect yourself when hiking solo by starting with an easy trail, especially if you’re new to hiking. Do some research on the trail you chose, and make sure you can navigate it safely.

Lastly, check the weather so you know what to expect on your hike. Decision making

Exploring solo gives you thefreedom to make your own decisions, from choosing your route, when to take breaks and what to eat for lunch. Gender

In some ways, gender is related to the first item on this list: safety.Men camping or hiking solorarely face inquiries from others about their safety.

Women on solo camping or hiking expeditions might tend to make cautious decisions and carefully consider various factors, like the location of the hiking trip.

Despite theevident gender “gap” when it comes to preparedness, survival and venturing into the wilderness solo, it all boils down to your skills and abilities.

Whenplanning a solo camping or hiking trip, always consider all factors that may present challenges. For example, self-defense is crucial for all hikers, regardless of gender. Loneliness

Depending on your preferences, hiking solo might be something enjoyable, or it can make you feel lonely.

While walking or foraging, try to appreciate the tranquility and silence that accompanies traveling solo. Use this time to sort through your thoughts and meditate as you escape the hustle and bustle of daily life.

If you are going on your first hike, you maystruggle with feelings of loneliness, but relish the scenery and make the most of your time in nature. Gear

When you’re hiking with others, the weight can be shared by dividing your supplies and gear.

But when youre alone, gear can feel heavier. After all, youre the only one responsible for carrying the load.

If you are struggling with the weight of your hiking gear, reevaluate your supplies. Keep your bag light by only bringingthe bare essentials.

If you’re not sure what to bring, here are 10 essentials for hiking: Drinking water Food/snacks Weather appropriate clothing Emergency blanket or shelter Map and navigation Sun protection First aid Fire starters Headlamp Knife or multitool

If you have space in your bag, bring asolar charger so you can charge your phone, which you might be using as your GPS through an app.

Be careful while hiking because you don’t haveabackup if something breaks or gets lost.

If you are prone to accidents like slipping or tripping on the trail, bring multi-purpose gear and focus on the essentials. If you only bring items that you know how to use, you will be fine if something goes wrong and you have to find resources.

To distribute the weight of your hiking gear,carry some items in your pockets and others in your backpack.

Hone your prepping skills and makesure that if you accidentally lose your backpack, you can still find your way back to the campsite and that you cansurvive alone in the wilderness when SHTF. Benefits of hiking solo

Hiking alone may seem scary to a beginner, but there are many benefits of hiking solo.

You don’t have to wait for someone else, which can be important if you’re the sort of person who gets impatient when your companion walks too slowly.

You can hike at your own pace, which can be a benefit if you tend to walk slower as you enjoy the view on a hike.

It builds character, especially if you want to become more independent. You have to set up your campsite alone, and you have to prepare and cook your food without help from anyone else.

Sometimes a simple hike can help completely refresh your headspace. Getting away from your busy life and various distractions and doing something simple like walking for hours can be almost meditative.

Going on a solo hike can also teach you new skills, or help you practice old prepping skills. When you’re hiking, you can honepractical skills like navigation, foraging, or firestarting.

Going on solo adventures can test your limits and develop your survival skills.

Traveling solo increases the potential for danger, but it can also heighten the sense of accomplishment and self-discovery. Before you head to your campsite, prepare ahead to avoid any dangers on the hiking trail.

Watch the video below for some hiking survival tips.

This video is from theReverend Christine channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories:

Survival essentials: 5 Bushcraft skills for preppers.

Twelve things you can do right now to be more resilient against collapse, famine and nuclear war.

Survival basics: 7 Essential skills for modern preppers.

Sources include:

Survivopedia.com

BeyondWildPlaces.com

Brighteon.com
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Politics

Starmer ran the gauntlet with Trump but just about emerged intact

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Starmer ran the gauntlet with Trump but just about emerged intact

When TV cameras are let in to film world leaders meeting in person, the resulting footage is usually incredibly boring for journalists and incredibly safe for politicians.

Not with Donald Trump.

Sir Keir Starmer ran the gauntlet on Monday.

Trump latest: President treats PM to a ride on Air Force One

Put through a total of almost 90 minutes of televised questioning alongside the American leader, it was his diciest encounter with the president yet.

But he still just about emerged intact.

For a start, he can claim substantive policy wins after Trump announced extra pressure on Vladimir Putin to negotiate a ceasefire and dialled up the concern over the devastating scenes coming from Gaza.

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There were awkward moments aplenty though.

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Trump calls London mayor a ‘nasty person’

Top of the list is Mr Trump’s trashing of the prime minister’s Labour colleague, London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.

But more important than that, Monday’s meeting was the clearest representation of the political gulf that separates the two leaders.

“He’s slightly more liberal than me,” Mr Trump said of Sir Keir when he arrived in Scotland.

What an understatement.

Read more:
Trump reignites row with Sir Sadiq Khan

EU leaders resigned to US trade deal

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Trump Turnberry golf club on July 28, 2025 in Turnberry, Scotland, Britain. Christopher Furlong/Pool via REUTERS
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The two leaders held talks in front of the media. Pic: Reuters

On green energy, immigration, taxation and online regulation, the differences were clear to see.

Sir Keir just about managed to paper over the cracks by chuckling at times, choosing his interventions carefully and always attempting to sound eminently reasonable.

At times, it had the energy of a man being forced to grin and bear inappropriate comments from his in-laws at an important family dinner.

But hey, it stopped a full Trump implosion – so I suppose that’s a win.

My main takeaway from this Scotland visit though is not so much the political gulf present between the two men, but the gulf in power.

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Trump gives Putin new deadline to end war

Sir Keir flew the length of the country he leads to be the guest at the visiting president’s resort.

He was then forced to sit through more than an hour of uncontrolled, freewheeling questioning from a man most of his party and voters despise, during which he was offered unsolicited advice on how to beat Nigel Farage and criticised (albeit indirectly) on key planks of his government’s policy platform.

In return he got warm words about him (and his wife) and relatively incremental announcements on two foreign policy priorities.

So why does he do it?

Because, to borrow a quote from a popular American political TV series: “Air Force One is a big plane and it makes a hell of a noise when it lands on your head.”

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World

Israeli human rights organisations accuse country of genocide

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Israeli human rights organisations accuse country of genocide

Two Israeli human rights organisations have said the country is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

In reports published on Monday, B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) said Israel was carrying out “coordinated, deliberate action to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip”.

The two groups are the first major voices within Israeli society to make such accusations against the state during nearly 22 months of war against Hamas.

Israel has vehemently denied claims of genocide. David Mencer, a spokesperson for the government, called the allegation by the rights groups “baseless”.

He said: “There is no intent, (which is) key for the charge of genocide… it simply doesn’t make sense for a country to send in 1.9 million tonnes of aid, most of that being food, if there is an intent of genocide.”

B’Tselem director Yuli Novak called for urgent action, saying: “What we see is a clear, intentional attack on civilians in order to destroy a group.”

The organisation’s report “is one we never imagined we would have to write,” Ms Novak said. “The people of Gaza have been displaced, bombed, and starved, left completely stripped of their humanity and rights.”

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PHR said Israel’s military campaign shows evidence of a “deliberate and systemic dismantling of Gaza’s health and life-sustaining systems”.

Both organisations said Israel’s Western allies were enabling the genocidal campaign, and shared responsibility for suffering in Gaza.

“It couldn’t happen without the support of the Western world,” Ms Novak said. “Any leader that is not doing whatever they can to stop it is part of this horror.”

Hamas said the reports by the two groups were a “clear and unambiguous testimony from within Israeli society itself regarding the grave crimes perpetrated by the occupation regime against our people”.

Read more:
Why are airdrops on Gaza so dangerous?
UN: ‘Vast amounts of aid needed to stave off catastrophic health crisis’

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Sky News on board Gaza aid plane

Dire humanitarian conditions

Since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza following the deadly Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, nearly 60,000 people – mostly civilians – have been killed, according to Gaza health officials.

Much of the infrastructure has been destroyed, and nearly the whole population of more than two million has been displaced.

An increasing number of people in Gaza are also dying from starvation and malnutrition, according to Gaza health authorities.

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On Monday, the Gaza health ministry reported that at least 14 people had died from starvation and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of hunger-related deaths during the war to 147.

Among the victims were 88 children, with most of the deaths occurring in recent weeks.

UN agencies say the territory is running out of food for its people and accuse Israel of not allowing enough aid deliveries to the enclave. Israel denies those claims.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said “there is no starvation in Gaza” and vowed to fight on against Hamas.

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Trump: Gaza children ‘look very hungry’

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that many in Gaza are facing starvation and implied that Israel could take further steps to improve humanitarian access.

Israel has repeatedly said its actions in Gaza are in self-defence, placing full responsibility for civilian casualties on Hamas. It cites the militant group’s refusal to release hostages, surrender, or stop operating within civilian areas – allegations that Hamas denies.

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UK

Two killed in stabbing at business premises in London

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Two killed in stabbing at business premises in London

Two men have died after a stabbing in central London.

Police were called to a business premises in Long Lane, Southwark, at 1pm on Monday, where they found four people had been stabbed.

A 58-year-old man died at the scene while three others were taken to hospital, the Metropolitan Police said. These included a 27-year-old man who has since died.

A third man, who is in his thirties, remains in hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.

Another man in his thirties, who has been detained in connection with the incident, remains in a life-threatening condition in hospital.

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Detective Chief Superintendent Emma Bond said: “Our investigation is in the early stages and we are working hard to understand the full circumstances of this shocking incident.

“At this point, we do not believe it to be terrorism-related and there is no further risk to the public.”

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