Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
simonhill
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Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

Post by simonhill »

The 'getting dark time' is a consideration. In UK it's 10 pm in mid summer and in NW France etc nearer 11. That gives very long evenings. Even in my campervan in June in UK I'm often bedding down before it's dark.

In the tropics it's dark by 5 to 7 pm so easier to think of say 9pm as bedtime. Plus people tend to quieten as it gets dark. Campsites in Europe can be alive till late in the light evenings making sleeping more difficult and time drag.
willem jongman
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Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

Post by willem jongman »

I guess it is more about yourself than about conditions. I have often worked abroad for longer periods, so I am used to being on my own and it does not normally bother me a great deal.
However, it helps to arrive a bit later, take your time setting up the tent and having a shower. If you cook your own meal that also takes time. Sometimes you are in a field with just small tents, if so there are shared preferences and experiences.
For me the most uncomfortable situation is early or late in the season. Right now in the Netherlands it gets dark and quickly cold as well around 6 pm, so what do you do after that? For this reason my cycle touring is usually on hold until late March, when we get daylight saving time.
willem jongman
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Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

Post by willem jongman »

By the way, there are youth hostels in the Netherlands, but not that many. The organisation is called Stayokay.
pq
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Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

Post by pq »

I mostly tour alone, for various reasons but mostly out of choice. I tend to ride all day with few breaks, so in the evening I'm too tired to be bothered about company. I do like to wander around wherever I am (and often stay the night in towns for that reason) and like to read. I usually can't be bothered to go to a restaurant or a bar and eat whatever I can find in supermarkets. But the thing is I tour alone becasue I like it that way, so I'm not sure anything I say is much help to someone who doesn't like to tour alone.
One link to your website is enough. G
Ron
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Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

Post by Ron »

I've only done solo tours, these usually lasting a couple of months and haven't suffered loneliness, so maybe not the best person to offer advice.
After pitching the tent and having a wash I usually look for somewhere to have a meal, then explore the local area on foot by which time I just feel like sleeping.
I've carried a small radio, when used with earphones and closed eyes this allows me to escape to anywhere I may wish. Although it was often impossible to find any English language broadcasts there was usually some sleep inducing music available. I have carried a small book of Sudoku or crossword puzzles which come in handy on the odd occasion I might be stormbound in the tent. Making daily entries in a tour diary passes a little time and reading over years later gives me pleasure.
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Tinnishill
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Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

Post by Tinnishill »

Vodka
Agitate, educate, organise.
Steve X
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Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

Post by Steve X »

I have just completed an 8 week solo non cycling tour of India, and at certain points, loneliness was an issue, and I am reading this thread with interest as I will be doing two or three solo cycle tours this year, well thats the plan.
Someone has already mentioned Hostels, and that was a God send to me in India as you get social interaction there, and as a Cyclist you can join Warm Showers, and I am huge fan of Vrienden Oop de Fiets, never lonely there.
Another issue is making decisions sometimes, with no one to bounce things off. I found writing things down really helped on the odd occasion when my head was in a whirl.
I have also read a couple of Andrew Sykes books and he comments that he prefers solo travel, and suggests that travelling with someone else can be a pain as they may travel at different paces and may wish to go left when you want to go right. A good tip he gives though, is on a camp site if you go and ask to borrow a tent peg hammer, it gets you chatting with people. I suppose this could be a corkscrew, knife or whatever but asking to borrow something is a good Ice breaker, even if you don't need anything.
Psamathe
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Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

Post by Psamathe »

paul_n wrote: 15 Feb 2023, 2:34pm ...
Obviously tent pitched I will shower and do any laundry etc and then go out for a meal and a drink and once I have done that [ say by 19:00 ]
there is no one to talk to and is much to early to turn in.
...
There are loads of people to talk to. I find sometimes I wish there were not and I'd get a bit of peace. Sometimes it's other cyclists depending on where you are but more in NL and chatting to them can be really interesting, learning the details of how things actually work e.g. I once had a long discussion with a Dutch girl about Dutch "presumed liability" and how it works and the impacts, etc. - fascinating (really). Often people will come over and chat because "you are different", sometimes to try and convince you what amazing cyclists they are (back at home). I've had people in their camper vans cook me meals and suddenly turn up at my pitch with a plate full of food ('cos they think I need it). Arrive at a campsite, sit down for a rest before pitching tent and I'm being offered coffee from some nearby camper van.

Often when people travel together they can "close-off" to people outside their small group - become somewhat inward looking, chatting amongst themselves which discourages other people from coming over to chat (same with travelling, not just cycling/camping).

You wont be short of company provided you are open and friendly.

Ian
ElaineB
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Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

Post by ElaineB »

Yes, I totally agree with the last two posts. I once took 1/2 an hour to get over to the shower block as I had a long discussion with a very interesting chap about how he kept meat fresh using wet cloths which he draped over the meat in cold water. I told him about using a j cloth to stand on when I got out of the shower to not only prevent slipping over but also to dry my feet. People are SO interesting, once you break the ice and get chatting, you can learn so much from them, and they from you. Chat to people when you first pitch up and you will invariably get offered a cup of tea, as I did once at Devizes in Wiltshire, the lovely lady also gave me a large piece of homemade bread pudding! Her husband was a retired Chief Police Constable and was busy putting up the caravan awning, I offered to help but he wanted to do it on his own, I’ve never heard so much swearing! Wonderful people are out there, just talk to them.
Psamathe
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Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

Post by Psamathe »

Steve X wrote: 16 Mar 2023, 3:37pm I have just completed an 8 week solo non cycling tour of India, and at certain points....
A bit off-topic but I'm travelling round India at the moment (backpacking not cycling) and I'm finding Open Street Map very inaccurate - lots of things in the wrong place, missing roads and non-existing roads. I can manage as only using it walking to find places but using for navigating on a bike must be more of a problem. That said, my experience is mainly large towns/cities where cycling would be a nightmare. When I've been to rural places everything is easier to find without maps anyway.

Ian
Vorpal
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Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

Post by Vorpal »

What I do:
-take a Kindle & read
-go for a walk
-visit places or wander around and look at whatever is in the area: church, farms, views, parks, village, houses, etc.
-visit the local library
-find a cafe, try some local food & watch people or look at a local newspaper
-buy stuff to cook in a local shop & make myself supper
-talk to other people around, if at a formal campground
-ask locals about things to do & see in the area

I do try to stay sometimes at places where I'm likely to encounter others, like a campground, bunkhouse, or hostel. I also try to vary a little bit what I do from one day to the next, or google 'stuff to do <area>' a day or two before I get there, so I know if there might be a museum I'd like to visit, of something of interest to stop and see along the way. I also try to find out what sort of signs are used to indicate touristy stuff (like the brown tourist signs England, Scotland, and Wales), and keep my eyes out as I go. I like to be flexible, and will sometimes divert from a planned route to check out a point of interest. I have found the 'ask locals' approach to be more effective in some places than others. In the Netherlands, my experience is that it is helpful in rural areas & small towns.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Steve X
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Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

Post by Steve X »

Psamathe wrote: 21 Mar 2023, 3:50pm
Steve X wrote: 16 Mar 2023, 3:37pm I have just completed an 8 week solo non cycling tour of India, and at certain points....
A bit off-topic but I'm travelling round India at the moment (backpacking not cycling) and I'm finding Open Street Map very inaccurate - lots of things in the wrong place, missing roads and non-existing roads. I can manage as only using it walking to find places but using for navigating on a bike must be more of a problem. That said, my experience is mainly large towns/cities where cycling would be a nightmare. When I've been to rural places everything is easier to find without maps anyway.

Ian
I used Google Maps, no problem for backpacking.
I met a guy who was cycling though and he had GPX tracks off some website and seemed to have no problems other been concerned about being eaten by a Tiger in the Western Ghats, apparently 8 people a year are killed by Tigers. I did not point out to him that circa 50,000 a year die of snake bites, https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/hea ... tudy-84581. I asked Alexa, and she said 60000.
I still struggle believing those figures.
Psamathe
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Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

Post by Psamathe »

Steve X wrote: 22 Mar 2023, 8:16am
Psamathe wrote: 21 Mar 2023, 3:50pm
Steve X wrote: 16 Mar 2023, 3:37pm I have just completed an 8 week solo non cycling tour of India, and at certain points....
A bit off-topic but I'm travelling round India at the moment (backpacking not cycling) and I'm finding Open Street Map very inaccurate - lots of things in the wrong place, missing roads and non-existing roads. I can manage as only using it walking to find places but using for navigating on a bike must be more of a problem. That said, my experience is mainly large towns/cities where cycling would be a nightmare. When I've been to rural places everything is easier to find without maps anyway.

Ian
I used Google Maps, no problem for backpacking.
I met a guy who was cycling though and he had GPX tracks off some website and seemed to have no problems other been concerned about being eaten by a Tiger in the Western Ghats, apparently 8 people a year are killed by Tigers. I did not point out to him that circa 50,000 a year die of snake bites, https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/hea ... tudy-84581. I asked Alexa, and she said 60000.
I still struggle believing those figures.
Get him to look at the dangers from mosquito bites ...

Ian
Vorpal
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Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

Post by Vorpal »

Steve X wrote: 16 Mar 2023, 3:37pm A good tip he gives though, is on a camp site if you go and ask to borrow a tent peg hammer, it gets you chatting with people. I suppose this could be a corkscrew, knife or whatever but asking to borrow something is a good Ice breaker, even if you don't need anything.
I don't normally carry a mallet. If I can't push the pegs in the ground, I seldom need to ask. As soon as I start using a rock, I am often offered mallets by fellow campers. I'd say it's about 50% of the time. I have used that as an excuse for a chat a time or two.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Psamathe
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Re: Solo tours any strategies for the evenings ?

Post by Psamathe »

I like dogs. Fair number of camper van/caravan people take their dogs with them. Just go and make a fuss of their dog(s) and the owners will start chatting ...

Ian
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