If you’ve been out hiking this summer, you’ve no doubt encountered this type on the trail: the solo hiker.

He or she signed in as “1” at the trailhead beside “number in party.”

As the hiker passed by, maybe you looked on with envy, while you and your group of hikers traipse along in single file. You might have wondered what it’s like, to be completely responsible for only you, while hiking alone. You would be unencumbered by the added responsibility of simply traveling with another person, or by accommodating their pace or hiking style.

On the trail, you could stop and break without worrying about whether the group is concerned over your whereabouts. It would be just you, and you alone, to accept the pace of what the day gives you along the trail. There are almost as many reasons to hike alone as there are individuals who do it.

Despite conventional wisdom that you should never hike alone, lots of hikers do just that. Most importantly, they do it safely. To hike solo safely, depends on having sufficient knowledge and skills to go for a hike, possibly multi-day, without becoming a victim and needing to be rescued. You can use some of the same skills and principles for safe trail travel that you would use with a group.

One of those sets of techniques is adopting the Leave No Trace principles, which first and foremost state that you must plan and prepare for a hike. That means don’t attempt any hike lightly, by going without adequate protection from the weather, loaded in a pack that includes the 10 essentials. The essentials take on more importance when solo. Your pack should include a first aid kit, toilet paper, a trowel for digging a cat hole, map of the trails you’re hiking, compass, emergency whistle, pocket knife, matches or lighter and flashlight or headlamp, with fresh batteries. That does not include a lunch and snacks for a long day hike, such as Bigelow Mountain in Carrabassett.

A cardinal rule of any well-planned solo hike that’s never to be broken, is letting either a friend or family member at home know where you’ll be hiking, and then don’t change the plan. If you tell them you’ll be in Acadia National Park, don’t decide to head for Baxter State Park instead.

Even if you haven’t sorted out which trail you’ll be taking until you arrive at a trailhead, tell someone where you intend to be. That way if you don’t return at the designated time rescuers will know where to begin their search. If you do know which trail you’ll be hiking, then by all means, tell someone. I’ve got a list of relatives who all know when I’m going on a solo hike. Before I leave the house for a trek, I go down the list and call people until I find someone to brief.

Other than the fact that by hiking alone you have no one else to rely on in case of trouble, the same could be said if you became separated from a group. For most day hikes, there really are no special skills needed to set a solo hiker apart from someone who hikes with a partner or group. You may need a little more thought about using care in hazardous situations like stream crossings or during bad weather, but you would do that with a group also. Generally you would need no more skills than you would need in a group, there’s just no group.

All of the biggest mountains in the state can be done on a day hike, although some require a long day. Once you can comfortably hike those solo, maybe you’re ready for a longer, multi-day trek on the Appalachian Trail like in the “hundred-mile wilderness” between Monson and Abol Bridge on the Golden Road.

Solo multi-day hikes not only test the skills you need to hike a long distance while carrying a heavy load, but also the mental aspects of being by yourself for long stretches of time.

The key to overcoming the loneliness that invariably creeps in is best expressed in a quote by Gramma Gatewood. She hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine three times. She said about all three of her solo hikes: “It takes more head than heel.” She meant that it’s harder mentally than physically to be alone for long periods of time.

Going solo, the mental and emotional parts of just not having someone to talk to at the end of the day, can be overwhelming to some people. The hours during the day’s hike seem to pass a lot slower when you’re alone. For others, seeking solitude is why they are out there in the first place, so they embrace the quiet along with the surroundings.

Some people hike for the social interaction they enjoy with other hikers in their group or others they meet along the way. They like meeting other folk and discovering adventure together. Just because you go solo doesn’t mean that you’re anti-social. Some solo hikers welcome someone to talk to, others don’t. I love hiking into a place solo and seeing a group. I’ll set up camp, meet everyone, share “trail tales” and hike out the next day to another destination down the trail. I get to meet everyone, then move on at my own schedule. How early or late I sleep in the next day is what determines where I’ll be or who I’ll meet at the next campsite or on the way.

Solo hiking is not for everyone. If you any doubts at all about your ability to be self reliant, then don’t go solo. You could put yourself (and anyone else who may have to be sent to rescue you) in danger. However, if you are certain of your skills and love hiking in the quiet of your own company, then maybe going solo is for you. Some of the best views, the gentlest forest walks, the most surprising wildlife sightings and the most spiritual mountain moments have occurred while I’ve hiked solo. They wouldn’t have been the same with someone else there.

Brad Viles lives in Ellsworth and spends much of his free time hiking.