think there is colin i seen a few on the road .. are you a solo traveler ????

Being a male, I guess "travelling solo" is not that much different - wether at home or on the road. There are very few physical challanges - at either place.

The mental issues are somewhat different. At home, you have familar contacts (family, friends or work collegues). When travelling, you can be somewhat isolated from that network. I see the isolation from close contacts being a significant issue

-- Edited by nswoutback on Saturday 23rd of October 2010 12:29:20 PM

Some of the issues concerning solo women travellers are also relevant to the blokes on their own.
Some has to do with security.
Some has to do with breaking down and not being able to fix it.
Not every bloke is equipped to do much more than change a tyre.
It's assumed women can't do this, but I'd bet most of us can do it.
Some has to do with towing.
I get many comments about towing a van with my "big" 4WD. Apparently I'm "brave".
What's comfortable for me would be overwhelming to others. What's too small to me is just right for others.
It's all about working within one's capabilities.
As for security - we're all at risk in one way or another every day, in the city, on the road in the bush, or at home. Even in caravan parks. I think the bush is safer.
I do worry about the women who depend entirely on their man to do everything around the van, and for towing.
What happens when something goes wrong? He falls down the van steps, breaks an ankle and can't drive. Who does the driving then? Who does the towing them?
I believe all the girls should have a go at towing. They don't have to do all the tricky stuff, nor the backing, but at least towing forward, until they're confident in their own skills.
Let me tell you girls, the blokes had to learn to do this sometime in their lives so they can do it for you now. What do you reckon guys?
I reckon it's the girl's turn.

Ha ha ha ha. I get that Happy Wanderer.
Even my travelling companion Tom (Tom) doesn't ask me for directions, and gets it wrong. In doing so the dirty little bugger misleads me up a cul-de-sac.
What is that?
Today I cleaned all the contact points in all the lights on the van, as well as the plugs.
Then I crawled around the ground to get the stands out and clean up the legs after being parked for 2 years.
Then I pumped up the tyres with the compressor which clips on to the battery.
A neighbour bloke told me he would have checked the wiring and lights on the van weeks ago, if he knew he was hitching up. Yeah right!
The wisdom of hindsight in an ideal world. He reckons we girls think differently. He says we don't prioritise in the right order. He's a single sparky who works on the mines from time to time.
I told him he would have had a field day at my expense if I was blond as well as female.
He did smile at that comment.

Cruising Granny wrote:

---

Some of the issues concerning solo women travellers are also relevant to the blokes on their own.
Some has to do with security.
Some has to do with breaking down and not being able to fix it.
Not every bloke is equipped to do much more than change a tyre.

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i agree to those CG, I can change a tire but thats about it.
although im brillaint at pulling things apart, just dont ask if you want them
put back together and working as they did before!!

I also wonder about security, i guess whenever I do get to travell on my own, i pretty much will keep to my self, i kind of try to stay out of other peoples stuff, unless im travelling with a group.. but thats not very often,

 

where we are at the moment there is a lovely gentleman and other campers keep telling to turn his music down when it is not even loud just picking on him i think...

The grumpy old f..rts need to get a life of their own.
Some people insist on remaining miserable no matter how much other people try to cheer them up.
Music is the best cheerer-upper I know - even a little "doof doof" for a tiny little while.
As I travel I like to chat to other travel folk, even if it's to just pass the time of day.
"How are ya?" doesn't hurt a bit.
Sharing a chat is a great part of my travel experience. If someone appears a bit odd I avoid them.
I have not trouble judging the good from the not so good characters.
Commonsense vs foolishness.
I use commonsense all the time.
Couples have been known to get into trouble occasionally as well as singles.
Hind sight, wisdom on caution should see you right.

milo wrote:

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Sometimes I realy hate people ..

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Wait 'til you get a bit older, milo, and the "sometimes" will become "often"!

 

Some years ago 10% of the Campervan and Motorhome Club were solos and 60% of those were women so presumably there are more of us.  In 1998 I travelled up to a motorhome National Rally at Lightning Ridge and was amazed to meet up with several (from memory 4) men who all stated they would not have made the trip from Newcastle alone!  I was astounded that the men, probably following either the death of their partner or marriage breakup were feeling just as vulnerable as we gals.  My vehicle recently did the clutch, thankfully back here in Tassie and also thankfully not on the Tasman Bridge which I had just crossed, but since I always travel with the mobile dialled 131111 for the RACT Roadside help and she was put on a truck and transported back to Hobart.  What more could a bloke do?  RACT Ultimate covered the entire cost of the removal of my 4-1/2 tonne vehicle best part of 20k's and that's all you need - no great knowledge of the workings of your vehicle.

How interesting. I belong to NRMA. Their number is 131111. Do all the roadside assistance companies use the same people? Good to hear that they will go as remote as Birdsville. Will be heading that way next year. I also have the premium cover with NRMA.

Think  men  seem  to stick  to them  selves

Gee you've got that right. I don't know if they think we singles are weird because we're doing it on our own, or if they'll catch some awful antisocial disease, or if we're a threat and we'll pinch their partner.
Too bad! There are a lot of social people out there too, so I choose to chat to them.
I've met 2 young families doing the miles with the caravan. One has 3 young children, the other couple have just the one, and he's a handful with attitude.
It's still all about choices. Don't ya just love it?!

I think the thred says ,, Men traveling solo,, Who,s doing most of the talking ,, Perhaps we just like our own space a bit,, (quiet space ) that is ,,

And if it's got tyres or bAlls it causes trouble.
Now that's not fair. Not everyone is trouble. Surely we can be friends, acquaintances and buddies without the tangles.
I pay my own way unless I've been invited out and the other person has offered to pay up front.
The highest maintenance about me is my van.
I just enjoy meeting people of both genders, without any idea of anything more than a friendship, sharing stories and laughs over a beer or wine, or even coffee or tea.
I also like my own space, and I choose who I wish to share it with. This is a good life.