Solo Female Traveler: Jenny

Q: Which model of Roofnest do you have?
A: Condor

Q: Tell us about your vehicle. Do you have any awnings or accessories? Does your vehicle have a name?
A: 22” KB Voodoo Max Modular bed rack, Condor with awning

Q: Travel Mishaps — Has any crazy stuff happened?
A: Not too crazy, but punctured a tire way down a barely legible logging road in backroads, nowhere near cell coverage Montana. I recently bought a ‘Slime’ tire repair kit on the advice of other Roofnest Lockers. It took two tries with it, but I was back in business without having to stop to change my tire!

Q: What are the top challenges you face, and how did you overcome them?
A: Being out of cell coverage for days at a time worries my kids and after a lifetime of bushwhacking solo I started to think at my age I might be pushing my luck. I bought a satellite emergency transmitter so I can let my young adult children I am OK once in a while, or call Search and Rescue for myself if I got in a serious jam.

Q: Do you have some wisdom from your solo travels that you’d like to share?
A: Try a new road whenever you have a chance! You can always decide you don’t need to visit that one again, but you will miss out if you don’t explore.

Q: Where are you going to explore next? Do you have a dream camping trip?
A: I live in Montana, and am a fly fishing fanatic. This year I plan to explore the northwest part of the state from the Yaak Valley down to the Kootenay and the Clark Fork. I also plan to fish the St. Joe in Idaho this year. I have plans for a trip to and up the Oregon Coast with my daughter this summer. I love the Oregon Coast but haven’t camped there in almost 40 years!

Q: Where are your favorite places to explore? What makes those spots special to you?
A: I love the mountains in the west with all the millions of acres of public land. There are thousands of Forest Service roads, and trails and old logging roads to hike and bike. I grew up spending time in the Sawtooths in Idaho, and fell in love with the woods and mountains when I was a little girl. I haven’t lost that wonder at all, and still love to make a camp to go wander, whether with a fishing rod, a bow, or a camera.

Q: What drew you to solo traveling to being with?
A: I have always loved to be in the woods alone. I managed to get lost in the woods near Island Park Reservoir (near West Yellowstone) for a few hours when I was three years old; still a vivid memory. When I was a girl I would wander all day along creeks and rivers to fish. I did my first solo camping (without consulting my parents) when I was 15 and built a lean-to and fished for food. I love being able to just decide where and when to stop on my own whim. 

Q: Do you have any favorite pieces of gear you’d never be caught without? Why?
A: I never go far without some way to make a fire, and I don’t go without a knife and some way to keep dry.