Whether you are part of a large expedition or going on a solo hiking adventure, the number of people involved is an important factor to consider. While there is nothing inherently wrong with hiking by yourself, and we highly suggest you do so from time to time, it is not as safe as traveling in a group. So your hiking essentials may have to change to things that are better suited for use by one person in an emergency situation. Also, you might want to consider making sure you have a way to communicate with the outside world if you plan on hiking alone. Thankfully, they do make a number of long-range walkie-talkies or cell phones that can do the job quite well.