I hike solo much more often than in company. Yes, I do go off trail while I am alone, but I am very keenly aware of possible hazards (like crossing a boulder field) and I set myself strict ground rules to minimize my exposure to risk.

As of this year I shall carry a PLB (McMurdo FastFind: 5.5 oz). This was a difficult choice to make, because now I will need to take it on every hike (there is no such thing as a hike where nothing could go wrong).

I arrived at this conclusion more for the sake of my family than for myself. I am not just loved; I am genuinely needed, too, and I must take that fact into account.