I was apprehensive too at first, but after the first time out I got comfortable with it. I think the fear of something going wrong is overblown. We certainly hear of solo hikers getting into trouble now and then, but we seldom hear about those that don't, which certainly out number those that do by a lot.
Let's think about that a minute....
How are you going to hear about those who vanish alone into the wilderness? If they don't leave an itinerary, don't tell anyone they are going, and no one knows where they are, is anyone going to assume they didn't just move to Mexico, get murdered somewhere in town, or.....
It has happened that while on a search for one subject we have found the remains of some unrelated missing person in an area where no one was reported to be missing. We do not know how many people are out there dead in the wilderness, unknown, unheard of and unaccounted for. Therefore it is impossible to speculate on how many there are who've gone out solo and gotten hurt.
I will not, for example, go anywhere off trail while solo. Nor would I go bouldering and climbing alone. Things that increase risk of injury in isolated places where hardly anyone goes are better done with others.
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