Your post brings up the point that it is worthwhile differentiating between the "intentional solo" hiker and the "inadvertent solo" hiker - the person who begins with a group and becomes separated. Those are the folks who often come to grief since they are often relying upon the collective expertise of the now vanished group.

I am just a little bit more studious in prepping for a solo outing, and I tend to be a wee bit more cautious when "out there," if I am alone rather than with a group of buddies. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />