“WHEN Stella Mills was dumped by her partner, she didn’t follow the typical pattern of post-break-up behaviour. Instead, she jumped on Facebook Marketplace and bought herself a tent – and little did she know that impulse buy would be one of the most freeing things she’s ever done. Sign up for the Fabulous newsletter Thank”, — write: www.thesun.co.uk
Instead, she jumped on Facebook Marketplace and bought herself a tent – and little did she know that impulse buy would be one of the most freeing things she’s ever done.
Thank you!
Stella Mills bought a second hand tent and went on her first solo camping trip after a breakupCredit: instagram/stellasoloadventures Stella, who loved camping trips ever since she was little, had been yearning to spend more time in nature.
But when her relationship with her girlfriend ended, she decided she was going to go on her own outdoor adventure – completely on her own.
“I got sick of waiting for others to take me, so after getting dumped, I took myself on my first solo camping trip,” she told her 133K followers on her @stellasoloadventures Instagram.
She found a large tent for just £35 and headed straight on her first-ever solo camp.
“I didn’t even put it up, just packed the car and left,” she said.
She told her followers how she “cried her eyes out” as she watched the sunset that night.
“I was crying, I was so upset I spent the whole night just absolutely gutted, just wanting to go home,” she said.
“I woke up the next morning and then decided to stay and absolutely loved it.”
That trip was a game-changer, and one year on, she has been travelling the UK with her pup Otis and uses her Instagram to empower other women to camp alone.
She even set up her own solo camping movement, where she invites other women to join her and fall in love with sleeping under the stars.
EMPOWERING ADVENTURES Reflecting on her life-changing purchase, she told her followers: “So much has changed for me, I’m a completely different person. I am now full-time travelling as a solo female traveller camping with Otis and my new tent.”
“It’s funny how it just takes one thing to spark off everything else.
“The moment I came back from camping, I started to take therapy more seriously. And no one really knows other than those in my close circle how much I’ve changed and how much growth I’ve done and I don’t need to rely on a girlfriend anymore and that’s huge for me.
“Before, it was always about the girlfriends for me, the highs, the lows, the crash. You know, if they’re not texting me back, the anxiety. And now it’s kind of just settled. And after months of doing it, it’s only now that I’ve realised that I’m on my own and I’m ok.”
Fellow campers have flooded Stella with support, with many saying how she’s inspired them to do the same.
I got sick of waiting for others to take me, so after getting dumped, I took myself on my first solo camping trip.Stella Mills
“You’ve inspired me. What a woman! Main character energy,” one wrote.
“You GO girl,” added another.
“You have inspired me to do something similar but with a camper,” said a third.
“The best stranger I ever found on the internet! An inspiration! I love watching your solo adventures,” echoed another.
If you’d like to join Stella on her solo female camping trips, follow @solonotsolocamping on Instagram.
Stella has created a community for other women to join her solo camping tripsCredit: instagram/stellasoloadventures
When visiting any campsite this summer it’s important to make sure you’re not making simple mistakes that could ruin your holiday.
Check your tent
David recommends putting your tent up a couple of weeks before you’re due to travel to give you enough time to repair or replace any damaged parts.
He told Sun Online Travel: “You’d be surprised how many people turn up with broken tents.”
Test the ground
Picking a good spot to pitch your tent is difficult, with lots of things to consider.
One of those should be the condition of the ground you’re putting your tent on top of, according to David.
He said: “Once you’ve found the perfect spot, test the ground with your pegs before you commit to camping there to make sure the ground is soft enough.”
Don’t nap in your tent
It may seem the perfect place for it, but a nap in a tent could end badly, if it’s done at the wrong time of the day.
David explained: “If the sun’s shining and it’s hot inside your tent – don’t do it!
“One of our friends nodded off in his tent during a heatwave at Glastonbury and ended up at the medical tent with heatstroke.”
Instead, he recommends finding some shade outside or somewhere well ventilated.