Quote:

A positive attitude is, as you probably know, the smallest, lightest and most useful thing to bring along on any trip and you can't borrow one on a solo.

I don't think this aspect can be emphasized enough IF you’re thinking of doing a solo trip of ANY length.
I’d bet that if ALL the solo paddlers here laid out their gear side by side there would be a few necessities in common and a whole range of other items that each of us bring that we think make a great solo trip.

The single most important “item” we ALL have in common is that good attitude and the will to deal with things as they come up, which means you think before you act and adapt to your circumstances.

You read tandem/group trip reports and often time’s someone is the “ramrod”, the person who get’s things organized, picks up the slack and if needed boosts sagging morale or sometimes puts whiners/slackers in they’re place. EVERY tandem/group needs a person like that IF the others are not self-moderating.

Solo is a different “cat”. No-one is reminding you left gear in camp because you kept a sloppy camp and scattered your gear all over the place. You sleep late and miss your pick-up or over estimate how far you have to go to pick-up or to keep on your schedule, it’s ALL on you.

You make a dumb decision on water/land you shouldn't expect someone is going to bail you out.
You hit a rough portage and you have to 3x it and arrive in camp dead tired, no-body is going to set up your tent, make a hot meal or warming fire or find/cut wood for that fire.

That’s where that positive attitude comes in. I use a quote from Winston Churchill about doing what is “required”. You can only do that when solo IF you have that positive attitude.