Long road and to no avail

I went on a bit of a tour today and I must have covered over 200 jumps in total, and not not one kill, not even a hint of a kill. I managed to get into one belt belt where there was one prospective mark (a destroyer) but he was too far away and he managed to 'gtfo' before I could snap on the scrambler. The wolf is slow and the tech2 afterburner didn't have enough juice. Might consider an mwd instead. So 200 jumps later and nothing, most pilots either docked or were already inside mission complexes. I really need to have a scan probe partner to increase my range of targets! The power of two indeed.

Anyway, about 45 minutes into the journey, I was stuck in a dead-end system for over 30 minutes as some mad Hungarians camped the only exit point. I just jumped from one safe spot to another and this kept me safe; until they got bored and departed.

There was some success albeit late in the game and when I was on my way home. A destroyer or two.

So, during the long journey I was thinking on what was not quite right in low-sec. Quite clearly, one still had to track down other ships to get a decent kill but this was part of the fun of hunting. While I am a patient man, the lack of worthwhile targets is numbing at times. System after system are empty. I would assume that 0.0 would be vast areas of nothingness but low-sec too? Some targets in the belts are noobs who know nothing better so they present little challenge to me, but a kill is a kill nonetheless. Other targets are usually other pirates in T2 BS or force recons, worth challenge certainly but a reach for a solo rifter pilot like me. OK can bring the 'cane out to play.

Overall there is definite a reduction in pilots in low-sec with a subsequent increase in farming haulers.

There must be a way in which one can entice more pilots of all types and persuasion to low-sec. A sprinkling of rare ores would do it as well as greater reward for low-sec missions and agents. Also, I need to adapt to the temporary reduction of target richness. I need to play smarter now and use intelligence to get information on mining operations or ratting locations or I move to some other area. Fighting solo however, does have it's disadvantages. One positive step would be to get a scan probing alt so I better started on it.

Am sure that moving to 0.0 would present it's own challenges but there is some movement on this. Might have to get into a vagabond for this particular trip or my 'gankaruppaofdoom'.