What NOT to do on the trail.

[squeezebox]

I forget what thread it was but someone mentioned, some rude inconsiderate things he saw on the trail.
Bathing at the water source
washing clothes inc. bandanas, at the water source,
any other fouling the water source.
TP blooms anywhere,
being loud after dark.
tents or hammocks in the shelter.
Sex in the shelter
What about smokers ?
What else is there to NOT do on the trail.

[Mags]

Worry so much about what others are doing that you are not enjoying yourself?

[magneto]

Don't camp at established sites and you avoid all that.

[fiddlehead]

Worry so much about what others are doing that you are not enjoying yourself?

When will whiteblaze get a "like" button.
Like!

[mrcoffeect]

I second that like.

[mrcoffeect]

Don't give unwanted advice, starting with phrases like "I know what your doing wrong." or "you know what your problem is."

[Josh Calhoun]

Worry so much about what others are doing that you are not enjoying yourself?

you got it mags.

[Don H]

Worry so much about what others are doing that you are not enjoying yourself?

That's all fine until what others do effects you.

I did a section in VA earlier this week and saw two thru-hikers washing their feet in a spring next to a campsite I was staying at.
Another hiker threw his left over food in the stream next to a shelter just above me while I was getting water!

[Sarcasm the elf]

I forget what thread it was but someone mentioned, some rude inconsiderate things he saw on the trail.
Bathing at the water source
washing clothes inc. bandanas, at the water source,
any other fouling the water source.
TP blooms anywhere,
being loud after dark.
tents or hammocks in the shelter.
Sex in the shelter
What about smokers ?
What else is there to NOT do on the trail.

What part of the A.T. were you hiking when you experienced all these problems?

[bangorme]

That's all fine until what others do effects you.

Yeah, this is the point of the OP.

[Pedaling Fool]

There are a lot of things people should just shut up about on the trail, but the trail is just proof that the majority rules. And the majority wants to change you.

On the trail the majority of people carry packs light packs, so anyone that carries a heavy pack is mocked; so when you see me the "What NOT to do on the trail" is to not ask me how much my pack weighs; nor ask me questions about how I can stand to carry such a heavy pack; nor offer advice of how to reduce my pack weight...

[Mags]

That's all fine until what others do effects you.

And rather than kvetch online, what did you do?

If you are just going to complain online and do nothing, then you have to move on.

If you are more pro-active and instructing the people, then perhaps it may have be more productive.

[Don H]

Kvetch? Is that what I did, just habitually complain online? I thought I just shared a few experiences I recently had.

How do you know I didn't say anything to the people involved?

[Mags]

I don't know. That's what I asked you what you did.

The kvetching comment was aimed more in general as it seems to be a popular past time.

[turtle fast]

How about pooping next to or as I have seen on the trail and covering it with white toiletpaper. Add dogs doing the same without the tp.

[Tipi Walter]

That's all fine until what others do effects you.

I did a section in VA earlier this week and saw two thru-hikers washing their feet in a spring next to a campsite I was staying at.
Another hiker threw his left over food in the stream next to a shelter just above me while I was getting water!

While I agree that humans can be thoughtless in the woods, and while I have seen tourist/dayhiker turds with tp laying in the headwaters of a spring; or been bothered by loud alcohol-fueled screams and yells into the night; or have seen big bonfires with high winds---Still there are millions of places you can camp away from the bonobo humans, even on the AT. NEVER STAY AT OR NEAR A SHELTER. This is a no-brainer and yet thousands of newbies keep making the mistake over and over again.

An AT backpacker can get his water at the shelter and then hike 2 miles up the trail to find a campsite never apparently used in the last 70 years. And it's comical to see AT hikers rushing by your campsite near the trail as they jog quickly at dusk to reach the all-important Rat Box. Let it go and avoid the car ports.

Beyond all this, I went on a 19 day November trip and didn't see a soul. Then in January I went on a 24 day trip and saw no one for 23 or the 24 days. You need to get more solitude in different places---I recommend Tennessee as the resident population detests backpacking and/or walking (it's been engineered out of American society---only 13% of Americans "walk") and so you have boundless trails all to yourself.

[Lyle]

I was thinking along the lines of what Mags said. Not aiming it at the OP, mind you, just a similar thought.

From personal experience, I generally try to be quite amicable when camping with or near others. I expect that they will sometimes do things that I wouldn't do or that mildly annoy me. On the other hand, I'm certain that, at times, the shoe is on the other foot, and I inadvertently, do things that annoy others.

I'm thinking back to a trip about a year or so ago. Camped at Graymore. A small group of us were up, enjoying a campfire and hadn't even noticed how late or dark it had gotten. Another hiker was bedded down in the pavilion. After a while, he came out, and very briefly joined the conversation, making a few contributions to the subject at hand. He then politely stated, well, it's getting pretty late, you guys mind holding it down a bit, I'd like to get some sleep. Perfect way to handle the situation. We all apologized for keeping him awake, then we all settled in to sleep and everyone was happy. No animosity on anyone's part, just a gentle, friendly reminder of what we all already knew anyway.

We can all be annoying at times, speak up politely and most fellow hikers will go out of their way to get along.

[OCDave]

If you look for what is ugly and vile you'll likely find it. It will weigh you down. It is toxic to your psyche.

Stop this thread and hike toward something more pleasant.

[Namtrag]

Seeing some poop on the trail still beats anything else I do in my mundane office job...

[Tipi Walter]

If you look for what is ugly and vile you'll likely find it. It will weigh you down. It is toxic to your psyche.

Stop this thread and hike toward something more pleasant.

This is a strange post. Sometimes the ugly and vile will come to you, especially in reference to backpacking and camping at shelters (see my examples). Stopping this thread is nonsensical although any individual can stop it by not reading.