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  1. #1
    Captain Caveman paradoxb3's Avatar
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    Default Trail name expectations

    As a Georgia section hiker, I gave myself a section hiking trail name of "caveman," however on my 2010 thru I plan to let my trail name come to me.

    For those of you who have done the same, did you hit the trail with any expectation as to what name you might receive, and was your expected list of names accurate, completely inaccurate, or maybe somewhat close?

    This is of course a trivial question, and of no importance at all. I was just curious, as I have a short list of names in my head and it wouldn't be a huge suprise if the trail community picked one of them.

    An obvious few from that list that stand out for me are "lefty" and "southpaw" since i'm left handed... and since part of the reason for my thru hike is to escape the monotony of an office work atmosphere, some variation on "collar" would be a possibility, as i have said for a long time i will pin one of my old work shirt collars to my pack as a reminder on the hard days of where i COULD be instead of out hiking.

    Anyone care to share?
    "...Though the road may wind, yea, your hearts grow weary, still shall ye follow them, even unto your salvation." -Blind Seer, O Brother, Where Art Thou?

  2. #2
    Registered User JoshStover's Avatar
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    Thats a pretty cool idea you have about the collar on your pack. I like it.

  3. #3
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    Trail names are a Zen thing. Part of the Zen is accepting that not everyone knows that.

    TW
    "Thank God! there is always a Land of Beyond, For us who are true to the trail..." --- Robert Service

  4. #4
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    All you can really do is pray that you dont do something really stupid your first few days out and get a name you really dont want to be 'collared' with the rest of the trip. The more interesting ones that I heard of were...... Knocked Up, Guilty, SleepTalker, NoStove, PrivyBoy, PsychoBabbler, and Pyro.

    I have known some hikers who get their trail names changed a few times along the trail.

    Have a great hike and may the Zen be good to you.

  5. #5
    Registered User kayak karl's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ox97GaMe View Post
    All you can really do is pray that you dont do something really stupid your first few days out and get a name you really dont want to be 'collared' with the rest of the trip. The more interesting ones that I heard of were...... Knocked Up, Guilty, SleepTalker, NoStove, PrivyBoy, PsychoBabbler, and Pyro.

    I have known some hikers who get their trail names changed a few times along the trail.

    Have a great hike and may the Zen be good to you.
    this year i met "TUMBLE DOWN"
    I'm so confused, I'm not sure if I lost my horse or found a rope.

  6. #6
    Registered User faarside's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Weasel View Post
    Trail names are a Zen thing. Part of the Zen is accepting that not everyone knows that.

    TW
    Right said!

    Trail names kinda sneak up on you - like the weather. Ya don't know exactly which direction their coming from or how good or bad they'll be. But you can always count on one thing - they will come!

    May the Zen be kind to you during your travels!

    Happy Trails!
    Faarside aka WhiteHorse

    "... The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep... Miles to go before I sleep." - Robert Frost


  7. #7
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    Actually I found that there were a disproportionate number of "lefties" out there. While we are usually about 1 in 10, I found that on the trail we were 1 in 3! Something about that right brain.... Anyway, I preferred to choose my own name, rather than get one from falling or doing something stupid. "Mudbut" comes to mind... I think she's great, but how would you like that name!?

  8. #8
    Registered User Jofish's Avatar
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    I know this probably changes, depending on who you're hiking with/around, but I've heard that if you really don't like a name you just don't answer to it. If you're persistent enough with ignoring it, they'll try something else.

    I've also heard that some people (especially they young'uns) like to give out names that are generally unprintable. When I eventually thru-hike, I might start out without a trailname, but revert to jofish if I get pinned with a name that I wouldn't want to repeat to my mother. Just my 2 cents.

  9. #9
    Garlic
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    A certain amount of self-deprecation is healthy. I don't know where that fits into Zen. My friend Cact-ass enjoyed his name after he encounted a prickly pear during a privy break. So did Meltdown when I met him and saw the rain pants he'd melted at the fire. I know I have really bad garlic breath most of the time, but I do love my kim chi and hummus and garlic ramen. Self-applied trail names generally seem a little false.
    "Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning

  10. #10
    Captain Caveman paradoxb3's Avatar
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    Wow didnt know that about the lefties out there. Right brain theory makes sense though. I've noticed on my previous march-april section hikes with the thru hikers that i met alot of tech savvy people as well. who would figure us computer geeks were such outdoorsmen!

    i also dont want to be pinned a bad/distasteful trail name. i've heard it too, and i'd hope that its true that if you truly dislike and decline a trail name that it wont stick. I'm still considering starting out as "caveman" and waiting to see if anything better comes along.
    "...Though the road may wind, yea, your hearts grow weary, still shall ye follow them, even unto your salvation." -Blind Seer, O Brother, Where Art Thou?

  11. #11
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    there's nothing zen about it. choose your own name. just like a CB handle

  12. #12
    Registered User ShelterLeopard's Avatar
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    Like wolf said- you can really pick your own name. I was named tracless (because I picked up every piece of trash I saw for 150 miles) and then two years later renamed blueberry, because I ate all the blueberries at the top of Lehigh Gap (if you descending in Lehigh going SoBo), then bought and ate 3 pints of blueberries and a blueberry pie.

    But I didn't like those names (too feminine for me).

    I don't like when two day hikers take up the whole shelter (or church groups), so I eat them. Thus- The ShelterLeopard. It feels much more... me.

  13. #13
    Registered User ShelterLeopard's Avatar
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    I dunno- I may get a new trailname on my upcoming thru- I'll be wearing dogtags with emergency info (not army tags, tags I got at a pet store in the shape of a fire hydrant and a dog bone), so I wouldn't be surprised if someone tries to call me dogtag. But I like my name now. (SL)

  14. #14
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    Everyone picks their own trailname, some just are not able to realize it.

    It doesn't matter sqwat if you come up w/ one or some yahoo comes up w/ one --it is still your choice.

    There's some who try to steal trailnames from others and pretend they dont!!

    LETITBE is taken!

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jofish View Post
    I know this probably changes, depending on who you're hiking with/around, but I've heard that if you really don't like a name you just don't answer to it. If you're persistent enough with ignoring it, they'll try something else.

    I've also heard that some people (especially they young'uns) like to give out names that are generally unprintable. When I eventually thru-hike, I might start out without a trailname, but revert to jofish if I get pinned with a name that I wouldn't want to repeat to my mother. Just my 2 cents.
    Usually when there's a name that involves profanity there's a variation on it used by hikers when in town or around children or such. Thus the name "Two Dogs" instead of "Two Dogs ****ing." "S.O.L." instead of "**** Out of Luck."

    Funny enough, S.O.L. didn't want that to be her trail name, and had already picked out her own, but came to realize that S.O.L. was more appropriate than what she originally wanted.

    But you're right in that if you don't like a name, the best way to deal with that is to not respond to it in any way whatsoever. Others may come up with the trail name, but it's you who chooses it as your own.

    Except for Marmot Pounder, who we continued to call Marmot Pounder long after he rejected it and made up his own name. Because c'mon -- "Marmot Pounder"? Brilliant.
    Drab as a Fool, as aloof as a Bard!

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  16. #16

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    In all honest tradition, (imo) trail names are given to you. You don't get to pick them.

    Trust me, it's not funny when you leave your boots at home when you're guiding a trip and the whole group starts calling you shoeless...but hey, it's pretty funny later!

    You may not like the name you get when you're given it, but it'll grow on you. (Ask one of my gal friends who got the name Peaches- and no she's not a stripper)

    As to the collar thing, I think that's a very cool idea...and I'm sure someone along the way will think of a cool name for ya, just let it come to you!

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Red Hat View Post
    Actually rather than get one from falling or doing something stupid. "Mudbut" comes to mind... I think she's great, but how would you like that name!?
    Needs another "t"
    She sounds great to me.

  18. #18

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    I didn't have any nickname (except from my brother) for a long time, and then, a UK Compaq tech support guy typed "You go, geekgrrl!" I liked it so much, it stuck.

    I think someone will give eventually you a nickname that just suits you.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by ShoelessWanderer View Post
    In all honest tradition, (imo) trail names are given to you. You don't get to pick them.
    nope.........

  20. #20
    Getting out as much as I can..which is never enough. :) Mags's Avatar
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    In the end...does it really matter?

    Go with a name given to you.
    Pick a name.
    Go with your real name.
    Go with a nick name you have had pre and post trail.

    The only people who will be upset over this issue are people who do more typing and less hiking.

    Off to go hiking...it's a beautiful day out and my self-imposed work is done for the day.
    Paul "Mags" Magnanti
    http://pmags.com
    Twitter: @pmagsco
    Facebook: pmagsblog

    The true harvest of my life is intangible...a little stardust caught,a portion of the rainbow I have clutched -Thoreau

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