PDA

View Full Version : trail mascot



Pickleodeon
03-06-2009, 08:55
This may seem like a silly question, especially for the UL crowd, but I've heard of some people carrying a little trail mascot, like a rubber duck or something with them on the trail. I'm just curious does anyone really do this? When I was about 14, I went on a summer camp canoe trip and the counselors took a little beanie duck and made a life vest out of closed cell foam. Has anyone taken or seen other hikers with a little critter :banana, or even take a little stone from Springer with them the whole way?

shelterbuilder
03-06-2009, 09:44
This may seem like a silly question, especially for the UL crowd, but I've heard of some people carrying a little trail mascot, like a rubber duck or something with them on the trail. I'm just curious does anyone really do this? When I was about 14, I went on a summer camp canoe trip and the counselors took a little beanie duck and made a life vest out of closed cell foam. Has anyone taken or seen other hikers with a little critter :banana, or even take a little stone from Springer with them the whole way?

If it's important to you to carry a mascot, then by all means, carry one. HYOH, Ashley...then come back to Berks Co. and give us the details!

Bearpaw
03-06-2009, 09:52
I carried a little beanie baby bear with me the whole way on my thru-hike. "Dumptruck" got his trailname because a young relative gave him a little Tonka dumptruck to take on his hike.

It happens more than you might think.

Nowadays, I often carry a larger teddy bear named Dewey on many of my shorter trips. But he's not a mascot. He's a cult of personality!

Just ask Hooch. ;)

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/5/0/2/5/065a.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=26093&original=1&c=member&imageuser=5025)

Pedaling Fool
03-06-2009, 09:53
Anyone lose their mascot on the trail? I found it. (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=19998&c=member&orderby=title&direction=ASC&imageuser=6936&cutoffdate=-1)

Bearpaw
03-06-2009, 09:58
Anyone lose their mascot on the trail? I found it. (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=19998&c=member&orderby=title&direction=ASC&imageuser=6936&cutoffdate=-1)

I bet he was tickled to see you!

Frick Frack
03-06-2009, 10:06
Anyone lose their mascot on the trail? I found it. (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=19998&c=member&orderby=title&direction=ASC&imageuser=6936&cutoffdate=-1)

I saw that thing, or one like it, on that little boy's gravesite in VA somewhere (he wandered off from school and was found up on the mountain...I don't recall where it was?)

I carried a small stone from Katahdin to Springer. A friend we met along the way carried a pigeon decoy named "Bob"...we called these items "frivilous objects". They made no sense.

We also carried buckeyes (don't remember where we found them?) for good luck...its a southern thing...

Manwich
03-06-2009, 10:09
I guess I would carve totems into Trees and Supports in Shelters wherever I go.

Pedaling Fool
03-06-2009, 10:40
I saw that thing, or one like it, on that little boy's gravesite in VA somewhere (he wandered off from school and was found up on the mountain...I don't recall where it was?)...
I saw Elmo somewhere in Pennsylvania (Some where between Birch Run and Toms Run Shelters).

The little boy's (Ottie Powell) gravesite in on Bluff Mountain ~780 miles north of Springer. http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=15411&c=member&imageuser=6936

Pedaling Fool
03-06-2009, 10:45
I saw Elmo somewhere in Pennsylvania (Some where between Birch Run and Toms Run Shelters).

The little boy's (Ottie Powell) gravesite in on Bluff Mountain ~780 miles north of Springer. http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=15411&c=member&imageuser=6936
Correction: It's not his gravesite, it's a memorial.

garlic08
03-06-2009, 12:07
The frivolous items are pretty common, I think. When I summitted Katahdin, three out of four of us there had something frivolous, and we were all grown men (so to speak). One guy even had a mask and snorkel, which almost made sense given the weather conditions.

Kirby
03-06-2009, 12:10
The frivolous items are pretty common, I think. When I summitted Katahdin, three out of four of us there had something frivolous, and we were all grown men (so to speak). One guy even had a mask and snorkel, which almost made sense given the weather conditions.

Affirmed.

Pickleodeon
03-06-2009, 12:54
I'm thinking about taking this guy:

http://tinyurl.com/45752h

The little blue..mouse? Piddles. My boyfriend got the set for me, and Piddles is tiny, like two inches tall. I think it'd be cool to take pictures of Piddles, and me, along the trail. Like Piddles at the approach trail, Piddles at Springer..

Pickleodeon
03-06-2009, 12:55
you have to click on the picture at the bottom left of the grid of pictures.

By the way, I'm glad I'm not the only goofy one out there.

Blissful
03-06-2009, 13:05
Saw hikers out there with various items.

I personally did the tradition of carrying the pebble from Springer to Katahdin.

ATWillow
03-06-2009, 13:15
I carried my little teddie bear "Hindsight" on the back on my pack on my 97 thruhike. I just put him under anesthesia to take out some stuffing to lighten him up an ounce or so for my 2009 thruhike. I wouldn't even think of doing it without him!

Doctari
03-06-2009, 13:41
Last year "Privy Monster" carried assorted sizes of rubber chickens. They started as one on the front of the pack, carried "in case I'm in a hunters sights, he will see the chicken & not shoot me" & slowly grew to, last time I saw him: 5, with one about 2" long.

I suppose that at least the first one technically isn't frivolous, being used as a "safety device". :p

Gaiter
03-06-2009, 14:05
in a mail drop my mom sent a bunch of old easter candy that she had found, and one piece had a egg wearing pants and a top hat, making a really ****ed up face, he's been on my pack ever since

peanuts
03-06-2009, 14:07
in a mail drop my mom sent a bunch of old easter candy that she had found, and one piece had a egg wearing pants and a top hat, making a really ****ed up face, he's been on my pack ever since
yes he is a cute little bugger!

Pony
03-06-2009, 14:27
I saw several rubber chickens, and a plastic samurai sword. But the one that really made me laugh was this guy who was going pretty light except for the full sized machette, and cricket bat that were strapped to his pack. Oh yeah, and his "pebble" from springer weighed 7 pounds! Those three items probably doubled his pack weight.

TJ aka Teej
03-06-2009, 14:34
Who was it carried that life-sized cardboard cutout of Cindy Crawford?

warraghiyagey
03-06-2009, 14:40
This little guy's been hiking/travelling with us since Mt. Washington. . . . the sombrero is new since South of the Border. . . he thinks it makes him cool. . .

saimyoji
03-06-2009, 14:47
the larger and heavier your 'mascot' the faster you will receive your patch. :cool:

Gaiter
03-06-2009, 15:45
yes he is a cute little bugger!

i don't know if cute is the word to describe it

warraghiyagey
03-06-2009, 15:47
the larger and heavier your 'mascot' the faster you will receive your patch. :cool:
What if I just carry Rosie O'Donnell half way. . . would that make a difference??:)

emerald
03-06-2009, 15:49
This may seem like a silly question...

You're right, it does especially given all the vitamins and maps you're already intending to carry.;) How far were you were intending to transport all this stuff again? Just checking.

Was the point of getting tuckerized to be able to add more items? Before long, you'll have added every gram you subtracted and more.:-?

warraghiyagey
03-06-2009, 15:51
You're right, it does especially given all the vitamins and maps you're already intending to carry.;) How far were you were intending to transport all this stuff again? Just checking.

Was the point of getting tuckerized to be able to add more items? Before long, you'll have added every gram you subtracted and more.:-?
Maybe his mascot can be 'Mappy' the animated map . . . . I'm a dork . . .

chrishowe11
03-06-2009, 16:34
i carry around a Davey Jones pezz dispenser

emerald
03-06-2009, 17:01
I'm a dork . . .

Better to be a dork than a spork.

lingo
03-09-2009, 02:18
Better to be a dork than a spork.


On the trail, wouldn't a spork be more useful?

Young Scott
03-09-2009, 22:16
i carry around a Davey Jones pezz dispenser

They make those? I want a Mickey Dolenz Pez dispenser! :banana

Powder River
03-10-2009, 00:38
I saw several rubber chickens, and a plastic samurai sword. But the one that really made me laugh was this guy who was going pretty light except for the full sized machette, and cricket bat that were strapped to his pack. Oh yeah, and his "pebble" from springer weighed 7 pounds! Those three items probably doubled his pack weight.

That was Charlie. He had a machete too? I know the rubber chicken he had was a full sized one- maybe 12 inches high. Too bad he didn't finish...

Mrpokey
03-10-2009, 01:05
I'm bringing a pirate flag on my thru

dart7383
03-10-2009, 06:18
Ok, so I have a tradition of taking a gnome with me wherever I go. Anyone have an idea where one might pick up a light weight gnome.

Pickleodeon
03-10-2009, 09:51
I have a little garden gnome kit. kinda like these.

http://gifts.barnesandnoble.com/Home-gift/Mini-Kit-Garden-Gnome/e/9780762422982/?itm=2

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Gnome-Away-from-Home-with-Other-and-Booklet/Andrews-McMeel-Publishing/e/9780740757235/?itm=4

RockStar
03-11-2009, 00:58
What if I just carry Rosie O'Donnell half way. . . would that make a difference??:)

In that case, you would be the winner. :D

a friend sent me a 3" tall Incredible Hulk. I still carry him wherever I go(I carry a daypack day to day as I walk everywhere) or Hiking.

I didn't complete a Thru, but am working on sections. Still carrying and photographing Hulk. :p

Marta
03-11-2009, 07:03
Here's a shot of Donna riding on Snapshot's pack in 2006.

http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=199086


He's planning a PCT hike this year. I imagine Donna will be going along.

Pony
03-11-2009, 15:09
That was Charlie. He had a machete too? I know the rubber chicken he had was a full sized one- maybe 12 inches high. Too bad he didn't finish...


It was Charlie, where did he get off the trail?

Hooch
03-11-2009, 15:21
Nowadays, I often carry a larger teddy bear named Dewey on many of my shorter trips. But he's not a mascot. He's a cult of personality!

Just ask Hooch. ;)

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/5/0/2/5/065a.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=26093&original=1&c=member&imageuser=5025)
Don't even start me on this lunatic and his freakin' teddy bear. :rolleyes: Actually, I'd say that Dewey is a great stress outlet for Bearpaw and he certainly does have a lot of fun with him. All kidding aside, both Bearpaw and Dewey are good people. Did I just say that?