View Full Version : Whiteblaze: Why do you backpack?
Cool Hands
03-04-2011, 21:48
Well, I've figured out my reasons for loving hiking, backpacking, and just everything associated with being out in the wilderness, but I wanted to hear your reasons.
When so many would see us as fools, as aimless wanderers, why do we do it? Why do we go out into the woods carrying heavy packs day after day and just walk, over the grueling climbs, in the rain, in the heat and cold, through the dirt, in the vast woods devoid of civilization -- why do we backpack? Looking for some interesting answers. :rolleyes:
swjohnsey
03-04-2011, 21:52
Perhaps you worry too much about what other folks think. I do it because I want to.
For me it is to calm my mind. After hours of walking I feel empty of thought. Quite unusual in our society I think.
Jersey Tim
03-04-2011, 22:05
Because it is simple. In the real world, possessions and responsibilities and needs pile up and tangle up. On the trail, you have less to keep track of, and your needs and responsibilities are straightforward and clear. It's a vacation for your mind.
Because it immerses me in nature and I can feel the trappings of modern civilization slip away. It gives me a feeling of freedom I don't get in my every day life.
JaxHiker
03-04-2011, 22:09
I hike to earn street creds with hot chicks.
It helps me remember that I am part of the earth. Plus everything tastes better when you have spent the day in the woods.
bigcranky
03-04-2011, 22:25
Talking with my coworkers this afternoon, on the way out the door for a week long hike. None of them understood why I would want to spend a week by myself. (Not to mention sleeping in the woods, fighting off marauding bears, etc.)
I hike because it recharges my spirit.
Raul Perez
03-04-2011, 23:10
I hike because I feel free when I do. I have all that I need on my back and I head out to where ever I want to when I want to and how I want to do it.
I love it. I love the breeze on my face, the exercise, hiking through rain, eating otherwise unhealthy food under my tarp, making fire, watching the sunrise and sunsets, seeing so many stars, watching animals, etc.
GeneralLee10
03-04-2011, 23:29
I like to poop in the woods, pick my nose in the woods, and and and.......
johnnybgood
03-04-2011, 23:35
I have no other discernible talent.
Because it's the only sport where the ultimate goal is to find a nice place to sit with a pretty view.
rainmaker
03-04-2011, 23:51
I'm trying to escape the guy following me wearing the clown suit and mask. If I could just hike a litle faster. See you on the trail.
TallShark
03-05-2011, 00:10
those rare glimpses of solitude of my mind... deep within me lies an un-dying urge to reconnect with creation and escape the world that man has built. It’s a vacation for the tired mind, It rejuvenates your psyche. Really getting to see this world for what it was meant to be, It’s amazing. Inner reflection, clean air, deeper understanding. Beauty. A brief look into something much larger than yourself. Seeing the forest from the trees.
Railroad King
03-05-2011, 01:06
Cause I'm a masochist and can't get enough pain and boredom. Also pretty views and peacefulness.
Whiskyjo
03-05-2011, 01:08
Nothing like a good nights sleep.
I backpack so I can get to beautiful places I can't get to on day hikes or driving. I also enjoy the exercise and being closer to nature. My pack is light so I enjoy the walking. I love seeing what's around the next corner.
I loved long distance hiking because there was always another corner. The trail seemed endless. I could greedily see what was around the next corner all day every day and it seemed like it never would end. There are a lot of benefits to long distance hiking that you can't get any other way and you won't know what they are until you do it.
Jim Adams
03-05-2011, 01:36
because I'm not allowed to ride my motorcycle to get there.
geek
double d
03-05-2011, 02:10
I always liked the answer, "because its there"!
Cause I'm a masochist and can't get enough pain and boredom. Also pretty views and peacefulness.
yeah... you pretty much nailed it. Why do I backpack? Because it's hard as ****.
When so many would see us as fools, as aimless wanderers, why do we do it? Why do we go out into the woods carrying heavy packs day after day and just walk, over the grueling climbs, in the rain, in the heat and cold, through the dirt, in the vast woods devoid of civilization -- why do we backpack? Looking for some interesting answers. :rolleyes:
If it were grueling, cold, etc. I wouldn't do it.
I backpack in ways that don't cause me pain and suffering. Because I love the outdoors, and the people I find in it.
I like to poop in the woods, pick my nose in the woods, and and and.......
About sums it up .... I'll second this.
Graywolf
03-05-2011, 04:30
Because going into the Mountains is going Home..
58starter
03-05-2011, 06:45
I hike to see if I can still make it to the top of the next hill and see what God has created for me to see there.
cricket71
03-05-2011, 07:15
It's my parents fault...
neonshaw
03-05-2011, 08:56
Well, I've figured out my reasons for loving hiking, backpacking, and just everything associated with being out in the wilderness, but I wanted to hear your reasons.
When so many would see us as fools, as aimless wanderers, why do we do it? Why do we go out into the woods carrying heavy packs day after day and just walk, over the grueling climbs, in the rain, in the heat and cold, through the dirt, in the vast woods devoid of civilization -- why do we backpack? Looking for some interesting answers. :rolleyes:
its the only activity i have done where i feel totally free if only for a few days
garlic08
03-05-2011, 09:25
I think it's one of those things that if you have to ask, you'll never understand the answer.
When you tell people what you're doing, some get the questioning look, like "Why would you ever do that?" and some get the wistful look, like "Man, I wish I could do that." Some get it, some don't, and no explanation or answer is going to change that.
earlyriser26
03-05-2011, 10:21
If you turn pro you can make the big bucks.
crazystick
03-05-2011, 10:24
I'm homeless anyway, backpacking just makes it cool and gives me something to do!'
It's a mindless thing. It feels right.
johnnyblisters
03-05-2011, 11:15
The smells are incredible. Rotting and growing organisms all symbiotically smelling like "woods". Also smelling like what humans actually smell like is really interesting, albeit astringent.
i been doing it for as long as i can remember.. nothing else is as necessary to keeping me sane or insane hvnt figurd it out
Furlough
03-05-2011, 11:31
For the crowd freeing, mind clearing, spirit renewing, grid escaping, outdoors loving, backpacking skills betterment, sight, sounds, smells, freedom invoking pure joy of it.
Other than that I have not got a clue.
Furlough
Different Socks
03-05-2011, 11:59
No bosses, time clocks, speed limits, working while surrounded by an enclosed artificial environment, no bills to pay on time, no vacuuming rugs or cleaning the bathroom, no shoveling snow or mowing the lawn, generally no rules, regulations, restrictions or laws, no stoplights, angry motorists, no caring about how I need to look every morning, in a sense no worry about where I gotta be or by a certain time, no dealing with certain types of co-workers. No alarm clocks, no potholes, traffic jams or spilled coffee on my uniform. No buzzers, chimes, alarms, deadlines, ringtones, or door bells.
I could go on and on.
kayak karl
03-05-2011, 12:14
in the "60's i backpacked to be with my dad.
in the "70's i backpacked to get away from my dad :)
in the "80's i backpacked to get away from wife #1
in the "90's i backpacked to spend time with my son.
in the "00's i backpacked to get away from wife #3
in the "10's i backpacked to spend time with my grandson :)
But most of all, because i want too.:banana
Slo-go'en
03-05-2011, 12:31
...Because is feels good when we stop :D
(addicted to endorphines)
TallShark
03-05-2011, 13:35
Because going into the Mountains is going Home..
I Like it.
because others look at you strangely and I can eat the big calories.
WingedMonkey
03-05-2011, 14:20
To get away from the rest of you. :sun
I like the physical challenge - how far, how fast, how much, can I go/do.
I like looking back and thinking, "Wow, you just walked over ALL that!"
Love the views and what a shower feel like after being in the woods for a few days.
I like going for extended periods of time without having a conversation with someone.
Like being in my tent during hard rains with high winds.
Definitely like a good, hot cup of fresh coffee from a store close enough to the trail to walk to then walk back and continue hiking.
I think it's one of those things that if you have to ask, you'll never understand the answer.
My thoughts exactly. When I got home from the trail, I couldn't wait to share my experience with others. It didn't take me long to realize that very few people cared, and even fewer had any sort of understanding.
Now I typically avoid conversations about the trail unless someone else brings it up. But I never have a decent answer when somone asks why I do it. I kind of want to ask them why they spend all their spare time texting, watching Jersey Shore, or talking to their peeps on Facebook.
Definitely like a good, hot cup of fresh coffee from a store close enough to the trail to walk to then walk back and continue hiking.
Yes, I became addicted to Green Mountain Coffee. Sadly I can only find it here in the K-cup, which is very expensive, and I don't have the right coffee maker.
Big Dawg
03-05-2011, 14:34
I love the challenge, the surroundings, the peacefulness, the planning, the accomplishments. I love everything about it!! Wish I could do it more.
Lone Wolf
03-05-2011, 14:49
i hike for beer, buffets and babes. duh! winning!
i hike for beer, buffets and babes. duh! winning! no "babes" for me, but yes, it is an addiction... and I love it!
in the "60's i backpacked to be with my dad.
in the "70's i backpacked to get away from my dad :)
in the "80's i backpacked to get away from wife #1
in the "90's i backpacked to spend time with my son.
in the "00's i backpacked to get away from wife #3
in the "10's i backpacked to spend time with my grandson :)
But most of all, because i want too.:banana
learn a lot about you here, KK... LOL
walkin' wally
03-05-2011, 15:33
Mental, physical, and spiritual cleansing.
Windcatcher
03-05-2011, 21:09
To watch the beaver as it works tirelessly in the mountain pond. To see the pelicans, flying in formation through the fog, landing on the still water of the lake. To hear the wilderness speak of it's mysteries, the whispering of the wind in the trees. To smell the fresh air, the pine, the flowers. To touch the heart of Mother Earth. To look down into the valley and see the twinkling of the lights from the city below, wondering why they do it, then to look at the twinkling of the lights in the sky above and knowing why I do.
i hike for beer, buffets and babes. duh! winning!
epic quote!
Winning!
It's easier than frontpack?
I like talking to myself?
I'm good company?
I like swimming naked?
It's all about me! :eek:
Why else? :sun
Skidsteer
03-05-2011, 21:44
To See the Elephant.
My thoughts exactly. When I got home from the trail, I couldn't wait to share my experience with others. It didn't take me long to realize that very few people cared, and even fewer had any sort of understanding.
Now I typically avoid conversations about the trail unless someone else brings it up. But I never have a decent answer when somone asks why I do it. I kind of want to ask them why they spend all their spare time texting, watching Jersey Shore, or talking to their peeps on Facebook.
I agree 100%. People who don't backpack or camp or generally go outside for longer than 5 minutes aren't going to understand. I never bring up the trail with anyone.
hikingshoes
03-05-2011, 22:57
Well,I hike because thats where all the normal people are!!!!
I love the outdoors,after i retired from the Army Res.i said i wouldnt do anything for as running,walking,pushups...etc.until i had a checkup and my Triglycerides was 500.I started walking a could only do a 1/2.I started day hiking about 3.5yrs ago a go my triglycerides down to 200.So why do i hiking?For my health,plus i enjoy it as well.HS
I guess the only real reason is to get my head screwed back on correctly before I face the world.
I hike with my kids to be one with the universe.
I walk and look down a long path and see a hill, a curve, a pond and I look behind and I see the the scythe of the Grim Reaper. Must keep walking. Must stay ahead until the end.