View Full Version : What are your Bad Hiking Habits?
keep moving
12-22-2012, 22:19
Do you have any bad hiking habits that you just cant shake off? That if you had the opportunity go back in time to when you first started hiking and say "no, dont start that" you would?
Things like needing to start each day on the trail with three cups of coffee, needing to listen to books on tape as you hike, stopping in the afternoon to take a two hour nap, etc.
I'm not sure that any of that stuff qualifies as "bad habits." Three cups is a bit excessive (for me) but I like coffee, books on tape, and naps. The whole point of hiking long distances to me is enjoying myself while accomplishing the day's, weekend's, week's or multi-week's goal - - all these things are "good things." I'd say my "bad habits" are starting to hike before I've had enough coffee, not charging my i-pod mini enough (or forgetting to power it off when I go to sleep) and maybe not taking time to nap enough - - how WONDERFUL is an afternoon nap at a shelter - PRICELESS - - and often overlooked, I'd say.
MuddyWaters
12-22-2012, 22:35
Bringing too much food.
Aquaman12
12-22-2012, 22:57
+1 on the above. Working on getting that right. Any tips?
Sir-Packs-Alot
12-22-2012, 23:02
I continue to eat like I am burning up thru-hiker calories - even thought my thru was in 03' ... good thing I still section alot !
Hosaphone
12-22-2012, 23:56
+1 on the above. Working on getting that right. Any tips?
Carry less food. If you start running low, you will have motivation to help you hike faster :p
ChinMusic
12-23-2012, 00:12
It depends on what you classify as "bad".
For section hikes I have a habit of getting to the area of the hike a day early and cache Diet Cokes at selected road crossings.
SCRUB HIKER
12-23-2012, 00:14
Sleeping too late (think 8 or 9 some mornings on the AT), and walking unsustainably fast and then having to take breaks, creating a lower average speed than if I just went slow and steady.
Train Wreck
12-23-2012, 00:25
It depends on what you classify as "bad".
For section hikes I have a habit of getting to the area of the hike a day early and cache Diet Cokes at selected road crossings.
Can I hike with you? :D
Mountain Mike
12-23-2012, 00:47
Treating a hike like a vacation. Sleep in if I feel like it. Cook breakfast in bed. Stopping to loiter at beautiful spots & maybe pull a book out or take a nap & enjoy the moment. Refusing to eat half cooked mush & cooking real food. Carrying to heavy of a pack...list goes on. There is no really no right or wrong way. To each his own, HYOH. The only really bad habit you can have on the trail is not respecting your fellow hikers!
Train Wreck
12-23-2012, 01:22
Treating a hike like a vacation. Sleep in if I feel like it. Cook breakfast in bed. Stopping to loiter at beautiful spots & maybe pull a book out or take a nap & enjoy the moment. Refusing to eat half cooked mush & cooking real food. Carrying to heavy of a pack...list goes on. There is no really no right or wrong way. To each his own, HYOH. The only really bad habit you can have on the trail is not respecting your fellow hikers!
I retract my request to Chin Music. Can I hike with you instead? :D
Mountain Mike
12-23-2012, 01:31
I retract my request to Chin Music. Can I hike with you instead? :D
Anytime. Headed to NM section of CDT in April. Hopefully see you in NE late summer.
Sarcasm the elf
12-23-2012, 01:48
Over the last two years my #1 bad habit has been not hiking nearly enough.
mtnkngxt
12-23-2012, 07:36
Over the last two years my #1 bad habit has been not hiking nearly enough.
Have that same problem.
Blackbeard30
12-23-2012, 09:30
It takes me forever to breakdown camp in the morning. Don't really know why.
hikerboy57
12-23-2012, 09:36
too much food. i like to have more than enough just in case i just decide to camp out for a day.
trouble is i really cant sit still for a whole day and almost always come off the trail with one or two too many meals
Too much food, years ago I didn't used to count travel and trail town stops, ie spending the night with dinner and breakfast covered............the last few hikes I have come into town and resupply stops EMPTY, not a sunflower seed left. Hungry, yes...............made me happy to have finally figured out how to skimp on food and carry the right amount.
Not cooking has also made a big difference for me, simpler, lighter, don't need to tent near water, more about the calories than the type of food although no-cook food options are great.
garlic08
12-23-2012, 10:26
Standing on the waist belt when I pick up my pack is probably the worst. That's more of a mistake than a habit, but it happens way too often.
+1 on the above. Working on getting that right. Any tips?
I started planning food for the distance, rather than number of days, meals, etc. For me, it's about one pound for every ten to twelve miles when my hiker hunger is in full swing. It works for me--I usually eat my last cashew a few miles before a resupply.
Chick-fil-A
12-23-2012, 11:03
I have this obsessive/compulsive need to stop and look at my map and or guide book every ten mins!! Why?? I don't just don't get it. I probably waste 30 minutes on an average hiking day!!
Bad habits.
Cheating at exams.
Bad habits.
Never washing hands.
Bad habits.
Smacking in their bugs.
Bad habits.
I won't do it again, Uh oh.
Uh oh.
Bad habits.
Buying dirty mags.
Bad habits.
Dodging in to flicks.
Bad habits.
Groping in the dark.
Bad habits.
I won't do it again, Uh oh.
Uh oh.
All these things,
They lower my resistance.
Don't think I can
Stay the distance.
All these things they say are bad,
They feel so good to me, you know
I just don't think I can
Resist 'em.
Bad habits.
Staying out all night.
Bad habits.
Shouting at the kids.
Bad habits.
Beating up their wives.
Bad habits.
I won't do it again, uh oh.
Uh oh.
I won't do it again
I won't do it again
I won't do it again
I won't do it again
Bad habits.
Theiving from the poor.
Bad habits.
Robbing from the banks.
Bad habits.
Shooting at the law.
Bad habits.
I won't do it again, uh oh.
Uh oh.
I won't do it again, uh oh.
Uh oh.
Bad habits.
I won't do it again, uh oh.
Uh oh.
Bad habits.
Never again.
Fade...
Pedaling Fool
12-23-2012, 11:36
... and walking unsustainably fast and then having to take breaks, creating a lower average speed than if I just went slow and steady.At your age that's not really a "bad habit"; it's more indicative of an unexperienced hiker. I'm not blasting you, we've all done that; I had a very tough time with that way of cycling when I first got into it. And it's why, or at least a factor, in why so many young cyclists lose to older, yet more experienced cyclists -- and this can be seen in many other types of activities, including hiking.
Average speed is a funny thing.
Not locking the mouthpiece on my bladder, I end up with wet pack bottom.....
Drybones
12-23-2012, 11:48
I have this obsessive/compulsive need to stop and look at my map and or guide book every ten mins!! Why?? I don't just don't get it. I probably waste 30 minutes on an average hiking day!!
That 30 minute = 1.5 miles for the average hiker. The worst thing I did was hiking too fast downhill. After dieing on an uphill climb it was my way of relaxing to go down the other side at whatever speed the hill let me go without appying the brakes, there was no effort other than picking feet up and dropping them, the air flow it generated was great to cool me off, even did a little jogging at times to keep up. Downside...it killed the knees and put me off trail a little over 400 miles...live and learn!
WingedMonkey
12-23-2012, 11:48
Too many ditty bags and stuff sack sacks, love 'em, got to have 'em.
Drybones
12-23-2012, 11:55
Average speed is a funny thing.
What kills most folks average speed are the 5-10 minute stops to get trash from shoes, fill water bladders, chit-chat, water the trees, site see, etc, etc, etc. Long distance hiking is like anything else, you dont know how to do it until you've done it once, the school of hard knocks is a good teacher. If I stop a total of 60 minutes that's 3 miles or so I've lost. IF you want to cover miles you have to be disiplined with the stops.
Pedaling Fool
12-23-2012, 12:32
What kills most folks average speed are the 5-10 minute stops to get trash from shoes, fill water bladders, chit-chat, water the trees, site see, etc, etc, etc. Long distance hiking is like anything else, you dont know how to do it until you've done it once, the school of hard knocks is a good teacher. If I stop a total of 60 minutes that's 3 miles or so I've lost. IF you want to cover miles you have to be disiplined with the stops.Well, I don't know about "most folks", but that's not what kills my Average Speed. My desire to fly is what kills mine, that's why I can very much relate to scrub hiker's post.
slowfeet
12-23-2012, 12:58
coffee/tobacco in the morning
taking my time packing up in the morning
not a habit since I've only done it once, but, breaking hiking poles or other gear when PISSED
Wise Old Owl
12-23-2012, 13:13
Bad hiking habit? That's easy "doubt"
HikerMom58
12-23-2012, 13:30
Taking a break to post .... love these kinda threads. My worst hiking habit would be not feeling comfortable hiking alone. I have a habit of every time I go out hiking - I "freak out", in my head, if I find myself hiking alone. I feel sad. (what if I see something cool and can't share it with anyone?) What if this or that happens with no one around? I can't do it. I have tried for short distances but I end up "catching up" with my hiking buddy within a few minutes. I love hiking with others ... the more the merrier. I can't seem to ever push through my comfort zone and hike alone. Whenever I meet someone, who hikes alone, I'm always amazed & ask... how do you do that?
1) Too fast on first day
2) Too much cheese and Nuts
3) Looking at map too much
hikerboy57
12-23-2012, 13:45
Taking a break to post .... love these kinda threads. My worst hiking habit would be not feeling comfortable hiking alone. I have a habit of every time I go out hiking - I "freak out", in my head, if I find myself hiking alone. I feel sad. (what if I see something cool and can't share it with anyone?) What if this or that happens with no one around? I can't do it. I have tried for short distances but I end up "catching up" with my hiking buddy within a few minutes. I love hiking with others ... the more the merrier. I can't seem to ever push through my comfort zone and hike alone. Whenever I meet someone, who hikes alone, I'm always amazed & ask... how do you do that?
thers always someone there to share it with.even when you're alone
Thirsty DPD
12-23-2012, 13:49
I have insatiable thirst, the worst purchase I ever made was a bladder & bite valve...gallons per day. That's not the bad habit. The bad habit is; while consciously trying to monitor intake, at time I don't reach for my water bottle often enough.
brian039
12-23-2012, 13:52
I have this obsessive/compulsive need to stop and look at my map and or guide book every ten mins!! Why?? I don't just don't get it. I probably waste 30 minutes on an average hiking day!!
Same here, then I forget what I just read a minute later.
Thirsty DPD
12-23-2012, 14:00
Taking a break to post .... love these kinda threads. My worst hiking habit would be not feeling comfortable hiking alone. I have a habit of every time I go out hiking - I "freak out", in my head, if I find myself hiking alone. I feel sad. (what if I see something cool and can't share it with anyone?) What if this or that happens with no one around? I can't do it. I have tried for short distances but I end up "catching up" with my hiking buddy within a few minutes. I love hiking with others ... the more the merrier. I can't seem to ever push through my comfort zone and hike alone. Whenever I meet someone, who hikes alone, I'm always amazed & ask... how do you do that?
Peggy, my wife, & I can only hike as fast as the slowest person in the group. She understands & shares your fear bigtime. We'll be in touch when we're in your area, we'd love to see why you've stopped. Remember, you're never alone, I enjoy the company I keep while hiking "alone".
ChinMusic
12-23-2012, 14:00
I have insatiable thirst, the worst purchase I ever made was a bladder & bite valve...gallons per day. That's not the bad habit. The bad habit is; while consciously trying to monitor intake, at time I don't reach for my water bottle often enough.
I got the opposite problem. I have to constantly remind myself to drink. After walking 10 miles and noticing your water bottle is the same as it was in camp, can't be good.
Thirsty DPD
12-23-2012, 14:01
thers always someone there to share it with.even when you're alone
++++ agreed!
Thirsty DPD
12-23-2012, 14:06
I got the opposite problem. I have to constantly remind myself to drink. After walking 10 miles and noticing your water bottle is the same as it was in camp, can't be good.
I can send you a well used bladder & bite valve, it might help. (The well used bladder has not been surgically removed)
HikerMom58
12-23-2012, 14:43
thers always someone there to share it with.even when you're alone
I love you for the reminder HB. :) You're right AGAIN!! ;)
Peggy, my wife, & I can only hike as fast as the slowest person in the group. She understands & shares your fear bigtime. We'll be in touch when we're in your area, we'd love to see why you've stopped. Remember, you're never alone, I enjoy the company I keep while hiking "alone".
I would love to meet you and Peggy. Please stay in touch when you're in the area, Thirsty. :) I'll explain how I feel to you then.
Sometimes I'm hiking faster than my hiking buddy but I slow up my pace so that I'm not hiking "alone"... I can hike in all different speeds.. I even like to trail run at at times. :) My feet slowed my down the last time we were out tho, I think we hiked too many miles the first day out.
Man, I love this thread. I wish I could talk to everyone about their comments ....so interesting. I can relate to many of them, myself. I like the OCD comments.. LOL... Yup... understood! ;)
I have the same problem as Chin.I get on the trail and wont touch my water till mid day.Then,once i start drinking,it seems like i cant get enough.I keep telling myself to start drinking from the beginning but i get in a kind of zone and just keep walking.PigPen
...what if I see something cool and can't share it with anyone? - HikerMomKD
I'm mainly a solo long distance hiker. I'm very comfortable with that but it can lead me to overwhelming others when I meet them on the trail and I attempt to share what I've experienced in a rapid fire type fashion. It usually occurs when I'm in that gotta go gotta go but I still want to share thru-hiker mentality. Not so much of a habit but more of an issue I noticed with myself twice this past hiking season ocurred while thruing the CT. I met an Outward Bound group near Tennessee Pass. In my overly eager enthusiasm to share what I had experienced I think I monopolized the conversation. I didn't allow the Outward Bound folks to share enough of their own equally important and valid trail experiences. As I hiked on into the night I realized what I had done. The next day when I encountered Miss Parkay and Couch K(?) thruing the CDT SOBO, hiking to complete their Triple Crowns, I think I did the same thing; I monopolized the conversation when undoubtedly they both had SO MUCH to share with me concerning their own hiking experiences. I think, in both incidences WE ALL would have been better served if I had paused a bit more to allow others to share more of their experiences and enthusiasm. At least I recognize what I did and was mindful of correcting my behavior as I met other hikers further into my hike.
...there's always someone there to share it with even when you're alone. - Hikerboy57
Remember, you're never alone, I enjoy the company I keep while hiking "alone". - Thirsty DPD
I absolutely agree with these statements but sometimes I feel the need to share with physically present human beings.
One bad trail habit, at least I think it was becoming a bad habit, I broke myself of was forgetting or leaving something behind, usually a small piece of gear after a rest stop. Now, I carefully organize all my gear whether in camp or whether packed in my backpack and I carefully look over where I've stopped at least threee times before moving on.
Not checking my feet enough for hot spots during the day. Over the years my feet have always been a problem but I can never get into the habit of doing it enough. Also carrying too much water because a few times I was caught short and they seem to have stuck in my memory too clearly.
SawnieRobertson
12-23-2012, 16:08
Carry less food. If you start running low, you will have motivation to help you hike faster :p
Good point, but the only thing that ever really moved up my speed was a terrific electrical storm that was moving in. The last mile to Moreland Gap Shelter was 2.2 mph as opposed to the usual 1.5. I made it!
SawnieRobertson
12-23-2012, 16:11
Treating a hike like a vacation. Sleep in if I feel like it. Cook breakfast in bed. Stopping to loiter at beautiful spots & maybe pull a book out or take a nap & enjoy the moment. Refusing to eat half cooked mush & cooking real food. Carrying to heavy of a pack...list goes on. There is no really no right or wrong way. To each his own, HYOH. The only really bad habit you can have on the trail is not respecting your fellow hikers!
Ditto on how the day is spent and kudos for your final remark.
GoldenBear
12-23-2012, 16:15
1) Cured myself of this after my first real back-packing trip: taking detailed photos of every camp site, trying to capture the essence of the place. My plan was to post the photos here, figuring someone could use the info. Nice in theory, in practice it just takes up too much time. Doing this inevitably lead to my arriving, at my planned stop for the night, way too late to relax and enjoy the place. And sometimes, taking a lot of photos meant not arriving at a planned stop at all!
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/entry.php?583-Based-on-my-choices-from-a-week-ago-I-nominate-myself-for-quot-Bonehead-of-the-Year-quot
Now I just take notes and post the written info, without much in the way of photos.
2) Leaving my hiking pole at my stop for the night. I'm beginning to think I need to place an "invisible fence" around my neck.
3) A bad habit I'm trying to cure in ALL of my interactions, not just on the Trail: getting upset at people who break the rules. I once "greeted" a fellow camper with the words, "You realize you can't camp there, don't you?" Not, "Hi" or "Can I help you with anything?" -- just that snarky remark. I recognize my need to break this attitude of mine -- I've spent enough years being a Sheldon Cooper -- but it takes years to break a habit of decades.
AllenIsbell
12-23-2012, 18:37
I just figured out that hiking fast is a bad idea. Just did 20 miles in GA. Kicked. My. Ass.
My pack was too heavy, too. I weight about 126lbs, and my pack was 38lbs. Next time I will be leaving a bunch of stuff home. It was my first "long" backpacking trip. I carried WAY too much water. I could've kept 2 cups in a bottle for cooking, and my 2 liter bladder, and been set. I had no idea how many places I could fill up...
Live and learn.
Wearing cotton, smoking in a hostel, but at least she has a UL skin layer...
18558
kayak karl
12-23-2012, 20:48
bad habit---over planning.
other bad habit....believing what i read.
Being "nice" when someone or some ones really need a cussin.
Zippy Morocco
12-23-2012, 21:43
It takes me forever to breakdown camp in the morning. Don't really know why.
Me too, I can't figure it out. If I get out in less than an hour it's a really good day.
Wise Old Owl
12-23-2012, 21:43
bad habit---over planning.
other bad habit....believing what i read.
If that is a bad habit... arrest me...
Thirsty DPD
12-23-2012, 22:18
......there's always someone there to share it with even when you're alone. - Hikerboy57
Remember, you're never alone, I enjoy the company I keep while hiking "alone". - Thirsty DPD
I absolutely agree with these statements but sometimes I feel the need to share with physically present human beings.
.
When Leonard Bernstein was asked why he did his childrens concerts, he answered something like; 'The meal tastes better, the wine fuller, the sunsets richer, when you share it with someone'.
fiddlehead
12-23-2012, 22:25
It took me a long time to realize I had to do something about getting lost after getting stoned.
I finally learned to set a few GPS points first and then follow them.
Sorry if this is an AT only forum, then you just have to follow the blazes in the right direction. (compass will do)
Enjoy the hike!
Too many rest breaks, look forward to when I can get into a steady hiking rhythm and maintain it for hours and hours..........
TheYoungOne
12-24-2012, 13:13
Bad habits
Too much Coffee in the morning.
Conserving / Not drinking enough water (hiking with a full 3L in my pack, but my pee is still dark yellow)
Hiking in a mental fog, then coming out of it and then saying to myself, "Where in the heck are the blazes, crap I hiked off the trail" then I stop to look around for a minute, take a few steps forward or back and I finally see a blaze. I do this at least twice a day on the trail.
Drybones
12-24-2012, 13:22
Too many rest breaks, look forward to when I can get into a steady hiking rhythm and maintain it for hours and hours..........
I'm kinda the opposite, had to develop the discipline to break...I take a 15 min after 2 hours for a snack, try to do an hour for lunch but it's normally 30 minutes, that's about as long as I can sit with nothing to do, and another 15 minute break 2 hours after lunch for another snack...those are my goals anyway.
Drybones
12-24-2012, 13:26
If that is a bad habit... arrest me...
911...please arrest WOO...911 is the trail name of a hiking buddy, given to him for his tendency to get injured and require someone to dial that number...great guy, he's responsible for giving me the hiking habit.
Another Kevin
12-24-2012, 14:34
I started posting about my bad habits several times, and stopped again, because some of my "bad habits" - compulsive photography, not being up at the crack of dawn, firing up the stove at least twice a day so that I can have hot coffee or cooked food - are things I enjoy about hiking, and the point is to enjoy it!
But now it occurs to me that I have a really bad habit - putting my multitool down rather than getting it right back on my belt. And later having to search my campsite for it.
And another bad habit is making curry on the trail. Somehow the jet propulsion doesn't help very much on the upgrades.
And another one is lecturing, because I see things that I feel I just have to share, when I really should know that I'm boring: "Wow, cool, lycopodia! Did you know that these things were what they made flash powder out of?" Or "Just look at all those brachiopod fossils in the rock! This whole area was a coral reef in Devonian times!" Or "This section of trail was a logging railroad until about 1905. They laid rails on two-foot gauge and pulled the logs on horsecars. The lean-to was built on the foundation where they had a stationary steam engine to winch the logs down to the river on a cable incline."
Which ties in to another bad habit, reading too much.
Jim Adams
12-24-2012, 14:56
....being on WB more than actually getting to hike anymore!
hikerboy57
12-24-2012, 15:41
....being on WB more than actually getting to hike anymore!thats not a bad habit, plenty of people have learned from your experience.
its only when your WB time starts eating into your rea hiking time, well then yeah, thats a bad habit.
but there are programs
Wise Old Owl
12-24-2012, 15:47
Ya its just 12 steps.... Ha
coolness
12-24-2012, 16:14
That's my bad habit - not drinking enough water. Can't think of any others..... Well, eating too much gassy food the night before a hike. :eek:
coolness
12-24-2012, 16:32
I started posting about my bad habits several times, and stopped again, because some of my "bad habits" - compulsive photography, not being up at the crack of dawn, firing up the stove at least twice a day so that I can have hot coffee or cooked food - are things I enjoy about hiking, and the point is to enjoy it!
But now it occurs to me that I have a really bad habit - putting my multitool down rather than getting it right back on my belt. And later having to search my campsite for it.
And another bad habit is making curry on the trail. Somehow the jet propulsion doesn't help very much on the upgrades.
And another one is lecturing, because I see things that I feel I just have to share, when I really should know that I'm boring: "Wow, cool, lycopodia! Did you know that these things were what they made flash powder out of?" Or "Just look at all those brachiopod fossils in the rock! This whole area was a coral reef in Devonian times!" Or "This section of trail was a logging railroad until about 1905. They laid rails on two-foot gauge and pulled the logs on horsecars. The lean-to was built on the foundation where they had a stationary steam engine to winch the logs down to the river on a cable incline."
Which ties in to another bad habit, reading too much.
Hey Kevin!! I like hearing those "boring" details!! And that jet propulsion..... Doesn't seem to help me either!!
Hairbear
12-24-2012, 18:24
bad habit---over planning.
other bad habit....believing what i read. plus 1.....
Andrewsobo
12-24-2012, 18:28
Towards the end of a long day I'll start dragging my sticks and my feet, getting really clumsy and just kinda throwing my body up/down the trail. One of these days I'm going to get a real injury that way. Need to stop and take a break or call it for the day instead of hiking past the point of muscle failure.
swamp dawg
12-24-2012, 22:39
Looking around rather than down and I have the scars to prove it..........................swamp dawg
Not checking my feet enough for hot spots during the day. Over the years my feet have always been a problem but I can never get into the habit of doing it enough. Also carrying too much water because a few times I was caught short and they seem to have stuck in my memory too clearly.
Sevsa,
I can relate to both of these.
Wise Old Owl
12-25-2012, 01:24
Wait I remember a second thing...http://i.picasion.com/gl/62/VzO.gif
What are your Bad Hiking Habits?Phoning in sick and going for day hike!!
;)
Joker4ink
12-25-2012, 13:49
I don't eat as I go. Often times I wait until I "crash" before stopping to eat. Then it takes me a little bit to get back in to rhythm. Now I try to keep snacks handy (in the same side pouches that I put my Gatorade bottles in), that way I go for water and go for snacks at the same time.
TheYoungOne
12-26-2012, 10:23
What are your Bad Hiking Habits?
Phoning in sick and going for day hike!!
;)
I do the same thing. Best day hikes are on a random Tuesday or Wednesday.
Odd Man Out
12-26-2012, 10:37
Treating a hike like a vacation. Sleep in if I feel like it. Cook breakfast in bed. Stopping to loiter at beautiful spots & maybe pull a book out or take a nap & enjoy the moment...
Hmm, these were all on my list of good habits.
...The only really bad habit you can have on the trail is not respecting your fellow hikers!
+1 here.
coach lou
12-26-2012, 11:10
Filling my pack
ThatGirlLeah
12-27-2012, 22:57
Singing! Haha
Uh oh... is this considered a bad habit? I love hiking alone and singing like an idiot.
...until I run into someone, of course.
I generally hike light. I sometimes hike ultralight. HOWEVER, I still GENERALLY bring too much stuff (Now, I just tend to bring too much extra light stuff!)
I don't always do these things--but here are some examples:
--I often carry an extra meal or two (just in case).
--I usually bring three pairs of socks (wear one, carry two). I have only "needed" the third pair once in the past 30+ years
--I often--but not always--carry an extra "lightweight" shirt and/or light base layer bottom. I often double bag this in two ziplock bags so it is able to withstand the biggest downpour or even withstand dropping my entire pack in a stream. If the conditions really get bad, I want something dry to put on when it is all over to help protect against hypothermia. It is an old habit--maybe had it for 30+ years. Nearly impossible for me to break. It is like Linus and his security blanket in the Peanuts comic strip. Ironically, I have only needed to use this 'dry set' once or twice in the past 30+ years to help ward off hypothermia. So, why do I still usually carry it? Who knows.
--I usually carry an extra (small) lighter and and extra (very tiny) flashlight. Usually somewhere on my person.
coach lou
12-28-2012, 06:48
I generally hike light. I sometimes hike ultralight. HOWEVER, I still GENERALLY bring too much stuff (Now, I just tend to bring too much extra light stuff!)
I don't always do these things--but here are some examples:
--I often carry an extra meal or two (just in case).
--I usually bring three pairs of socks (wear one, carry two). I have only "needed" the third pair once in the past 30+ years
--I often--but not always--carry an extra "lightweight" shirt and/or light base layer bottom. I often double bag this in two ziplock bags so it is able to withstand the biggest downpour or even withstand dropping my entire pack in a stream. If the conditions really get bad, I want something dry to put on when it is all over to help protect against hypothermia. It is an old habit--maybe had it for 30+ years. Nearly impossible for me to break. It is like Linus and his security blanket in the Peanuts comic strip. Ironically, I have only needed to use this 'dry set' once or twice in the past 30+ years to help ward off hypothermia. So, why do I still usually carry it? Who knows.
--I usually carry an extra (small) lighter and and extra (very tiny) flashlight. Usually somewhere on my person.
When are you going to post that list of EXTRA stuff? Looks like all essentials if you ask me.......I like to pack 'just in case' to.
Sarcasm the elf
12-28-2012, 10:13
When are you going to post that list of EXTRA stuff? Looks like all essentials if you ask me.......I like to pack 'just in case' to.You beat me to it coach, that's what I was about to say!
coach lou
12-28-2012, 10:33
You beat me to it coach, that's what I was about to say!
Dave, your scoutmaster must have done a good job beating it into your head, mine just beat me....it was my dad, another Jar-head!:D
Lone Wolf
12-28-2012, 10:37
i have a habit of not filtering/treating any water, not hanging food, not using hiking sticks, not using privys, not having a cell phone and carrying a 30-40 lb. pack. but these aren't bad habits really
coach lou
12-28-2012, 10:39
i have a habit of not filtering/treating any water, not hanging food, not using hiking sticks, not using privys, not having a cell phone and carrying a 30-40 lb. pack. but these aren't bad habits really
So just what is in that 40lbs pack? No chop sticks, so you must have the complete swiss army knife fork & spoon!
Sarcasm the elf
12-28-2012, 11:21
i have a habit of not filtering/treating any water, not hanging food, not using hiking sticks, not using privys, not having a cell phone and carrying a 30-40 lb. pack. but these aren't bad habits reallyDang! With all those bad habits you'll probably never complete a thru hike. ;-)
Gray Blazer
12-28-2012, 11:47
I hang out in HB's Cyber cafe. :o
coach lou
12-28-2012, 11:51
I hang out in HB's Cyber cafe. :o
Ultra loadin', stick walkin', Hippie Freak:sun
Gray Blazer
12-28-2012, 11:53
Ultra loadin', stick walkin', Hippie Freak:sun
That's the nicest thing I've heard all day.
Train Wreck
12-28-2012, 13:51
I hang out in HB's Cyber cafe. :o
I wouldn't admit to that in a million years.
Dave, your scoutmaster must have done a good job beating it into your head, mine just beat me....it was my dad, another Jar-head!:D
I think you guys have hit on the roots of me bringing "extra" stuff.
For nearly 40+ years I have had some sort of affiliation with Scouting. Eagle Scout (1978). I also spent 13 years in the military as an officer--surrounded by Sergeants whose continual mantra was: "It is better to have it and not need it--than to need it and not have it!". Between that slogan and Scouting's "Be Prepared"--I am doomed to carry extra stuff "just in case"---even though I have used the items only 1-2 times in the past 30+ years. (The funny thing is, between my Scouting experiences and military training--I have the necessary skills to improvise and get by without the items if need be).
Overall, my
coach lou
12-28-2012, 14:07
[QUOTE=prain4u;1379839]I think you guys have hit on the roots of me bringing "extra" stuff.
For nearly 40+ years I have had some sort of affiliation with Scouting. Eagle Scout (1978). I also spent 13 years in the military as an officer--surrounded by Sergeants whose continual mantra was: "It is better to have it and not need it--than to need it and not have it!". Between that slogan and Scouting's "Be Prepared"--I am doomed to carry extra stuff "just in case"---even though I have used the items only 1-2 times in the past 30+ years. (The funny thing is, between my Scouting experiences and military training--I have the necessary skills to improvise and get by without the items if need be).
Overall, my[/QUO
TE]
So we are doomed to Be prepared and to be able to improvise to survive. The abuse...how did we get this far?
Trillium
12-29-2012, 16:08
Uh oh... is this considered a bad habit? I love hiking alone and singing like an idiot.
...until I run into someone, of course.Me too!
When I went to SoRuck in 2008, there was a group that hiked from Tesnatee Gap back to the NOC. After we climbed down from the firetower, several of us ladies started singing How Great Thou Art and it was amazing with the harmony!
Spirit Bear
12-29-2012, 16:42
Taking a break to post .... love these kinda threads. My worst hiking habit would be not feeling comfortable hiking alone. I have a habit of every time I go out hiking - I "freak out", in my head, if I find myself hiking alone. I feel sad. (what if I see something cool and can't share it with anyone?) What if this or that happens with no one around? I can't do it. I have tried for short distances but I end up "catching up" with my hiking buddy within a few minutes. I love hiking with others ... the more the merrier. I can't seem to ever push through my comfort zone and hike alone. Whenever I meet someone, who hikes alone, I'm always amazed & ask... how do you do that?
I am not a thru hiker but all the hikes I have done this year have been alone despite the few 2-4 milers with my girlfriend. I hike alone origionally because no one I know wanted to go hiking or didnt want to hike as far as I did. It isnt cool to many "normal" people. They all want to see the views experience the bears but they don't want to walk for miles up and down hills. INstead they want to camp out of their car near a lake or nice summit view and not earn that view or spot.
So what I do is this, I hike alone and enjoy my time alone, I take my camera and take pictures and shoot videos of what I see then upload it and share it on FB for all to see, I always get 1 or 2 people interested in a certain section of trail, I have yet to get anyone to actually take me up on hiking with me though, any of my friends that is.
Get a camera and share your experience with your family and friends...
maybe clem
12-31-2012, 18:49
Late starts, staying put if it's raining, hiking too quietly (has led to some sudden and dangerous bear encounters).
Hairbear
01-01-2013, 08:18
my bad habit is hiking with others when they crowd in on your plans.you set up the perfect hike for you .you are all planned for weeks,when somebody crashes your party.they show up at ten instead of 6,punk out after a few hours,want to change the plan in the middle,and whine the whole time while talking constantly about crap in the world that led you to take a hike in the first place.
Hairbear
01-01-2013, 08:23
craziest thing is somewhere in the hike they will usually look at you and say ,lucky i came you would be way out here all by yourself.
hikerhobs
01-01-2013, 12:05
not drinking enough fluids. :mad:
RedBeerd
01-03-2013, 22:01
Eating my block of cheddar and summer sausage on the first day of a week long trip and spending WAY too much time watching steam pour out of a freshly dug cat hole on a cool crisp morning.
My bad habit is that when hiking solo, I often forget to take breaks and push myself too hard, and get really tired out. I've got better over the years, but still I have to purposefully remember to stop every now and then and relax.
dancingbear
01-04-2013, 12:26
My worst habit has to be forgetting why I am hiking. On a day when I plan on covering 17-20 miles ,I'll neglect to stop and take in a view or sit and watch the forest because I am in such a rush to make the miles. It's not about the destination but it's about the journey and if you rush through then you might miss it - cliche I know
Drybones
01-04-2013, 12:43
Uh oh... is this considered a bad habit? I love hiking alone and singing like an idiot.
...until I run into someone, of course.
I've been known to vocalize on occassion...favorites...you never even call me by my name, Jack Daniels if you please, Family traditions, Take this job and shove it, Wastin away in Margaritaville.
evyck da fleet
01-04-2013, 12:53
Hiking with the Aqua Mira cap in my hand during the five minutes it takes to mix because I don't want to sit around waiting. Great time saver until I trip or slip on a rock and have to jettison the cap and the poles in my other hand to brace myself.>:0