Is backpacking a sport?

[stuthetraveler]

I want everyone's opinion on here about this question? I posted an article to my blog discussing this: http://stuthetraveler.com/stuthetraveler/ Should it or should it not be considered a sport? We've got UL hikers, speed hikers, thru-hikers, etc. Are they athletes?

[BrianLe]

Since a number of motor-driven hobbies are widely asserted to be sports, I would say that backpacking certainly is one too, or rather, it can be.

Of course it depends on who is defining the word 'sport', but at the least one can say that backpacking CAN be competitive, even on occasion in a pretty formalized way.
There can also be philosophical arguments over whether it SHOULD be, but ...
... don't you sometimes feel that a key part of the response to so many such issues here come down to HYOH? !

[Coffee Rules!]

Not trying to be a smarta$$, but who really cares about semantics?

Do you enjoy it? Yes? Do it. No? Don't.

[Odd Man Out]

I think "is backpacking a sport?" and "are backpackers athletes?" are different questions.

According to most dictionary definitions, athletes need to be good at a physical activity requiring strength and endurance, so backpackers are clearly athletes. You can be an athlete without participating in sports.

Sports implies a competition with rules. So backpacking as an activity is not a sport, but that doesn't mean it can't be made into one by people who choose to do it competitively. It's no different than asking if driving a car is a sport. It can be (NASCAR, etc...), but my commute isn't. Anything can be made into a sport - just watch the X-Games (e.g. Jumping a snowmobile over a pile of big screen TV's while wearing snowshoes, into a pool of water while waving your arms and legs with style for points - extra points if while in mid air you can grab a can of beer suspended from a helicopter piloted by your girlfriend).

[Tuckahoe]

Sure, backpacking is a sport, just as any physical activity or entertainment is a sport. But I would never consider a hiker or backpacker an athlete; I'm certainly not an athlete.

[tds1195]

I'm with Odd man....there's not really a competition aspect to it so it makes it kind of hard to be considered a sport. If you want to make a "tough-mudder" type event for backpackers to see who can do the 100 mile wilderness the quickest, be my guest! Haha

[Rasty]

I think "is backpacking a sport?" and "are backpackers athletes?" are different questions.

According to most dictionary definitions, athletes need to be good at a physical activity requiring strength and endurance, so backpackers are clearly athletes. You can be an athlete without participating in sports.

Sports implies a competition with rules. So backpacking as an activity is not a sport, but that doesn't mean it can't be made into one by people who choose to do it competitively. It's no different than asking if driving a car is a sport. It can be (NASCAR, etc...), but my commute isn't. Anything can be made into a sport - just watch the X-Games (e.g. Jumping a snowmobile over a pile of big screen TV's while wearing snowshoes, into a pool of water while waving your arms and legs with style for points - extra points if while in mid air you can grab a can of beer suspended from a helicopter piloted by your girlfriend).

I consider my commute a sport.:)

[garlic08]

That's a good question to start the day with. I place backpacking in the category "activity" rather than "sport". But I agree it's possible to make a sport out of it. The first thing that comes to mind is the summer (2007) that The Onion and Mr Magoo competed for the first yoyo of the CDT. They were both ultimate sportsmen about it, too, from what I could see (I met both of them on my CDT hike that summer).

[Malto]

Backpacking is NOT a sport but backpackers are athletes.

[nitewalker]

heck ya its a sport and a mighty physical one to boot. it is not the typical recognized type sport but its geting close with all the eco challenges that are poping up around the country and world..there are some that choose backpacking as a mode of sports activity and like any other sport some are good at it and some are great at it. i bring friends that are former school athletes and by the time we are done hiking they always tell me that it was the hardest thing they ever did and that i am nuts for wanting to walk and sleep in the woods. i actually set these guys up on a tuff hike without them actually knowing how tuff, lmao. i love to see em suffer after bragging how easy it would be..

[Spirit Bear]

I think it's a sport, it is competition with you vs yourself. Your body screams at you to quit, fear tells you to quit, your family and friends (non hiker friends) tell you to quit. Regardless of your destiny it is a sport between you and yourself. For me that's how I see it anyway.

I overcame my fear of being alone and the fear of bears in 2012 just from the hikes I did on the AT in Georgia and North Carolina.

[nitewalker]

Backpacking is NOT a sport but backpackers are athletes.


nice one!! that about sums it up..

[Turk6177]

If they don't keep a score and have a winner, then I can't define it as a sport. It is a recreation, a hobby, or an obsession. Weightlifting is a physical activity, but it only becomes a sport when people compete against one another to see how much they can lift.

[Pedaling Fool]

I want everyone's opinion on here about this question? I posted an article to my blog discussing this: http://stuthetraveler.com/stuthetraveler/ Should it or should it not be considered a sport? We've got UL hikers, speed hikers, thru-hikers, etc. Are they athletes?
Is backpacking a sport? It can be, anything can be a sport if the participants make it so. It's like cycling; I'm a very avid cyclist, but It's not a sport to me, despite the fact that many times if I see another cyclist I must prove my prowess on the bike :D

Are they athletes? I guess by the strict definition, they are athletes. The way I see it, something can be a sport, but not require athletic discipline, such as Archery. However, if an activity (sport or not) requires physical exertion beyond the norms, then its participants are athletes.

However, as I look at some hikers I have a problem with using the term athlete to describe them. I know some will jump on me for that, but there's just a lot of people that spend time on the trails, but in a way to expend the least amount of energy and their gut proves it. You got people that push themselves out there and people that walk a little then stop, so I'll just leave it at that. Suffice it to say, that hiking is an athletic activity, but many don't go to that point. Same can be said for cycling, I see many people on bikes that ride them in such a way as to be far from an athletic endeavor.

[atmilkman]

Possibilities are endless. You could have different weight classes of hikers. Featherweight, lightweight, middleweight, etc. Different weights that they carry from 0 to 10, 20, 30, up to well over 100 lbs. Different length that they hike, different grades such as 6%, 8%, etc. Different lengths of grades, different combinations, 10 miles up, 10 miles level, 10 miles down, with or without water, bronze, silver, and gold medals. The possibilities are endless.

[rocketsocks]

My local book store considers backpacking a sport, as titles on that subject are found in the "Sports Section"
However , I've also found titles in the "Nature section, Travel narrative section, and local interests.

What I find odd, is that titles on Survival are also found in the sports section.

Not sure what the "Library system" classifies backpacking under, but I would think that just might be the final authority......if they be one.

[Lyle]

To me, NO. I've heard it described as such, but never bought in.

Sport implies competition. Winners and losers, record setting. I detest this attitude about hiking.

Hiking/backpacking is an ACTIVITY. Pure and simple.

[Chuckie V]

There are some good answers here, particularly Odd Man Out's. Sport is ultimately defined not solely by competition, but by rules and regulations that all participants must adhere to. The whole 'Hike Your Own Hike' credo promotes precisely the opposite (thankfully).

Sport would demand that you hike within a specific binding set of rules, and HYOH would thus need to be redefined to HWTR...Hike Within The Rules, and few hikers care to do that.

As an ex-professional athlete, and past teammate of that cheater cancer of the peloton, it's easy for me to see that hiking is about stripping away the societal shackles and all the silly rules. If we want rules out there, we need to take a deeper look why we're out there in the first place...not to be first place. The way I see it, when it comes to hiking, the first one done loses!

[Pedaling Fool]

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/misc/nytlogo152x23.gif (http://www.nytimes.com/)

Sports (http://www.nytimes.com/pages/sports/index.html)


Speed Hiker Thrives on Natural Rhythms of the Appalachian Trail


Read more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/sports/speed-hiker-pharr-davis-thrives-on-rhythms-of-appalachian-trail.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 ;)

[Coffee Rules!]

I consider my commute a sport.:)

Having driven in Wilmington, I can vouch for that.

[Odd Man Out]

...anything can be a sport if the participants make it so. ...

No kidding - the Scots made a sport out of throwing telephone poles.

[fredmugs]

I consider myself to be an athlete and backbacking is not a sport. It is an activity and, like a lot of other activites, you can challenge yourself if you choose to.

[RCBear]

leisure. even though we all have pretty tough days on the trail at times, still....leisure

[RCBear]

leisure. even though we all have pretty tough days on the trail at times, still....leisure

The OP said backpacking which is how i framed my answer. Certainly hiking when being competitive as in record breaking attempts so on should be qualified as a sport.

[Feral Bill]

According to http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport?s=t, it would be.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I think "is backpacking a sport?" and "are backpackers athletes?" are different questions. According to most dictionary definitions, athletes need to be good at a physical activity requiring strength and endurance, so backpackers are clearly athletes. You can be an athlete without participating in sports.Sports implies a competition with rules. So backpacking as an activity is not a sport, but that doesn't mean it can't be made into one by people who choose to do it competitively. It's no different than asking if driving a car is a sport. It can be (NASCAR, etc...), but my commute isn't. Anything can be made into a sport - just watch the X-Games (e.g. Jumping a snowmobile over a pile of big screen TV's while wearing snowshoes, into a pool of water while waving your arms and legs with style for points - extra points if while in mid air you can grab a can of beer suspended from a helicopter piloted by your girlfriend).Odd Man Out's response is perfect I honestly add anything except to say that I agree with it.

[flemdawg1]

Yes it is a sport. And I am the CHAMPION. Bow before me.

[Chuckie V]

According to http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport?s=t, it would be.

And yet every example of sport that Dictionary.com gives in their first definition is typically bound by some set of guidelines or rules, even (in this day and age) fishing. The third definition seems more apposite to hiking: diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime. In this regard we're all sportsmen/sportswomen here. I certainly believe so, and I always have.

But when it comes to racing up the trail, I never understood the urgency to complete something a hiker professes to love so much, unless the hurry is what he or she craves, and that's enough of a reason, really. I certainly don't judge these types; I just don't quite relate, even as an avowed sportsman. My guess though is that there's a deeper craving involved.

[Mags]

Backpackers are outdoors people who happen to be athletic (eventually. ;) )...
Organized ultra runs are an athletic sport that happens to be outdoors...

:)

[Pendragon]

I'm sure I'm going to have lots of young people blowing past me, and letting me know at rest stops that they just "hiked" some BIG miles, assuming we are all going to be awed and regaled at their physical prowess, perhaps unawares that at least one of us couldn't care less HOW many miles they did or didn't do. And before long some sports supplement department of big pharma will notice these guys and market creative and expensive ways to dope up so that they can do even MORE miles. Then we'll have the Kathadin Classic, in which taking more than four weeks to get from Geogia will be considered an abject failure, and the Lance Armstrongs of "thru-hiking" will be zipping past us with their support vans and blimps and sports reporters lined up at trail towns asking even dumber questions than they now do in football locker rooms. And, hopefully, these guys will be going so fast that old farts like me won't even notice them zipping past us while we plod along ENJOYING our small adventures. So, whatever, let 'em "hike their own hikes" and I'll hike mine; it's all good.

[Chuckie V]

I'm sure I'm going to have lots of young people blowing past me, and letting me know at rest stops that they just "hiked" some BIG miles, assuming we are all going to be awed and regaled at their physical prowess, perhaps unawares that at least one of us couldn't care less HOW many miles they did or didn't do. And before long some sports supplement department of big pharma will notice these guys and market creative and expensive ways to dope up so that they can do even MORE miles. Then we'll have the Kathadin Classic, in which taking more than four weeks to get from Geogia will be considered an abject failure, and the Lance Armstrongs of "thru-hiking" will be zipping past us with their support vans and blimps and sports reporters lined up at trail towns asking even dumber questions than they now do in football locker rooms. And, hopefully, these guys will be going so fast that old farts like me won't even notice them zipping past us while we plod along ENJOYING our small adventures. So, whatever, let 'em "hike their own hikes" and I'll hike mine; it's all good.

This is classic stuff! I love it.

[Mr. Bumpy]

Is backpacking a sport?

I just don't see anyone wanting to hang out in a pub and cheering for their favorite UL hiker on The Slackpack Channel. Nor do I see many hikers going undercover to score PED's. So no, not a sport. However, were it to become one there would be a ready supply of couch surfers want to become referees and officials. :)

[Deadeye]

If you have rules and a way to keep score and declare a winner, it's a sport. I don't think that applies to backpacking.

[JAK]

It's not a sport I would enjoy watching on television, if that's what you mean.
It's an outdoor activity, and a very natural one, and if you are lucky it is a lifestyle.
It is a sport in the sense that canoeing is a sport, or lumberjacking.

Did I mention I always wanted to be a lumberjack...

[Mr. Bumpy]

Did I mention I always wanted to be a lumberjack...


"Heee's a lumberjack and that's OK, he'll sleep all night and he'll work all day"

[Pendragon]

LOL! "Hi, I'm three-time ATUL champion "Bucknaked" Smith, and I wear only "Underalls" because I don't let NUTHIN get in the way of my miles!"

[Mags]

, and the Lance Armstrongs of "thru-hiking" will be zipping past us with their support vans and blimps and sports reporters lined up at trail towns asking even dumber questions than they now do in football locker rooms. A

On our podcast, we just did a segment on alleged dopers attempting FKTs. :) (Fastet Known Times)

[Slo-go'en]

If sex is involved, does backpacking become a contact sport?

[Drybones]

It's a game, kinda like golf, only you carry your home instead of clubs, and hikers dont get pissed, curse a blue streak, and throw thier poles...most of them that is, although a mouse in a food bag may on occassion ruffle feathers.

[T-Rx]

Not trying to be a smarta$$, but who really cares about semantics?

Do you enjoy it? Yes? Do it. No? Don't.

+1 on the above post. I do it because I enjoy it, not because I am trying to compete with someone else.

[Astro]

Having driven in Wilmington, I can vouch for that.

Must be those NASCAR roots. :)

[Astro]

"I'm not an athlete. I'm a professional baseball player." - John Kruk

Same here. "I'm not an athlete. I'm a hiker"

[kayak karl]

i thought a sport keeps score and has winners and losers. many do keep score; lightest pack, most miles, fastest mile, most trails hiked etc. so for some it is a sport in their mind. :)

[stuthetraveler]

A lot of great stuff here. It's so difficult to classify IMO. Hadn't really considered a sport needing rules and a score but that makes sense. I would agree with folks who are saying that backpackers are athletes. I can think of A LOT of other activities which are classified as sports that take a lot less physical skill than hiking and backpacking. You can reach a level of stardom if you accomplish major feats such as the triple crown or some massive hike like Andrew Skurka has done.

[Starchild]

Backpacking is a activity, a sport indicated some competition, if backpacking becomes a sport to a person it is no longer backpacking and something is lost in the process.

I have always taken the word athlete as meaning Athens' elite (meaning those who enter the original Olympics), I have no idea of that is true, nor do I suspect it to be, but I feel the spirit of the meaning is, it is someone who does it to a level that Zeus after seeing the person's desire and engagement and devotion and excelling in it would be proud of.

Peace

[Malto]

You can reach a level of stardom if you accomplish major feats such as the triple crown or some massive hike like Andrew Skurka has done.

I suspect Andrew would love to get paid what other SPORTS athletes make.

[Papa D]

sport (v.) (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=sport&allowed_in_frame=0) http://www.etymonline.com/graphics/dictionary.gif (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=sport)c.1400, "to take pleasure, to amuse oneself," from Anglo-French disport, Old French desport "pastime, recreation, pleasure," from desporter "to divert, amuse, please, play" (see disport (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=disport&allowed_in_frame=0)). Sense of "to amuse oneself by active exercise in open air or taking part in some game" is from late 15c. Meaning "to wear" is from 1778. Related: Sported; sporting (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=sporting&allowed_in_frame=0).sport (n.) (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=sport&allowed_in_frame=0) http://www.etymonline.com/graphics/dictionary.gif (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=sport)mid-15c., "pleasant pastime," from sport (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=sport&allowed_in_frame=0) (v.). Meaning "game involving physical exercise" first recorded 1520s. Original sense preserved in phrases such as in sport "in jest" (mid-15c.). Sense of "stylish man" is from 1861, American English, probably because they lived by gambling and betting on races. Meaning "good fellow" is attested from 1881 (e.g. be a sport, 1913). Sport as a familiar form of address to a man is from 1935, Australian English. The sport of kings was originally (1660s) war-making.

methinks maybe so:cool:

[wnderer]

Hiking is like drinking. It's not a sport it's an art form.

[Tuckahoe]

sport (v.) (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=sport&allowed_in_frame=0) http://www.etymonline.com/graphics/dictionary.gif (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=sport)c.1400, "to take pleasure, to amuse oneself," from Anglo-French disport, Old French desport "pastime, recreation, pleasure," from desporter "to divert, amuse, please, play" (see disport (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=disport&allowed_in_frame=0)). Sense of "to amuse oneself by active exercise in open air or taking part in some game" is from late 15c. Meaning "to wear" is from 1778. Related: Sported; sporting (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=sporting&allowed_in_frame=0).sport (n.) (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=sport&allowed_in_frame=0) http://www.etymonline.com/graphics/dictionary.gif (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=sport)mid-15c., "pleasant pastime," from sport (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=sport&allowed_in_frame=0) (v.). Meaning "game involving physical exercise" first recorded 1520s. Original sense preserved in phrases such as in sport "in jest" (mid-15c.). Sense of "stylish man" is from 1861, American English, probably because they lived by gambling and betting on races. Meaning "good fellow" is attested from 1881 (e.g. be a sport, 1913). Sport as a familiar form of address to a man is from 1935, Australian English. The sport of kings was originally (1660s) war-making.

methinks maybe so:cool:
Yup any physical entertainment is a sport. No need for rules or competition. Participation in a sport does not necessarily make one an athlete.

[Pedaling Fool]

I should add that while I'm very athletic I don't like to think of myself as an athlete. I hate jocks ;)

[2NewKnees]

I guess by the technical definition of a sport above it may be a sport, but to me it is an activity. You don't really have to be an athlete or even athletic to do it. You do have to have some will power and determination to complete a tough hike.

[Danl]

I think if you want to race down the trail to be the fastest thru-hiker then do it, but don't push me off the trail.




Not trying to be a smarta$$, but who really cares about semantics?

Do you enjoy it? Yes? Do it. No? Don't.

[Biggie Master]

This just in from ESPN - final score, "slow walker" 23, "shelter dweller" 12 ... Apparently it's a sport. You gain points for LNT, keeping your gear opinions to yourself (unless asked), keeping wildlife out of your food supply, and letting your "competition" do what works for them. Basically, the one who can enjoy the trail and mind their own business wins! :)

[Charlie Redwood]

Sure, it sells t shirts, makes the muscles sore and makes you sweat, you compete against mother nature's clock, has it's legends, and you drink sports drinks. The only difference is- our playing field is bigger-much bigger.

[SkraM]

Not a sport. In my opinion, a sport requires an offense and defense with each having the ability to influence the outcome. Both a sport and competition will have a declared winner, but a competition lacks the ability to directly influence theperformance of participants or teams (no offense or defense). Track, weight-lifting, and swimming are competitions not sports. By this definition NASCAR is a sport, (a racing teammate can block a competitor that can influence the outcome of the event.). Golf is a competition not a sport. Backpacking is an activity that some will turn into a competition. I'm running for cover.

[Mags]

You can reach a level of stardom if you accomplish major feats such as the triple crown .

It ain't that hard or special.

And believe me, I still have to put up with a day job I barely tolerate so I can go hiking again. ;)

[Theosus]

I want everyone's opinion on here about this question? I posted an article to my blog discussing this: http://stuthetraveler.com/stuthetraveler/ Should it or should it not be considered a sport? We've got UL hikers, speed hikers, thru-hikers, etc. Are they athletes?

Last year, "Planking" was considered a sport... (you know, the ridiculous idea of lying down flat as a board in a weird place and having someone photograph it for facebook)

If lying on a rock flat is a sport, backpacking definitely fits the bill.

[GritzMEGA]

Backpacking is not a sport....Sports have winners and losers and are competative. Backpacking is a way of life if you ask me. Unless of course I could get paid millions of dollars a year to thru hike. If that is the case, I would just hike for the rest of my life

[Mountain Mike]

It's not a sport, it's an addiction! The more you do it you just want more! At points risking your life for one more fix. Rational friends ask why? & you can't explain it to them. Hundreds of dollars spent for a good fix. Maybe a higher down loft, or lighter titanium piece of gear, all for the fix. But the high you get: perched on a mountaintop in the southern Apps Watching the mist burn off in the valleys below that make you feel like you our on an Island in the clouds. Or counting the shooting stars at night out west to put you to sleep. Or to hike just one more pass to see what lies beyond. I'm addicted & if they find a cure...PLEASE DON'T TELL ME!

[nitewalker]

It's not a sport, it's an addiction! The more you do it you just want more! At points risking your life for one more fix. Rational friends ask why? & you can't explain it to them. Hundreds of dollars spent for a good fix. Maybe a higher down loft, or lighter titanium piece of gear, all for the fix. But the high you get: perched on a mountaintop in the southern Apps Watching the mist burn off in the valleys below that make you feel like you our on an Island in the clouds. Or counting the shooting stars at night out west to put you to sleep. Or to hike just one more pass to see what lies beyond. I'm addicted & if they find a cure...PLEASE DON'T TELL ME!

Amen brother mike!!!!

[OzJacko]

I don't think backpacking is a sport.
Thread drift is though.....:D

[nitewalker]

http://www.extreme-adventure-sports.com/eco-challenge.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eco-Challenge

[JAK]

Does calling it a sport make it better, or not putting a label on it?

[Lone Wolf]

I want everyone's opinion on here about this question? I posted an article to my blog discussing this: http://stuthetraveler.com/stuthetraveler/ Should it or should it not be considered a sport? We've got UL hikers, speed hikers, thru-hikers, etc. Are they athletes?

no, it's just walkin'. just a form of exercise

[Giantsbane]

If long distance backpacking ever became an Olympic sport, I'd join the USA team.

[Pedaling Fool]

A lot of people seem to consider backpacking as a Way of Life. But what's that gotta do with anything? It can still be a sport. In some ways I see cycling as a way of life, since I've been doing it since the mid-80's with much more frequency than any hiker, since it is my primary form of transportation. But all that doesn't change the fact that it CAN be a sport; of course it is, but if it were not the potential would be no less just because it's a Way of Life for some.

In other words, one's Way of Life does not preclude anything from becoming a sport. There's nothing sacred to hiking, nor cycling, despite any "spiritual" feelings one may think they're having or have had during that "sacred" activity. That special feeling is not restricted to hiking or being with nature...whatever the hell nature is, but that's another thread :D

[Drybones]

No kidding - the Scots made a sport out of throwing telephone poles.

And some construction worker hit his finger with a hammer and look what developed.....the hammer throw....some waitress probably started the discus throw.

[hauptman]

Unless you are racing someone it is an activity. Sport is best defined by the presence of competition. When I turn on the tv and witness the birth of competitive backpacking I will start calling it a sport.

[Wise Old Owl]

Backpacking is not a sport - it is a spiritual journey.

[aficion]

I am a sport. Sometimes a good sport. Sometimes a bad sport. Always a sport. Backpacking can sometimes be a sport, like fishing, but not always..... unlike me.

[Dogwood]

Is backpacking a sport?Yes. So are badmitton, chess, dog racing, synchronized swimming, Yahtzee, and playing Call of Duty, according to some, in case you were going to ask. I tell you my nephew swears playing the video game Call of Duty is playing a sport. It's his after school sport, according to him.

[Lone Wolf]

Backpacking is not a sport - it is a spiritual journey.

oy :rolleyes:

[Tipi Walter]

Backpacking is NOT a sport but backpackers are athletes.

Is living in a house a sport? Naw. So is living outdoors a sport? Naw. Backpacking is just the means we use to get outdoors. For most of us, hopefully, being outdoors and in Nature is a spiritual journey as Wise Old Owl says.

[nitewalker]

Is backpacking a sport?

Yes. So are badmitton, chess, dog racing, synchronized swimming, Yahtzee, and playing Call of Duty, according to some, in case you were going to ask. I tell you my nephew swears playing the video game Call of Duty is playing a sport. It's his after school sport, according to him.


i know many adults that call playing madden football their sports activity....

["Atlas"]

If long distance backpacking ever became an Olympic sport, I'd join the USA team.

Could you imagine the events around hiking in the olympics, both as a Summer and Winter event. You could even have them start in the Winter and finish two years latter in the Summer Olympics.

I could see Speed, Endurance, Weight, Survival all being reasons why TREKKING could be a sport. Backpacking not so much.

[Almost There]

Sport = competition...so for most no it is not a sport.

Athlete = Some athletes backpack, but not all backpackers are athletes. There are guys that get to the top of mountains, light up a cigarette, and pull out a flask. The only other "sports" where "athletes" can do this are things like bowling and fishing. I wouldn't call (and you can get on me if you see this Jack) Baltimore Jack an athlete, but he has hiked the trail many times, in his own way. Heck, Jack might not call himself an athlete. Now, Andrew Skurka, Jennifer Pharr Davis, and Scott Williamson are definitely athletes...who happen to backpack/hike. BTW, as for myself, I am an ex-athlete, trying to get into athletic shape again, so no I don't consider myself an athlete on the trail.

[Almost There]

i know many adults that call playing madden football their sports activity....

Isn't that sad. In the land where we now use whatever definition we want for a word, rather than the true definition of a word...but I hear ya', I play a mean game of FIFA soccer.

[hikerboy57]

Sport = competition...so for most no it is not a sport.

Athlete = Some athletes backpack, but not all backpackers are athletes. There are guys that get to the top of mountains, light up a cigarette, and pull out a flask. The only other "sports" where "athletes" can do this are things like bowling and fishing. I wouldn't call (and you can get on me if you see this Jack) Baltimore Jack an athlete, but he has hiked the trail many times, in his own way. Heck, Jack might not call himself an athlete. Now, Andrew Skurka, Jennifer Pharr Davis, and Scott Williamson are definitely athletes...who happen to backpack/hike. BTW, as for myself, I am an ex-athlete, trying to get into athletic shape again, so no I don't consider myself an athlete on the trail.

many baseball players smoked in the dugout years ago.and who knows when they ere drinking. a sport isnt necessarily dictated by the amount of aerobic activity one engages in.
curling, anyone?

remember american sportsman? i dont remember any backpackers. lots of hunters and fisherman. apparently they didnt consider it a sport if you werent killing something.nothinng about hammock hanging either

[Mountain Mike]

A sport means rules...let's try & keep it away from that. I prefer just being mindful of hikers with you & those that will pass behind you.

[hikerboy57]

i know many adults that call playing madden football their sports activity....
well thats because when we were kids we considered strat o matic football a sport

[Pedaling Fool]

Isn't that sad. In the land where we now use whatever definition we want for a word, rather than the true definition of a word...but I hear ya', I play a mean game of FIFA soccer.
There is no "true definition". Just try and define thru-hiker...

That's why when you read certain papers, they develop their own glossary for certain terms, so that they can define them with respect to their needs. Nothing wrong with that, it's just a fact of life. Life isn't black and white like so many want it to be.

[ATMountainTime]

If backpacking was a sport, how would one keep score?

[Rasty]

i thought a sport keeps score and has winners and losers. many do keep score; lightest pack, most miles, fastest mile, most trails hiked etc. so for some it is a sport in their mind. :)

I'm going to guess most of us keep score against ourselves.

[coach lou]

I'm going to guess most of us keep score against ourselves.

I've always kept totals....for my own head. Total miles walked, Total miles biked, total fish caught, total games worked in a season. Total dollars earned to pay bills.

[Tipi Walter]

I've always kept totals....for my own head. Total miles walked, Total miles biked, total fish caught, total games worked in a season. Total dollars earned to pay bills.

For me personally the only number worth counting is total lifetime bag nights.

[kolokolo]

Is backpacking a sport?

I think it's only a sport if the backpacker is trying to set/break a record (like fastest AT thru-hike). The backpacker may or may not be an athlete, but they would stand a better chance of setting a record if they were.

[Dogwood]

LOL. Oh, I forgot some define fishing as a sport. So, if it's competitive fishing, involving rules, keeping score, prizes, expensive fast boats, and fishing gear, attempting records, by some folk's definition it's a sport. My question is, "what if I engage in recreational fishing with none of those things with a cigarette clenched between my teeth and a flask in my hand, and I'm a bit over wt, is fishing no longer a sport?" Ridiculous.

LOL. Oh, I forgot if I'm thin and athletic or have engaged in a competitive sport, such as running or wt lifting, or for that matter engaged in competitive organized tennis, NASCAR racing, or curling, before or during my hiking involvement, I'm now, according to some, engaged in the sport of backpacking? Ridiculous.

LOL. Oh, I forgot, I know. Sports Authority, the authoritative leaders in sports, they sell sporting goods, sells both fishing and backpacking/camping gear. That settles it. Fishing, no matter if it's recreational or competitive, and backpacking/camping, even if you drive up to a campsite and unload all your camping gear 10 ft from the car, are both sports. Ridiculous.

Does anyone know if Sports Authority sells checkers and Yahtzee? They sell bicycles, don't they? That settles it. Bicycling is a sport. Who cares if backpacking is a sport or not? Sounds like a topic that arose while drunk and playing quarters at a frat party. This is ANOTHER one of those endless loop topics that eventually lead nowhere and accomplish nothing. Some folks watch too much TV and spend too much time on the internet. Hmm! I gotta go.

[Almost There]

many baseball players smoked in the dugout years ago.and who knows when they ere drinking. a sport isnt necessarily dictated by the amount of aerobic activity one engages in.
curling, anyone?

remember american sportsman? i dont remember any backpackers. lots of hunters and fisherman. apparently they didnt consider it a sport if you werent killing something.nothinng about hammock hanging either

If you noticed I said sport = competition...the rest went along with what defines an athlete.

[Camel2012]

Everyone has thrown out their opinions, so guess i will too.

Like many have said, i don't think it is a sport, but it could be turned into one. It would be like any other endurance race with either a defined route or make your own path with a start and finish line.

You already have long distance races on foot, horses, vehicles, etc... backpacking could be the same, but you would just carry your own gear with you. First across the finish line wins, but would be a boring sport to watch IMO.

On a side note, i don't understand why so many feel the need to define everything, and then discuss why their opinion is right or wrong. Although, I'm as guilty as everyone else.

[nitewalker]

it is a sport RELATED activity at the least.....

[BirdBrain]

Absolutely it is... unless you are a real hiker, then you are just hiking... not competing.

[nitewalker]

life is a sport. "he who dies with the most toys wins".....

[BirdBrain]

life is a sport. "he who dies with the most toys wins".....

He who enjoys the toys he has the most wins.

[hikerboy57]

He who enjoys the toys he has the most wins.

he who dies broke wins

[BirdBrain]

he who dies broke wins

Are you spending your children's inheritance?

[hikerboy57]

Are you spending your children's inheritance?first off there is no big inheritance.secondly i set up trusts for them after my divorce.you dont want to die with a lot of money left to inherit.the government gets to keep too much of it.
things mean very little to me. i dont need to keep up with the joneses.i have the things i want, and i want the things i have. nothing more.nothing less.backpacking is very liberating in this regard.you dont need stuf to be happy.you need happiness.

[BirdBrain]

first off there is no big inheritance.secondly i set up trusts for them after my divorce.you dont want to die with a lot of money left to inherit.the government gets to keep too much of it.
things mean very little to me. i dont need to keep up with the joneses.i have the things i want, and i want the things i have. nothing more.nothing less.backpacking is very liberating in this regard.you dont need stuf to be happy.you need happiness.

Sounds like a good plan with priorities in order. Just making fun of the bumpah stickah.

[Dogwood]

So the next time I'm out on the trail I'm going to start telling people I'm in training for the next Olympics - in the BACKPACKING event. Wonder if I'll be housed in the same building with the U.S.A.'s Women's Diving Team. Oh, forgot to note. I'm specifically training for the Summer Olympics. I'm a fair weather BACKPACKER. Backpacking is a summer olympic event. Gotta go. I'm in training, you know?

[hikerboy57]

So the next time I'm out on the trail I'm going to start telling people I'm in training for the next Olympics - in the BACKPACKING event. Wonder if I'll be housed in the same building with the U.S.A.'s Women's Diving Team. Oh, forgot to note. I'm specifically training for the Summer Olympics. I'm a fair weather BACKPACKER. Backpacking is a summer olympic event. Gotta go. I'm in training, you know?

right alongside 100m competitive dishwashing

[BirdBrain]

right alongside 100m competitive dishwashing

You guys are way too competitive for me. I am going to play with my bowflex.

[hikerboy57]

You guys are way too competitive for me. I am going to play with my bowflex.
would you consider entering the 200m freestyle bowflex comp?

[BirdBrain]

would you consider entering the 200m freestyle bowflex comp?

Absolutely not. It's not competing, it's just bowflexing.

[slow mind]

If it involves balls, ball handling, ball selection, ball preperation or ball advice it might be a sport.

[Dogwood]

You guys are way too competitive for me. I am going to play with my bowflex.

Which leads to the next all consuming endless debate - Is playing with a bowflex a sport? Uh oh. I sense a thread split coming. My new question is as meaningless as, UMM, some other similar related questions. Just my 2 cents.

[Dogwood]

Staying away from your comment, Slow Mind. You set the trap. I will not take the cheese.

[BirdBrain]

Staying away from your comment, Slow Mind. You set the trap. I will not take the cheese.

I will. No it is not.

[slow mind]

I will. No it is not.

You are correct! It's not a trap.

[BirdBrain]

You are correct! It's not a trap.

Oh yeah.. I ain't either and it is too.

[Dogwood]

Whew! Bombs away.

[coach lou]

For me personally the only number worth counting is total lifetime bag nights.

That is a good total to keep, i have a similar one.... 112 total nites I've spent in a sleeping bag in Montana

[coach lou]

Today my partner and I had an interesting competition........how many bench minor penalties can this Pee Wee coach get before he realizes that I'm not taking his crap or he gets the game misconduct? He lost....I won!

[OzJacko]

If backpacking was a sport, how would one keep score?
Refer to sex on trail thread....

[Tipi Walter]

That is a good total to keep, i have a similar one.... 112 total nites I've spent in a sleeping bag in Montana

That is a very good number. My theory is that the more bag nights a person has the more he gets in touch with his Neanderthal DNA. Which is a very good thing as the world swirls down a toilet and Americans suckle the teats of their indoor thermostats. So, is living outdoors a sport? Naw, newts do it and coyotes do it and beavers do it---only the indoor hominid types who rarely get out will make it into a sport and tabulate the scores after a quick trip and a fast drive home. Crows I guess might keep a count of how many road kills they've eaten but that's about it.

[coach lou]

Indeed, I've been called a neanderthal many times....I guess that's how we can carry such heavy packs!!!

[nitewalker]

That is a very good number. My theory is that the more bag nights a person has the more he gets in touch with his Neanderthal DNA. Which is a very good thing as the world swirls down a toilet and Americans suckle the teats of their indoor thermostats. So, is living outdoors a sport? Naw, newts do it and coyotes do it and beavers do it---only the indoor hominid types who rarely get out will make it into a sport and tabulate the scores after a quick trip and a fast drive home. Crows I guess might keep a count of how many road kills they've eaten but that's about it.

my best streak was back in 09 it was 33 consecutive bag nites under the stars in florida. it was a stretch of weather that only rained 2 nites and that was minimal. i never added up total bag nites for the year but i can guess it was this same year and probably close to 75 bag nites for the year...

but if it became a sport in the olympics it would be the one i would be watching over all other events. just think how interesting it would be for a bunch of olympic backpackers navigating a course over a to week stretch thru mtn passes and trails in or around the host city. people would be all over this event. it would by far be the toughest event no question about it.
thompson,skurka,palmer,pharr,squeaky,speedgoat,hor ton and all the high milers could put their SPORT into the spotlight. if swim dancing is an olympic event im sure olympic backpacking can surpass the interest level swim dance has...

[aficion]

my best streak was back in 09 it was 33 consecutive bag nites under the stars in florida. it was a stretch of weather that only rained 2 nites and that was minimal. i never added up total bag nites for the year but i can guess it was this same year and probably close to 75 bag nites for the year...

but if it became a sport in the olympics it would be the one i would be watching over all other events. just think how interesting it would be for a bunch of olympic backpackers navigating a course over a to week stretch thru mtn passes and trails in or around the host city. people would be all over this event. it would by far be the toughest event no question about it.
thompson,skurka,palmer,pharr,squeaky,speedgoat,hor ton and all the high milers could put their SPORT into the spotlight. if swim dancing is an olympic event im sure olympic backpacking can surpass the interest level swim dance has...

Like my friend Richard said, "When they start nude figure skating, Ill watch it."

[coach lou]

Like my friend Richard said, "When they start nude figure skating, Ill watch it."


You don't recall Katarina Witts' appearance in Playboy do you?

[aficion]

You don't recall Katarina Witts' appearance in Playboy do you?

Don't know how I missed it!

[nitewalker]

You don't recall Katarina Witts' appearance in Playboy do you?


i remember her spread in playboy. didnt tonya harding do a layout using a crobar as a prop?