View Full Version : Hiker Behavior---Best and Worst
In dealing with fellow hikers what are your best and worst memories of hiker behavior?
atmilkman
06-08-2013, 20:01
In dealing with fellow hikers what are your best and worst memories of hiker behavior?
With the ones I've hiked with all the memories are good. The usual bad memories with the ones I never met - trash and poop.
Lone Wolf
06-08-2013, 20:08
In dealing with fellow hikers what are your best and worst memories of hiker behavior?
99% of the bad behavior involves 20-somethings and alcohol
BirdBrain
06-08-2013, 20:16
99% of the bad behavior involves 20-somethings and alcohol
That describes 99% of my bad behavior.
HikerMom58
06-08-2013, 21:11
So far for me it's been all good... all good! :)
GoldenBear
06-08-2013, 21:25
The best behavior is one I see constantly -- a willingness to share information, and to be tolerant to those of us who just aren't that good at backpacking.
The worst behavior is (fortunately) fairly benign -- an unwillingness to maintain a clean campsite. Dumping trash in the bear box, or the fire pit, is pretty typical wherever I go. I can't say I'm surprised at graffiti carved into shelters; you see that everywhere self-centered people go to. But I'm disappointed that long-term hikers aren't willing to do some of the most basic of LNT principles, such as pack-it-in, pack-it-out.
I'll say it again: if you love the Trail enough to hike on it, love it enough to keep it trash-free.
Bucketfoot
06-08-2013, 21:31
More of our AT hikers should have been involved with scouting when they were younger. LNT is one of the first things they are taught. Especially not leaving trash in the fire pits.
The worst behavior I 've seen on the trail was me, myself. I bought a pint of Jack and put it in a side pocket with the intention of packing it better when I got on the trail. Somehow in the haze I forgot about it and when I took a break I dumped my pack, right onto some PA rocks. Took a bunch of rainy days to loose that Jack scent. The best, it's all good.
hikerboy57
06-08-2013, 21:43
thats right.
its all good.
and remember the idiots make the rest of us look better
FarmerChef
06-08-2013, 21:57
Worst behavior: for me it's a tie though I can't say I've ever actually witnessed someone in the act - Taking a dump right on the ground, right next to the trail and adoring it with white flowers AND washing their dishes in the spring/water source.
Best behavior: Always being friendly and so accommodating to my children. Meeting people is far and above their favorite memory from each and every hike. We've met people from all over the world and the US and they have always been willing to answer questions and otherwise engage with my kids.
Another Kevin
06-08-2013, 22:16
Best behaviour: When I trashed my knee on an overnighter to Holts Ledge, Smarts and Cube, a couple of other hikers joined my group to spell them in walking me out to the road. I was hobbling painfully, held up with each arm around the shoulders of another guy, and it took me at least half a day to cover the couple of miles.
One guy that stayed with me was a thru-hiker, who was pushing the season to get to Katahdin before the snow came, and he must have killed an entire day tending to a perfect stranger.
Worst behaviour: In addition to the usual trash and poop, I'd count the four kids in Harriman who were hollering drunken profanity at me and my ten-year-old daughter as we were returning from a day trip. I simply hollered back, "You eat with that mouth? Put a sock in it - I've got a little kid here who doesn't need to hear that kind of language." And of course that just had the effect of turning up the volume. I'm glad I wasn't whatever trail volunteer who would wind up cleaning out Dutch Doctor lean-to after them. I'm guessing that they left it toxic.
atmilkman
06-08-2013, 22:19
Best behaviour: When I trashed my knee on an overnighter to Holts Ledge, Smarts and Cube, a couple of other hikers joined my group to spell them in walking me out to the road. I was hobbling painfully, held up with each arm around the shoulders of another guy, and it took me at least half a day to cover the couple of miles.
One guy that stayed with me was a thru-hiker, who was pushing the season to get to Katahdin before the snow came, and he must have killed an entire day tending to a perfect stranger.
Worst behaviour: In addition to the usual trash and poop, I'd count the four kids in Harriman who were hollering drunken profanity at me and my ten-year-old daughter as we were returning from a day trip. I simply hollered back, "You eat with that mouth? Put a sock in it - I've got a little kid here who doesn't need to hear that kind of language." And of course that just had the effect of turning up the volume. I'm glad I wasn't whatever trail volunteer who would wind up cleaning out Dutch Doctor lean-to after them. I'm guessing that they left it toxic.
I'd say they were lucky.
A ridgerunner in the smokies told me she had seen a guy take somebody's gloves and use them to clean out his pot the previous night. He left them behind in the shelter afterwards and whoever they belonged to didn't pick them up either, so she brought them with her the next night to the next shelter. He was there with us that night and we observed him take a tshirt down that someone had hung up to dry and use that to clean his pot that night. When she saw him doing this she brought out the gloves and said "here, you used these to clean your pot last night and you must have forgotten them at the last shelter." He said they weren't his and he didn't know what she was talking about. He hung the tshirt back up where he got it from. This guy pretended he was very hard of hearing so that people would get frustrated talking to him and leave him alone. I thought it was pretty gross to use somebody's sweaty tshirt to clean out his pot. The best thing I think I saw was the section hiker that bought 12 thruhikers dinner at the Home Place in Catawba, VA.
So called Trail Angels who leave stuff along the trail. Beer and sodas in streams.
Double Wide
06-09-2013, 09:16
The best so far--section hikers who offered to get water for everyone at the shelter, making two trips to fill up their huge gravity filter and topping everyone off before going to bed so that everyone could get an early start. That was very cool.
I hate the graffiti in shelters and trash in the fire pits. But the worst I've seen recently, that really irritated me was after that climb up Hightower Gap, there was a really nice campsite on top of the hill where somebody had left the campfire smoldering--it was around 8:00 in the morning and there were still plenty of hot coals going. But it was an excuse for me to take of my pack and rest a minute while I'll kicked a bunch of dirt on it to make sure it was completely out. I can understand a smoldering fire in a pit at a shelter, with a lot of traffic coming and going all day, but to leave a fire going in the middle of the forest is just asking for trouble.
WalksInDark
06-09-2013, 09:54
Best: Trail Angels.
The "General Public" who were kind enough to pick up a smelly backpacker (ME) completing section hikes, turned their air conditioners up to high (maybe because of the smell?), and went out of their way to get me back to the trailhead where I last left my car.
:D The kindness of complete strangers.
Worst: The 20+ backpackers and day hikers who went the other way or hiked past me without saying anything while I struggled to complete a +4 hour hike back to the trailhead after taking a header, smashing my nose, face, and forehead, getting a conclusion, and having blood constantly dripping down my face. Apparently, for some people, their fears of "getting involved" is stronger than their humanity. :mad::mad:
evyck da fleet
06-09-2013, 11:29
Best - The thru hiking couple who offered to go the .4 round trip to get water for me when they saw me limp out of the shelter(had a knot behind my shin) while sick with norovirus. The hikers who told others that the next water source(s) were dry; were willing to split costs of rooms, transportation, supplies; and gave away extra food, supplies & clothing. Worst-The hiker who partied down by the pond at the Partnership shelter, slept in the top of the shelter instead of staying down with the party crowd
evyck da fleet
06-09-2013, 11:31
Worst - the hiker who stayed on the top level of the partnership shelter, tried to pee in a bottle during the night, missed, and had it run down on hikers below him. He promised to get them back in town but when they ran into him he was carrying a case of beer and told them he had no money. He took a zero in the shelter and slept on the top level the next night too.
Deer Hunter
06-09-2013, 15:36
The vast majority of experiences I have had are good. I have met many nice people. The couple bad experiences were people who came into camp around 11 pm and woke up everyone within 100 yds and never tried to be quiet. Zero respect.
LostandFound
06-09-2013, 16:55
Worst- Grumpy old hikers on forum boards, getting bothered by what other hikers carry on the trail (electronics, bear spray, video cameras, SPOTs, DSLRs, etc).
hikerboy57
06-09-2013, 16:56
Worst- Grumpy old hikers on forum boards, getting bothered by what other hikers carry on the trail (electronics, bear spray, video cameras, SPOTs, DSLRs, etc).
thank goodness theyre all on trailplace.
Most all has been good. Two exceptions: 1. young dude at a shelter that kept talking and arguing with his lady friend at home--right in the shelter while everyone was trying to sleep. 2. Young hiker playing his rap crap loud right in the shelter! You just gotta love it! You cant make this stuff up! lol
Lone Wolf
06-09-2013, 19:22
Most all has been good. Two exceptions: 1. young dude at a shelter that kept talking and arguing with his lady friend at home--right in the shelter while everyone was trying to sleep. 2. Young hiker playing his rap crap loud right in the shelter! You just gotta love it! You cant make this stuff up! lol
stay away from shelters. they're for the lazy, scared noobies