Annoying stuff

[pfann]

Now that I learned all the cool stuff many of you got for Christmas from my other post...

What has been the most rude, annoying, grating, irritating, bothersome thing/hiker/behavior you have experienced on a hike. This should be good for some interesting stories during the winter doldrums.

Keep the stories rollin... (the banana is my contribution to annoying!)

pfann

[Pacific Tortuga]

Shelter stuck gear talk.

[pfann]

Let me guess,

27 minutes on the various types of laces for boots?

[Pacific Tortuga]

Let me guess,

27 minutes on the various types of laces for boots?

and you forgot, how to tie them.

[Spokes]

The thread about what knife to carry on a thru-hike comes to mind.

[Mags]

The thread about what knife to carry on a thru-hike comes to mind.

And what water treatment to take...

[prain4u]

Isle Royale National Park. August 2009. I met a guy bragging forever about his expensive lightweight equipment--including his super high tech (lightweight) GPS. He laughed at me for still using "a silly old fashioned map". He also bragged about his great hiking skills--including his alleged hikes on three different continents. His endless gear talk and "over-the-top" bragging was super annoying. A couple days later, I found him out on the trail wandering--clearly lost. He had spent the night lost in the woods. His high tech GPS had been dropped and had broken. I showed him my "silly old-fashioned map" to help him get oriented again. He then had the audacity to ask for--and practically demanded -that I give him MY map! This guy was a piece of work!

[Tractor]

"I don't carry maps." "What do you have there?" "Can I see that?" No "Please" included.

[Bearpaw]

Nobody bothers when I'm on the trail. Other than my wife, I haven't camped near another hiker in a the last year and a half of hiking. Before that, it was another couple of years without camping near others. Even on the AT, it's not that hard to get a little solitude.

[Montana AT05]

It's a tie for me:

1. Purists.

They are the "Holy Rollers of Long Trails" Can I get a HALLELUJA?!
They quiz everyone in camp to see if you pass the pure test.

"Did you see the blueberry bush at mile marker 417.6? No? IMPURE HIKER!!!!"

2. Fresh Out of College Anti-Capitalists Programmed Social Dependents

You know the kind, the "Corporation are evil" guys who never know why they believe that and, well, frankly, couldn't define "corporation". They are usually sporting something from Patagonia on their bodies with no sense of irony. Given enough time on trail with the same one, he'll end up bumming money off you...."bro".

3. Almost forgot....The Guy Who hates Purists and fresh out of college wanna-be-hippies (aka wippies).

That would be me. I'll rant all night about it. Then I'll show you my newest light weight gear despite the look on your face.

[sbhikes]

I was annoyed by people texting on their iPhones. I try to get away from that sort of thing on a long hike, ya know? I don't mind if you have a phone and use it once in a while, but the whole texting thing bugs me.

At first I enjoyed asking people about their gear and answering questions about mine. After a while I didn't care one bit about gear and was annoyed by people who were just stepping out on the trail and wanted to talk gear. There are more important things to talk about after 1000 miles -- like food!

[Mags]

I met a guy bragging forever about his expensive lightweight equipment--including his super high tech (lightweight) GPS

Reminds me of a story I posted before. Not annoying..but amusing:

In 2004, I was on my Colorado Trail hike just north (trail wise) from where the CT and the CDT split for the last time. The CT heads south and west towards Durango, the CDT heads south towards Wolf Creek Pass.

Anyway, I am hiking up the trail. I see a gentleman with thick, heavy leather boots. A HUGE pack (Dana Designs, maybe?). Had the Nalgenes and every other item it seems from the outfitter.

Here I am: Nike sneakers a bit torn, my lightweight all mesh pack. Banged up ski poles. Dirty polyester dress shirt. Almost three weeks beard growth.

I said "Hello'.

He said "Interesting gear you have". (While eyeing me up and down with a *** look on his face)

Me: "Yep. Works for me"

He said: "Well, always more to learn as you backpack more. When you backpack more, perhaps you will have different gear"

Me: "You are right. Always more to learn"
He: "Enjoy your hike. Be careful".

Me: "You too! It is a great day!"




The guy probably thought I was a total moron (Well...he may be right, but not in the context of backpacking. ). Probably thought I'd died somewhere in the San Juan mountains!

2010 postscript: Some of gear IS different from 2004...but probably not in the way the dude imagined. Maybe he's a lurker on this website?

[wudhipy]

A guy blew past me at Mt Rogers, North of Damascus, I could hear the music from the i pod blaring away. Ultra light boom box?

[Blissful]

Smoking at Eliza brook shelter and then the hiker hacking all night. I set up my tent at midnight after the rain.

[Chaco Taco]

I like wippies, but there are the crappy tree huggers that are so self rightous, lecture people about how much establishment sucks, I call them Trippies. They mooch off of everyone, "Hey you got a smoke?" and never get tobacco in town. "Let me hit that" recreational activity reference. Oh and the one that I got hit with, " Dude buy me a beer and Ill get you back next town stop" Freakin Trippies!!!!

People that insist on talking about politics on the trail, even when you ask nicely, repeatedly for them to chill out. Then when your father shows up to hang out with you, insists on talking about politics!!

The "hiker midnighter"- this guy has been discussed in the hiker midnight thread. The one that goes to bed before dark and wants everyone else to shut up! Most of the time it applies at shelters or crowded campsites or hostels.

FREAKIN SLACKPACKERS!!!!!! You see them going sobo and they tell you "oh you got it easy comin up" LIE LIE LIE!!!!!!!!! Dont ever listen to ANYONE when they tell you what you got comin up. Its so much different for each hiker. I just say "whatever"

The a**holes that stiff hostels and jump out before anyone is awake so no one will notice they didnt pay.
Most of the hikers that stay at The Place in Damascus, cuz they cant freakin read!!!!!!

It's a tie for me:

1. Purists.

They are the "Holy Rollers of Long Trails" Can I get a HALLELUJA?!
They quiz everyone in camp to see if you pass the pure test.

"Did you see the blueberry bush at mile marker 417.6? No? IMPURE HIKER!!!!"

2. Fresh Out of College Anti-Capitalists Programmed Social Dependents

You know the kind, the "Corporation are evil" guys who never know why they believe that and, well, frankly, couldn't define "corporation". They are usually sporting something from Patagonia on their bodies with no sense of irony. Given enough time on trail with the same one, he'll end up bumming money off you...."bro".

3. Almost forgot....The Guy Who hates Purists and fresh out of college wanna-be-hippies (aka wippies).

That would be me. I'll rant all night about it. Then I'll show you my newest light weight gear despite the look on your face.

[veteran]

People that sing and play a Guitar, that think they can sing and play a Guitar at a shelter.

[Johnny Thunder]

People that sing and play a Guitar, that think they can sing and play a Guitar at a shelter.

people that hate on shelter guitar playing that snore, talk loud about politics/gear/the weather/religon/etc, and get up at the ass crack of dawn after asking for others to be quiet as soon as it's dark.

[Johnny Thunder]

and people that try to ax murder me for something i didn't even do. screw you, redeyes.

[Spirit Walker]

Folks that have no clue about LNT: the one who leaves trash in the firepit because "somebody will burn it" (but it's not burnable), the one who burns his tennis shoes in the fire (Yech!), the one who tosses his leftover food in the spring when he washes his dishes, the one who washes her hair, with shampoo, in the water source - or worse, her dirty feet, the one who carves their name on the shelter walls and brings their kids back years later to add theirs to the mess, the folks who take a dump in the middle of a campsite, leaving pile and tp behind for all to see . . . It goes beyond annoying.

[Chaco Taco]

People that sing and play a Guitar, that think they can sing and play a Guitar at a shelter.

THEN DONT STAY AT A SHELTER, GOOD GOD