what makes a good hiker?

I was sitting on this question, because someone had told one of my friends who loves hiking that she wasn't a very good hiker....I ws wondering if there is a defintion....what makes a good one?

 

It all depends on what hiking is. Is it a sport? Is it a hobby? A spiritual experience? A skill? If you consider it as a sport, then a good hiker is obviously one who can hike faster, for longer, in harsher terrain, carrying more, etc. If it's a hobby, then a good hiker is one who knows how to enjoy it and make it enjoyable for those with him. If it's a spiritual experience, I guess the way you connect to nature is important, and the ability to hike without any modern devices could be a bonus. If it's a skill, you'd consider stuff like knowledge of various plants, techniques, tricks, speed of packing and pitching tents...

It all depends.

 

A good hiker in my opinion is the person who has a passion for hiking and a respect for the environment, carry out what you carry in and take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints come to mind. When I started hiking I was out of shape and could only hike about a mile before getting winded and I wasn't able to enjoy it because I was always sore, but as I kept hiking I got into better shape and was able to hike further and enjoy the outdoors rather than being in pain. Hope this kind of answered your question.

 

a good hiker is someone who can keep up w\ the group (if one exists), not die, speak up when they want to stop and enjoy the scenery (or be willing to stop for someone else to take a picture), and not complain, anything else is just their personal preference for their experience

 

i agre with most of what everyone else said. I don't think you have to be some high maintence barbarian to be a good hiker. The most important thing is that you enjoy hiking. I like hiking a whole lot but i am not suck a good hiker to some because here latley my feet have been fucked up. They are getting better slowly but surley though. I have to take ahorter hikes but thats ok they are longer each time and it's giving my feet the excerise they need to get better. Ok well thats enough of that... hugs gilli

 

What makes a good hiker? I can speak from my experience when I hiked the 2,000 mile plus Appalachian Trail. The most important thing is PMA (Positive Mental Attitude.) Hiking the Appalachian Trail is only 10 % physical and 90 % mental. You have to keep a postive mental attitude. When its cold and rainy and you're eating noodles for dinner for the umpteenth time you have to remind yourself that eventually the rain will go away and you'll get to town to a nice warm hostel or motel. When its 95 degrees and humid as a jungle and the sweat is pouring off ya you have to keep a positive mental attitude and remind yourself that there's a nice cold creek a few miles ahead.One of the best things on the Trail was to hike along in 95-100 degree heat and then see the sky cloud up and know that a nice cooling down pour was just minutes away.
Most of all you need to be stubborn about being positive. You gotta think that quitting is not an option and come hell or high water you are gonna make it to Maine and whoop and hollar when you reach the sign at the summit of Katahdin. You have to keep telling yourself I CAN do it. You have to tell yourself that eventually you won't be as sore and it will get easier. Notice I said easier not easy. All I can say that there are no bad days on the Trail some are just better than others. Me, I'd rather be hunkered down in a shelter along the trail while the rain pours and eat a stale bagel for supper than be stuck back in what hikers call " the outside world". Above all you have to remember the hiker motto.


NO RAIN

NO PAIN

NO MAINE!


Most thru-hikers have found hiking to be kinda addicting.

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