# Do You Hike With an I-Pod????



## thetrailboss (Sep 7, 2006)

This summer I have seen more anti-social hikers than ever before.  Anti-social because my usual greeting and kind words are not being received by I-Pod toting hikers.  With the I-Pod, many can put their favorite songs and entire CD's on a small electronic device.  Now most of the hikers I have seen are thru hikers, so I can understand why you might want some tunes every now and then.  But isn't hiking about being in the woods away from the electronic junk?  Isn't it about listening to the wind in the trees or the silence?  And what about the camraderie with your fellow hikers?  

So do you wear an I Pod hiking and if so why?  Or are you one of those Luddites who, like me, are left scratching their heads?


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## SkiDog (Sep 7, 2006)

thetrailboss said:


> This summer I have seen more anti-social hikers than ever before.  Anti-social because my usual greeting and kind words are not being received by I-Pod toting hikers.  With the I-Pod, many can put their favorite songs and entire CD's on a small electronic device.  Now most of the hikers I have seen are thru hikers, so I can understand why you might want some tunes every now and then.  But isn't hiking about being in the woods away from the electronic junk?  Isn't it about listening to the wind in the trees or the silence?  And what about the camraderie with your fellow hikers?
> 
> So do you wear an I Pod hiking and if so why?  Or are you one of those Luddites who, like me, are left scratching their heads?



I ahd thought about it from time to time, but like you mentioned. The real reason I go to the woods is to escape from those things. I love to hear the natural sounds of the forest, plus how would you hear if someone was coming up on you or if an animal was approaching you...

Leave them at home...

M


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## zook (Sep 7, 2006)

I thought the whole idea of hiking was to get closer to nature and get away from all the noise.  
I always hike with other people but even if hiking solo I don't think I would ever bring one with me.

So - none for me, thanks!


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## dmc (Sep 7, 2006)

I use one when I'm on the trail for a workout.


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## Jonni (Sep 7, 2006)

I don't have an I-Pod so I really don't apply when it comes to this. But the hiking trail is just that, a hiking trail. I hike to get away from that stuff and it seems to me as a rude thing to everyone else that may be using the trail to be listening to an I-Pod while hiking.


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## ski_resort_observer (Sep 7, 2006)

TB....I'm with ya totally on this. How many times have ya been somewhere and it appears some idiot is talking to you and you figure out quickly that they have one of those hidden cellphones on there head and even tho they standing next to you and looking right at you, they are talking on their cellphone. 

BTW, there has been a similar thread recently started, not that it hasn't come up before, over on http://www.snowjournal.com/page.php?cid=topic9652, I have posted on that thread as well but with a diferent name. Should be easy to figure out which idiot is me....lol


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## Mike P. (Sep 7, 2006)

No & unless I'm on the trail for a week plus or I'm "forced" to be a camp site or on the trail during a game 7 that I care about (in which case I need a radio not an I-Pod)  If on the trail that long I want a radio to keep up with the outside world not listen to a 5 - 30 year old song I've heard 20 - 2000 times before.

Back in the day when a walkman was the latest technology (just stop the what's a walkman Cr@p right now)  I was big into listening to tunes while on the treadmill stairmaster or even jogging a bit warming up for a VB match but never hiking or being outdoors.

The big concern in the old technology was the damage you were doing to your ears blasting the music right into your ears.  WHAT"S CHANGED ON THAT FRONT? 

(yelling due to prior ear damage)


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## dmc (Sep 7, 2006)

Jonni said:


> I it seems to me as a rude thing to everyone else that may be using the trail to be listening to an I-Pod while hiking.



Well - color me rude...  

I don't understand why me wearing an MP3 player is rude...  I talk to people all week...  And I hike/run trails to get away from people...     

What if I don't buy into the comradery of the trail stuff??


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## ChileMass (Sep 7, 2006)

dmc said:


> Well - color me rude...
> 
> I don't understand why me wearing an MP3 player is rude...  I talk to people all week...  And I hike/run trails to get away from people...
> 
> What if I don't buy into the comradery of the trail stuff??



Yeah - I can see this point.  Esp if you're only out there for a workout.  Or if you're out for an extended period, I'd need tunes, too.  

But in general I am a Luddite as well.  I go out to the woods, either skiing or hiking to hear the wind and the trees and the streams, not rock 'n roll.  When our group goes camping it makes me crazy to see some of the kids with an XBox or other video game in their hands.  Go run around or come climb a mountain with me and put the electronic gear away.  The opportunity to quietly appreciate a beautiful natural setting is getting rarer every day.


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## dmc (Sep 7, 2006)

Cool...  But i don't go around calling people rude and jump on a high horse when someone is into something different then I'm into...  Unless they do something to bug me...


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## thetrailboss (Sep 7, 2006)

dmc said:


> Cool...  But i don't go around calling people rude and jump on a high horse when someone is into something different then I'm into...  Unless they do something to bug me...



Good point...that was not my aim though....sorry if you got that impression.


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## skibum9995 (Sep 7, 2006)

I sometimes listen to my iPod while hiking solo. I prefer to chat with someone but if nobody else is around the iPod is the next best thing. I don't listen so loud that I can't hear what people say to me and say hi ot hikers I meet along he way. I'll put it in my pack when I get to a summit or other destination where people tend to gather but I don't see anything wrong with enjoying some tunes while cruising along a trail through the woods.


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## riverc0il (Sep 7, 2006)

number one modern pet peeve of mine: calling all MP3 players "i-pods." i-pod is a brand, mp3 player is the type of unit. i own a creative zen mp3 player and never bring it on hikes. i love hearing silence and the sounds of nature while hiking. but you can bet your booty that the tunes are blaring when i am in the car en route to the trailhead. but to each their own, i really don't care if other hikers are listening to mp3 players while hiking nor do i consider other hikers anti-social if they choose not to greet other hikers on the trail. the hike your own hike philosophy extends to all aspects of how each of us chooses to enjoy the woods. i do consider it rude to talk to someone with ear buds in your ears and the music going, but if i am just passing someone on the trail and nod or say hello, i am not expecting a coversation.


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## Mike P. (Sep 7, 2006)

Well said Steve, If I'm out solo I may only see people 10 -20 minutes out of a 10-12 hour day.

I don't even own a MP3 or IPod.  Talking a couple of minutes on a summit wouldn't really hurt a telemarketer though.

HAVE THEY FIXED THE HEADPHONES OR ARE PEOPLE STILL KILLINGTHEIR EARS?  With everyone wearing these, I just want to know if I should by medical stocks, especially hearing aid companies & people possibly looking at synthetic replacements of ear parts.


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## Jonni (Sep 8, 2006)

I don't mean to say that people with MP3 players or I-Pods on the trail are rude, I just mean to say that your out there to hike in the woods. It's just one of those pet peeves of mine to say to myself "Why do you bring something like that with you doing something like this?" Aren't you supposed to use hiking as a way to get away from that? You can listen to your music anytime, but there really isn't anyway that you can hike any time. 

Call me crazy, and I don't mind if you do so, but I think hiking is supposed to be more than just the ability to walk through the woods. It should be the ability to enjoy the peace and serenity of the outdoors with out all the other distractions of normal life. Skiing is the same way, but to a much lesser degree.


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## dmc (Sep 8, 2006)

Jonni said:


> It's just one of those pet peeves of mine to say to myself "Why do you bring something like that with you doing something like this?" Aren't you supposed to use hiking as a way to get away from that? You can listen to your music anytime, but there really isn't anyway that you can hike any time.



The way I use the woods is up to me...  And no-one else...  I just went for a hike this morning before starting work..  Had the tunes on..  whatever...

I think it's rude for people to tell me what I should or shouldn't be doing when I'm not interfering in their life in any way...  

Is it the woods about freedom?  Or is it about me doing what the "status quo" wants me to do...?


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## Greg (Sep 8, 2006)

dmc said:


> The way I use the woods is up to me...  And no-one else...  I just went for a hike this morning before starting work..  Had the tunes on..  whatever...
> 
> I think it's rude for people to tell me what I should or shouldn't be doing when I'm not interfering in their life in any way...
> 
> Is it the woods about freedom?  Or is it about me doing what the "status quo" wants me to do...?



I totally agree here. I personally haven't used my iPod hiking or skiing, but I might try it skiing someday. If you're not impacting someone else's experience, who really cares?


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## dmc (Sep 8, 2006)

Greg said:


> I totally agree here. I personally haven't used my iPod hiking or skiing, but I might try it skiing someday. If you're not impacting someone else's experience, who really cares?



And why judge?


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## jjmcgo (Sep 8, 2006)

*If you ain't breaking*

the law or regulations, I don't care what you do in the woods or what your philosophy is.
We share the taxpayer-supported woods with people who have all kinds of different goals in their usage. I don't know that any one person can define what "hiking" is.
To some people, the woods are a cathedral and to others, a playground.


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## riverc0il (Sep 8, 2006)

how to enjoy a hike is completely up to the individual. how do we reconcile peak baggers vs. non-peak baggers? who is hiking correctly? the person that hits all 48 4kers in NH or someone that could care less about how high a peak is? some bush wackers have sworn off trals completely. are their hikes more pure because they are closer to nature? are through hikers doing hiking better than day hikers? can someone not enjoy peace and serenity of the outdoors while listening to tunes? everyone is looking for a different experience, i don't see how they go about enjoying that experience is better or worse than the way i choose to enjoy the woods (no tunes). the problem with holding other people to a certain standard is that most likely, someone else is holding us to a standard we don't feel is completely justified.


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## Moose (Sep 8, 2006)

I'll hike with my ipod when I'm going solo. I'll keep it low enough so I don't get startled by someone approaching me from behind. It's easy enough to hit pause to say 'How's it going?' to anyone I might come across along the trail.


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## dmc (Sep 9, 2006)

riverc0il said:


> the problem with holding other people to a certain standard is that most likely, someone else is holding us to a standard we don't feel is completely justified.



Problem is some people think what they do is the thing to do and everyone else is wrong.   And try to justify their opinions with negative words like "rude" and "antisocial"..

I say - do it all!!!  or not...


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## Mike P. (Sep 9, 2006)

Hence the saying, hike your own hike.


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## thetrailboss (Sep 10, 2006)

Whoa.  This thread has taken an interesting turn...again, this was meant to be a more whimsical thread.  It was not meant for anybody to judge anyone.  

Back to the topic:  do you hike with one or not and why not?    

Despite all the :argue: (well, it's not that bad) *the wide majority* has voted that they do not hike with an I-Pod/MP3 Player/Walkman/Boombox and whatever other name you would call such a personal electronic device (to be completely PC here).  :wink:


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## riverc0il (Sep 10, 2006)

actually boss, you were the one that started judging people by calling folks who listen to mp3 players "anti-social." and when you started the thread, you turned it into more than just a poll and more of a discussion by throwing out the following questions that we have been debating:



> But isn't hiking about being in the woods away from the electronic junk? Isn't it about listening to the wind in the trees or the silence? And what about the camraderie with your fellow hikers?


so, i really haven't seen any off topic discussion yet.


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## thetrailboss (Sep 10, 2006)

riverc0il said:


> actually boss, you were the one that started judging people by calling folks who listen to mp3 players "anti-social." and when you started the thread, you turned it into more than just a poll and more of a discussion by throwing out the following questions that we have been debating:
> 
> 
> so, i really haven't seen any off topic discussion yet.



Well, to be completely fair, I think that at least *twice* I have told you how to interpret what I said, but hell, here it is a third time.  :roll:  

No offense was meant.  

Sorry if you took it that way.

And since your selective reading skills missed it, here they are from before:  





> dmc said:
> 
> 
> > Cool...  But i don't go around calling people rude and jump on a high horse when someone is into something different then I'm into...  Unless they do something to bug me...
> ...





And:  



> Whoa. This thread has taken an interesting turn...*again, this was meant to be a more whimsical thread. It was not meant for anybody to judge anyone.*
> 
> Back to the topic: do you hike with one or not and why not?



I've said my point now three times.  But I am sure you're going to override me again and tell me that you know exactly what I was thinking and when I speak, so I must be wrong.   I was the one who started the thread, so I think that should qualify me to speak on what it was I meant.   I hope that this has made it so that nobody can read their own feelings into it.  :roll:  Seems kind of ironic that someone judges me to be too judgmental.  And a fair review of the thread reveals that the accusations came in regards to someone else's post instead of mine.

We all enjoy posting and talking with each other, but nobody appreciates being told what it was they meant.  How does this kind of partial and biased dissection of what someone says encourage people from participating? 

The best way to find out what someone means is to ask them directly.  I have offered three explanations now.  Hope this puts it to rest.   

Now, can't we get back to discussing why you use an [insert device] hiking or not?


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## Ascend the Snow (Sep 10, 2006)

Personally as I often hike solo I love to bring my Ipod along with me. However, lots of my music tastes often means listening to trance/electronic tracks and albums which are usually 1 hour +. I don't like to just listen to 3, 4 minute songs while doin an activity such as hiking (or snowboarding in the winter). It makes the hike have a soundtrack, and the music just enhances my experience. 

 When I'm hiking with someone, it's mostly the opposite. The hike is a great way to converse and enjoy the company of the people who are accompanying you. I can totally understand why people feel like they're trying to get away from all of the electronic modern devices - which is actually why when I hike I turn my cell-phone off (but keep it with me in case of emergency).

 For any of you who've never hiked through a beautiful area with the sounds of DJ Tiesto,BT, DJ doboy..etc.. I recommend it :razz:


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## thetrailboss (Sep 10, 2006)

Hey, welcome to the boards, Ascend the Snow.  And thanks for your POV!  :beer:


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## Mike P. (Sep 11, 2006)

WHO????  Do they let you listen to those people in Maine?

I'm kidding about the ME comment & welcome.


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## riverc0il (Sep 11, 2006)

maine actually has a kicking electronic music scene, all things considered. some of the best outlaws i have attended were in maine. welcome Ascend, always nice to see a fellow electronic music lover on the board.


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## YardSaleDad (Sep 11, 2006)

thetrailboss said:


> *the wide majority* has voted that they do not hike with an I-Pod/MP3 Player/Walkman/Boombox and whatever other name you would call such a personal electronic device (to be completely PC here).  :wink:



I wonder what the correlation is for "frequency" vs "listenership".  DMC and I hike multiple times a week and are in the minority in this poll.

Are the majority weekend warriors?


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## ski_resort_observer (Sep 11, 2006)

YardSaleDad said:


> I wonder what the correlation is for "frequency" vs "listenership".  DMC and I hike multiple times a week and are in the minority in this poll.
> 
> Are the majority weekend warriors?



For me I see no correlation. I can hike any day of the week I choose and see no diference in regards to this thread whether it's a hike on Tuesday or Sat. 

Personally speaking I do not use a personal listening device whether it's crowded or not cause I enjoy the sounds of nature and like greeting folks I come across on the trail.


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## dmc (Sep 12, 2006)

thetrailboss said:


> Despite all the :argue: (well, it's not that bad) *the wide majority* has voted that they do not hike with an I-Pod/MP3 Player/Walkman/Boombox and whatever other name you would call such a personal electronic device (to be completely PC here).  :wink:



Nice!!!  I'm not in the majority!!!  And I wasn't arguing - just pointin out some stuff...


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## thetrailboss (Sep 12, 2006)

dmc said:


> Nice!!!  I'm not in the majority!!!  And I wasn't arguing - just pointin out some stuff...



Well, actually you and YSD bring up a good point...what is hiking?  When you go out for say an hour or two and are trail running or do a local hike, is it the same thing as when one goes out for an 11 mile day?  Does it matter?


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## dmc (Sep 12, 2006)

thetrailboss said:


> Well, actually you and YSD bring up a good point...what is hiking?  When you go out for say an hour or two and are trail running or do a local hike, is it the same thing as when one goes out for an 11 mile day?  Does it matter?




Nope... It doesn't matter..  The woods doesn't care what your doing...


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## thetrailboss (Dec 27, 2006)

Bump.  Guess who got an IPod for Christmas???!!!!  :lol: :lol:


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## YardSaleDad (Dec 27, 2006)

Are you scratching your head trying to figure out what to do with it?


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## montvm (Dec 27, 2006)

I have personally never hiked with an "MP3" player or anyother device like that.  When i hike i personally am trying to get away from that type of stuff.  I suppose that if one was through hiking a long distance trail that one may want to get away from the noise of nature, (hence whereing an MP3 player).  I guess i could understand that.  The funny thing is that if i was road running, or riding my mountain bike or even skiing, i would most likely have an MP3 player blaring in my ears.....

To each there own!   What does it matter anyways, as long as your enjoying your hike!!!!


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## Grassi21 (Dec 27, 2006)

After my mini crapped out I snagged my Dad iPod video.  It sat on his desk for 8 in the box collecting dust.  This thing rocks.  The podcasts are great for riding the rail.

I switched depts. within my company back in early Nov.  Last week everyone in my new department was given a iPod shuffle for the holidays.  So tiny, and will be a great addition while using my Skier's Edge or on those solo ski days.

I know there are a number of great MP3 players out there, but I have really come to love the Apple products.


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## dmc (Dec 27, 2006)

montvm said:


> I have personally never hiked with an "MP3" player or anyother device like that.  When i hike i personally am trying to get away from that type of stuff.



I guess if I wanted to get away from music I would... But generally I enjoy listening to music all the time...  Never really felt the need to get away from music...


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## montvm (Dec 27, 2006)

dmc said:


> I guess if I wanted to get away from music I would... But generally I enjoy listening to music all the time...  Never really felt the need to get away from music...



When I’m walking in the woods, I would rather listen to the sounds of my footsteps, the rhythm of my breathing, the wind in the trees, the snow falling, Mr. Red squirrel yelling at me. If I’m far enough in the back country, I’ll stop and listen to the amazing silence.   It gives me the feeling as if I'm on another planet, alone. No cars, planes, no people, no music, just the wind, and other natural sounds.  There is something special about this kind of silence that is almost eerie. I can't explain it, but it is one of the things that keeps me coming back to hike, even after a long hiatus.  
For me, these times are few and far between, and my hiking experience would be ruined by music playing through a headseat.  And noticed I said for me.  I am not trying to advocate my thoughts or feelings about this; I’m just trying to explain why I feel this way.  I'm not saying that one way is right or wrong.  I love music too.  I own an IPOD, and use it too, but just choose not to when I’m in the woods. I enjoy the music that nature provides for me.  This is one of the main reasons that I hike.  Listening to music would dull my hiking experience.  Sure I would still enjoy the hike, but only about 80% of it...


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## dmc (Dec 27, 2006)

For me - hiking is mostly visual....

But I do enjoy silence as well..  It's all good..


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## ctenidae (Dec 27, 2006)

I don't like wearing headphones ever. I rarely even have the radio in the car turned up much above barely audible. Personal thing, I guess- I like to be able to hear my surroundings- when driving, the sound of the tires and the negine, when hiking the sound of my feet on the trail, birds, bears, whatever. On the train I like to be able to hear the insame murmurings of teh reject from the vodka ward next to me. I just feel closed off and disconnected when I have headphones on or music up loud.

Just me, though. I can see how, especially when trail running for a workout, headphones could be nice.


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## thetrailboss (Dec 27, 2006)

YardSaleDad said:


> Are you scratching your head trying to figure out what to do with it?



POST OF THE DAY!!!!  :lol:  :lol:


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