Music while hiking

[skiguy]

But most of the time alone there is usually music flowing through my head anyway, and my mind tends to keep looping one part over and over unless I consciously make a mental effort to take it off repeat... the Ipod just helps me change it up

I am the same way..and I don't even have to be hiking. The thing that I find interesting is that it can be an unconcious thing and then when it becomes concious the relavance of what is/has been playing in my head is totally congruent to my situation.

 

[Viewseeker]

No Way

Whats an IPOD?? Defeats the purpose.

 

[Adk_dib]

A wise man on this very board once said "Hike your own hike". I don't use one, but as long as they keep it to themselves I couldn't care less. The only time I think it would cause a problem was if someone was calling for help and the person couldn't hear it.

 

[moonrock]

I never bring music to the woods. But I don't play music much while at home or driving, either - except long-distance, when I try to remember a few CDs.
FM radio stations burned me out on "classic rock" (then on "alternative rock") a long time ago. I briefly considered bringing a pocket-radio during one Fall backpacking trip - but only to monitor the path of a tropical storm.

After driving 3-12 hours to the woods, I prefer the natural sounds. It's interesting that you hear fewer songbirds than in cities/suburbs (the latter is more varied habitat). But the ones I hear are more iconic: white-throated sparrows, and heron croaks echoing up out of a deep valley. I also savor the sound of (meteorological) wind. And some recent post mentioned how rain makes the woods "sing". Ditto for sleet. During mild days, I even notice those ubiquitous (non-biting) flies up on the mountaintops (what is THAT about - do I even wanna know ?).

So to me, bringing an Ipod on the trail would be like bringing a mini-TV on a camping trip. There's nothing about it you could not experience any OTHER time or place, so it is a mere distraction from the experience.
People have mentioned using music to drown out inane conversation.
Some hiking friends traditionally indulged in (overlong) adamant discussions - esp back when "Twin Peaks" was on TV (|^l). On those occasions, rather than retreating from the external world, I hiked far ahead on the trail (stopping at every junction, of course) so I could once again hear myself think.

My 2 cents.

 

[rocket21]

Perhaps the real question is, how many folks play air guitar while hiking with an mp3 player?

 

[jniehof]

I tend to sing if out solo...less avoidable than an iPod with headphones, but it's "natural," but nobody wants to hear my singing anyhow....

 

[Rob S]

I despise iPods on the trail. Makes me want to puke.

Really??? Why? (just curious ..... seems like an odd thing to get sickened by)

I wore an mp3 player once while hiking a somewhat boring section of the Appalachian Trail in PA. It was ok, but not really my thing ......... The songs I listen to on the ride to the trailhead usually stay in my head all day anyway. But personally, I couldn't care less if every hiker I passed wore an Ipod, while talking on their cellphone, and chasing their dog, with their handgun sticking out of their pants!

 

[trailbiscuit]

I think the crux of this question lies in the people being surveyed. Most of us on this board spend the week looking forward to escaping to hikes on the weekends. Thus, we've heard enough noise of all kinds during the week that the relative silence/nature sounds of the woods are all we want on the weekends.

However, if you polled thruhikers, I bet you'd find a lot that hike with tunes or a radio. I met a thruhiker who listened to sports radio for as much of his hike as possible in order to "stay in touch."

It depends on the circumstances and your perspective...oh, and your own personal preference. I'm not a iPod hiker, but I don't care if you are. (I would care if you had external speakers.) Why should I? That's your experience.

Now on VFTT we need to look out for dogs off leashes while wearing jeans and talking on a cell phone while listening to an iPod.

 

[Jaytrek57]

I sometimes hike with my IPOD. I recorded some bear and cougar sounds to keep me on my toes...makes it more fun.

I do enjoy some Floyd on long stretches when I hike solo. If I'm with a group it stays in the pack.Unless of course you hate them.

Peace.

 

[Tuco]

I voted no, but I am not bothered if somebody else listens to tunes (that I can’t hear). I generally put on my IPOD to relax and stop thinking about real life- time on the trail does it for me as well so no need to add the tunes to it.

I could see a situation on a long solo day on good terrain where I would; as others say to combat boredom and add inspiration.

I often think of the day when I do a short hike, relax on a summit and read a book. Would that non-natural experience be offensive as well? Just another way of tantalizing the senses…….

 

[Jay H]

If somebody wants to buy me an iPod, I'll let you know.

Am I the only one who doesn't own an mp3 player?

Jay

 

[Little Rickie]

I find the sounds of the forests to be very relaxing and help clear my head of busy thoughts. I get away to get away. I don't need one, don't want one, don't own one.

It would be stupid for me to listen an i-pod when out in nature.

What you do is up to you so long as it doesn't interfere with me.

Live and let live.

Now walking behind Neil...that's different!

 

[Little Rickie]

Like when people go, "uh uh uh uh, uh uhh uh uhhh uh uh"

Uh uhhh uh uhhhh uh uhhh uh uhhhh uh uhhhhh uhhhh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uhhhhh uh uhhhhh uh uh uh uh uhhhhh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uhhuhuhuhu uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uhhhh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh u h uh uh uhuhuhu uh uh u h uuu h hhhh uh uuuuuuu uh uhuhuhuh uhuh uh u uh uh uh uh uhuh uhuhuhuhuhuh uh huhuh uhuh uhuh uh uh uuhu uh uh uh uh uh uhuh uhuhu uh uh uhhhu hu uuh u h uh uh uhuhuhu uh uh u h uuu h hhhh uh uuuuuuu uh uhuhu uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh

-Dr. Wu

Are you sure they are hiking?

 

[Little Rickie]

Maybe I misread something but I also sensed an air of elitism in some of the "sounds of nature" camp. If I'm wrong I apologize.

What is there to apologize for? An opinion is an opinion. Perhaps the majority of votes make it seem that way.

 

[DougPaul]

Am I the only one who doesn't own an mp3 player?

No.

Ever notice how some of the longest threads are about the most trivial issues?

Doug

 

[David Metsky]

<mod MP3 player>
Let's try to keep this civil. It's OK to disagree, just not OK to be vulgar about it here.
</mod MP3 player>

 

[Little Rickie]

No.

Ever notice how some of the longest threads are about the most trivial issues?

Doug

Isn't it always like that? Not just on forums but in life.

 

[dr_wu002]

Am I the only one who doesn't own an mp3 player?

Jay

Got me thinking: Did some of the old-timers here ever hike with a record player back in the 80's? I remember my dad used to have a record player in his car before FM radio but I don't remember him ever hiking with one. When my dad and I started hiking together way back we had one of those old-school canteens with the crushed velvet. Pretty sweet.

Old School

Wicked Old School

-Dr. Wu

 

[skiguy]

Did some of the old-timers here ever hike with a record player back in the 80's?

-Dr. Wu

Hey watch who your callin an oldtimer Never had a turntable on the trail but did have a Sony Walkman.

 

[Grumpy]

Got me thinking: Did some of the old-timers here ever hike with a record player back in the 80's? I remember my dad used to have a record player in his car before FM radio but I don't remember him ever hiking with one. When my dad and I started hiking together way back we had one of those old-school canteens with the crushed velvet. Pretty sweet.

-Dr. Wu

Old-timers -- 1980s?

The 1980s were just yesterday!

Never hiked with a record player, Walkman or anything like that. May have taken a small transistor radio for camp on some multi-day hikes in the 1960s -- but reception was so lousy in most places it wasn't worth doing, or we quickly lost interest, or something.

G.