Music while hiking

[halia and flammeus]

No, I never hike with an iPod or mp3 player or anything else. Funny - I absolutely never thought of it. I love music... I love hiking... but I never thought to combine them (unlike peanut butter and bananas).

I hike with Flammeus, and we talk a lot. I have actually wondered if we are annoying other people who head out to seek solitude and sounds of nature and all that, because sometimes we get loud and goofy and yell at each other or the dogs. And I have a loud laugh. Once, someone was rude to me on the trail (another story), and I retaliated by having way too much fun, way too loudly. I'm trying to grow up and behave, but it doesn't seem to come naturally.

Truth be told, when I hike alone (with the dogs) I am very interested in being aware of my surroundings. OK, maybe I'm a little paranoid, but I feel strongly for myself that anything that might distract me from where I am and what I'm doing is a bad idea. Mountain lions or human predators - I just feel that I can enjoy myself best when I am connected and attentive. I won't allow my daughters to run or bike with headphones of any kind - I just don't think it is wise.

 

[Silverfox]

music to my ears

I always have a song in my head..be it at work, in the car, on the trails..and am apt to break out whistling at times.. sometimes my hiking friends wonder where that came from...last week it was "can't afford the freeway"..before that...rock lobsta..oh well apologies all around

fortunately..I do not burst out singing as that could be...well...not that good..

that being said , on the trail it is the sound of the wind..the drenching sound of a heavy rain....wow..it poured on Mt Tremont today..the stream came up quickly...the birds and bugs and chipmunks that sound like bears that make it peaceful and accentuate the mind clearing process...

I tried skiing with tunes for awhile..gets you pumped but...I like the sound of a well carved turn on crisp snow and stoped that years ago..back when it was a cassette player..

a little more carbon dating there......

 

[BobC]

With two legs and two hiking poles, I still stumble a lot on the trail. I can't imagine adding music to the mix.

It's funny that some people hate it when they see others hiking while listening to music. Who cares?

To each his own...

 

[miehoff]

Music?

I watch TV when I hike.

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

I have to wear a radio earpiece all day at work. I stongly dislike that, and can't wait for my work day to end so I can get that damn speaker off. It has never occurred to me to defile the hiking experience by listening to anything other than the natural quiet, or the sounds that envelope me while getting away from the noise of everyday life.

 

[Remix]

I find it (more) enjoyable to listen to an audio book on a long slog back to the car or in rain if I am hiking alone.

 

[Puck]

I find it (more) enjoyable to listen to an audio book on a long slog back to the car or in rain if I am hiking alone.

Can one find field guides on audio books?

 

[Adk_dib]

I actually was still using a "walkman" while mowing the lawn.
I just got a MP3 player and they are great. I haven't thought about using it on the trail yet. Although, when I get to a steep climb it would be interesting to see how it helps climbing with ZZTOP blasting away.

 

[chomp]

I generally don't bring my MP3 player into the woods, but I do when I'm going for a long hike (like a Presi traverse) or if I'm going to hike some especially boring piece of trail (like the Wilderness Trail).

I find that music can really motivate me or set the mood when I'm on a long hike. I've listened to anything from Classical to Lilith-Fair-esque to Nine Inch Nails.

And a lot of the times, I'll listen to music with just one ear bud. That was I can still hear a stream or a bird or a hiker and if something catches my interest, I can turn the music off. On a long, hard climb, tho, nothing beats popping in both earbuds and cranking some high-intensity tunes.

 

[sierra]

I think this board is a riot. The reason I suspect people say they hate music on the trail, is that they dont spend much time on the trail. Once youve heard a boreal chicadee sing 100 times, your ready for some music. I always hike with my radio ( no ipod), hiking without it is boring to me in the east that is, Out west I bring it and use it half the time, because half the time your climbing hard and need to pay attention out west,but going through the pemi? please I once fell asleep walking back from bondcliff ( while still hiking !!!). Besides when my headphones are on it allows me not to have to talk to every hiker I see and tell them how far they have to go or how the summit was. My 2 favorite questions this week " am I almost at the hut? (asked before the first outlook was even reached) and " How was the summit?' asked on a beautifull sunny day with no winds, no clouds, no bugs, really. Im at the point where I only talk to obvious trampers, the rest can pull out thier maps.

 

[Little Rickie]

If playing an instrument is OK then how do you feel about people singing & whistling on the trail?

 

[Sasquatch]

I do alot of long solo hikes and music really adds alot. Before ipods I didn't bring a discman or tape player,too much media to carry. But since I got my ipod i love it. I don't use it when hiking with other people, that's kind of rude. But it is awesome when you have a full selection of music at your fingertips when your out all day. I range from speed metal to rock to regae and blues depending on my mood and it always adds to the experience for me. I always press pause when I'm near a brook or stream because I love to hear rushing water. I always remove headphones(no earbuds here) on summits to enjoy and take in the whole scene. But when I really want to make miles,crank up the slayer and pantera!

 

[David Metsky]

There is no topic, not matter how small and insignificant, that won't cause to spring forth the acolytes on both (all?) sides to wage mortal combat wielding logical pitchforks and emotional cruise missiles, convinced that not only is their way of looking at the world absolutely correct but that their counterparts are morally bankrupt in every conceivable way.

I love the interwebs.


Note: this entire post was composed with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek. I haven't hiked with my MP3 player but have seriously contemplated doing so when skinning up long approaches.

Hike your own hike. Your mileage may vary.

 

[--M.]

"mall"? "nsignificant"? Scandal!

There is NOTHING more important than music. Music is my life, man.

And people who listen to compressed mp3 files on shitty little Walmart players are a disgrace.

That's why I always hike with a tube preamp and some Martin Logan electrostatics. I tried it once with Bose 901's, but there weren't enough reflective surfaces to bounce those full-range helical voice-coils off of. Some people don't like hearing "The Shape of Jazz to Come" or Grofe's "Grand Canyon Suite" while on the Liberty Springs Trail, but once they see the subwoofers on those MLs, they just go nuts!

And for you real aficianados, check out my blog at wagneroperasfromthetop.org. We woulda used .com, but someone else already had it. We're arranging a cigar and cognac night with Itzhak Perlman's Four Seasons through a dual-mono system. The hike is scheduled for Mount Chocorua, despite it's not being a "real" mountain. Bring your own mono-blocks.

 

[Rivet]

20 people could "care less" ?!? that must mean they do care at least a little.

me, I couldn't care less

 

[PA Ridgerunner]

"mall"? "nsignificant"? Scandal!

There is NOTHING more important than music. Music is my life, man.

And people who listen to compressed mp3 files on shitty little Walmart players are a disgrace.

That's why I always hike with a tube preamp and some Martin Logan electrostatics. I tried it once with Bose 901's, but there weren't enough reflective surfaces to bounce those full-range helical voice-coils off of. Some people don't like hearing "The Shape of Jazz to Come" or Grofe's "Grand Canyon Suite" while on the Liberty Springs Trail, but once they see the subwoofers on those MLs, they just go nuts!

And for you real aficianados, check out my blog at wagneroperasfromthetop.org. We woulda used .com, but someone else already had it. We're arranging a cigar and cognac night with Itzhak Perlman's Four Seasons through a dual-mono system. The hike is scheduled for Mount Chocorua, despite it's not being a "real" mountain. Bring your own mono-blocks.

As for me, I'd prefer Sonny Rollins' "Saxophone Colussus" through my NAD 2-channel power amp (I'm not man enough to carry mono blocks) and Prophile towers, but I'd have to reduce my pack load by carrying only 2 liters of water.

 

[Remix]

Can one find field guides on audio books?

I have seen (heard) peterson's backyard birding.

Now I dont want to provoke the luddite's...but if you are really motivated to make your own pictorial guides, you could collect and label pictures of flora and fauna and then upload them to your ipod.

 

[sleeping bear]

I have seen (heard) peterson's backyard birding.

Now I dont want to provoke the luddite's...but if you are really motivated to make your own pictorial guides, you could collect and label pictures of flora and fauna and then upload them to your ipod.

Now, that's an idea that might make me change my tune about ipods in the woods!

 

[Rik]

Now, that's an idea that might make me change my tune about ipods in the woods!

Funny, that would make me wanna puke.

 

[Gillian]

But since I got my ipod i love it. I don't use it when hiking with other people, that's kind of rude.

Now, see that Mookie - take note!!