Hikers often use specialized lingo for
certain activities. The following is an
incomplete list of trail terms:
Thru hike – A continuous hike of
a long-distance trail from one end to the other.
Section hike – A hike of only a
portion of a trail.
Zero day – A day where a hiker
hikes zero trail miles. Often this is
spent in town doing errands (resupply, laundry, etc.) and resting.
Nearo day – Not quite a zero day, but not a full day's hiking either. Town chores usually accounts for most nearos. There’s no set definition of what’s “close” to zero miles, but generally accepted to be less than 10 miles hiked.
Trail magic – An act of generosity given to hikers by members of the community. Often this is food or drinks. Examples include someone leaving a cooler of Gatorades/sodas at a road crossing, or grilling hot dogs and handing out fresh fruit by the side of the trail for hikers to enjoy.
Nearo day – Not quite a zero day, but not a full day's hiking either. Town chores usually accounts for most nearos. There’s no set definition of what’s “close” to zero miles, but generally accepted to be less than 10 miles hiked.
Trail magic – An act of generosity given to hikers by members of the community. Often this is food or drinks. Examples include someone leaving a cooler of Gatorades/sodas at a road crossing, or grilling hot dogs and handing out fresh fruit by the side of the trail for hikers to enjoy.
Trail angels – People who live near
the trail who generously help hikers throughout their hike. This can be anything from performing trail
magic at a trailhead to giving hikers rides to town, to providing in-town
lodging for hikers.
Cowboy camping – Sleeping out under the stars, no shelter of any kind. More common on the PCT than the AT (due to the PCT usually being a much drier trail).
NOBO, SOBO, flip-flop – Northbound, southbound, and hiking different sections in different directions (e.g. hiking northbound from the Mexican border to Sierra City then going up to the Canadian border and hiking southbound to Sierra City. A thru hike was completed, but parts were done in opposite directions). Northbound is the most common way to hike.
Hiker trash – Refers to hikers looking awful after a few weeks on the trail.
Hiker hunger – The incredible rate of metabolism acquired after a few weeks of hiking. The average hiker will burn 4,000-6,000 calories per day.
Ride bride – A female hiker, that male hikers will stand near to try to hitchhike in to town. Drivers are more likely to stop for females than males, so having a female helps the male’s chances of getting a successful hitch. Also referred to as a "hitch bitch" by the less classy.
Vitamin I – The term often used for ibuprofen.
Cameling – Drinking a bottle of water right at the water source, then filling up again before moving on.
Giardia – A parasite which can contaminate water and cause a diarrheal illness if consumed. Hikers often treat their water to kill these parasites and other disease-causing bacteria.
Base weight – The weight of a pack excluding consumables (water, food, fuel).
Cowboy camping – Sleeping out under the stars, no shelter of any kind. More common on the PCT than the AT (due to the PCT usually being a much drier trail).
NOBO, SOBO, flip-flop – Northbound, southbound, and hiking different sections in different directions (e.g. hiking northbound from the Mexican border to Sierra City then going up to the Canadian border and hiking southbound to Sierra City. A thru hike was completed, but parts were done in opposite directions). Northbound is the most common way to hike.
Hiker trash – Refers to hikers looking awful after a few weeks on the trail.
Hiker hunger – The incredible rate of metabolism acquired after a few weeks of hiking. The average hiker will burn 4,000-6,000 calories per day.
Ride bride – A female hiker, that male hikers will stand near to try to hitchhike in to town. Drivers are more likely to stop for females than males, so having a female helps the male’s chances of getting a successful hitch. Also referred to as a "hitch bitch" by the less classy.
Vitamin I – The term often used for ibuprofen.
Cameling – Drinking a bottle of water right at the water source, then filling up again before moving on.
Giardia – A parasite which can contaminate water and cause a diarrheal illness if consumed. Hikers often treat their water to kill these parasites and other disease-causing bacteria.
Base weight – The weight of a pack excluding consumables (water, food, fuel).
Dry camping – Camping at a spot
without a nearby water source.
Hiker Midnight – The time when a
typical hiker will go to sleep in order to get a solid night’s rest. Usually about 9:00pm.
HYOH – Hike Your Own
Hike. A term often used to emphasize
that everyone who is out hiking is on their own journey and should hike in a
way that is most meaningful to them.
This may be hiking at a slower pace than others or skipping certain
sections to hike only the most scenic ones.
Mail drop – One way to resupply
which involves mailing a package to yourself at the local post office or other
business which agrees to hold hiker packages.
Trail name – Hikers are often
given a nickname by their fellow hikers and most people on the trail go by this
name.
Yogi – To solicit food,
drink, rides, or other things of need from strangers, often without directly
asking. The term originates with Yogi
Bear and his procurement of picnic baskets.
