You know you're a backpacker when...

“Your hiking boots always have a good layer of mud/grime on them, and you've given up keeping them clean, and are puzzled by your non-hiking acquantances who's yuppy Timberlands have remained spotless all these years.

Your co-workers tease you when you make plans to do a solo hike, and begin to think something's seriously wrong with you for engaging in such an activity.

You follow the weather reports religously on the internet to help plan your outings as a result, and also own an NOAA radio to help monitor the weather when you're not in front of the computer.

You pack your gear so routinely that you can bounce easily along the trail, and secretly giggle at the amateur backpackers on the trail who's packs weigh 70 lbs. BUT, for the ones who seem eager and sincerely enjoy the sport, you offer advice and encouragement.

You love topographical maps and could stare into them for hours. And at least once, you have mistaken an apparent lake on a map for a puddle of your own drool.”

“Fortunately, I can relate.
Good stuff Artex.”

“Same here! I frustate my family over going over maps and re-reading trail descriptions for hours before I take a backpacking trip somewhere.

They always say, "don't you know where you are going yet?" they just don't get it.

:)”

“I stare at my maps for hours too! I daydream about hiking. Ohhhh!!


Hey Towndawg - I am in your neck of the woods this weekend. Staying in Fairview and going to the Grand Ole Opry tonight with my brother and his wife. They took me to Montgomery Bell State Park today. Going to visit Fall Creek Falls on the way back Sunday Morning.. just a few miles.
Thought i would drop a message. I miss TT!!!!!
:D”

“You can pack for a weekend trip without going to the store.”

“You are driving to work and suddenly you are at a trailhead with your PRE-PACKED and stowed pack.
Always keep my stuff packed, ready and loaded into the truck, you never know when you will get that itch to escape for awhile!!!”

“You own little to no equipment, none of which is a pack, sleeping bag, or tent. You question yourself daily about why you would even consider going backpacking. You surf the web constantly, but don't check out the weather reports. You have packed gear so infrequently that your pack weighs around 2 tons and it brings tears to your eyes putting it on. You secretly curse experienced backpackers passing you on the trail. But, for the ones who seem eager to condescend you offer the finger. You can't read topo maps and are unsure of how to spell the full word. And at least once, you've prayed you'd win the lottery, so you could buy all the gear and time you need to become a true backpacker.

Pretty good, eh, Artex!”

“Hey, you gotta start somewhere.

Hope you wouldn't give me the finger on the trail though, pretty uncool.”

“Only jokin' around Artex. I would never give anyone the finger. I was just doing a newbie version of your story for any other newbie bpers out there (like me)!”

“thats how i feel thought my pack dose not weigh 2 tons i still need a tent, and a few other things”

“heya cutie.. just now saw your message.. wow.. awesome.. sounds like you filled your weekend with lots of good stuff.. you will have to tell me all about your impressions of nashville and the surrounding area when I see ya this Friday.. and if that brother and wife of his feed you too good?.. Guess what, I am gonna walk it all off of you girl, and be mean doing it!.. :)”

“you stand in the shower with your gear on to make sure its waterproof”

“MOM have you done that?”

“...you hope to win the lotto so you can backpack all the time.”

“I have thought that alot...:p”

“You turn off all the lights in the basement and walk around with your new Petzl Tikka.

When you wear your G-Tex to work (school) and you mention that the bulge is the survival gear in the Napoleon pocket (extendable lighter, extra batteries, lens case, High Peaks topo map, etc.) and you can't understand why peole look at you strangely. Happy trails.”

“Your eyes first gaze at a woman's calves instead of her boobs!”

“yes I actually have stood in the shower with frogg toggs on just to make sure they really were waterproof. (they are) kleetn good one!!!!”

“You commonly say "hiking" to mean backpacking, when to everyone everyone else it means dayhiking.”

“Your gym bag is packed with Mountain Hardwear, Smartwool socks and Montrail boots.”

“When you discuss the "Significance" of 4 ounces to a fellow backpacker on the way to the trailhead.”

“When you've been trapped into cutting down the weight of your pack so long that you start eyeing that bag of food. Then you go out on the trail and almost starve! LOL

I've decided that food is a priority item! LOL”

“When saving weight by buying new gear costs ~ $10.00 per ounce saved!”

“When you toss out the whisperlite for an alcohol stove only to be replaced by cold meals and cooking over a fire!”

“When you drop your heavy filter for Polar Pure and then realize that if you have a fire you can boil your water and save more weight!”

“...when on a wall you have a photocopied-n-cut-n-taped-together topo map of an area you hope to soon make it to.”

“When you shun your heavy sleeping bag in 15-30F weather for your lighter weight 30F bag. Thinking you'll get use to it after a couple of nights. Plus you spent a lot of money saving a few ounces and you are determined to get your monies worth! LOL”

“1) Your hiking boots always have a good layer of mud/grime on them..

2) You follow the weather reports religously on the internet to help plan your outings..

3) Secretly giggle at the amateur backpackers on the trail who's packs weigh 70 lbs..

4) Love topographical maps and could stare into them for hours..

5) Walk around with your new Petzl Tikka..

6) Discuss the "significance" of 4 ounces to a fellow backpacker on the way to the trailhead..

7) Spend many more hours planning a backpack trip than ANY vacation with the family..

8) Work several weeks, just so you can get away on a weekend to do what you love..

9) Read the BP boards, but could not tell you many of the current events on CNN..

10) Know the 'best in class' for many of the equipment choices you have made, and will make..”

“Stub toes, I've done that thing with the food. (Hmmmm, do I really need SIX granola bars?) I always ended up regretting it... Good eating is a priority!”

“1 )When you compare cost of eveyday life items to backpacking gear.”

“you have old backpacking/camping gear in everyday use in your house”

“A new hiking store opens and you have to go see what they have, even though you have at least 2 sets of every piece of backpacking equipment ever sold.”

“You go shopping at an equipment store that you know the entire inventory of, convinced that you will find something new you can't live without.

You have more sleeping bags in the closet than people in your house.

You would actually consider eating some Mountain House food in your home, so you can try it out before you get to the trail.

You consider a smooth and properly sloped rock a theraputic backrest.

You know exactly how much water weighs per pound.

Your spouse has stopped thinking map gazing is weird and has come to accept it as 'normal' behavior.”

“Kleetn;

The fun part is that this stuff is true isn't it!

Tahoe;

Our spouses must come from the same DNA strand. LOL


All the gear shops are having winter clearance sales and I DON'T NEED ANYTHING, I DON'T NEED ANYTHING! I hope my spouse doesn't read this because then she'll know the truth! LOL

I got to go check em out because you never know until you check them out do you?”

“You see, you confront, and you FAIL to resolve the contradictory urges to A) acquire new gear and gadgets and B) keep them out of your pack so you don't exceed X% of your body weight.”

“It doesn't matter how much it weighs, you need it!!! YOU KNOW YOU DO!!!

STUB, my wife is just starting to understand why I backpack. This amazes me because when people ask ME why I backpack, I don't have a good answer ready. LOL!!”

“it just goes to show you... if you have to ask, you'll never know”

“You know exactly how much water weighs per pound.

tahoe
03:42:26 PM
02/04/02

I grant that most people would know how much a pound of water weighs (1 pound) - the question is how many know what a liter of water weighs in English units”

“LOL!!, so I can't type but that is pretty darn funny. For the record, I meant per gallon. It is 8 pounds per gallon, so a liter must be around 2 pounds.”

“When you clean house (such as last night) because someone is coming to visit and you find some backpacking equipment/supplies in every room of the house, not to mention all the closets.

When you interrupt the cleaning to start mentally repacking your gear or go over a map.

When your packs for two persons totals more than a dozen from fanny/lumbar to day to full-out BPs. And you chose your roller luggage because it has hide-away straps and a padded back so you can carry it as a BP if need be.”

“You spend an additional $50 on an item to get the 2 oz lighter version....and feel totally justified.

You can't wear low cut shoes because they just feel funny.

The feeling of weight on your back makes you feel at home.

You're the only one on the floor who can stomach dorm food.

And the clincher:




You consider Power bars a Dessert item and beef sticks a staple.”

“Your leave no trace ethics get in the way of your social life!”

“Rainy mornings leave you fearful of being wet and cold all day, even though your workplace is a nice, dry office.

When you hear the phrase "2 miles" you immediately think "1 hour".”

“You prefer to burn calories and trail miles than dope and plastic! 8)”

“When you realize that your count of packs laying around the house didn't include the one you bought your DOG!”

“Gawd! It's me on all counts.

Especially Tahoe's sleeping bag thing. We have eight and there is only two of us.

But wait! The cats need bags too and one for the baby when it arives. Yeah that's it, only one bag per person here. ;)”

“When you watch your diet - not to be healthier, not to look better, but to lower your overall trail weight.”

“Your gaze at a man's calves instead of

oh, never mind”

“You're not allowed to go to REI. You have everything already or your credit card assets are frozen”

“Biz thats bad......:( I thought I was bad......”