Hiking under the influence (of electronics)

[Sanbu]

Recently I spent time with trekking guides. Some of them spent a lot of time on their cell phones **while hiking**. I found that disturbing for several reasons. First, as a simple matter of safety. Second, out of concern my guide would be less alert to surroundings, less able to fulfill his guiding responsibilities to me, the client. Third, personal aesthetics, as I prefer to be tuned into the environment while hiking, to hear the approaching sound of a water source when thirsty, catch sight of an animal for a split second, hear the wind in the pines, catch nuances of terrain that help with map reading, and so on. I grew up without cell phones and minimize their use in the outdoors. Of course this is a personal trait and I recognize there are many who use electronics frequently wherever they are. I see this partly as a generational divide between those who grew up with/without cell phones.

I asked one of my guides what he was doing on his cell phone. He said he was staying in touch with friends and clients.

Some of the guides wear a small speaker attached to their pack strap that plays music. I found that offensive as their music drifted into my ears when I would prefer the sounds of nature.

My experience with the guides was in China. I should mention that in China, many people carry radios or devices in order to play music as they walk, although this is more common among city and park walkers then in the back country.

But now let me bring the issue home to VFTT.

Last fall on the Long Trail I passed a young, solo thru-hiker with full pack wearing ear buds. I don't know what she was listening to. Music? Audio book? I paused and asked her a question about the trail ahead. She removed the buds and kindly answered my question, then moved on. In this case, the offense was personal, similar to my third point above. Why would someone tune out while hiking? To each his own, but I still find it hard to understand.

I'm curious what posters at vftt are seeing in New England and New York. Is the Long Trail hiker an isolated case? Are you seeing increasing use of cell phones and earphones **while hiking** among day hikers, thru-hikers, AMC staff, hut caretakers? Are you concerned?

 

[richard]

I would prefer to be in control of all of my senses when I`m out in the woods. Or anywhere else in the outdoors (like fishing) for that matter. I try to keep in tune with my surroundings. Most electronic devices would be a hindrance. IMO.

 

[peakbagger]

Its not a recent occurrence, while sectioning the AT from around 90 to 2013, it was not unusual to find folks hiking with various electronics. Not my idea of hiking but HYOH (Hike Your Own Hike) as long as it doesn't impact my hike which means using earbuds or headphones so as not to disturb others. if they are broadcasting tunes so the rest of the world can hear them, then its definitely an issue with me. I know my hearing sharpens when I am out in the woods for a week or two and expect folks using electronics don't get to experience that.

Long ago folks hiked to enjoy the outdoors, there are now many folks out there who are there for the physical endurance aspect, I see quite a few trail runners using earbuds.

With respect to guides, If you are paying them I believe its reasonable to set expectations that if they want or need to listen to music that they have equipment to make it inaudible to others. If its something that happens often on guided trips I expect it would work best if this expectation is brought up out front with the guiding service. I sure would not want it on a trip that I am paying for.

Note that the huts have electronics policies that request but don't demand that guests use them out of sight of other guests. I don't have personal experience but expect that that is real difficult to enforce and probably enforcement is spotty especially in the "family huts" like Lonesome Lake and Zealand.

 

[JoshandBaron]

I find it unacceptable for a guide to be behaving that way but I commonly hike while listening to something at a low volume (in headphones, never when off trail). At camp I'm almost always listening to a podcast. My dog usually lets me know if anything is around long before I would hear it, anyway. I don't find it makes me any less tuned in to my surroundings. It also creates memory associations with songs. I can be listening to a song at work that I listened to on the trail and it takes me right back onto the trail.

 

[David Metsky]

People hike for different reasons. While some like to get into the woods to get away from the world, others are just there for some exercise, or to push themselves, just relax the way they enjoy relaxing. As long as it doesn't bother me I can't complain. If I'm solo hiking listening to music often helps me get into the mood for moving faster, or just is an enjoyable way to travel.

As for guides, they're at work. They seem to be constantly working logistics, customers, supplies, etc and that's what they do at work. The few guides I've hiked and skied with know when it's safe to be on their phones and when they need to have the undivided attention on what's going on around them.

I'm not a big fan of people playing music on speakers. I've encountered it more often these days, most recently in a national park out west and asked them to turn it down/off and they complied. It was really loud but apparently they just turned it up for a group photo to get everyone in the mood. Such is life, they were pretty cool about the whole thing. But for most folks we encounter on the trails it's just 2 minutes of music interrupting nature.

I'm not concerned in the least. HYOH. There are many ways to enjoy the mountains.

 

[Ramblings]

Earbuds are definitely a HYOH situation. I used to listen to audiobooks or music on my all-day solo hikes and found the connection between content and place really interesting. I can revisit a book or song and vividly remember my hike, or returning to the trail or peak might remind me of something I heard. However, I did stop listening to earbuds after I had a black bear encounter where I was within 10 feet before I realized what was happening. Evidently, I was being pretty quiet, because the bear realized at the exact same time and we both took off.

 

[Grey J]

I don't want music or news or anything else in my ears when I'm hiking because I just want to be immersed in the here and now of the trail and the woods with the sounds of birds or animals in the brush and occasionally the sound of water approaching or receding. And sometimes if you're lucky, you experience something that approaches near total silence, or just the literal breathe of the forest. But as long as other hikers are not blasting music for me to hear, I would not presume to tell someone else how they should enjoy their hike.

 

[Tom_Murphy]

Recently I spent time with trekking guides. Some of them spent a lot of time on their cell phones **while hiking**. I found that disturbing for several reasons. First, as a simple matter of safety. Second, out of concern my guide would be less alert to surroundings, less able to fulfill his guiding responsibilities to me, the client.

I agree with most of the replies above.

Guides are being paid and therefore should be focused on the situation rather than their electronics.

Third, personal aesthetics, as I prefer to be tuned into the environment while hiking, to hear the approaching sound of a water source when thirsty, catch sight of an animal for a split second, hear the wind in the pines, catch nuances of terrain that help with map reading, and so on. I grew up without cell phones and minimize their use in the outdoors. Of course this is a personal trait and I recognize there are many who use electronics frequently wherever they are. I see this partly as a generational divide between those who grew up with/without cell phones.

Last fall on the Long Trail I passed a young, solo thru-hiker with full pack wearing ear buds. I don't know what she was listening to. Music? Audio book? I paused and asked her a question about the trail ahead. She removed the buds and kindly answered my question, then moved on. In this case, the offense was personal, similar to my third point above. Why would someone tune out while hiking? To each his own, but I still find it hard to understand.

Are you seeing increasing use of cell phones and earphones **while hiking** among day hikers, thru-hikers, AMC staff, hut caretakers? Are you concerned?

HYOH as long as it doesn't affect me. Do trail runners bother you? Hikers who have less [or more] gear than you think appropriate?

There are lots of different ways to enjoy the outdoors. Peak bagging, red-lining, random day hikes, multi-day backpacking trips, thru hikes, section hikes, bushwhacks, trail maintenance, fishing, hunting, skiing, trail running, ...

The leaf-peepers, ATV and snow machine hobbyists are "enjoying the outdoors" too.

As I get older, the USFS slogan "Land of Many Uses" seems to gain more and more wisdom.

 

[Mike P.]

Spending several hours a week solo hiking and walking with just the voices in my head and myself as company, on the local rail trail I will check my mail and email.

I probably should bring buds and listen to some music to see if it helps with the mirco planning I am doing when not on the phone. It has been said, people who hike solo get to learn themselves very well, maybe too well........

 

[Stan]

The constant dependence on the stimulation of electronic devices, whether on the trail or behind the wheel, seems to be an irreversible shift in culture and, in some instances, manners and safety. Through all this I've developed a greater admiration for hermits.

 

[sierra]

Before I got my hiking dog, I always cranked music with full head phones. First off, after many years of hiking, I've heard enough birds to be ok. I just enjoyed the combination. On the Northern Peaks I got TOS from Maine, killer heavy metal. One day, I fell snow climbing and slid and bounced about 30 ft. before arresting my fall. The whole time, I had extremely loud heavy metal music blasting away, lol.

 

[Nessmuk]

Maybe I'm just old school, but from my perspective (I do have a current NY guide's license myself, and am an instructor in an annual guide training program). But I believe part of a guide's duties is to interact with the client ( the "sport"), to point out items of interest encountered along the way, offer plant and animal identification, tell stories and provide historical information about the area, maybe even provide some navigation training, all depending on prior arrangement and expectations of the sport prior to hiring the guide. Not to just say "follow me and be quiet" till we get to where I am leading you, "Ill do my own thing, you do yours". How inconsiderate to be that way. Not worth the pay IMO.

 

[CaptCaper]

I agree with most of the replies above.

Guides are being paid and therefore should be focused on the situation rather than their electronics.



HYOH as long as it doesn't affect me. Do trail runners bother you? Hikers who have less [or more] gear than you think appropriate?

There are lots of different ways to enjoy the outdoors. Peak bagging, red-lining, random day hikes, multi-day backpacking trips, thru hikes, section hikes, bushwhacks, trail maintenance, fishing, hunting, skiing, trail running, ...

The leaf-peepers, ATV and snow machine hobbyists are "enjoying the outdoors" too.

As I get older, the USFS slogan "Land of Many Uses" seems to gain more and more wisdom.

Great job here... we need a like button... "Land of Many Uses" is key. You left out snowmachine's which I love. I'm always at odds during snow season to hike or snowmachine.. I do fit in both somehow.

 

[ExploreTheEast]

One day, I fell snow climbing and slid and bounced about 30 ft. before arresting my fall. The whole time, I had extremely loud heavy metal music blasting away, lol.

That is hilarious. I don’t know why, but I literally laughed out loud while picturing this scenario.

I occasionally used to wear earbuds, but stopped when I moved out west and started worrying that a cougar was going to jump on my neck while I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings. These days, if I were to listen to music on the trail, I might use one of those little Bluetooth speakers instead, but with the volume so low that you shouldn’t be able to hear it if you’re not within 5 feet of me. That way I’m only offending the sensibilities of those within my personal space, and I can still maintain situational awareness to prevent a moose from sneaking up behind me and tap dancing on my head.

As far as staring at a phone though, I sure am a fan of places that don’t have cell coverage.

 

[Grey J]

Great job here... we need a like button... "Land of Many Uses" is key. You left out snowmachine's which I love. I'm always at odds during snow season to hike or snowmachine.. I do fit in both somehow.

Look closer, Tom_Murphy does include snow machines. The premise is valid. We are all in agreement. A National Forest is a Land of Many Uses. All are welcome.

 

[Raven]

I was going to skip this thread. I'm glad I didn't. Two nuggets here:

Tom's comment, "As I get older, the USFS slogan "Land of Many Uses" seems to gain more and more wisdom." Indeed.

And this is the best story I've read in awhile.

... On the Northern Peaks I got TOS from Maine, killer heavy metal. One day, I fell snow climbing and slid and bounced about 30 ft. before arresting my fall. The whole time, I had extremely loud heavy metal music blasting away, lol.

Ozzy's "Coming Down the Mountain?" Sabbath's "Snowblind?"

TOS is a great station.

As to the OP, Rarely, I will listen to music on a trail run but not when hiking. I like being present in nature, but I totally understand someone liking the energy from music or the company of a voice on a podcast. HYOH...with ear buds.

 

[Jazzbo]

I listen to music sometimes when I'm hiking especially if I have long steep climb takes my mind off the tedium of long steep climb. A nice beat sometimes makes me go faster than I might with out it. As my trail name implies I tend towards the cerebral type music so I still have my hearing. There is a jazz musician Willie Myette Trio jazz published CD by the name The Edge with lots of hiking themes. The Edge is reference to Knife Edge and an image of Knife Edge is on the cover. When it came out Eric Jackson WGBH was interviewing him on radio one night about his new album "The Edge". Eric asked him what he listens to when he's up on Katadin. He responded "I don't listen to anything. I'm too busy watching my foot placement on all the rocks". I listen to music at other times when the mood strikes me and when battery power permits. Of course I don't listen to music when I'm hiking with a group. HYOH

 

[Grey J]

Though I never listen to music thru earbuds while hiking, I believe I have heard playing in my head the repetitive rhythmic beat of Led Zeppelin's Kashmir on a couple of death marches.

 

[iAmKrzys]

Personally, I love to hear all the sounds from my surroundings while I'm hiking. I estimate that some 90% of my snake sightings were because I heard tiny rustling in the leaves and decided to investigate.

 

[skiguy]

Ear buds are nice but I actually prefer my 80’s boom box that takes 12 D cells strapped with bungees on top of my Kelty frame pack. I usually find that half volume is enough to keep the bears away. In all seriousness that would be the worst case scenario. I prefer if others do use there own headphones and not play it out loud. Although if there is some residual sound drift from a passerby coming from their headphones I am not offended. Personally I have hiked with earbuds and do enjoy the inspiration the music provides but I do enjoy the sounds of nature also. On that note I have found that with earbuds I am not totally cut off from the world around me walking like some unaware zombie. At the appropriate volume level one can enjoy some enlightenment from both one’s own music and the nature around them.