Trail Names: Earned, Important, Silly ?

[Chip]

I'll admit to not really "getting" the Trail Name thing. I've always had a nickname, so I guess that's probably the reason. "Chip" has the fun and "John" pays bills. Like Forum Names, there are some great Trail Names: "WalksWithBlackFlies" and "GorpBurp" here crack me up every time I see them. Then there are the series of "something-dog" names. If I named myself it might be "UnderDog". Do you get to name yourself or do you earn a Trail Name ? Apparently they really got their start with AT thru hikers in the 70's. If it's to protect your "real" identity it doesn't have to be clever, Jack or Jill would do. So what's the deal ? Thanks for your input.

Edited: Poll responder's names won't be viewable, so vote how you feel.

 

[Puck]

At first I did not want my identity known. Now I really don't care. When I first logged on to a hiking forum I wanted to use a name. I looked to my desk for inspiration...Stapler..no, Tape dispenser...no..I had some pucks for paper wieghts. It could be a wood spirit trouble maker or it could be a hard rubber thing....I fall into the middle.

 

[chipc]

I've always had a nickname, so I guess that's probably the reason. "Chip" has the fun and "John" pays bills.

Eerily familiar - I am officially "John Jr" but have been "Chip" my entire life (started by my dad). So it felt kind of odd to pick a new nickname when I already had one.

 

[David Metsky]

I never had one, even though I've always had nicknames. I have no problems with them, they're fun. Perhaps I should change my username to "Chicken Boy"?

-dave-

 

[giggy]

mine comes from the old irish word for......oh wait thats not true. real name is guy - my fathers name is guy - my mom started calling me Gig after an actor named Gig Young - I haven't a clue who this dude is nor have I ever seen this person in a movie.


to this day - I am known among family members and friends as Gig -

when i signed up on VFTT - I needed a name and in 2 seconds picked giggy -now that is me I guess.

common question I get is how to say it - it's giggy as in a band gig - not giggy as in "get jiggy with it". If you assocaiate me with rap - i may have to kill ya -

 

[Adk_dib]

My last name is Dibble, so my brothers and I have always been called "dib". I think its a law.

 

[spongebob]

My opinion is that I really do not agree that it is pretentious. How many people have email addresses that are not there name? Being serious about everything in life is such a drag, but go ahead if that is your thing. There are like 2 million Bob’s on this site, so how do you differentiate? (I’m not even one, but I just wanted another Bob around.)

Some names can give you an insight into the person without knowing them. Like if there was a member named “Kill Adrian”, well I’m not hanging with them. By the way, the “Kill Adrian” member is my Mom.

Some trail names have interesting stories behind them. My name gets instead street Cred from kids, and then I steal their candy.

Sure some names are silly, fun, serious, odd, or just plain regular. And we are all those things in real life too.

 

[MadRiver]

my mom started calling me Gig after an actor named Gig Young - I haven't a clue who this dude is nor have I ever seen this person in a movie.

Rock Hudson era actor. Always sounds like he has been drinking.

MadRiver is the river that flows by the house. Cruiser is my actually trail name that my friends gave me because I am a faster hiker than they are.

 

[dr_wu002]

I needed an e-mail address and the song, Dr. Wu was playing in the background. Dr_Wu was taken so yahoo suggested dr_wu002. The name stuck. Truth is though, I always create pseudonyms and whatnot so it's no surprise that I'm going by one now. Just a lot of fun -- it's not like I try to deceive anyone. I mean, I could have used the name Arnold Sullivan as my screen name. How would anyone know that's my real name or not?

-Dr. Wu

 

[Amicus]

Gig Young

Rock Hudson era actor. Always sounds like he has been drinking.

Don't want to turn this into a Gig Young thread, but I always liked him, and he typically played an amiable boozer as MadRiver says. One big role was Doris Day's boyfriend in "Teacher's Pet," one of those late '50s sex comedies, also starring Clark Gable (who winds up with Doris, of course). Gig was nominated for the Best Supporting Oscar for that one.

He had many wives, including Elizabeth Montgomery (Bewitched). Alas, three weeks after marrying his last one, a German actress 34 years his junior, he killed her, then himself - left no note explaining why.

 

[Rob S]

common question I get is how to say it ....

Tell me about it ....... you can't imagine how many people I've met from this board who say, "I-twelve-climbup" .... ...... for those of you who still don't get it, it's pronounced "I want to climb up". Oh well ...... guess it could be worse ...... I had considered "I124Q" as my screen name. (say that outloud and fast ......)

I've had the yahoo email address with i12climbup since 1996 or 97. Hard to believe it's been that long .......

And yeah Adrian, you are right ....... my real name is Rob.

 

[Paradox]

I never liked the nickname I had as a kid. John Messinger is my name and I always hated "Mess" which was what I was called all through grade school.

Since I met a 62 year old through-hiker who went by "Model T" several years ago, I have thought, why not? It seems that trail names should be both fun and describe some aspect of the individual. I did not feel that my email address of "jmmdds" sounded fun, or would roll of the tongue (which is a big part of the fun aspect). I have both a Ph.D. and a D.D.S. so para-docs was one choice, but I wanted the X which I find interesting. So "Paradox" it was.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

I chose the dumb made-up name, "Pete Hickey", which I use around here. At times, I'll even introduce my to people using that name. The funny thing about it is that if you choose a made up name, that sounds like it might be a real name, nobody ever asks you what your real name is. Hence nobody knows my real name.

 

[Double Bow]

I got my trailname one night during a weeklong backpacking trip years ago while I was staying at a shelter with a bunch of ATers. We got into a conversation about trailnames. Since I felt odd when they all introduced themselves by their trailnames and I didn't have one, I asked how people got them. They said that sometimes people give them to themselves, but most of the time they are given to you by the people you're hiking with.

The net result of this conversation, and our swapping trail stories, was that I got the name Double Bow (pronounced Dubl Bo) and my wife was trailnamed Shamie. That name was one of the best birthday presents I ever got and I continue to use and enjoy it. To me, it's much more special than an email address or any other "username". It's who I am. It's my hiking persona.

That said, I voted for it being a fun thing though I think that for some of us, it's a little more than that. I think it all comes down to how you got your name.

 

[jbrown]

Who the heck would believe that Hickey is a real name?

I was only thinking about my name for this forum as if it was an email account. jbrown = josh brown. Dang it, I voted that I don't want you people to know who I really am.

My hiking buddies and I have taken nicknames from the graffiti in one of the Pharaoh Lake leantos, we had a Batwing, New Riders of the Purple Sage, and I don't remember the others...we couldn't keep track of them and forgot who was who a long time ago.

 

[Jeff-B]

Interesting post as this examines certain truths.

Few questions:
Why does your VFTT handle have to be either a trail name or your real name?
Why should your nickname be your VFTT handle?
Or, Why not?

I am a member on many outdoor website forums (not just hiking) and this VFTT forum is one I have seen where internet names relate to "trail names".

I can see using a made-up fun name for the purpose of just that...fun.
But when certain topics turn to heated debates, it's sometimes hard to take fun names for credibility as they represent anonymous voices, IMO.
Truthfully, I beleive it's possible that members do hide behind anonymous identities.

My real name is Jeff Brown, handle Jeff-B on VFTT.
My life-long nickname has been reluctantly disclosed here before.
I consider only my closest friends and family call me by this, not complete strangers.
No offense to anyone here at VFTT either, just that the internet is such a huge worldwide available resource.
Maybe that in itself is a good reason to have an anonymous name?

If I met you in person and we shared some laughs and beers then I would say call me by my nickname...

Its kind of like not wanting to tell everyone in the world about your favorite secret camping spot..personal and private, if you can relate to that comparison.

Jeff

 

[pilgrim]

I didn't vote. The only two choices that I would have considered, "All of the above" and "None of the above" weren't available.

The phrase "potentially pretentious" is fun to say, but inappropriate here. Pretentious is defined as "making usually unjustified or excessive claims" or "expressive of affected, unwarranted, or exaggerated importance". I don't see anybody expressing that with their names. Some of the names may be a little goofy, but so what?

"Pilgrim" is an anagram of "girl imp", my hiking companion.

 

[David Metsky]

I chose the dumb made-up name, "Pete Hickey", which I use around here. At times, I'll even introduce my to people using that name. The funny thing about it is that if you choose a made up name, that sounds like it might be a real name, nobody ever asks you what your real name is. Hence nobody knows my real name.

Me too, most people actually think "David Metsky" exists.

-dave-, um, I mean -ChickenBoy-

 

[The Sikes]

I was real creative when I thought of a screen name...I don't have a trail name as of yet even though my kids give me one each time we are out. For me, a trail name might say something about you or is just fun...I don't know if there is any real rhyme or reason or maybe it's different for each person. They are fun to hear even though it can be hard to remember the trail name and the person's real name if you even learn it.

We gave my son his trail name because it was so fitting....He's going to kill me for this but....it's leaky faucet.....He doesn't care much for it but hey, it fits. The rest of us are on hold for the perfect trail name.

 

[Puck]

So if trail names should evolve to capture one's traits or personalities here is a brief list of what should be out there;

1) Wallhitter
2) Buttdragger
3) Windsucker
4)Wheezer
5)Moleskin
6)Hikerstench
7) Oopps
8) Essentialless
9) Bugbait
10) Lostmoron