Hike Your Own Hike - An Ode to the Hiking Community

Description

R2R2R Grand Canyon Hike with Neemor - https://youtu.be/y1HUOWZZUPU

AZT Section Gear List - https://darwinonthetrail.com/2017/09/22/darwins-2017-azt-section-hike/

AT Gear List - https://darwinonthetrail.com/2016/05/03/darwins-2016-at-gear-list/

*** WAYS TO SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL ***

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darwinonthetrail

(Help Support my 2018 PCT Thru with a pledge as low as a $1/month)

Visit our Etsy Shop! - https://www.etsy.com/shop/TravelandTrail

*** Gear Used to Shoot this Video! ***

- Camera -

Canon EOS 77D - http://amzn.to/2zf5OQ9

- Lense -

Canon EF 24mm IS USM - http://amzn.to/2zeJuWU

- Sound -

TakStar Shotgun Mic - http://amzn.to/2kMsAnM

- TriPod -

Targus 360 Trigger Tripod - http://amzn.to/2kMsU5Y

------Intro & Animation By: BlackStrap Media------

https://blackstrapmedia.com

------- Music By: Mike Boren --------

DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for the support!

Contact information:

Website: www.darwinonthetrail.com

Instagram: Darwin_Onthetrail

facebook: www.facebook.com/darwinonthetrail

Tags: UL Hiking,UL Backpacking,UL Hiking Gear,Backpacking,Hiker Trash,Hike Your Own Hike,Appalachian Trail,AT,AT Thru Hike,Thru Hike,PCT,Pacific Crest Trail,Arizona Trail,AZT,Long Distance Hiking,Day Hiking

Video Transcription

hey guys it's Darwin and today I wanted to talk about that good old classic cliche saying

hike your own hike all right so a couple weeks ago I answered a question in one of my Q&A is about unhealthy competition within the hiking community someone asking if I had seen on Reddit and Facebook pages and things like that about hikers being competitive with other hikers about miles hiked and how low their base weigh was and if I thought it was constructive or unhealthy to the hiking community now I gave my answer saying that I didn't think it was necessarily bad that people talk about their base weights or that they brag about how many miles that they've hiked because that's the hiking community that's what hikers talk about well that and food but how I thought that some hikers take it way too seriously and those hikers treat it like bullying almost to a point where they're making fun of other people because they haven't chose the same pack that someone's chose or because they have a heavier base weight than them and how that's just plain ignorant after I answer that it got me thinking a lot about all of the posts that I've seen on Facebook groups in reading through the ultralite forum on reddit certain Instagram profiles comments on YouTube videos and it got me thinking about how as a community as a hiking community we turned so negative and against each other on things that shouldn't matter to us like gear choices and pack weight and what someone else is doing with their free time and with the thing that they love at the beginning of the month Nemo and I did a hike in the Grand Canyon and that entire time that we were hiking we talked a lot about the concept of hike your own hike and how we made videos giving our opinions and suggestions about gear that works for us and how there was this line that we have to walk to where we're not telling someone that they're dumb for making a you know a different choice or they're dumb for not getting their pack weighed down and how we're all guilty of doing that

I've made a ton of videos where I've told you that you shouldn't do something or you should get your pack way down because it's smarter and that's my opinion but I've also implored people to maybe take my suggestions and then take it out on the trail put it into practice and see if it works for them now I don't think there's anything wrong with sharing your opinion or giving suggestions about stuff that has worked for you to new hikers that are coming into the community because I think that that's what it's all about that is the hiking community we're all just people that love the same thing and we should help each other figure out what works best for us that's why I fell in love with the hiking community back in 2015 on the 80 it's it gave me new faith in humanity that it was just people helping people for no reason at all but I think that lately we've become really cynical on each other for stuff that doesn't even matter hiking is not that important really what we do is nothing special we all like the outdoors I think we're all gear geeks that like to spend our money on stuff that we don't really need we put a bag on our back and we just go walking through the woods we're not special for that no one has a special talent because they walk through the woods with a bag on their back we're not athletes and none of us are better than anyone else so if you're a hiker that thinks that you're better than someone else because you bought a really popular ultralight pack it makes you look cool or because you have 10 hikes under your belt versus someone that only has one hike under their belt then I think that you're wrong you're missing the point and there's no place for you in the hiking community so with that being said I implore all of you out there that are either new to the hiking community you're planning for your first through hike maybe you're just a weekend backpacker maybe you're just a day hiker and you're searching for that answer of what's the right way to hike what's the right piece of gear that there is no one right piece of gear there is no one right way to hike take suggestions and opinions from other people take them out onto the trail put them into practice trial and error and figure out what we're

best for you remember to do what makes you comfortable and what you want to do on the trail you're the one that's out there hiking the miles you're the one that has decided to take four to five months out of your life and hike from one state to another your opinion is the only one that matters and if it works for you it's the right way get out there and hike your own hike all right guys that was just a small rant that I felt like I needed to get off my chest before this year was up hopefully within this next year we can all learn to be more constructive and less critical when it comes to giving our opinions and sharing gear advice in the hiking community you haven't had a chance yet go over and check me out on Instagram I've been posting a lot of new photos lately of some of the things that snuggles and I have going on throughout the week plus some pictures from some past tags if you found any value in this video go ahead and hit that like button subscribe to my channel if you haven't already as always guys thanks for watching [Music]

you