14 New Ones — AT Slang

All subcultures have their own lexicon and thru-hiker lifestyle is no different. You may be familiar with terms such as nobo/sobo, PUD’s, and hiker trash. I will introduce you to several other terms running the trail these days.

As with all new vocabulary, the key to learning it is to attempt to use the words in everyday conversation.

Enjoy!

Pissta — a vista from which an individual urinates

Chippie — a chipmunk

Flushie — an indoor toilet with plumbing

Narrator — a hiker who insists on talking long after you’ve given nonverbal cues that you are not interested; these one-sided conversations often involve stories about miles hiked and encounters with animals

Motel Wind — breezes that alternate between cool and warm much like motel shower temperatures

Christmas Tree — a quick climb and quick ascent, so named due to its appearance on an elevation profile

Party Monsters — (always plural) hikers known for conspicuous consumption of alcohol and other substances, often loud

Town Poop — characteristically large bowel movement that occurs while in town, sometimes with little warning

Cold Brew — instant coffee mixed and left overnight so coffee is ready in the morning

Conti B — continental breakfast

Civilian — non-hiker living in the Other World

Vortex — (verb) to be enticed to hike fewer miles or none at all, usually lured by luxuries such as swimming, pizza, or friends, sometimes associated with peer pressure
Example: Magnus is easy to vortex. Let’s tell him about the swimming hole.

Hiker Hobble — a stiff gait and limp associated with thru-hikers after muscles and tendons have cooled, can occur in as little as a few minutes, present in the morning and always after riding in cars

Trail Tragic — the unfortunate experience of seeing a cooler of trail magic left at a trailhead that is empty or filled with trash