The Thru-Hikers Glossary

The Backpackers Dictionary: Trail slang for the PCT

There are now nine months and nine days left until my Pacific Crest Trail adventure begins! Although the journey isn't for a while, this time pre-trail is a journey in itself. Every morning and night has been spent reading up on whats to come, educating myself on gear and trail skills, and watching vlogs of current thru-hikers.

This past July 4th weekend was spent at a campground In Hudson Valley, where I gave most of my new gear a test-run. I aim to hike most Sundays this Summer and Fall to train and get comfortable with my camp set-up, Garmin, and other gear. This means that before too long, the posts on this blog will probably be filled with hiker jargon that may get confusing. Sooo, I have prepared this list of common backpacking terms to help you figure out what I'm talking about.

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10x10 - ten miles by ten a.m. A strategy for getting in big mile days

A 25/30/40 - typical daily mileage. Refers to a general range around the stated number when talking about pace

Alpine Zone - above the treeline. The high-elevation areas where trees are unable to grow.

Alternate - A mapped route that differs from the primary trail. Some alternates are temporary re-routes due to fire closures or dangerous water crossings, others are permanent side trails to viewpoints or towns.

Aqua Blaze (verb) - taking a waterway instead of the Trail

Base Weight (noun) - the weight of everything in a hikers pack, excluding consumables

Bear Bag (noun) - mostly odor-concealed bag hung in a tree to prevent attracting any bears. Contains food, trash, toiletries etc

Bladder (noun) - water reservoir

Blowdown - Fallen trees blocking the trail. Blowdown can be a single tree or extend for miles.

Blue Blaze (noun) - the blaze that leads to a water source (or another trail or shelter depending on what trail you're on)

Bonus Miles (noun) - These are all the extra miles that aren’t officially part of the PCT but will nevertheless need to be hiked during the course of a typical thru-hike. These include miles to and from resupply points, post offices, lodgings, off-trail water sources, scouting for sheltered and/or flat campsites, and the inevitable navigational mishaps.

Bounce Box (noun) - box of supplies you ship or 'bounce' forward to pick up in your next trail town

Bushwacking (verb) - to travel off-trail (for the adventure or because you're lost), or fighting through thick bush or trees

Cairn (noun) - pile of rocks or stones to mark the trail instead of a blaze (usually placed in a tree-less section)

Camel Up (verb) - to drink a large amount of water at once (usually at a water source) in order to decrease the amount of water one has to carry to the next water source

Cowboy Camp (verb) - to camp under the stars, with no shelter

Crampons (noun) - also known as micro-spikes; a metal frame used on boots for traction in snowy and icy conditions

DCF (Dyneema Cuben Fiber) - high performance fabric, used as an ultralight material for some tents and bags

DEET (noun) - also known as 'diethyltoluamide', a strong ingredient used in insect repellents

Dry Camp (verb) - to camp away from a water source

False Summit - sense of approaching the summit and then realize it is only a small plateau

Firefoot - Nerve pain that feels like burning on the soles of the feet.

FK (Fastest Known Time) - the speed record held for completing a long-distance trail either supported or unsupported .

Flip-Flop (verb) - to skip a section of the trail, to later return and hike it in the opposite direction

Glissade (verb) - to slide down a snowy slope (usually on one's butt) in order to avoid having to walk down instead

Gram Weenie (noun) - A hiker who becomes obsessed with reducing his or her Base Weight.

Green Tunnel (noun) - referring to the heavily wooded green forests that the trail snakes through

Guylines (noun) - chord or rope to tie down the tent or tarp

the Herd (noun) - a large group of hikers that start at peak time for thru-hiking (mid to late April)

Hero - to go through a town to resupply without staying overnight, usually preserving usual daily mileage.

Hiker Box (noun) - a box where hikers can deposit unwanted gear/food for future hikers who may be able to use it (typically found in post offices or hiker town motels

Hiker Hobble (noun) - A phenomenon where once the hiker removes his or hers backpack, he/she starts to limp and wobble. Usually, develops after the first hundred miles, and doesn’t let up.

Hiker Hunger (noun) - the all-consuming hunger that takes over a hiker's body after a while on the trail, which typically is never satisfied

Hiker Midnight (noun) - the time of night when most hikers pass out (most commonly known as 9 pm).

Hiker Trash (noun) - a term used to (affectionately) refer to thru-hikers (this is not the most glamorous sport)

HYOH (Hike Your Own Hike) - a well known trail philosophy that encourages hikers to hike in the way that best works for them, regardless of what other hikers may be doing.

Leapfrogging: Hiking in the vicinity of another hiker or group of hikers but not in step with them. Like a game of leapfrog - you pass them, then they pass you, over a series of days or sections.

LNT (Leave No Trace) - the all-important guide to trail ethics that hikers should follow in order to minimize the impact they have on the natural environment

Mail Drop (noun) - One of the ways for thru-hikers to resupply themselves with food, equipment, and other essentials while on the trail.

Nero (noun) - a day during which a hikes hikes "near zero" miles, or a significantly smaller number of miles than what one would normally cover in a day

NOBO/SOBO (adjective) - describes the direction a thru-hiker travels on their trek, with NOBO being short for Northbound (Mexico to Canada) and SOBO being short for Southbound (Canada to Mexico)

Pink Blaze (verb) - hiking with a female

Posthole (verb) - to hike in deep snow that traps your leg with each step

PUDS (Pointless Ups and Downs) - referring to the rolling nature of the trail

Purist - someone who hikes the trail in its entirety. They hike every foot of the trail and do not deviate (even they step off to resupply, they will continue at the exact spot where they left off, instead of taking a ride to the next trailhead)

Ray Day (noun) - June 15th. In an average snow year in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Ray Day is the best date to leave Kennedy Meadows on a northbound thru-hike.

Resupply (verb) - restocking on food or other essentials in town.

(noun) - a place where you are intending to resupply

Ride Bride (noun) - A female hiker accompanying a male hiker when attempting to hitch a ride to town. A male thru-hiker who is accompanied by a female is far more likely to pick up a ride.

Ridge Runner (noun)- an informal Park Ranger; generally a volunteer interested in promoting respect for the trail.

Scramble (verb) - type of 'hand and knees' hiking in steep or rocky sections where walking is not an option

Section - a stretch of trail between resupply stops. Generally referred to by mileage or estimated time to hike; a 110mi section, or a 3-day section.

Section Hiker (noun) - someone who hikes the trail in sections over a longer period of time than a continuous thru-hike

Shakedown (noun) - when a more experienced hiker goes through someone else's gear in order to help them bring down their pack weight by telling them which gear to ditch

Shakedown Hike (noun) - practice hikes to see which gear one actually needs

Slackpack (verb) - to hike without your full pack by sending someone else ahead with most of your gear, or stashing your gear somewhere for an out-and-back trek

Stealth Camping (verb) - camping in a site that has not been used as a campsite before

Sun Cups (noun) - cup-shaped depressions that form in the snow when it begins to melt

Switch Back (noun) - used to zig-zag and lengthen the trail for a more moderate incline instead of hiking straight up a very steep incline

Thru-Hiker (noun) - one who hikes the trail in one continuous run or within a year time frame

Trailhead (noun) - where a section of trail begins. Usually at a road crossing

Trail Angel (noun) - beautiful people that do something to help out thru-hikers (providing rides to/from trailheads, a place to sleep, food, etc)

Trail Family (noun) - also known as 'tramily'. A group of hikers who are committed to hiking together, often for a significant portion or all of the trail. Many trail families adopt a group nickname.

Trail Name (noun) - name a hiker goes by on trail., A sort of alter-ego. Almost all hikers go by a trail name and its usually given by other hikers. Typically based off an embarrassing trail blunder.

Trail Legs (noun) - the appendages of pure muscle that a hiker develops after spending a while on trail, that allows them to hike seemingly endless miles a day

Trail Magic (noun) - a random act of kindness experienced along the trail (a cooler full of cold drinks, a trail angel cooking a hot meal, etc)

Trail Register (noun) - A logbook, piece of paper, or otherwise inscribe-able object used for documenting hikers passing of a point on the trail.

Triple Crowner (noun) - one who completed thru-hiking the three major USA Hiking Trails: the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and The Continental Divide Trail.

UL (Ultralight) - a minimalist backpacking mentality. Generally have a 10 lb base weight or less

Vitamin I (noun) - Trail name for Ibuprofen.

Vortex (noun) - something that hikers get sucked into and find it difficult to leave, typically a fun town or trail angels house

Water Cache (noun) - a place where trail angels keep water stored along the trail for thru-hikers to use

Yellow Blaze (verb) - driving to the next trailhead and essentially skipping a chunk of hiking

YO-YO (noun) - hiking two consecutive hikes of the same trail in a single year (starting at one terminus, touching the end, and then immediately turning around and hiking back to the start)

Yogi (verb) - yogi-ing is the art of getting non-hikers to give you food without directly asking, usually by chatting them up or hanging around them looking hungry.

Zero (noun) - a day where a hiker hikes zero miles (most often taken in town)

This post is dedicated to my sister Alyssa, who agreed the glossary will be necessary for all readers :)