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Dum4brains t1_iu4ptir wrote

just need the string backpack with the big ol bluetooth speaker blasting.

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endless_views t1_iu4qpr9 wrote

And the half empty 0.5 liter Poland spring bottle. Also asking every descending hiker "how much further to the top?"

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TJsName t1_iu4jgpo wrote

Shouldn't it be dark?

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SheeEttin t1_iu4w2tr wrote

And snowing. Maybe with a moose in the background.

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penkster t1_iu5rj2y wrote

I was coming down out of Tuckerman Ravine - already close to the end after a great half day of hiking. A couple passes me heading up - they were dressed I swear to god like the guy in this picture. Excep they had one of those string-backpack-thingies, and they carried one bottle of water each. Note this was late season - end of September. I stopped them with a happy greeting "Hey how's it going, beautiful day for a hike, huh?" "yeah" "You guys going up to Hojos?" (blank look) "Errr, where are you going?" "Oh, we thought we'd just go to the top and come back".

Now, it's probably 1pm. It's late season, so lets be charitable and say it was in the mid-60's at the base. They were obviously NOT geared right. "Well, it's a pretty long hike..." "How long?" "Well, if you really hustle, you can make the round trip in 4 hours" "Oh, we have plenty of time! It doesn't get dark until 7!" "Yeah, but... look, you gusy really aren't geared for this. You need better shoes and..." "Cmon Jake, lets go!" - and off they went.

I never saw them again. I don't know if they made it to the summit or not (I'm guessing no), but there were no rescues that I knew of.

You can't fix stupid. The people who think back country hiking is just like a walk in the local state park boggle the mind.

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ellewynn_martha t1_iu5cxei wrote

In the 80s I saw a woman hiking in high heels. I think that was Mount Monadnock. It's pretty bad when a 8 year old knows you're an idiot hiker.

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hardsoft t1_iu5zp02 wrote

On the other hand the amount of pretentious over the top Karen hikers out there is a little insane.

I hiked Mount Willard with my wife a couple months ago (it's a 45 minute hike I could do in Tevas if I wanted to) and were lectured by countless hikers about not being prepared enough.

It was probably 70 on the peak, sunny with a slight breeze. Saw what looked like an 8 year old girl up there who somehow made it without poles or a week of supplies including a water proof coat...

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badenglishihave t1_iu63ikj wrote

Eh maybe in that specific situation that sounds ok? But look it's not the normal, happy, injury-free situations that you are preparing for. What if a storm comes and you lose your way? What if you broke your ankle and could not descend? It gets cold awful fast up north. 70F and sunny mid-day is nice... until nightfall hits and it's 45F, dark, and frigid.

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-Codfish_Joe t1_iu4jmgr wrote

In his defense, I prefer to do my hiking in sandals.

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GKnives t1_iu58x3i wrote

Exactly the gear of three guys I ran across asking which path was fastest to the peak of washington in march

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Dextrofunk t1_iu6ulbx wrote

Been crazy lately. Last time I did chocorua, this couple was half way up without even a backpack and the woman was wearing these expensive looking white sneakers. Covid brought a lot of new "hikers" and they are the reason rescue has had to crack down.

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dundlebundles t1_iu6xgp4 wrote

A very close relative of mine is a Fish & Game officer and the stories I hear about idiot hikers are... this, a good chunk of the time.

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BowieToe t1_iu7jpim wrote

r/DiedHiking material

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sheila9165milo t1_iudna0v wrote

Would be a great costume for UNH boys. I was always amazed at how under-dressed they were in the winter when I went there in the 90's.

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