I was wondering if there were many cigarette, pipe, or illegal smokers on the AT?
~Almond
“People call me a health nut. I say, ‘No, I am an Almond.’”
Almond
Smokers on the Trail
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#2
There is a complete cross section of people doing the trail, including smokers. But I don’t have the statistics on who has what vices.
Peaks
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#3
To many for my taste. I prefer pistachio. Nothing like hiking the AT to get some narsty air. Several lit up in the shelter and we had to pack up and leave.
Bushwhack
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#4
There are not very many real smokers, who hike the AT. A real smoker is someone with a pack a day or more habit. Reason is that they don’t have the lung capacity to make it up the mountains. Now there are always exceptions to every rule, so I’m sure they are some heavy duty smokers, who hike but not very many.
Most smoking on the trail is weed (and a fair amount of this) or folks, who are not really smokers, but who enjoy on ocassion a cigarette, pipe or good cigar.
See you out there and I won’t be smoking. :cheers
Maintain
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#5
Those of us with asthma thankyou. Its hard enough going all day without other distractions.:cheers :cheers
BW
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#6
I quit three months ago but I did the entire AT smoking approximately a pack a day. I don’t think it slowed me down either. Age helped (26-27). If I left town with three to five days of food, then I left with three to five packs.
Ganj
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#7
My partner and I hiked with a guy in 2000 that lit up everytime he finished a hard climb.I inquired as to why he smoked on those occasions.His reply was,I didn’t say I was smart.
I enjoy a good cigar at the end of the day but,as someone once said"I don’t inhale".The way I look at it is,if I smoke(which I never have on the AT)I get off to an area where I don’t offend others.
Bill Harris
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#9
I met a SOBO at Neels gap who had maintained his 40 a day habit the whole way. I myself smoke, however, I don’t smoke regular ***s (as they’re know over here), I smoke rolling tobacco. Nothing like a hard few miles then greeted by a fantastic view of hazey mountains as far as the eye can see. For me, the perfect place to down the pack, roll a *** and take it all in. Personaly i pack out my stubs although i need not as both rolling paper and tobacco are biodegradeable, unlike filter ***s. I to hate seeing a pile of butts along the trail. Happy trails. Ross
Ross - London,England
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#10
Did’nt know that word would be blanked out. Did’nt know it was actually offensive. Sorry once again. I shall refer to them as cigarettes from now on. It’s part of our everyday language in England.
Ross - London,England
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#11
My husband who I met on the AT in '99 smoked quite a lot (estimate) a pack a day and had no problem walking up and down hills. He always had one when we had a nice view at the top and I actually favored the habit because it meant I knew he would stop and wait for me and I would get a couple regular breaks! Otherwise nothing would stop him! 
He also smoked the whole way on the PCT, but it really is just rude to smoke in a shelter, and I never really encountered anyone doing that. I would say in '02 on the PCT more people smoked than didn’t-weird!
On the AT lots of older gentlemen would have a civilized cigar at night and I thought it really brought out the southern storytelling ability and never would dare to complain as I enjoyed it way too much!
Lots of hikers smoked weed on both trails. Oh and hitchiking proved the easiest way to meet folks with a medical marajana license out west!
Cross Country AT '99, PCT '02
Cross Country
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#12
If you do smoke always field dress your tobacco products. After all we are hikers. We are above the parking lot walkers that dart down the trail to pee and throw away their trash.
Virginian
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#13
So, it is generally safe to partake of f-a-g on the trail?
~Almond
“People call me a health nut. I say, ‘No, I am an Almond’”
Almond