Stress Levels On Trail?

imported
#21

Being out there clears the stress…you will have those days when you feel like you may blow your top, but that is usually because of bugs in your face, PUDS, rocks, humidity, hunger and thirst all at the same time, which is easily remedied. STOP, find a nice cool shady place, apply bug dope, drink a full nalgene, eat a good meal, even if you dont feel like cooking, take a nap…and within two hours, man…the world is once again your oyster.

The there is my personal disdain of snorers…but thats a differetn thread… :boy

Lion King

#22

Come on, it’s a little hard to believe when people say that hiking is stress-free. Sure, it depends a little on one’s personality, and sure there are plenty of relaxing moments, but I just can’t seem to picture a bubbly and giddy Mary Poppins bouncing up yet another steep climb at the end of the day, feet blistered, knees hurting and back sore.
To describe a number of blissful moments then say the whole thing is stress-free generalizes the thru-hiking experience. Certainly hiking is enjoyable most of the time, but nobody can go through a hike without being stressed.
Short breaks on bad days also help a little, but they also don’t clear everything up as if nothing was wrong in the first place. The Trail is a fantastic place, but since when did it become 2,000 miles of tulips and rainbows?

0101

#23

Nobody is saying it is tulips and rainbows. On my thru-hike I dislocated my shoulder on the north face of Clingmans Dome and ended up in Cherokee for two weeks before the doc would consider letting me go back out, not that he could have stopped me. But the stress or worry I had at the time was for the pack I had left on the Dome. But in all that happened, having to walk out eight miles and depending on other people to help me out, which a whole bunch of people did without me asking, the stress wasn’t bad. The actual dislocation was more of a reaction due to pain. But if you find stress on the trail most times you will have did it to yourself. Yes you will spend days in rain with everything you own wet, your sleeping bag will become the only place you can get warm and you may be hard pressed for water a few times. But if you are the type to let stuff like that worry you then yes you will get stressed out there. Your trail experience is really related to your own personality and that of the people around you. Everything else you can deal with and that is what it is, dealing with it. :cheers

Two Scoops

#24

The amount of stress is limited and most self induced. The very small number of times it has been due to 2 things…lack of water and getting lost. Both of these would have prevented by my taking more water with me and paying more attention. I do remember one event where the book said there was only one blue blaze to a shelter and there was 2 and I took the wrong one…doesn’t sound like much stress…but when you’re running out of water and lugging 40 pounds and it’s getting dark then you get a little pissed off…but compared to everyday life stress it’s not stressful at all on the trail.

Doc Holiday