| Aqua Blaze | Bypass part of the trail by boat (i.e. shenandoah national park section of AT) |
| AYCE | All You Can Eat type of restaurant |
| Bagged | Backpackers "bag" peaks on trips |
| Base Weight | Weight of all gear in backpack minus consumables (food, fuel & water) |
| Baselayer | Next to skin clothing layer, preferably wicking and quick drying |
| Bear Bagging | Hanging food from a tree limb to prevent bears from getting to it |
| Bivy Sack | Aka Bivouac Sack, an extremely small, lightweight, waterproof shelter, and an alternative to traditional tent systems. It is used by climbers, mountaineers, hikers, ultralight backpackers, etc. |
| Blaze | Term used when referring to a trail indicator found on a tree (the AT has white blazes) |
| Blowout | Epic failure of a portion of your trail running shoes (shoes, upper, toe guard), usually resulting in unsightly duct tap repairs and haggard sewing jobs in the field |
| Blue Blaze | Side trail leading to/from main trail seen on AT |
| Bomber | An item of gear that is extremely durable |
| Bounce Box | Used on long hikes for items to resupply every so often, you mail this to yourself some distance up the trail to pick up when you get there |
| Breathable | Clothing that allows moisture to exit away from your skin |
| Bushwhack | Hike off trail |
| Cairn | A man-made pile of stones marking a trail or route |
| Camel Up | Drinking as much water as you can when at a water source so you don't have to carry as much in between water sources |
| Catenary Curve | The natural curve an object takes on when supported on both ends, used in tarp/tent construction to make taught pitches easier |
| Cathole | A pit to burry your poo in, typically 6-8 inches deep |
| CBS | Cold Butt Syndrome |
| Cowboy Camping | Sleeping out in the open, i.e. not under a shelter |
| Crotch Rot | The cumulative effect of neglecting hygiene in the downstairs region of the body |
| Cuben Fiber | A material originally manufactured for high end boat sails, high in strength/low in weight, used in ultralight tents, stuff sacks, backpacks |
| DIAD | Done In A Day backcountry trips |
| Ditty Bag | Small stuff sac of personal items |
| Double Walled | Tent construction that reduces condensation by having an inner net and an outer waterproof shell separated by some space |
| DWR | Durable Water Repellent, a type of fabric coating |
| FBC | Freezer Bag Cooking, meaning to cook in a quart size freezer bag by simply adding water |
| Foot Pillows | Trail Runners that are so comfortable your feet feel like they're surrounded by pillows! |
| Glissade | A way to quickly descend a snow slope, sitting and sliding down, usually holding and ice axe to be used to slow or stop the slide |
| GORP | Good Old Raisons and Peanuts, or trail mix |
| Gram Weenie | A person obsessed with reducing weight of items worn or carried |
| Groundling | Anyone who sleeps on the ground, on purpose |
| Hiker Midnight | 9:00pm |
| Hiker Trash | Derogatory term used to describe thru-hikers |
| HYOH | Hike Your Own Hike |
| LNT | Leave No Trace, an outdoor ethic meant to protect our natural resources for generations to come |
| Mail Drop | On a long hike you can have friends mail you supplies |
| Meths | Short for methylated spirits, usually referring to various liquid fuels (denatured alcohol, HEET, acetone) used in lightweight stoves |
| Mid | Referring to a pyramidal style shelter pitched with one or two poles |
| MYOG | Make Your Own Gear |
| Nesting | When a kit fits nicely together, as in a stove nesting inside a cookpot |
| Nobo | North bound |
| Pink Blaze | Hike faster or slower to stay with a girl |
| PO | Post Office |
| Postholing | Breaking through the top layer of snow into the mushy stuff below, typically up above the knees and into the crotch |
| Pot Cozy | An insulated container that your cookpot fits into, used to reduce the amount of fuel used by keeping the contents warm while food finishes cooking |
| Quilt | Specifically coined as a backpacking term by thru-hiker Ray Jardine in the 1990's, it is a sleeping bag that drapes over the top of you in order to save weight. The philosophy is that there are very little insulating properties in the underside of a sleeping bag because you are crushing it down to nothing. |
| Scat | Animal Poo |
| Shale | Sharp edged loose rock |
| Single Wall | A type of tent construction that is lighter but can result in increased condensation if not vented properly |
| Single-track | A narrow section of trail just wide enough for 1 person |
| Skin Out | The weight of everything you take on a backpacking trip except you (i.e. clothing, pack, shoes, etc) |
| Sobo | South bound |
| Solo | Hiking by yourself |
| Stealth Camping | Camping in a place that is out of sight of the trail, typically leaving no trace of being there |
| SUL | Super Ultra Light |
| Ten Essentials | A list of essential items hiking authorities promote as recommended for safe travel in the backcountry |
| Three Season | Gear that is intended for Spring through Fall, not having enough insulation to safely camp in Winter weather |
| Thru-Hiker | Typically a hiker that hikes an entire long trail such as the 2,663 Pacific Crest Trail |
| Ti | All things titanium |
| Torso Pad | A ground insulation/comfort sleeping pad that is sized for a persons torso only |
| Trail Angel | A person that helps hikers with rides, food, etc |
| Trail Magic | Typically experienced on a long hike, hard to explain |
| Trail Name | Nickname typically obtained on a long hike |
| Triple Crown | The title earned by those who have thru-hiked the PCT, CDT, and AT |
| UL | Ultralight, one of the most abused words in the backpacking industry, referring to something that is very light |
| Vitamin I | Ibuprofen |
| Wag Bag | A container used to carry your poo in areas where cat holes are not allowed |
| Wetted Out | When a materials water proofing properties fail, such as a rain jacket or tarp |
| Yellow Blazing | A term from AT hikers meaning getting a ride instead of taking the trail |
| YMMV | Your Mileage May Vary |
| Yogi | A strategy named after the antics of Yogi Bear, a cartoon character of the 1960's, it carries the connotation of getting the goodies by hook or by crook |
| Yo-Yo | Hiking a long trail end-to-end, then back again |
| Zero Day | A rest day |
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Hiker Slang
Hikers like to make up their own terms, especially thru-hikers. Here's a quick reference guide for you. I'm sure there are many more, so please leave yours in the comments section below.