Tags
Alps, exploring, High Tatras, hiking, packing lists, scale, too little, too much, Weekly Photo Challenge
My packing list for most trekking trips, whether they’re going to be day hikes or multi-day marathons, is pretty simple: hiking shoes or boots, a few layered tops, athletic tights or maybe a thicker hiking pant, some cold and/or rainy weather gear, a trusty baseball cap that has seen better days, and … that’s about it. Most of those layers are more than a decade old, but I know they all work, and I can pack all the right stuff while half asleep.
On one of my earliest outings with strangers years ago, I met my first Haute Hikers. These upscale, stylish ladies had more than one nanopuff jacket buried in their overstuffed duffel bags, the better to coordinate with multiple pairs of figure-enhancing pants. They had decorative scarves and neck gaiters that matched their expensive little tank tops, jaunty caps (one had a feather), fancy watches (with altitude readings, naturally), and snazzy boots that were so new they got blisters the first day. I did covet some of their stuff, I have to admit, but I was pretty happy to avoid those ridiculously heavy duffels and backpacks. Being underdressed had benefits I appreciated, both logistical and psychic.
Let’s switch channels to European day hikes in the mountains, specifically the ones I took on our recent Central Europe swing. I am equipped just about as I described above. I’m in the same clothes I’ve worn in other parts of the world, and I’ve got a light daypack with water for the day, a snack or two, a rain jacket, and a hat. But now I am clearly overdressed, too sporty for the trails, and way too amply supplied in general.
You see, in the mountainous parts of Europe, hiking is such a part of life that it requires no special apparel or gear. In the High Tatras of northern Slovakia, on a trail that chewed me up at times, cute young women in capris and sandals – several with heels – sauntered past me, stepping up and over the jagged rocks as if they were power shopping on Fifth Avenue. The men wore basic pants and t-shirts and kept up a blistering pace that allowed them to stop for a smoke and still pass me again fifteen minutes later. Did anyone even have a backpack? I don’t think so. Six hours for them must be a morning constitutional – no snacks or extra water necessary.
In the Austrian Alps, we trundled down from a high mountain lake one afternoon to see a family with toddlers, all seemingly dressed for the playground, scampering up the steep path toward us, as carefree as could be. Dogs joined their owners on many a trail – not big tough dogs, but little fashion dogs, white yippy things that bounded over tree roots and mossy stones with their 4-inch legs while I heaved my taller, stronger (I thought) body over the same obstacles.
There were actually a few European hiking beasts who carried more than I did. But their bulky loads were their children, from infants on up strapped onto their backs, with the little ones’ legs and arms dangling and swinging wildly as their parents maneuvered down rock piles and mud chutes. Look, no hands! the adults might as well have proclaimed as they careened by my pokey self crawling like a baby down some scree. I couldn’t decide if I admired these risk-takers or found them mildly (or wildly) irresponsible …
Even if I scale up my gear program and buy some newer, more attractive apparel, I’m never going to be a mountaintop model; I value comfort and carry-on convenience way too much. At the downscale end of the spectrum, I can’t quite see myself tackling serious climbs in clothes I last wore to a casual picnic either. I think I’ll just stick with my dependable old middle-of-the-road hiking attire and save the other two ends of the scale for a blog post.
Pingback: Scale: Fog – What's (in) the picture?
Green Global Trek said:
Hahaha I love this post Lex! Both for the humor and the stunning photographs! Is that a Birch tree forest? Gorgeous. That last one with all the diagonals…..!
I hear you with the locals…I recall being in Peru moving very slowly and carefully on a rocky , narrow steep path when a little very old lady came bpunding past, like a mountain goat, with a bundle of sticks, bigger than herself on her back!
It IS interesting though how Europeans in many places include and incorporate exercise as a part of “daily life” without it being a special “activity”. I recall too the elderly in Toledo, Spain striding up the little steep streets eveey day, that for us were definitely a work out.
Peta
LikeLiked by 3 people
lexklein said:
So many things to respond to! The forest … I wish I knew all the trees in there, but I can only say it was a gorgeous mix of evergreens and deciduous specimens. Its location high on a hill overlooking Lake Wolfgang in Austria was incredible.
The locals and porters in Peru (and Tanzania for that matter) are a whole ‘nother story! We were always amazed at their speed and footwear – flip flops made out of old tires! Slap slap slap, they did bound past like mountain goats!
I love walking communities in general and getting functional exercise vs going to a gym. As we always do in Europe, we ate and ate and still came home a few pounds lighter without ever entering a workout facility! Here in the U.S., we are just not set up for that in most places and we have to make exercise into an activity – such a shame.
LikeLike
J.D. Riso said:
So funny to read that you caught this little cultural quirk. I noticed this right away, too. People hiking in flip flops or heels. Czechs, especially, seem to just roll out of bed and go hiking, no matter what they happen to be wearing. And drag their kids and dogs along on serious trails. They also have a tendency to get themselves killed in hiking accidents. It’s a joke to the Slovaks. They told me to Google “Czech tourists” and the first things that will come up are articles about how they died in embarrassing ways. Anyway… The perfectly dressed trail queens are just as funny. I’m sort of in between now. Whatever feels comfortable. Thanks for the giggle.
LikeLiked by 3 people
J.D. Riso said:
p.s. I just remembered a Czech student of mine telling me abut an impromptu hiking excursion after they went snorkeling around an island in Croatia. They hiked to the top of a small mountain in flips flops, with their snorkeling masks and tubes still strapped to their heads. I guess they carried their flippers. I’m surprised they didn’t wear them, too. They said people gaped at them when they reached the top.
LikeLiked by 2 people
lexklein said:
You know I am going to Google that the minute I finish here! The snorkeling gear is just too much, but I believe it! Developing world locals in the trekking industry are even more impressive in their rubber sandals and flimsy shorts, all carrying loads that would break my back in about 5 seconds, let alone up the Andes or Himalayas!
But really, the kids and dogs blew me away. I actually felt bad for some of the dogs, and I worried about those infants as their parents balanced precariously or tipped over on steep ups and downs.
LikeLike
J.D. Riso said:
Yeah, I thought the kids and dogs were kind of selfish and irresponsible. I forgot to add that if you do that Google search, you should put “Czech hikers”instead of tourists. The word for hiker in Czech is ,turista, so they get it confused when they translate.
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
Yep, I see lots of death stories – yikes! I also see one about how Czechs adore hiking, so maybe they just lose their minds when they get somewhere with great hiking trails …?!
LikeLike
Mabel Kwong said:
Like Peta, I had to chuckle reading this post. Hiking does sound like a walk in the park for those in Slovakia and the Austrian Alps. Hiking in heals like it’s no big deal…as you mentioned, they must do it very often, pretty much daily or they just have a big sense of adventure about them. I could never be like one of those well-dressed hiking ladies, the Haute Hikers as you called them 😀 I already have trouble carrying a 2-litre bottle of milk back from the grocery store, so lugging a big backpack full of good-looking hiking accessories is something pretty much impossible for me to manage.
When hiking here in Melbourne, I’m pretty minimal – layers if it’s during the cooler season, loose jeans and a sling bag carrying a cap, water and snacks. Backpacks are a no-no for me given they aggravate my scoliosis. Comfort all the way when it comes to dressing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
Interestingly, I think some of the ladies in heels were tourists, but they were from cities or countries nearby. I think they came to the mountains with regular clothes and then decided to take a hike and just put on what they had. I know I have done that on rare occasions – not the high heels part, but taking a hike in “regular” clothes and maybe even flip flops – but never on trails this steep and long! I did climb the Great Wall in flimsy sandals because I had no idea I’d walk as far as I did. So I do get that a few people would look casual, but it was so many of them! Good for a chuckle for sure!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bama said:
I agree with everyone else — this is such an entertaining post! You did observe your surrounding very attentively, Lex. The way you described how casual the locals were reminds me of the porters who accompanied me on that arduous hike to Mount Rinjani. While I made sure I wore proper hiking shoes, they just had flipflops and still managed to go up much faster than I did. By the way, as much as I enjoyed every single photo in this post, the fourth shot is just stunning!
LikeLiked by 3 people
lexklein said:
Thanks, Bama, and oh, yes, the porters! In Peru, Nepal, and Tanzania, I remember our porters were in the most basic of shorts and t-shirts and always in those rubber sandals/flip flops that look like they are going to fall apart any second. They were carrying huge loads and moving at a pace I could only dream of!
The 4th shot was taken on a trail from Wolfgangsee up to Schwarzensee in Austria’s Salzkammergut region. That forest was beautiful, with a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees, and it looked down on the lake at times. The whole area was filled with fantastic day hikes; we could have spent at least another 2-3 days there.
LikeLike
Christie said:
Great photos, and interesting observations.Looks like this is not hiking for them, it looks more like they go for an evening stroll 😀
LikeLiked by 2 people
lexklein said:
Thanks, and yes, for so many people there, hiking is a daily or at least very common activity. No need for special outfits!
LikeLiked by 1 person
darwinontherocks said:
Haha, I’ve seen many of these mountaintop models 😉 Le bought a book called “stuff white people like”.. according to that book white people love hiking and hiking apparel and we had a good laugh about it because it was so true and funny at the same time 🙂 And I think it’s true… Westerners love outdoor performance clothes.. I don’t know why.. 😀 😀
LikeLiked by 2 people
lexklein said:
I’m sure I would love that book – I’m going to look it up! I think the infatuation with outdoor and athletic clothing is partly comfort and partly to say “Aren’t I sporty?!” And I am not immune, believe me. I’ve always been an outdoorsy, athletic type and when this type of clothing became OK to wear to the grocery store, you can bet I didn’t change back into street clothes some days! I just have to roll my eyes a bit at how some of these women want to simultaneously look athletic and sexy and stylish, all while grunting up a serious mountain!
LikeLike
Alison and Don said:
Gorgeous photos! I’m a little in awe of your organised and proven clothes routine. I’m still always trying to figure out what to take and what to leave behind.
Alison
LikeLiked by 2 people
lexklein said:
Well, don’t be too impressed! This is only my hiking stash of stuff, and for the European trip, I just took one trekking outfit and washed stuff in between hikes. I’m adamant about carry-on bags only, so I keep things pretty simple. However, I did agonize over the rest of the clothes I should take! (I never guess quite right on the weather!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
badfish said:
I wear the same two pairs of (nylon cargo) pants, and same shirts on every trip, and a special shirt for flights (comfortable, casual but smart). My hiking shoes are so old, they are falling apart, and I dread that because I love them, and Merrell doesn’t make that model any more. I like the idea of “carry-on only” but it doesn’t work for me. My bag is carry-on, but I have stuff in there they won’t let me carry on–knives, scissors, fingernail clippers with metal file, dop kit liquids and creams. Great, great shots in this post, lady!
LikeLiked by 2 people
lexklein said:
Thanks, Badfish – always honored when you make an appearance! I am so attached to my hiking shoes that I bought several backup pairs when I heard they were changing the model. I still have two fresh pairs in boxes for (I hope) the next several decades of hiking! I do struggle with carry-on sometimes for the reasons you list, but I still value the convenience and speed of a bag that stays with me, so I forgo the knife and the other objects that scare TSA people.
LikeLike
badfish said:
How funny. Or coincidental. I have two pairs of hikers that were discontinued, and I could never find more. They are both almost goners. Just two days ago, I found them for sale online in Spain…and ordered two more pairs!
LikeLiked by 2 people
lexklein said:
Don’t the forces in the universe just line up sometimes?! 🙂
LikeLike
badfish said:
and thank the gods for that because otherwise, my life would be a shambles…I can’t get through the day without at least one miracle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jolandi Steven said:
Ah, you gave me a good chuckle, Lex. I, like you, have dependable go-to hiking clothes that I also reach for every time. Apart from the fact that I know it works, I simply do not have the money to look fashionable while hiking, as the hiking part is far more important to me than the fashion part. I also love how people in Europe go for a walk in everyday clothes, and the above comments made me giggle in amazement even further!
LikeLiked by 2 people
lexklein said:
It’s funny how this little post has entertained so many people! It was almost a throwaway, but I just had to write about all those locals with their kids, dogs, cigarettes, and heeled sandals on the trails! They amused me even as I gasped up the hills, and I’m glad I’ve succeeded in amusing a few more of you as well. Julie’s comments about the Czechs were particularly funny!
LikeLike
Curt Mekemson said:
I can go light on a day hike with beautiful weather, but no one would ever accuse me of being fashionable, Lex. 🙂 I’ve met up with far too many hazardous conditions over my decades of hiking in all types of conditions and climates to be overly casual about what I take, though. I’m with you! –Curt
LikeLiked by 2 people
lexklein said:
I think most of us serious hikers would agree we need certain basics for safety and comfort. I do get a kick out of the people who are dressed to the nines, and I smile at the woefully unprepared because they are just so amusing, but like you, I’ll stick to the the solidly prepared but unfussy middle!
LikeLike
Curt Mekemson said:
Yeah, I like unsprayed ankles, an absence of blisters, and the ability to survive in bad conditions. 🙂 –Curt
LikeLike
awtytravels said:
Mmmmh, packing.
Whilst I’m one for mocking the Haute Couturiers of sporting apparel – incidentally my entire neighbourhood in London, who HAS to wear the most expensive Spandex, the priciest cycling jersey, even if they do two laps of the park or a ride to Richmond – I’m not friend of people going to the Alps in the wrong gear. My brother is an alpine rescuer and he has developed a pet hate for those daytrippers (or the boy scout) who venture on icefalls in jeans and sneakers, or without decent cover in case of a downpour. Wearing heels whilst hiking is good only for the physio who’s going to fix your ankles afterwards…
…Long story short, people should copy you Lexi! BTW, I assume it’s you in the first photo: how are Ospreys as backpacks?
Fabrizio
LikeLiked by 2 people
lexklein said:
That is indeed I contemplating the stream – and I LOOOOVE my fairly new Osprey pack. I used a North Face backpack for a very long time and I knew every inch of it. I must have tried on 30 packs and even brought many home and loaded them before making a final choice. It came down to the fact that Osprey makes multiple sizes to fit all body types (many were too long for me), it was very light but spacious, and I liked the compartments (a big deal for me – I need more than one gaping space, but I don’t want pockets just to have pockets). Add in a hydration area if needed, perfect waist and chest straps, and the fact that it matched all the crappy old clothes I had, and I was sold! (See, I am a little bit vain about how I look!)
I totally understand your brother’s position on preparedness; it would drive me nuts to be rescuing people who made such dumb choices. And I hear you about the weekend warriors in their Spandex; we chuckle at them all the time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
twobrownfeet said:
I absolutely enjoyed reading this post! These days we’ve been taking our packing very lightly — forgetting camera equipment, hiking shoes, etc. I’m always in awe of locals. They inspire me to follow them blindly. And realise that things will be ok at the end of the road/trail. 🙂 However, I do draw the line when it comes to food. 😦
The picture of the guy with his kid is fantastic! Seriously! If I was on that trail, I’d be panicking with those loose rocks. 😦 And he’s carrying a baby!
Love your observations and the way you weaved the theme into your travels.
LikeLiked by 2 people
lexklein said:
I’m also becoming a less responsible packer lately! I rarely forget anything really important, but I think traveling so much has made me a bit blasé about my pre-trip organization. Hiking is different, though. I’m usually more careful with that stuff and, as I said, it practically packs itself after so many years! (I was really worried about that child! At times, we had to crouch low and the kid’s legs were almost dragging on the rocks!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dave Ply said:
I guess some of those stylish ladies figure if they can dance backward in heels, a mountain trail is no big deal. Either option strikes me as slightly nuts.
PS: Nice pics!
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
I can manage a pair of heels on a dance floor, but certainly not a rocky trail! Nuts indeed. The scenery was so beautiful on many of our walks over those weeks, so the photos I did take look pretty nice. The problem is I was so into the hikes, I didn’t take enough of them!
LikeLike
Liesbet said:
No photo of the woman hiking in high heels? 🙂 I’m like you, Lexie. I have comfortable clothes that I don’t throw away until they have holes in them. And even then… I hate shopping. Which can be trouble. I have two pairs of jeans left. One has a massive rip above one knee, the other, two tiny holes. Now what? As for hiking, I prefer to wear shorts, but just wear whatever is comfy if the weather is too cold for shorts. Layers work, and, more than once, I should have picked my hiking shoes to wear instead of my hiking sandals, but I don’t like sweaty feet, so there. 🙂 All that being said, I do admire people with nice hiking shorts, shirts, hats, boots, and feel a bit of envy. Then, I think about the cost of such a wardrobe, and I am happier to be me again.
LikeLiked by 2 people
lexklein said:
I can’t say they were super HIGH heels, but any heels on those rocky trails would be a nightmare. I took very few photos while hiking and those I did take were of the scenery. I did snap the guy with the kid dangling off his back, but I waited until he and I were both down a very slick jumble of rocks! I was so nervous about that child!
Don’t forget that ripped and holey jeans are very fashionable these days! You may have inadvertently turned yourself into a style icon! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Liesbet said:
Good to know. I’m all about fitting in! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sue Slaght said:
Oh I loved this one Lexie. When we were in Spain we did a hike that was described by the locals as flat. With edges that plummeted to the abyss below and inclines that made my heart pound, young families ran about. I thought surely someone would lose their life but no just a walk in the park for the locals.
Gorgeous photos. The birch trees take top prize for me.
LikeLike
Elaine Bryan said:
Oh how I enjoyed reading my daughter’s notes and photos and many responses from her hiking friends. Wish I could say she takes after her mother, alas, she’s a book worm! (She is that too!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
lexklein said:
Thanks, Mom! And you know that I take after you in MANY ways, not limited to reading and writing interests!
LikeLike
shoreacres said:
This absolutely cracked me up. It brought to mind two things. One is Joan Didion’s packing list from her book The White Album. She kept it taped inside her closet door through her years of reporting in the sixties, so that thought was unnecessary. I’ll not load you down with the list, but this amused me:
“Notice themohair throw for trunk-line flights (i.e., no blankets) and for the motel room in which the air conditioning could not be turned off. Notice the bourbon for the same hotel room. Notice the typewriter for teh airport, coming home: the idea was to turn in the Hertz car, check in, find an empty bench, and start typing the day’s notes.”
The other thing that occurred to me is how absolutely perfect the parallel is between teh boating world and the hiking world: except the high-style “boaters” aren’t nearly so competent as the European hikers. There is nothing in the world like watching some pretty little thing totter down a dock on high heels, or seeing the horror on her face when the announcement is made: “If you’re coming aboard, you’re taking off those shoes. Boat shoes only.”
When I sailed from Hawaii to Alaska, my wardrobe needs were a little more complex than for Texas sailing, thanks to about a 60-degree difference between Kauai and Glacier Bay. Still, two pair of boat shoes, a mess of tee shirts and jeans, a sweater, and foul weather gear does it. Those spiffy, glittered-up yacht club duds just don’t make it when you’re underway.
LikeLiked by 2 people
lexklein said:
Hawaii to Alaska! That is some serious (impressive) stuff. Love the Joan Didion list, and I could see (but had never before considered) that boaters would have the same groups as hikers do when its comes to their apparel. I can just picture the fancy end of that spectrum and how you serious boaters look at those folks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
LDG luciledegodoy said:
It’s a funny post, Lexie. I was wondering if the ladies, wearing high heels, were perhaps just in the area and took an impulsive decision to see the vistas.
I hike in a few countries in Europe and haven’t ever met characters as you described. Unlucky me. I haven’t yet hiked in the Czech Republic, though.
It sounds hilarious.
Like you, I go for functionality and not fashion when packing. I guess that’s how we can dress for a successful hike, right?
LikeLiked by 2 people
lexklein said:
Yes, I am convinced that these women did not plan to hike but then decided to! It’s funny you have not seen this; I have seen ladies in street clothing and non-hiking shoes in many places I’ve hiked, especially in Europe! I’ll never forget a few stylish, beautiful women on the trail near Chamonix, France; all the men in our group were craning their necks to see them mincing up the rocks!
LikeLike
LDG luciledegodoy said:
I guess I was either too distracted with my thoughts or the vistas. I often hike in Switzerland and take very local routes, off the beaten track, that I explored when I lived there.
I hate touristic places.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Snow Melts Somewhere said:
Hahah! 😀 What a lovely read! Reminds me of when hubby and I hiked in a mountainous area in Argentina – we were absolutely exhausted by the time we were almost there. While we were catching our breath on the path, a mom, dad, and six-year-old girl with a pink Barbie backpack skipped past us chirping happily…
LikeLiked by 2 people
lexklein said:
Oh, those little kids are the most humbling fellow hikers of all! (Including my own.) I don’t even try to keep up any more. We saw many families on our hikes in Austria, and they were all trotting along with no evidence at all that they were on steep trails. I can just picture your scene in Argentina!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Snow Melts Somewhere said:
😂
LikeLike
Madhu said:
Ha, always amazed by European attitude to hiking in general and their ability to look good doing whatever they do 🙂 I am with you on comfort over looking fashionable, although I have still not reached a state where I can pack with my eyes closed.
You might find this interesting. Or amusing 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Madhu said:
*’this post’!
LikeLike
lexklein said:
That was a very fun post! While I’m never going to be the traveler in the flowy dress posing for Instagram pics, I admire her fashion and sense of self overall! I actually do usually pack cute clothes, non-athletic shoes, and a scarf or two, and try to be slightly stylish in the city, but the hiking trails just call for the more casual me!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Shelley @Travel-Stained said:
Haha, this post is hilarious. I think I’m the same as you…valuing comfort and carryon convenience. I rarely invest in new things, especially when the tried and true work so well. It’s interesting how different dress codes are around the world eh? Here in Korea, where it’s 80% mountainous, hikers take thing seriously. They say that each person wears an average of $1000 worth of gear on the mountains here (and it’s really not necessary, but kind of expected). I always stand out in my old shorts, running shoes and sweatshirt!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
lexklein said:
I totally believe that about the Korean hikers and their pricey outfits! I DO really love hiking clothes and accouterments, but I just hate shopping and spending so much money, especially on stuff that will get dirty anyway. But comfort is really king for me; I know my old stuff is not going to bunch up or scratch or whatever, and that means I can think about the hike and not my clothes!
LikeLike
Pingback: The Little Sisters | One Foot Out the Door