Yard sale: When a hiker pulls everything out of their pack to dry or resupply.

Thru-hiker: Someone who does the whole trail.

Section hiker: One trying to do whole trail in two or more years.

Sobo: Doing it from north to south (SOuthBOund).

Nobo: From south to north (NOrthBOund).

Trail name: People take on trail names and are seldom known by their given name.

Slack packing: Hiking without your pack.

Trail angel: A person who helps hikers.

Trail magic: When really kind things happen on the trail. It is what trail angels provide.

Tramily: A group of people who become like a family on the trail.

Bonk: To crash, energywise.

Yogi: To mention your state of hunger to someone and allow them the opportunity to share their excess food.

Hiker hunger: The state that catches up to most hikers when hunger sets in and food is an all-consuming thought.

Cowboy camp: To sleep under stars without a tent.

Blowdown: Usually a tree that is across the trail that one has to climb over or under.

Calorie load: Eating a lot of calories to assuage hiker hunger; usually done in town.

Drink the koolaide: To do one hike and know you want to do more and more.

Ayce: All-you-can-eat establishment.

Hiker-friendly: Self-explanatory. Doesn’t mind smelly hikers coming through its doors.

Hiker trash: Hikers, often in town, who stick out by not following social norms. They may be sitting on a lawn repacking food, eating a lot in an ayce restaurant, or resting on a curb in town.

Hyoh: Hike your own hike; do your own thing.

Nearo: A day when very few or almost zero miles are walked.

Zero: A day off from hiking; zero miles walked.

Stealth camp: Trying not to be seen where you camp due to being in town or in a restricted area. Sometimes necessary if you just can’t make the miles or find a place in town.

Maildrop: Package sent to self containing food and supplies needed for a section of trail.

Puffy: A type of lightweight warm jacket most hikers carry. (I use a wool shirt!)

Relo: A relocation of a section of trail.

Spork: A combo fork/spoon/knife, often made of hard plastic.

Getting your trail legs: Feeling strong and in shape, usually a few weeks in.

The Hiker Wobble: How a hiker, especially one just starting out on a trip looks when standing up or starting to walk…a side to side kind of painful looking movement. You old folks know what I mean!

Ultralight: Hikers who carry the least and lightest equipment.

Stupid light: Going so ultralight that you don’t have what you need for comfort.

Yellow blazing: Walking a paved road instead of the trail (reference to the yellow line).

Purist: A hiker who tries to hike every step of the actual trail with no shortcuts.

Trail town: A town friendly to hikers with good places to stay and resupply

Yard sale: When a hiker pulls everything out of their pack to dry or resupply.

Vortex: The comfort of a place, often a town that becomes hard to leave.

Yoyo: Finish a trail then turn around and start back the other way.

AT: Appalachian Trail.

PCT: Pacific Crest Trail.

CDT: Continental Divide Trail.

Triple Crown: Doing all three of those trails.

Vitamin I: Ibuprofen.

Base weight: Pack weight of everything minus food and water.

Camel up: To drink as much as you can at one water source.

Flip flop: To jump around on the trail.

Hiker box: A place hikers leave stuff they don’t want that others can take for free. Usually in towns frequented by hikers.

Hiker funk: The way we smell out here.