Are you sick and tired of getting invited on every hike, backpacking excursion, or peak-bagging trip that your friends and family organize? If you're reading this blog, there is a good chance that the answer is no. But if, on the off chance, you are fed up with those outings, Men's Journal is here to help. The magazine has published its Complete Guide to Never Getting Invited Hiking Again.
This tongue-in-cheek article is clearly written from a humorous prospective of course, but it does highlight some common traits that can be a bit of an annoyance while out on the trail. There is a good chance that you may recognize some of the habits shared here in some of your friends. You know, the ones who are always eager to go for a hike, but never seem quite so prepared to do so. The ones who leave important pieces of gear back home, complain about how warm (or cold!) the temperature is, and didn't bring a rain jacket even though the forecast called for a chance of showers. If you spend a lot of time in the outdoors, chances are you've met that person.
So what advice does Men's Journal give for those who want to get out of hiking in the future? For starters, they recommend bringing food that that you don't really like, only to bum half a sandwich from one of your companions. They also suggest not bringing enough water too. Perhaps best of all, is wearing a new pair of boots that haven't been broken in yet, and complaining about your feet hurting and the blisters you're developing. The list only goes on from there, and will likely elicit a chuckle or two along the way.
The reality is, most of us probably don't want to avoid going for hikes with our friends, so we actively avoid doing the annoying things on this list. But at a time when we're still socially distancing from those friends, getting a reminder of how to be a good trail companion the next time we head out isn't a bad thing.
Check out the entire story here.