Northbounders (Nobo’s)- Hikers who go from Georgia to Maine. Most people head this direction.
Southbounders (Sobo’s) – Hikers who go from Maine to Georgia. Southbound represent!
Flip-floppers- People who go one way for part of the trail and then jump down and go another direction to finish it.
Trail names- Every thru-hiker chooses or is given a new name. Mine started as “Turtle” until some Nobo’s told me that there were way too many Turtles and I should switch. Now I am D.I.D. (Dressed in Dirt).
Shelters- All along the trail there are three sided buildings for hikers to stay in. There is usually a firepit and a privy. Sleeping in a shelter is a fun way to meet people and it saves you the hassle of having to setup your tent. (Although I still prefer my tent). In each shelter there is a trail journal where people sign in and say how their day was or make jokes. It’s fun to read these because then you get to see where your friends are.
Abe: So hiking the AT is like joining a cult where everyone has to take on a new name, travel to shelters in the woods and write in secret books so that you can keep track of one another.
Addy: Yes.
Caretakers- At some shelters, there is a caretaker who maintains the site.
Going stealth- Setting up camp away from the shelters. This is legal as long as you are below treeline and away from the trail.
White blaze- The AT is marked by white blazes so that you know which way to go.
Blue blaze- Side trails are marked with blue blazes.
Yellow blazing- Skipping a section of the trail by driving on the road.
Bounce box- A box of supplies that you mail from one location to the next.
Hiker hostel: Cheap places to stay along the trail. Usually they have a hiker box where you can give away things or get something someone else didn’t want.
Cat hole- A hole at least 6 inches deep for burrying your poo.
Hiker midnight- In the woods, hiker midnight is around 9pm, although I often go to sleep much earlier.
Zero day- An off day where you hike no miles. As in, “Adelaide takes a lot of zero days, doesn’t she?”
Near-o - A low mileage day.
“Hike your own hike”- the mantra of the trail. Everyone does the AT differently and you have to do what works for you.
Ultralight- Carrying as little weight as possible.
Thru-hikers- People attempting to do the whole trail.
Section hikers- Well, I suppose this is pretty obvious.
