Nudity on the trail?

[Ricky&Jack]

I have yet to do long, overnight hikes. And I was wondering about nudity on the A.T.

I would have to assume that most people on the trail are more care-free and more tolerant of others. So i was wondering if seeing nudity on the A.T. was common.

With activities such as using the restoom, bathing down stream, and people not always having room in their tents to change, I was wondering if it was common to see occasional (partial & full) nudity, on a regular basis.

Is it just like anywhere else, and you do your damndest to not be seen?

Or do people just not really care, and its a daily site?

[atmilkman]

Be ready. It's like Paradise Lakes Resort out there.

[Patrickjd9]

Have never in my life seen anybody walking or hanging around nude on the AT or near a shelter. Closest I've seen is a more casual attitude --once in a while-- about changing clothes than one might have at the side of the road or at the local pool. That isn't an everyday thing.

Any skinnydipping I've seen/done has been out of easy sight of the trail.

If you actually want to see nude hikers, our group saw a half-dozen or so on the lower half of this hike.

http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/blm...vermilion.html

[Old Hiker]

This count?

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/show...imageuser=9060

Or this?

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/show...imageuser=9060

Or this?

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/show...imageuser=9060

Any particular reason for the question? I never saw anything in 497 miles, but I hiked mostly alone.

[Wise Old Owl]

ah a few bare bottoms over the years... overrated! Surprised you asked mate.


(Forest Gump) My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

[Slo-go'en]

Well, there is hike naked day (First day of summer), but few actually have the nerve to do it.

But it is polite to look away if someone is changing out of wet clothes in a shelter. Of course, it is always possible on occasion to get a glimpse of something you wish you hadn't.

[nu2hike]

What about "hike naked day"? I forget the exact date but it's some time in June! I've never personally witnessed any nudity but I know of others that have!

[Damn Yankee]

I believe Hike Naked Day is June 21st which just happens to be my Anniversary. And by the way, I think the pictures of the lovely lady count.

[lemon b]

Sure isn't in Black Fly season. But no it is not common.

[chiefiepoo]

Rather than full nudity in the shelter, many guys and most ladies do the squiggle in their sleeping bag when it is time to get down to skin. This does not work well for people of size, of course.

[Theosus]

A comedian once said - "People think nudist resorts are going to be like the playboy channel. In truth thy are more like the Discovery Channel."

Hike Naked day sounds like a good way to get yourself on the sex offender registry these days... imagine some lady and her kid rounding the corner while you're marching along with your naughty bits showing.
I think this country is too puritan that way (we don't even have topless beaches like a lot of european countries), but thats the way it is.

A little respect goes a long way... if someones changing, give them space, if you're about to change, let people know so there aren't any surprises. People can avert their eyes or ogle you, depending on their predilection.

[saltysack]

U kidding???? Why would u ask this? Seems strange...


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[FarmerChef]

Nah. It's rare. The occasional bare bottom while someone goes whiz in the woods. Or occasionally some skivvies while someone changes. But most try to find a bush or rock or tree or tent or the back of the shelter or something to get behind. And it is polite to look away or even to pause hiking when you see someone taking care of business. Trees don't hide that much...

[Josh Calhoun]

On my hike last year, if there were strangers i would say "close your eyes" or just go behind the shelter. when it come to skinny dipping i didnt care. if anyone walked by i was in the water anyway. trail family didnt matter. we would all change, take baths in river and pee right in front of each. i agree to the fact that its a lil different out there. but i still have respect for strangers,women and kids. -Rash

[rafe]

There was a hiker in '90 who liked to walk nude or semi-nude. I hardly ever walked with him or his partner, but we were moving at about the same overall speed so we often leapfrogged one another for the first several weeks out of Springer.

I've stripped down to bare skin a few times, but always guarding my privacy as much as possible. Sunbathing on a deserted summit or rock ledge, for example. Skinny dipped in a few ponds and lakes.

[DavidNH]

well this is a first on whiteblaze. The short answer is no. You are very unlikely to ever see any nudity on the AT. At most.. someone changing in a shelter and then just briefly and discretely. Hiking Folks may be more carefree than uptight city folk but they are still in society and still in America.

[Rain Man]

Hike Naked day sounds like a good way to get yourself on the sex offender registry these days... imagine some lady and her kid rounding the corner while you're marching along with your naughty bits showing.

Sadly, I'd say you're correct. However, the real perverts are the ones who conclusively equate any and all portions of the nude body with s-e-x. Or, the ones who say it would be okay for young beautiful females, but no other human. Those are the ones with their minds in the gutter.

Heck, many pervs object to breast feeding in public!

RainMan

.

[MuddyWaters]

Sadly, I'd say you're correct. However, the real perverts are the ones who conclusively equate any and all portions of the nude body with s-e-x. Or, the ones who say it would be okay for young beautiful females, but no other human. Those are the ones with their minds in the gutter..

Id rather look at a beautiful young female than a wrinkled 60 yr old man anyday. That doesnt make me a perv, just a normal guy. One is beautiful, the other....not so much.

But in the interest of equality, Ill defend the right of the wrinkled 60 yr old man to change clothes at the shelter as well.

[kayak karl]

back in the day (60's) my Dad, Cousin and I hiked to Sunfish Pond in Pa. and there were a bunch of hippies enjoying the sun

Strange question though ???

[Ricky&Jack]

i mainly asked because one of my first camping experiences was when I was 7. It was at Big Ben State Park near san francisco. It was a weekend camping getaway with about 8 family members, and because of some drunk college age people partying at the site, I saw my first real look at naked people. The people were running around partially naked and some even playing topless vollyball.

I remmeber the ranger coming and kicking out some of the non-cooperative people, but we ended up leaving after being there only 2hours and went to a different park 3 hours further away.

So i wasnt really sure about how its handled on the A.T. since I know the places to change, bathe etc are limited. ANd the fact that most of the hikers are mature adults, that nudity wasnt really a giggling manner and people wouldnt really be shy, since "we're in nature and i got to change somehwere".

Plus I knew there was a nude hiking day but wasnt sure how it was handled...... I think the NY governor or whoever that flew down to see a mistress in Argentina had given the fake alibi of "I was hiking on the Appalachian trail that weekend" and news made jokes about that actually being the nude hiking day.

So there were a few small reasons for asking. Just curious.

Oh, plus boobies are cool.