Hiking with speakers

[squidvicious]

Hiking along with bluetooth speakers strapped to your pack blasting away. When did this become a thing? WHY did this become a thing?

I started seeing this last year. By the end of the season it was virtually every time I went out anywhere in the gorge region. And it's already started this year, now multiple times a hike. WA and OR sides, weekdays and weekends. Groups and singles. Am I just that unlucky, or is this everyone's experience now?

I would not like it if people were blaring their music once they'd settled in for their little party at triple falls or angel's rest or whatever, but I would be a lot less surprised. But blasting away to ruin everyone's nature experience for the length of the trail? How can you be that clueless to the existence of other people in the world? Not just kids, either, it's been all ages, and all types of truly terrible music.

If you want to go to the bar, go to the bar. Don't drag the bar out to me and everyone else who opted not to go that way.

/rant

[Aimless]

I think it's no more than basic garden-variety thoughtless selfishness, such as we have always had an oversupply of. It falls along the same old lines of "I like my music. I want to hear my music. So I am going to listen to my music." And now that smallish, but OK sounding Bluetooth speakers are available, these same people who'd have been wearing headphones a dozen years ago, or ear buds a couple of years ago, now blast it out of their portable speakers. You know, progress.

The only available solution is to arrange your hikes in ways that tend to sift out the great majority of thoughtless, selfish people. It's either that or second-degree murder.

[adamschneider]

I might be willing to excuse the speakers in grizzly bear territory.



Oregon is not grizzly bear territory.

[squidvicious]

Maybe I need some kind of bluetooth jammer to strap to my own pack--along with the highlighter I've long wanted to have handy to point out the bits of useful advice on the back of the wilderness permits, like Be considerate of other visitors and Let nature's sounds prevail. Because the hours of analysis of everything you hate about your boyfriend (wow that woman's voice carried for miles) or the incredibly thorough dissection of everything you do and don't like about your dishwasher and what you will be looking for next time were not great experiences, either.

[Crusak]

While descending the Eagle Creek Trail last Friday I passed more than one group of young people who were blasting their music over bluetooth speaker. It was a bit annoying. Fortunately they passed by quick enough that I wasn't subjected to it for more than 30 seconds or so at a time.

[adamschneider]

While descending the Eagle Creek Trail last Friday I passed more than one group of young people who were blasting their music over bluetooth speaker. It was a bit annoying. Fortunately they passed by quick enough that I wasn't subjected to it for more than 30 seconds or so at a time.

Yeah, it's not much of a problem when you're going the other direction. What sucks is when your pace matches the Bluetoothers in the SAME direction.

I know it's not feasible in National Forests, but it'd be cool to see a speaker ban in National Parks.

[Chip Down]

I wasn't aware of this. I almost wish I hadn't seen this topic, because now I'm deprived the shock of encountering it myself. Anyway, I don't really see people much when I'm out there.

If you want to go to the bar, go to the bar. Don't drag the bar out to me and everyone else who opted not to go that way.

Hey, if you don't like seeing me drink beer, nobody's making you look.

[jessbee]

I hate this.

The most egregious offender I've heard was in Hawaii. We thought we were going to walk in on a forest party because of the loud music as we were walking up to the noise. Sure, it was a short trail, but these bros were pulling what looked like a roller-style suitcase behind them on the trail. Turned out to be a giant speaker. So, not everyone goes new school with their technology

[Chazz]

Apparently its a thing... Ugggh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqJOOIQWKX4

And Amazon has several of these sorts of abominations listed.

[BigBear]

I haven't had the pleasure yet. Surprising, with as much hiking as I do. Depending on the music, can it be as bad as some idiot jabbering on their cell phone for an hour? I've caught that offense too many times to count.