Guide to the Unwritten Rules of Trail Names
Reading Time: 4 minutes Trail names and trail name rules are a simple but sometimes confusing part of trail culture within the long-distance hiking community. At their core, they’re a fun part of the thru-hiking culture that can allow hikers to connect. Don’t know what to say to your new friends? Ask about their trail name. At the other end of the spectrum, trail names are an existential challenge to a hiker’s identity and a metaphor for a hiker’s aspirations on the trail and in life. Does Trashosaurus-Rex paint an accurate picture of who I am…?
Those new to the world of thru-hiking may be wondering “how do I get a trail name” or “how do hikers come up with their trail names”. Fortunately, there is a set of (until now) unwritten rules surrounding the subject. I would consider these “rules” to be widely known/regarded, but none of this is set in stone. Trail names are meant to be something fun within the community and you can do whatever you wish as far as your trail name goes.
On that note, before we get into the unwritten trail name rules, know that you do not have to have a trail name. If you want to use your “regular” name for the entirety of the trail, feel free to do so. Chances are you will still be asked about your trail name and other hikers will try to give you one. If you make it clear you don’t want a trail name and someone continues to try to give you one (and this bothers you), then maybe that’s not a person you should spend any more time around.
With that caveat out of the way, here are the unwritten rules of trail names.
- You cannot give yourself a trail name.
- A trail name needs to be given to you by someone else, you cannot make up your own
- You must accept a trail name for it to become your trail name.
- Other hikers cannot unilaterally decide what your trail name is.
- You are allowed to change your trail name.
- But know this will make it incredibly difficult for others to identify you.
- You can get a new trail name on a new hike.
- Although many hikers choose to keep their trail names to be more easily identified by people they may have met previously.
- There is no length requirement for trail names.
- Trail names can be as simple as “7” or as long as (or longer than) “Endless Postman Summer”. Just know that if you have a long trail name, your fellow hikers will likely find a way to shorten it.
- You can have the same trail name as another hiker.
- Just like names off the trail, there is quite often overlap with trail names in the hiking community. No name is off-limits and there’s no quota for each trail name on a particular trail.
- You do not have to have a trail name.
- I stated this above but it bears repeating: you do not need to take a trail name while on the trail. There is nothing wrong with going by your given name.
- Anyone can give you a trail name, and you can give a trail name to anyone.
- There’s no quota on the number of trail names each person can give out. That said, don’t be the person who meets someone without a trail name and then instantly tries to name everyone after knowing them for ten seconds.
- You do not need a trail name to give out a trail name.
- You can still give people trail names if you don’t have one (whether by choice or because it hasn’t come about yet). It’s not like you need to be in the “trail name club” before you’re allowed to participate.
- Do not put your trail name (only) on any packages you send yourself.
- This is an important rule and perhaps the only one that is a real rule you must follow. It’s easy to get into the trail culture and go by your trail name even when in town. However, when sending yourself a resupply package, gear, or whatever else through the mail, use the name on your identification (which you’ll likely be asked for to pick up your package/mail).
Remember, these are made-up rules for made-up names on made-up trails. I guess the trails are arguably real, but you get the idea. Any and/or all of these trail name rules can (and will) be broken. There’s nothing wrong with that. The above rules are simply what’s become more or less custom in the thru-hiking world.
If you’re setting off on a long-distance hike like the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, or (god forbid) the Appalachian Trail, figuring out your trail name should not (if you’re taking my advice) be something you worry about before starting. Go by your given name when you start the hike and sooner or later you’ll fall in with a group of hikers who will eventually start offering up trail names. Many hikers end up with their trail names from events or mishaps on the trail. In other words: don’t go looking for a trail name; your trail name will find you.
Have a great trail name story or another rule to add? Leave a comment below and let me know!
A section hiker of AT, JMT/pct. I am always called Leo for short of my last name being Leonard. I got the name Campground host and later Norm (from cheers) bc everyone knew who i was. it’s just fun no matter what. Yosemite 2021 shout out odysseus. and merideth
A hiker of many names, just like the PCT Trail No. 2000
So do all Trail Names generally start from a joke or something? Mine was/is Sunspot. A hiker saw that I was on the trail everyday minus a shirt and yelled at a lodge “Hey everybody when do you think Sunspot over here is going to get Sun Poisoning?” Jokes on her, I’m from Hawaii. I did that just to keep warm.
My friends name was Jugs/Big Jugs/Juggy because his cheap knockoff Camelbaks exploded and we had to tie gallon water jugs to his massive fucking frame. I think that’s how people remembered us, because it was always a huge guy with plastic jugs tied to him using our supply of paracord and a smaller guy with no shirt and all the expensive gear.
We have a third friend named Princess that eventually changed to Firebug (he could always start fires in seconds for everyone) but he was well known for his long wavy hair that somehow didn’t look appalling by Week 1.
Not necessarily, a trail name can come from anywhere but I would imagine jokes are a common source.
The first, and only rule of thru-hiking.
#1. Hike your own hike.
It truly is a beautiful, concise, almost biblical phrase. In fact, it conveys and instills confidence. It also drives annoying people, absolutely crazy. It shuts them down and shuts them up.
It’s an awesome litmus test. Try it out. Can I smoke weed around this shelter? My response, “Hike your own hike” who am I to tell you. This is a public space. Someone tries to police your experience and talk down to you. Tell ’em, “Hike your own hike”. What do I think about blue blazing? “It doesn’t matter what I think. Hike your own hike.” Can I wear this MAGA hat on trail? “Sure, hike your own hike.”
It has several ambiguous meanings and I hear it used often on trail in different ways. The only “laws” on the trail are state, federal, and local laws. The rest are opinions.
I would say that LNT is more important than HYOY if there was only one rule to live by on the trail.
“HYOH” doesn’t mean “be inconsiderate”, though. No, please do not smoke weed in or around a shelter if there are other people around that don’t like the smell of it.
A kind trail angel gave me a lift south to within 7 miles of the state border via logging roads. The road was just too sketchy to continue. I explained that I would hike the remaining 7 miles to the border before turning around to go NOBO to meet my goal of hiking the entire state. He suggested the name Purist and that seemed fine with me. Within ten days two guys called me out for wanting to take a popular alternate from the PCT -not something a Purist would do apparently.
After those interactions I a better understanding of that trail name. I then ditched on trail and after some careful thought I chose Alpine. Apparently choosing my own trail name is not something a purist would do either. So my new name is quite fitting!
I hike PCT 2018 and was given trail name Legend. Why? My age. It was nearly too much. I am no legend. People already knew me by my name so I used it.
Hey Halfway, I hiked the AT in 2017 and was very concerned about my trail name and decided I was going to name myself. When I arrived at Springer someone asked me what my trail name was? She had hiked the year before and laid down next to me in the hut at Springer and I told her I was thinking of naming myself Sin Nombre and she said someone was called that the year before! When I woke up I decided to call myself “Tengo Hambre” ( I am Hungry). A good name that I have kept on 4 trails! I know I know!
Haha! Sin Nombre (AT ‘16, CDT ‘22, & PCT ‘24) checking in here! Tengo Hambre is a sweet name.
Hi Mac: Someone gave me a trail name of “Mountain Dew”. Was telling him the story of my kidney donation. Five people had offered to donate a kidney to someone, had all failed the health tests (real strict!). I came along and offered. As part of the tests have to talk to a dietician, was not impressed when I told her normal diet was half peanut butter, half Mountain Dew. But I passed! Kerry has my kidney now for over 6 years. (person who gave you that bug spray)
Sorry I missed this before – that’s incredible! What an amazing gift you gave Kerry, Dwayne.
“You cannot give yourself a trail name.”
HOGWASH & Malarkey. You tell ANISH that, then try to out hike her.
But tell me how you really feel.
I can hardly call myself a PCT hiker, although that was certainly my intention. I did have some issues and had to bail at 160 miles. However, during the time I was on the trail, due, I believe to my age, I was so completely ignored, and nobody ever tried to give me a trail name. At this point, I am not really concerned, but it does call into question all the trail family BS I have read about by other writers.
Lawrence, you didn’t give yourself enough time. I was 70 when I hiked WA and was given my trail name probably 160 miles or so in. I assume it happened the way it was supposed to happen and I thank ‘Margarita’ for giving it to me. Everyone’s hiking their own hike, some are meditative, some struggling, some in their own heads, and that may look like ignoring you, but it doesn’t translate into trail family BS as you describe it.