Backcountry Music

[Jackson]

I understand that listening to music while hiking can be a divisive topic, but what music (genre, artist, song, whatever) do you all like to listen to when you're in the car headed to the trailhead, if any? I have a few special playlists that I only play when I'm headed out on a big trip, and so that has made me wonder if anyone else does something similar.

I think my notion of backpacking is strongly influenced by my grandpa, who did a lot of his backpacking in the 60s-70s. Because of that, and whether correct or not, I tend to think of that era as a golden age of backpacking, so I like to listen to psychedelic rock and rock from the early to mid 70s while I'm on my way to the trailhead. Bands include the Guess Who, Jefferson Airplane, Cream, the Who, the Doors, America, and the Rolling Stones.

So what do you all listen to to get pumped up right before setting out on a trip?

 

[Wanderlust073]

I tend to get in to (or get back in to) an artist or album and just play it to death for a month or two.

Right now all outings are being book-ended by Tyler Childers' album Purgatory.

 

[DrNed]

Interesting topic. I usually backpack in groups and musical tastes vary so I usually play a non offensive comedian. Having a shared laugh before the trail, in my experience, builds a camaraderie that lasts the entire trip. Often times certain jokes will be referred to all trip long.

As for my musical preferences, I am a child of the 80’s so the rock roll of that era is my favorite. Van Halen, Boston, Def Leppard. Etc.

Some would feel that time period is not only the golden age of backpacking but the golden age of rock and roll. I can’t disagree.

 

[Titans]

We spent a lot of time in the car driving cross country to hike far from where we live.
We mostly listen to "TED talk" and "How I built this hosted by Guy Raz".
It sounds like we might soon be listening to a TED talk with @Dave !

 

[gnwatts]

Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" gets me in the right backpacking mood.
American Woman by the Guess Who, but we renamed and changed the lyrics to "Anasazi Woman".

Edit: good list @Jackson

 

[Jackson]

Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" gets me in the right backpacking mood.
American Woman by the Guess Who, but we renamed and changed the lyrics to "Anasazi Woman".

Edit: good list @Jackson

Kind of Blue is such a good album. That was my gateway into good jazz.

 

[balzaccom]

We listen to lectures from the Great Courses....learning about all kinss of topics. Currently working our way through everyday life in the ancient world -- Greece.

 

[slc_dan]

I tend to get in to (or get back in to) an artist or album and just play it to death for a month or two.

Right now all outings are being book-ended by Tyler Childers' album Purgatory.

His new one is also great.

The Dead Tongues, and Charlie Parr are my current obsession. Has a lot to do with learning to play more finger style guitar.

 

[Perry]

I've actually been going through a podcast phase recently.

 

[Wyatt Carson]

I have the utterly amazing AirPods so I can listen to anything anywhere.

Bach, The Doors, a playlist of the great sopranos…piano, classical guitar, blues guitar or many obscure deep cuts of long forgotten Motown or Soul just following it all down the rabbit hole.

Next time you are driving through southern Utah put on Until The End Of The World (Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack) it’ll blow your levels of consciousness and subconsciousness…

 

[Mikjik86]

Love some classic rock while riding those Utah Canyon Country dirt roads. Skynyrd, Neil Young, Eagles, etc. Sometimes some Reggae or Indie Rock.

I do listen to a lot of Joe Rogan podcasts, and remember listening to the Kevin Hart podcast before an awesome 8 day Dark Canyon Backpack/Packraft trip last year. Its amazing how much you recite in your head after step after step hiking. that and some Dan Carlin Hardcore History.

I tend not to listen to music while hiking, yet if we camp in solitude and everyone is on board for some camp set up tunes during happy hour, is all good.

Oh also, "Rainbow Kitten Surprise" provides some awesome camp setup tunes!

 

[Wyatt Carson]

My eyesight has gotten bad enough I can’t read print so I’m doing a lot of audiobooks now. Right now there is a book on sale at Amazon titled AWOL on the Appalachian Trail for .99¢. I was able to add Audible for another $1.99. The book is ten and a half hours long so at 3 bucks a pretty good deal if you are into that sort of thing.

 

[Bob]

Sounds of silence.... No earphones or music.... I listen to nature.... That's why I'm out there .. leaving the rat race behind

 

[Jackson]

Sounds of silence.... No earphones or music.... I listen to nature.... That's why I'm out there .. leaving the rat race behind

Same here! That's why my question was about what you listen to on your drive to the trailhead. Unless you mean you don't listen to anything in the car either.

 

[OwenM]

I am least likely to listen to music otw to a TH. Even at 48, I'm still into car audio enough to have a decent little system, but rarely turn it on during my regular road trips to hike, even though they're typically 3+ hrs.
Guess 'cause I'm already in that mindset. I do not go to the woods to see or hear other people, or anything manmade, even music. I tend to daydream about hiking on my way to go hiking...shoot, I tend to daydream about hiking somewhere else *when* I'm hiking, if the current scenery isn't very stimulating!
Otherwise, I listen to heavy metal, 80s-90s rock and Evanescence a lot.
And Celine Dion, which some of my friends think is really funny, for some reason.

 

[Bob]

Same here! That's why my question was about what you listen to on your drive to the trailhead. Unless you mean you don't listen to anything in the car either.

Yep, Usually not.... Can drive hours with nothing playing......

 

[Pianomover]

Neil Young, Van Morrison all the time. Lately John Prine Lucinda Williams and The Drive-By-Truckers
(who I’m going to see next month).
Always while driving never while walking.

 

[Pianomover]

Yep, Usually not.... Can drive hours with nothing playing......

I drove a bobtail for thirty years learned to drive in silence. Hours of interesting conversation with myself.

 

[wsp_scott]

Lots of Grateful Dead interspersed with "classic rock". Usually a song will get stuck in my head during the drive and keep me company for the backpacking part of the trip.

Weirdest song from the drive that got stuck in my head was Sam Cooke's Cupid, spent 4 days singing the chorus to myself

 

[Meddins]

Sounds of silence.... No earphones or music.... I listen to nature.... That's why I'm out there .. leaving the rat race behind

My thoughts exactly! I also don’t know how to get music on my phone . I listen to talk radio in the truck , I have no cd , Bluetooth or aux port to even play anything if I wanted . I enjoy the solitude .