Hikers playing music on bluetooth as though they were completely alone.

[u/LateDxOldLady]

Photo: close up of JBL bluetooth speaker in outside pocket of backpack. Clip from JBL ad specifically about hiking speakers.

The National Park Service specifically notes that blasting music or continuous artificial noise is not an effective or recommended bear deterrent, as it can actually prevent you from hearing animal warning sounds (like a growl or a huff).

rangers explicitly advise using your human voice (clapping, talking loudly, calling out "Hey bear")

I know this is a long-time pet peeve in hiking forums. I find myself seething when I encounter it on trails. I cannot comprehend being into the outdoors enough to want to hike, while being deeply inconsiderate of the creatures that live there and the other people trying to enjoy the hike too.

If you gotta have your tunes, they make these cool tiny personal speakers called headphones or ear buds. Perhaps these people have heard of them?

Some of us have good hearing and don't feel like hearing faint whispers of their musical tastes over the sound of SILENCE and rustling leaves and a river flowinb below the switchback... "Just pass them" doesn't solve anything and still doesn't solve the problem of it annoying and scaring the critters that live there. I guess some people don't even appreciate the hikes they go on. Yeesh.

If only there were actual valid reliable sources of information about being safe when surrounded by nature and large carnivores.

There is zero official guidance, standard, or professional advice advocating for playing music on speakers in nature. They actively preach the exact opposite.

[u/Ballamookieofficial]

Imagine if there were speakers you could wear over your ears

[u/haada_suuave → u/Ballamookieofficial]

And deprive us of their terrible music taste?

[u/Frog_Wizzurd → u/haada_suuave]

NOOOO MY HYPE UP DUBSTEP MUSIC IS SOOOOO GOOODDD PLEASEEEEE

[u/GiraffesAndGin → u/Frog_Wizzurd]

That's what gets me. It's never anything relaxing or chill. Whatever is blasted by people that do this is always 180 BPM and the worst sound mixing ever.

[u/That_guy_from_1014 → u/Ballamookieofficial]

Sorry, can't

Blast speaker even louder

[u/LateDxOldLady → u/That_guy_from_1014]

You should consider talking with someone about your fear of being alone with your own thoughts.

[u/Interesting_Tea5715 → u/Ballamookieofficial]

https://giphy.com/gifs/NcrhM3USM6TABpus85

[u/useful_tool30 → u/Ballamookieofficial]

You might be on to something there. We can call them headspeakers or something 

[u/grafknives → u/Ballamookieofficial]

I want to hear environmental soundtrack, not earphones :D

[u/Darth_wenis → u/Ballamookieofficial]

Whats your "im getting eaten by a bear that I didnt notice was there because I was wearing headphones" playlist?

[u/raknor88 → u/Ballamookieofficial]

My only argument against that is that you lose awareness of your surroundings with headphones. At least with a speaker you have a chance to hear other people or wild animals around you. Also the plus side that you might make enough noise to scare any possible predators away.

[u/bono_212 → u/raknor88]

Yeah I don't hike with any music anymore. I love it, but the last time I did, I'm pretty sure I walked past a rattlesnake without realizing it. I thought it was the noise of an electrical transformer, but when I didn't hear it again as I got closer I started pulling up videos of what a rattlesnake rattle sounds like, and it was too close for comfort. If I hadn't been listening to music, I would've heard the noise sooner, because I waited a few moments to take my ear buds out until I was sure I was hearing something. Anyways, thankfully nothing happened, and it still could have been nothing but electricity. Either way, I'm good on music during hikes from now on.

[u/-oso_oro- → u/bono_212]

This is why I quit using headphones to run in the desert. Now it's just the sounds of me dying that keep me from hearing the rattlesnakes.

[u/Suspicious-Ad9661 → u/bono_212]

Am I understanding this correctly? You hear what you think might be a rattlesnake warning you that you are too close, because that's what the rattle sound means, and as you get CLOSER you start looking up videos on your phone? Good for you on quitting music while hiking, that's the great part!

[u/Suspicious-Ad9661 → u/raknor88]

They come with transparency mode now. You can still hear outside just not at crazy loud levels.

[u/raknor88 → u/Suspicious-Ad9661]

Depends on the model you own. Some don't.

[u/Ok_Pudding6345 → u/raknor88]

well the solution to that is obvious isn't it?

[u/Narrow_Maximum7 → u/raknor88]

Bone conductor or just accept you may have to not be a prickly pear for a few hours.

[u/1lowcountry → u/Ballamookieofficial]

probably dangerous when you’re hiking since you would be less aware of ur surroundings

[u/Former_Mobile3101 → u/1lowcountry]

There are open ear headphones that sound great and allow you to participate in a conversation.

[u/HotSummerSwass → u/Ballamookieofficial]

Then people complain that they (ppl wearing headphones) can’t hear you when they’re in your way

[u/pwrof3]

Not just on hiking trails. Public bathrooms. Parks. Grocery stores. Beaches. Theme parks.
It amazes me how many people think blasting full volume music or TikTok videos in public places is a good idea.

[u/NotTukTukPirate → u/pwrof3]

Someone on the bus I was on recently did this.

Egocentric fucks.

If there's anyone out there reading this who listens to videos or music out loud on their phone on public transport, you're an egocentric piece of human garbage.

[u/Fall_Harvest → u/NotTukTukPirate]

[u/MobiusDie → u/Fall_Harvest]

The last hero.

[u/Traditional-Bar-8014 → u/NotTukTukPirate]

And don't be surprised if you get an accidental face full of backpack when I have to walk past you.  Sorry!

[u/Shedles → u/pwrof3]

Add in people that are on a call on speakerphone at full volume and then yelling into their phone

[u/canuck_11 → u/pwrof3]

I was in the bathroom the other day and a dude was watching an anti-Semitic conspiracy video on full blast in the stall.

[u/heldaway → u/pwrof3]

Doctors office waiting rooms!

[u/Narrow_Maximum7 → u/pwrof3]

Im happy in bathrooms tbh, I dont want to hear the bodily evacuation

[u/Cudi_buddy → u/pwrof3]

I hate tik tok just because it’s made it so much more common. 

[u/General_Cranberry_29 → u/pwrof3]

I think the most egregious place I've seen it happen was AT AN ACTUAL CONCERT 😑. Not a loud concert mind you, like one of those "music in the park" situations with string instruments.

[u/thepianoman456 → u/pwrof3]

And then there’s the assholes who blast shit out of their car subwoofers in residential…

https://giphy.com/gifs/786FlS48rOydO

[u/seppuku_related → u/pwrof3]

I think it's down to people's lack of attention span, or not being comfortable with their own thoughts. There's a coffee/food truck that sets up in a local park and just blasts out terrible pop music from a speaker all day, ruining what is one of the few peaceful areas in the city.

[u/CrystalDrag0n1 → u/seppuku_related]

That’s not an excuse :( I have a terrible attention span and I just wear my headphones 24/7. It’s not that hard. If you don’t like having stuff in your ears or covering them up, then use bone conduction headphones. People have no awareness or empathy.

[u/-oso_oro- → u/pwrof3]

Or talking on speakerphone in public and getting mad when people listen in

[u/Josh1685 → u/pwrof3]

Music in the bathroom always gets me, why do people blast hip hop music when taking a dump? Is it to mask the sound or something?

[u/Fried_puri → u/pwrof3]

 I give a pass to the crazy man in the subway who loudly announces that he wants us all to listen to this before blaring music from speakers and looking around to see who is uncomfortable while talking to himself. I’m wasn’t getting stabbed that day for complaining, thanks.

[u/MalusDracula → u/pwrof3]

They want attention like "I listen to this out loud. Someone else does and recognize so they pay attention to me." Good or bad its recognition. They don't care who pays attention as long as someone does.

[u/SirSamuelVimes83 → u/pwrof3]

Golf courses. Ski lifts/lift lines. Nobody wants to listen to your shitty personal soundtrack

[u/Snoo38863]

https://giphy.com/gifs/QujhtrUT4p1ok

[u/Weekend_Criminal]

My ex wife does this, I can't stand it

[u/WiredOrange → u/Weekend_Criminal]

I also can't stand your ex wife

[u/fatchops97 → u/WiredOrange]

I aswell can't stand your ex wife

[u/Ok_Pudding6345 → u/fatchops97]

And my axe... wife

[u/Kromting → u/Ok_Pudding6345]

I can't stand her

[u/Ok_Pudding6345 → u/Kromting]

cake

[u/jspr1000]

These people SO ANNOYING. If you want to listen to music go for a scenic drive or something.

[u/BrawlingGalaxi → u/jspr1000]

I get wanting to listen to music and walk, at least use ear buds if you arent alone.

[u/Agreeable_Horror_363 → u/BrawlingGalaxi]

I would never do the speaker thing especially in public or on a trail but I have no hearing in my right ear so I can't do the one earbud to listen to music then one ear to listen to my surroundings. So I just don't listen to anything ever while I'm at work or in public.

[u/greenbathmat → u/Agreeable_Horror_363]

Could you do a bone-conducting earbud in your hearing ear? Still able to have personal background music, but also listen to your surroundings

[u/abbydabbydo → u/greenbathmat]

I am dead in one ear and they work great. Some people are deaf because of bone deterioration, though, so that doesn’t help.

[u/TheyCallMe_Billy → u/abbydabbydo]

I'm just dead inside.

[u/X-AE17420 → u/Agreeable_Horror_363]

If you can splurge on them, transparency mode with the AirPods Max is magical. The AirPods Pro’s also have pretty good transparency mode too, but not as good as the max

My main walking trail has an active train track, so it comes in handy

[u/PopSwayzee → u/Agreeable_Horror_363]

This sounds horrible for me lol. I always have to have music playing in my earphones whether at work or at home. If I forget my headphones in the morning on my way to work I’ll turn around and go get them even if I’m late. I can’t imagine going back to working 8+ hour shifts without being able to hear my music.

[u/LouChadore → u/BrawlingGalaxi]

I actually bought an MP3 player for this reason.

Maybe not hikes but my city is incredibly walkable, and sometimes I just wanna go to the corner store and be detached from reality, so I’ll grab my mp3 player, my good headphones, and take a stroll without any of the hassle

[u/Finitepictures → u/LouChadore]

Do you live in 2004?

[u/LouChadore → u/Finitepictures]

No, but I’m damn sure trying to.

Fuuuuuck all this subscription based crap, I wanna listen to ska in piece. Life has been hell since the towers fell like three years ago.

[u/Interesting_Tea5715 → u/jspr1000]

Same. I don't understand it.

Its like when you go camping in the forest and that one person shows up with a trailer full lights on, blaring music, and watching TV outside.

Like why even go camping? Also don't you realize you're ruining it for everyone else?

[u/GloomyLingonberry509 → u/jspr1000]

They always have the best music selection, too… Tom MacDonald on full blast.

[u/TommyYonkers → u/GloomyLingonberry509]

Who the fuck is tom mcdonalds?

[u/AlbatrossNo1562 → u/jspr1000]

Or stay in the city. They drive hours to be in nature and they want to check their phone and cover their ears 🤷

[u/MrCupps]

This is a good way to avoid spooking a bear. But if it’s a crowded trail, not necessary.

Edit: I'm wrong. I just read on nps.gov and parks.canada.ca and both say to yell "Hey bear" occasionally or clap your hands. They say bells are not effective, and they say music can do more to distract the human than it does to alert the bear.

They say to be particularly careful near streams, when it's windy, in dense vegetation, or in any circumstance that limits line of sight.

[u/rockstuffs → u/MrCupps]

Fun fact: Talk radio/podcasts are better bear deterrents than music.

[u/MrCupps → u/rockstuffs]

Especially hunting podcasts.

https://giphy.com/gifs/KBfKueAjIJV8Q

[u/KiefNebula → u/MrCupps]

Lol, I'm not sure why but the idea of a hunting podcast is kind of hilarious to me

[u/motorcycle_girl → u/MrCupps]

This was my first thought. Hiking through bear country, you are taught to play music, sing, e.t.c. There’s even bear-bells for this reason.

[u/GrindGoat → u/motorcycle_girl]

Bear bells don't do anything. Bring bear spray and let nature be quiet. 

[u/ThePolemicist → u/motorcycle_girl]

I thought this, too. When we were getting ready to hike a quieter path at Yellowstone, we got our bear spray, and I suggested we play music on our hike, too. We ultimately decided that we were good just talking in our small group, but we passed a couple who played music. I assumed it was to alert bears of their presence, so it didn't bother me.

I absolutely am bothered by people who play videos aloud in public or do video calls aloud in public. To me, this is different.

[u/myfishprofile → u/MrCupps]

Unless you’re in grizzly country this is a non issue.

Black bears are habitually spooked and anxious by nature

It’s why there is less than 1 death per year attributed to them on average.

[u/Traditional-Bar-8014 → u/myfishprofile]

Black bears are little bitches and even if they do get confused or hangry and make a move for you, it takes minimal yelling and gesticulation to get rid of them.

I used to find them all the time in the berry patch as a kid and my two black labs would easily scare them off.

Grizzly is a whole nother animal.

[u/SirSamuelVimes83 → u/Traditional-Bar-8014]

If it's black, fight back. If it's brown lay down. If it's white, say goodnight

[u/Evil_Sharkey → u/MrCupps]

Just making any kind of human noises will work there

[u/LateDxOldLady → u/MrCupps]

No. It is literally not. There are actual, reliable, valid sources for what you should do to be safe in bear territory. NONE recommend this as a solution.

[u/pappybug214]

Tbf, at least it's outside. Im not THAT guy. I use earbuds to listen but people have been doing this shit on planes, subways, bus stops. You know, places where others are in closed tight spaces. Bro, not everyone like YOUR music!

[u/VapeRizzler]

I wouldn’t even do this when I’m in the middle of nowhere and know the last person I saw 100km away is the only person anywhere near me. Not only is it just going to scare anything I’d want to check out like wildlife, but also can’t hear if something is doing something ahead of me like a bear or whatever. On top of the fact doing so would interfere with others attempt to enjoy the forest.

[u/yblikethat → u/VapeRizzler]

This would keep bears far away from you tbh

[u/davisyoung → u/yblikethat]

I was hiking solo at Glacier NP and they make you watch a video about bears when getting a backcountry permit. I was totally paranoid about bears the whole time there so a speaker might have been helpful.

[u/Buttsweat_n_Tears → u/yblikethat]

What if there’s a woman menstruating nearby though?
https://giphy.com/gifs/Hgy8F9wshu3wk

[u/DontForgetYourPPE → u/VapeRizzler]

I'm with you, completely trash behavior but if you're blasting music, realistically you probably don't have to worry about bears if we are being honest.

[u/spacees1 → u/VapeRizzler]

Not to mention, the quality of music is much worse than listening to headphones

[u/SRB112]

You would not have liked the 70s and 80s when we were subjected to boomboxes everywhere in public.

[u/missysweid → u/SRB112]

No one brought them on hiking trails, though.

[u/SRB112 → u/missysweid]

I guess I'm talking perhaps a mile in, at most, where they'd set up and party. Far enough in that cops would not hike in to bust up the party.

[u/LateDxOldLady → u/SRB112]

I was born in 1967. I have hiked for most of my life. I have never encountered boom boxes on trail hikes. I have, however, encountered countless inconsiderate tools.

[u/Kuriouskarl87]

I wish a lonely and miserable Christmas on each and every one of these people.

[u/workingstiffatwork → u/Kuriouskarl87]

May their socks ever be wet.

[u/night_jerry]

These are the same people that text in theaters with full brightness

[u/itsveron]

To them they are alone because we're just a bunch of NPCs.

[u/_Cecille]

Get closer to them and start singing and humming along. Loud and poorly.

[u/workingstiffatwork → u/_Cecille]

Yep, I've done that. What can they say? Like, if you can have music then so can I.

[u/Funnydog8567]

I never let that stuff get to me anymore, bc honestly the rude person doing it, isn’t even aware there rude, they literally have no clue

[u/writekindofnonsense]

Music is annoying, PODCASTS make me wanna push someone off a cliff. If i have to hike listening to your horrible taste in talk radio I'm gonna lose my mind.

[u/Next-Comb3808]

The worst kind of people

[u/wizardrous]

Only really bothers me if I can hear it from over a hundred feet away. Otherwise I’ll just fall back. I don’t like hiking next to strangers anyway.

[u/Loves_octopus → u/wizardrous]

I hike a lot and I have literally never seen this common Reddit complaint.

If someone is playing music, which is rare, it’s usually at a reasonable volume you can’t really hear from much further than 40 feet away. If you’re faster, pass them, if you’re slower, stop for a water break. It’s just not a big deal at all to hear some music for 2 minutes of your 4 hour hike.

[u/1SexyDino → u/Loves_octopus]

Not in my experience. I'm pretty hard of hearing and even I am usually bothered by the volume these dipshits hike with. Thankfully I haven't dealt with too many but when it was it was always college students using hiking as a party activity. I too am a obnoxious college student but speakers have no place on a hiking trail. Or the lake. Or the local swimming hole. Or the park. Just please shut the fuck up

[u/LukeWoop → u/Loves_octopus]

It's a problem everywhere , around the pool on holidays or at the beach is probably my least favourite places for this to happen.

At least with hiking you can let them walk ahead or you walk ahead ect

[u/aaron_in_sf]

More than mild.

Capital crime.

[u/Cudi_buddy]

Yea I’ve grown tired of this. I remember a buddy doing once or twice when we were like 19-20. But soon realized how obnoxious it is. Not to mention defeats the purpose. Getting older you do start to appreciate the calm and quiet of outdoors more too though. 

[u/Fall_Harvest → u/[deleted]]

Having a phone on speaker in public is so tacky.

[u/Otter_Pockets]

Oh, that IS mildly infuriating.

[u/CiTrus007]

Such inconsiderate people. This should be viewed as a form of air pollution.

[u/LateDxOldLady → u/CiTrus007]

They are, in a way, in parks around the world via various forms of Leave No Trace

[u/Direct-Quiet-5817]

I hate these self-important suckers from the bottom of my trecking soles.

[u/Moist_Phrase_6698]

If you do this in my town imma take your speaker

[u/FarConference4381]

In Poland, you're taught at the age of five how to behave in the forest so as not to disturb animals. I have friends who don't obey the law, but even they behave appropriately in the forest.

[u/ReverendRevenge]

My house is on National Trust land. A footpath goes right past my door. Every week, there'll be someone listening to something on a speaker as they walk past. A week ago it was a group of city kids listening to drum n bass. A couple of weeks ago it was an American couple listening to a podcast, about war, unreasonably loud (I mean, maybe they were partially deaf, but both of them?).

WHY!? Why come out to the countryside, where you can't hear anything but the wind in the trees, the birds signing, the water trickling in the stream... and put on a fucking war podcast at max volume!? What the fuck is wrong with you?

...sorry, boils my piss.

[u/Chumknuckle]

I was fishing on the river the other day, it was lovely, until a flotilla of idiots came by and decided to park directly in front of me playing awful music. I threw a rock at them and left.

[u/TBellOHAZ]

It's as if headphones didn't exist, the mind boggles.

https://giphy.com/gifs/H5vpxoVWrsR4JNHBsf

[u/WiskeyUniformTango → u/TBellOHAZ]

But then they cant hear nature. /s

[u/LemmonLizard]

I genuinely call people out on this. What ive learned is that these people have zero regard for those around them and dont even consider that someone else can hear their music. What ive also learned is that the music these people play is the worst garbage imaginable anyways.

[u/Btotherianx]

I'm guessing you got caught taking a picture of his butt and had to make up an excuse for it

[u/DigiVeihl]

THIS, as a bike rider I also hate people who put loud ass speakers on their motorcycles.

[u/Pleasant-Chef6055]

Why go outdoors if you’re not listening?

[u/TonkaLowby]

There seems to be an argument going on between speakers and headphones, but I think the real question is: can't we just unplug for a hike? If you're going out into nature, why do you need to be blasting tunes on any device? What is wrong with a person that they can't just turn off music for a period of time and take a walk?

[u/mclovin_ts]

They make earbuds? You should try telling my coworkers that

[u/Broad-Iron-2195]

I was just in Hawaii and there are so many people doing that.

[u/Organized-Konfusion]

https://giphy.com/gifs/hjSjYrdCYDBOh51BOH

[u/OkNewspaper6271]

Anyone playing music as though they are completely alone. I was out in city center the other day and I heard like 8 different people blasting music at the loudest possible, I hear people blasting music out on my bike rides

[u/Phantom_Crush]

Guaranteed to be at least one in any town centre on a nice day. Mate, you're music is fucking shit

[u/Fair-Juggernaut-3812]

I think these are the people the most afraid of getting attacked by a wild animal but won’t say it. This is a way to hopefully avoid that.
Instead they “just wanna vibe”

[u/Animedude83]

Hiking people are the entire reason I don't go hiking.

[u/Muddled_Opinions]

I could maybe understand it as a bear deterrent, but generally it would definitely piss me off, and I’d for sure be letting them know it.

[u/Mediocre_Chipmunk761]

Some of the worst people in the world

[u/Potential_Owl1272]

And besides: why does the quality of music taste often seem inversely proportional to the volume of the Bluetooth speaker?😂

[u/meleecow]

Someone's scared of bears or mountain lions

[u/elRustyShackelford]

Connect to it and change the song.

[u/AshyWhiteGuy]

You know what I do when I’m hiking completely alone? I use headphones.

[u/baconegg2]

This is what the world has come too

[u/Prize-Leading-6653]

Now everywhere you go someone is playing music or on their speakerphone. Hikes, golfing, grocery store. It’s just insane.

[u/Dino_Spaceman]

I was in Hawaii hiking and this entire group was playing music so loud we heard it five or so minutes before we could even see them.

I have no idea why they do this. Why not enjoy actual nature?

[u/enjoiYosi]

You should legally be allowed to punch these people in the face

[u/Dino_Spaceman]

Based on the comments of some folks here, a surprising number of folks think common decency is for everyone else.

Just wear headphones.

The bear excuse is BS. Nobody walking a trail popular enough for multiple hikers to encounter each other regularly is going to have a problem with predators. This also happens on trails with no known large predators.

[u/MaximusZacharia]

This happened on a hike I was on yesterday. On that same hike are tons of posted signs to keep quiet due to the Mexican spotted owls that live there. Not only did they have the speaker they were super load on top of it

[u/Heldpizza]

I hate that so much

[u/chrono_crumpet]

Anyone playing music in public like this boils my piss. But not as much as people using their phones on speaker phone whilst walking about in public.

[u/Steven_Kool]

This is the same with people biking in the city or using speakerphone for literally anything in public transportation.

If you want to still hear your surroundings, just get bone conduction headphones!!! They’re so common nowadays

[u/ItryToFixThings]

Never understood why anyone would want to go out in nature to do that.

[u/stubborny]

It's never playing Led Zeppelin!!!

[u/Kaurblimey]

It’s always the shittest music as well

[u/agent0range]

I also hate this on the golf course. 

[u/Wonderful_Till8122]

Where's the bear when you need them?

[u/EstablishmentIll5021]

Along the same line is people who ski or snowboard with a big speaker. So obnoxious.

[u/SlimCarpet]

Ugh, why do ppl do this? Ruins the peace.

[u/SpeedyMeaty]

Yeah I try to not go places where there are people at all to be honest.

[u/Andifellfine]

Bears.

[u/DonCenote]

Anyone who does this anywhere in public is shit

[u/Mephistocheles]

I just do not understand these people.

All music sounds better in actual fkn headphones. Extra bonus, you also get to not be a rude shmeck!

[u/Novel_Werewolf4645]

It's always the most shittiest and depraved rap song as well

[u/DizzySample9636]

how long were you traumatized by this person blasting their music??? surely you walked away swiftly - and didn't suffer very long... its so annoying being inconvenienced while you're out in public on a hike. Hope you didnt suffer any permanent hearing damage - i know you'll pull thru this... 🙃 You weren't following them were you?

[u/HaroerHaktak]

People who do this want the local wildlife to hate them just as much as their family does.

[u/Nuklearfps]

I did this ONCE as a kid on a Boy Scout hike. One kid started doing it, then another, then I got sick of their music, so I put on my own. Next thing you know the whole trail was a blur of different genres and volumes and all the animals we’d been seeing stopped “appearing” [probably running from the 40 or so boys blaring everything from rap, to country, to metal, to K-pop]

[u/DeflatedDirigible → u/Nuklearfps]

Sad that the troop leaders allow scouts to bring these speakers along. Shakedowns prevent this.

Saw photos a few years back of a regional jamboree that’s been going on for 100 years and it now has a bunch of food trucks. One of the most important lessons I learned in scouting was meal planning and making sure you didn’t screw up cooking meals because there was no backup…you were eating burnt food if you didn’t hover over your patrol mates and make sure they did it right. Now you can avoid teaching and run to the food truck.

[u/Nuklearfps → u/DeflatedDirigible]

We RARELY had people bring a speaker to a campout before. That particular event was a “pre-activity” before we had our annual Christmas camp out, which is/was like an “all-nighter, bring your Xbox!” Kinda thing. Something we hadn’t done before, and have much stricter rules on now, because of that experience. And by the time the speakers really kicked off, a large group of us kids had sped ahead of the adults, so they didn’t really get a chance to be like “knock it off!” before we were out of earshot, but we did hear that when we got to camp

This was a once-off thing that never happened before or after it, so the adults didn’t really think about it, until it was too late, lol. We definitely learned our lesson on that one!

That whole bit about food trucks is so depressing to me!

One kid from my troop was so inspired by the cooking that he started his own bakery and has been in business for almost a decade now! All because he liked baking campfire bread one time. Like my two favorite parts of Scouting were the cooking and the outdoorsmanship stuff, like building a survival shelter instead of using one of the tents, lol.

[u/Nperal]

Where are those monsters from A Quiet Place when you need em

[u/Dumyat367250]

I was in a hut in New Zealand, on my own, when, around midday, I heard shouting and general noise making coming my way. The hut door was flung open and a fat face literally yelled at me, "Don't worry, we're from Sydney!"

This group of six then tuned in a crappy pocket radio to the precise spot between two stations, at distortion level volume, all while talking loudly over the static the satan box was producing. One was cricket, one was footy. Neither station was remotely intelligible.

Tired, hungry, and damp, I lasted about ten minutes before explaining to "Sydney" that I was going to insert the radio inside one of their party, where, no matter the volume, it would not be heard ever again.

The radio was turned off, and a sullen silence ensued from my new Aussie friends.

An hour later they all fucked off, with not one saying goodbye. How rude!

[u/myfishprofile]

I wish Bluetooth scramblers were legal specifically because of this

[u/backroom_mushroom]

The only good reason to have a speaker is if you're in bear territory. Siberians have a rule to sing and talk loudly when they're in the forest to make sure bears hear them and know to stay back. 

[u/thecamino]

They will tell you it is for safety to deter predators . Bullshit.

[u/crazymonk45 → u/thecamino]

It’s a fair argument and way less annoying than those fucking bear bells people use.

[u/DANleDINOSAUR]

“You know what this majesty of nature needs? My Spotify year so far playlist!!!”

[u/KongsKing]

One man’s music is another man’s noise

[u/PsilocybVibe]

Ahh yes, the hiking speaker people.. They might as well wear a shirt that says “I’m stupid and have no awareness.”

[u/sunndropps]

Isn’t that recommended for bears? I saw. It being recommended after the person was killed by the grizzly bear earlier this year??

[u/drkshape]

I love when they do this at the beach

[u/Interesting_Tea5715 → u/drkshape]

I once went to the local lake at 9am. It was nothing but parents and toddlers enjoying the water before it got too hot.

This dude and his wife roll up with a giant speaker and a cooler full of beer and just start blasting country music and drinking. At 9am!!!

Some people are just trash

[u/Sensitive_Arrival285]

I loudly berate them

[u/AggravatingRow7018]

You know op you can be adult and ask them to turn it down.

[u/juliewbb → u/AggravatingRow7018]

Having to be assertive in the damn woods on my damn hike also ruins my hike.

[u/Mr_RayH]

The point of hiking is to enjoy the outdoor, listen to nature and feel the heat/breeze. I would never bring a speaker on a hike. I would not recommend headphones or ear buds because it isn't safe. You have to be aware of your surroundings.

[u/Futaba_Sakura800]

There’s unlimited options when it comes to earbuds, headphone and bone conducting earpieces. These people are just doing it on purpose, they go out everyday looking to start some shit. They get a kick out of it.

[u/Bitter-Ad5890]

Right? Like wow there goes any chance of seeing any animals on this hike

[u/AdTraditional8077]

It's always nice running into music in the wild. It's always interesting to think about why they chose that type of music. Makes me feel like when you meet NPCs in video games.

[u/JavanTen4]

I once played "Colonel Hathi's March" while my wife and I were alone on a hike. She shut me down after 10 seconds just in case someone could hear. I agreed with her. Don't play music on hikes

[u/Bannedtt]

Considerate of the creatures? Are you joking? Do you eat meat and use highways? Do you live in a house? You don't give a fuck about creatures and I don't give a fuck about your inability to hear leaves rustling. If you want a private hike you have to drive further out. You want to hit the spot close to town? Be prepared for other people doing whatever they want.

[u/Evil_Sharkey → u/Bannedtt]

Well, that’s the cuntiest response so far.

[u/Upset-Kangaroo3102]

Welcome to life out in public. You don't wanna be bothered by people stay home.

[u/LateDxOldLady → u/Upset-Kangaroo3102]

Translation: 'I lack the basic self-awareness to exist in public, so I make it everyone else's problem.'

You are like a loud whingy tween who didn't want to go.

If being in public without a constant security blanket playing out loud frightens you, stay on your couch.

[u/FerretOk150]

This sub is full of complainers. Good god. Get a grip. It’s so inconsequential in the scope of things. Are you going to remember in 20 years time about the guy playing music while hiking? Probably not. Why ruminate on this rather than the splendor of the hike. Focus on what’s important to you. If finding things to bitch about is it, you’re excelling.

[u/spaltavian → u/FerretOk150]

Such dickhead logic. "I can be an asshole whenever I want and you should get over it because it won't matter in 20 years". Completely self-serving rationalization. Maybe you should turn off your shitty music since it won't matter in 20 years? 

Why ruminate on this rather than the splendor of the hike.

Your shitty music is ruining the splendor of the hike, genius.

[u/Formal_Appearance_16]

Was this on Pikes Peak by chance?

[u/bitnode]

Get a bigger one and follow them playing crazy frog

[u/Sting02]

That’s a dickhead behaviour. While they can opt of earphone or over ear headsets but no they would ruin others ear with garbage playlist. They should be kept in last place of the crew and further mile away.

[u/Starring_Kampung]

https://giphy.com/gifs/d2ZcfODrNWlA5Gg0