Every year people start talking about trail names. It causes many people too much stress.
Simply put, a trail name is a nickname.
While people give themselves trail names, the best ones come from stories on the trail and are given by someone else. You never have to accept a trail name someone tries to give you if you don’t like it and you never have to keep a trail name
People often have lists of rules, but the best rules are simple and are as follows:
- Three syllables or less. Otherwise other hikers are going to shorten your trail name for you and you might not be happy with the abbreviation.
- Don’t use a trail name that is overused. The sixth time I hit a “Daddy Longlegs” was too many times. This list shows 15 hikers with that trail name, spread over two spellings. The list can clue you in to overused trail names. If your name is in the 100 most common names it is probably overused.
- For comparison, only Happy Six uses that trail name and I’m the only one using d20. Her trail name comes from people offering her beer*. Mine trail name comes from running a D&D game in the Smokies.
- Along with not having your name be too long, it should not be too complicated or obscure. People getting confused with your trail name doesn’t help. Acronyms that have to be explained more than once are too complicated.
- Your name should be related to you somehow. Usually this means the name will have a story connected to you. Above I noted Happy Six and beer and d20 and D&D —the trail names have stories that connect to us.
- Try to make your name not too obnoxious. So no built in sermon, or lecture, etc. Before you ask, yes, people craft trail names that let them launch into a sermon when you ask about the name.
- You can use the same trail name or nickname from trail to trail or on trail and off-trail and let it build its own identity and connections to you. You do not have to change your name with every trail, though you can.
- Using some famous trail names for examples: Dixie, Darwin on the Trail (who invariably gets shortened to Darwin) and Anish are all trail names that have strong connected identities. They’ve become trademarks of a sort. Your trail name can be the same.
- Here is a sample story of how someone got a trail name. More stories of how people got trail names. More stories.
- Don’t get too attached or impressed with your trail name. Having a guy go “I’m the one, the only, strikes pose <trail name>!!” — and be one of 7-8 people that year with the name isn’t a good introduction. For more, here is a discussion of Bad trail names.
Here are some discussions by other writers on trail names.
- https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/most-popular-hiker-trail-names/
- https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/trail- name-rules-guide/
- https://theramblingrover.com/trail-names/
- https://thetrek.co/rules-what-rules-i-changed-my-trail-name/
- https://thetrek.co/trail-name-generator/
That is my two bits on the subject.
A trail name is only a nickname. You can accept, reject or change it as you like. Avoid overused, too long, or pretentious names. Don’t overthink it or worry about your trail name.
As for fellow hikers, ignore the obnoxious types intent on forcing a trail name on everyone they meet. You can ignore trail names others use if they annoy you.
Enjoy yourself.
I’ve heard some terrible trail names people tried to force on others. Don’t let anyone do that to you, including yourself.
* we saw no one for days in the Great Divide Basin and a truck pulled up and handed her a beer. Laundromat worker in a town gave her a beer. That sort of thing. It wouldn’t be as funny of a trail name if she was a beer drinker.