What Does “HYOH” & “Nearo” Mean? A Guide to Backpacking Slang
- Luna DeLamer
- Jul 25
- 10 min read
It feels like yesterday (despite being many moons ago)... I was sitting next to the most stunning alpine lake with deep sapphire hues that made the world seem like pure magic.
The way the rays jumped across the water, nothing felt more tranquil. I absentmindedly grabbed my water bottle and went to dip it in the lake when suddenly a voice jumped out, “Careful not to get Beaver Fever,” and I thought… EXCUSE ME?! What is this Urban Dictionary quoting creep saying to me?
My mind reeled back to what those two words together could possibly mean, and let’s be honest, American Pie definitely formed an immediate image in my head.
My friends have always told me that my facial expressions come with subtitles, and I am assuming that fateful day, my eyebrows gave my inner thoughts away.
The friendly hiker laughed and said, “Giardia… if you do not filter the water, you can get Giardia. Ya know, mad stomach cramps, nausea, and diarrhea? Beaver Fever is just backpacking slang.”
I suddenly felt like the world’s biggest idiot. I wanted to disappear into the woods and live the rest of my days as a goat.
But there was something about his friendly demeanor and kindness that made me feel at ease. After filtering my water properly, we hiked a few miles and we became a sort of tramily.
But that moment stuck with me. Not just because it was more embarrassing than being caught over a cathole, but because it made me realize something: hikers kind of do speak their own language.
And if you’re new to this world, or even just curious, all that backpacking slang can feel like trying to decode a bunch of secret handshakes. HYOH? Hiker trash? Nero vs nearo? Is that an actual word, or did someone just sneeze?
The good news? Trail culture is not about being exclusive. It’s the opposite, really. Most hikers I’ve met are the first to offer you a snack, a water filter, or a helping hand. But when you don’t know the vocabulary, it can feel like showing up to a party where everyone is already best friends and you’re the new kid.
So this guide is for you, whether you’re gearing up for your first overnight or you’ve just been quietly wondering what the heck “NOBO” means while scrolling hiker Reddit.
Let’s decode this wild little language of the trail, so you can speak it, laugh with it, and maybe even roll your eyes at it like a true trail vet.
Why Do Hikers Speak a Whole Different Language?
Because after days, weeks, or even months in the wilderness, words like “hotel,” “breakfast burrito,” and “civilization” start to feel foreign.
Hiker slang evolved from trail culture, especially on long-distance trails like the Appalachian Trail (AT), Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), and Continental Divide Trail (CDT). Over time, thru-hikers created their own shorthand to describe the unique highs, lows, and relatable moments of trail life. The result? A whole dictionary of hiking terms and phrases that sound totally confusing to the uninitiated.
You’ll hear someone say they “blue-blazed a slackpack on a nearo” and wonder if they’re okay.
Spoiler: They’re more than okay. They just took a shorter route without their full kit to hit the town, have a real meal, and maybe even a shower. Legend.
Tips for Picking Up Backpacking Slang (Without the Awkwardness)
Join online hiking communities: Reddit has some goldmine subs for beginners and seasoned hikers alike:
Follow thru-hikers on Instagram and YouTube: A few Cali-based hikers worth checking out:
@backcountryemily – gear queen, Sierra lover, and the best vibes every single time.
@chillbobagginz - a brave and hilarious explorer.
@wanderin2wellness – funny, real, and full of backpacking tips
Read memoirs that unpack trail culture beautifully:
AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller — classic AT tale, great intro to AT lingo
Thirst by Heather “Anish” Anderson — inspiring, raw, and packed with insight into thru-hiking vocabulary
Hiking Acronyms Cheat Sheet
Let’s be honest, the number of acronyms hikers use borders on excessive. But once you get the hang of it, it’s easy peasy.
Acronym | Meaning |
AT | Appalachian Trail |
PCT | Pacific Crest Trail |
CDT | Continental Divide Trail |
JMT | John Muir Trail |
TPU | Thermoplastic polyurethane (often used in ultralight gear talk) |
UL | Ultralight |
SUL | Super Ultralight |
VBL | Vapor Barrier Liner (for cold weather insulation) |
RFI | Request for Info (you’ll see this in forums) |
The Complete(ish) Hiking Glossary
A–B
24 Hour Challenge - A self-imposed challenge to hike as many miles as possible in a 24-hour period.
Alpine start – Hitting the trail super early, usually before dawn.
Aquablaze - Instead of hiking trail, a thru-hiker can sometimes canoe or kayak a section of the trail.
AT – The Appalachian Trail
AYCE – "All You Can Eat," typically a post-hike buffet where hikers attempt to bankrupt the owner.
Base weight – The weight of your pack minus food, water, and fuel.
Bear burrito – A hammock camper wrapped up like a tasty snack.
Bear bag/ Bear Piñata – A bag of food hung from a tree branch to deter bears.
Bearea - An area with lots of bears. Duh.
Bearmuda Triangle - If you’re in a ‘bearea’ it’s usually good practice to space out your camp, kitchen, and bear piñata.
Beaver fever – Giardiasis: a nasty parasite you get from untreated water.
Blaze – A trail marker, often painted on trees or rocks. Colors indicate route type, might just have to write a blog about this soon…
Blowdown – A fallen tree across the trail.
Blowout – When your boot or shoe catastrophically fails.
Blue blaze – Side trails marked in blue.
Bonus miles — unintentional extra mileage.
Boulder field – A stretch of trail made entirely of rocks. Knees beware.
Bounce box – A resupply box you mail ahead to your next trail town.
Bushwhack – Navigating through dense, unmarked wilderness without a trail.
C–D
Cache – A hidden stash of water or food.
Cairn – A stack of rocks marking the trail in rocky terrain or alpine areas. These are intentionally built to show the route – DO NOT BUILD THESE RANDOMLY.
Camel up - When a hiker drinks up a bunch of water at one source because they don’t want to carry the extra weight.
Cat hole – A small hole you dig to 💩 in (Leave No Trace principle!).
Choose-Your-Own-Adventure - This is a mostly CDT hiker slang term. As it is still incomplete, there are many alternate routes.
Christmas Toes - After you’ve completed such a long hike that you will not feel your toes until the holidays.
Cross Country (X-Country) - Hiking over varied terrain, often off established trails or through undeveloped areas. However, in the UK, this means exactly what you’d expect, hiking across the country. So if you’re planning a trip Stateside, make sure you get this one right.
Cowboy camping – Sleeping out under the stars with no tent or tarp.
Crux – The hardest technical part of a climb or trail section.
Cutthroat pass – A legendary scenic section (in Washington PCT) but also used for sketchy high points.
Day hiker - They’re fresh, they’re clean, they are not camping. They’re there just for the day.
Death march – A brutal stretch of trail that feels endless and is usually boring.
Dispersed camping – Camping outside of designated campgrounds.
Dry camp – A site without access to water, fill up beforehand!
Dromedary – A large water storage bag (MSR’s brand is most known).
E–G
False summit – A peak that looks like the top… until you get there and realize there's more.
Fastpack – A mix of trail running and ultralight backpacking.
Flip-flop – A non-linear thru-hike route. You start in the middle, hike north, then return and hike south.
FKT – "Fastest Known Time" on a trail section or entire thru-hike.
FUBAR stop/ FU stop – When your hiking buddy leaves you behind, then waits for you to catch up… Then hikes ahead. Again. Basically telling you, “I don’t care about your experience or your ego, you’re too slow”.
Gnar – Slang for difficult terrain, often gnarly rocks or roots. Also could mean you’re gnarly (awesome).
Glissade – Sliding down slopes on your bum in (hopefully) controlled chaos.
Glonk – A clueless hiker who charges past without trail etiquette.
Gorp – Trail mix. “Good Ol’ Raisins and Peanuts.”
Gram Weenie - Someone obsessed with their pack weight, down to the last gram.
Gray water – Used water from washing dishes or yourself.
H–J
Happy camper – Someone in their element on the trail.
Headlamp party – When you’re hiking after dark with others.
Headwall – A steep rock face at the end of a valley.
Hiker box – A donation box of extra gear and food left by fellow hikers in trail towns.
Hiker funk – The “signature scent” of hiking for weeks on end without a shower.
Hiker hunger – That ravenous appetite that kicks in after a few weeks on the trail.
Hiker midnight – 8:00–9:00 PM, when it gets dark, is the standard bedtime on the trail.
Hiker Tan - Like a farmer's tan… but mostly comprised of dirt.
Hiker trash – An affectionate nickname for hardcore long-distance hikers.
HYOH – “Hike Your Own Hike.” A golden rule. Don’t judge, don’t compare.
K–M
Knee-knacker – A brutally steep descent that destroys your joints.
LASHer - Long-Ass-Section-Hiker. This hiker slang term refers to a person who will complete a massive section in one go.
Lean-to – A three-walled shelter found on trails and used by hikers for an overnight.
Leave No Trace (LNT) – The 7 principles of outdoor ethics. Pack it in, pack it out.
Log book – A journal left in shelters where hikers can write notes or trail logs.
Mouse hanger – A string system to keep rodents off your food in shelters.
MUDs / PUDs – Meaningless (or Muddy) / Purposeless Ups and Downs. Looking at you, AT.
Mile marker – Trail signage waypoint showing your current mileage and distance to the next one. Super important for emergency services.
N–R
Nearo – A nearly zero-mile day.
NoBo – A northbound hiker.
Nero – See “Nearo.” Slight variation in spelling.
Nipple chafe – The real enemy. Especially for runners and long-distance hikers. Thigh chafe is just as awful – trust me.
Packsplosion – You didn’t pack properly, and now the item you need is at the bottom of your bag, you silly billy. How do you get to it? By pulling all your stuff out of your bag. You’ll only do this once, then you’ll learn.
Pack it out – Take your trash with you. Yes, even your TP.
Penalty Potatoes – Everyone has that one item they pack that they’re praying they don’t have to eat. For some, it is a hot tuna pack; for me, it is the oatmeal that began to taste nice, but now it’s week 2, and the texture makes me gag.
Pink blazing – Hiking with someone purely to get to know them romantically.
Posthole – When your leg punches deep into snow, usually thigh-deep.
Pot cozy – An insulating sleeve for keeping your meals warm.
Privy – A backcountry toilet or outhouse.
Ridge runner – A trail steward who educates and maintains trail etiquette.
Rock hop – Jumping across rocks to avoid wet feet or mud.
S
Scat – Wild animal poop.
Scree – Small, loose rock on steep terrain. Slippery as heck.
Scramble – Using hands and feet to climb over non-technical rocky areas.
Section hiker - A person who hikes one section of the trail at a time.
Shelter rat – A hiker who never sleeps outside if there's a lean-to.
Single track – A narrow trail just wide enough for one person.
Slackpacking – Day hiking while someone else shuttles your gear.
Sobo - Southbound(er)
Stealth camping – Low-impact, hidden camping outside of designated sites.
Stile – A step or ladder to cross a fence on trail.
Summit fever – Obsessing over reaching the summit, often dangerously so.
Sweat equity – The effort put into building or maintaining trails.
Sweat rag – A multifunctional bandana used for wiping grime or sweat.
Sweep – The last hiker in a group, ensuring no one is left behind.
T
Talus – Large, broken rock debris, often dangerous to hike across.
Trail angel – Someone who provides unexpected kindness to hikers. They usually help with rides, food, beverages, medical, a place to stay etc. We love Trail Angels 🧡
Trail boss – The person in charge of the hiking group.
Trail candy – An attractive hiker. Yes, it’s real slang. Yes, it’s giving me the ick.
Trail legs – The moment your body adapts to daily long-distance hiking. Like sea legs but with… well, the trails.
Trail magic – Random acts of kindness: food, drinks, rides, or shelter.
Trail name – A nickname you earn or are given on trail.
Trail spice – Dirt, debris, or bugs that “season” your food.
Trail squatter – Someone who claims a prime campsite early and stays forever.
Tramily – Your trail family. People you hike and bond with.
Tramper – A rugged hiker or backpacker, esp. in New Zealand.
U–Z
UL/ Ultralight – Ultralight hiking. Gear choices that weigh as little as possible.
Vitamin I – Ibuprofen, a hiker staple.
Vortex – A trail town or place that is so tempting, you don’t want to leave. These places lure you with the smell of burgers and beautiful hostels.
Wag bag – A human waste carry-out bag. Required in fragile areas.
Water Math - The precise mathematics required to see just how much water you require for the rest of your trip.
Waterbar – A feature in trail construction that diverts water off the trail.
Weekender – Going for a weekend backpacking trip with at least one overnight.
Wetted out – When your rain gear is fully soaked and useless.
Woods Zero – Taking a day off hiking to hang out in the woods or check out that beautiful waterfall.
White blaze – Typically signifies the path of the main trail
Widowmaker – A dead branch or tree hanging above you. Look up!
Yo-yo – Hiking a long trail out and back again, like the PCT twice.
The Last Bit
Look, you don’t have to know all this lingo to hit the trail. But it sure makes the ride smoother (and way more fun) when you do.
Whether you're planning a thru-hike or just chatting with trail folks online, this stuff helps you feel like you're in on the conversation, not stuck Googling “what is a nearo” from your tent at 10PM.
So HYOH, embrace the dirtbag charm, and remember: every hiker was a newbie once. The trail doesn’t care how much gear you’ve got or how many miles you’ve logged. It just asks that you show up, curious, respectful, and ready to explore.
And hey, now you know what “Beaver Fever” means. You’re already ahead of the game.
