1. What is your age? Under 18 Years Old 18 to 24 Years Old 25 to 30 Years Old 31 to 40 Years Old 41 to 50 Years Old 51 to 60 Years Old Over 60 Years Old2. What is your gender? Male Female3. Do you own an ice ax? Yes No4. Do you know how to self arrest? Yes No I plan to learn before my next hike I doubt i'll ever have to know Yes, and I've had to use it in a real "combat" situation. (Combat meaning actual save while hiking)5. Have you done a hike that doesn't have a guidebook, data book or town guide? Yes, short hikes only Yes, longer than 100 miles Yes, i don't use guidebooks, only maps No, but i don't use town guides. No, I always hike with at least 2 of those6. How many nights have you camped on snow. (in a tent or just sleeping in the snow) 0 1-5 5-15 15-30 30-100 more than 1007. How much of your gear have you designed and/or made yourself? none designed one but had made designed more than one but had made designed and made one piece designed and made more than one designed and made my own sleeping bag/system8. Do you have an active passport? Yes No Expired within the last 3 years Expired more than 10 years ago Never had one I filled up my last one and had to add pages9. Have you hiked in other countries besides your native country? No Yes, Canada (for other than US as your native country, check if neighboring) Yes, less than 100 miles Yes 100-400 miles Yes 300-1,000 miles Yes more than 1,000 miles10. How many countries (besides your own) have you hiked in? (at least 100 miles) 0 1 2 3 4 at least 511. Do you know (without looking it up) What the magnetic deviation is where you live? Yes No12. Have you ever had to triangulate your position using map and compass? Yes a few times No Yes, many times13. Have you ever used a snow anchor to help set up your tent? Yes No14. Have you ever carried any avalanche preventive or avalanche rescue gear while hiking? Yes No15. Have you ever made a successful solar still to get water? Yes No Made one but it didn't generate any water. 16. Have you ever slept with a hot water bottle to help stay warm at night? Yes No17. Have you ever taken a college or university course in any of the following: astronomy, botany, geology, meteorology, photography Yes No I taught one of those18. Have you ever helped on a trail crew for more than a day Yes I volunteered Yes, i was paid Yes, i organize one every year No19. Do you know how far a cow will wander away from water? Yes, no more than 2-3 miles Yes, up to 10-15 miles. No, who cares?20. Do you carry needle and thread (or dental floss for sewing, with a needle big enough to accept dental floss?) Yes, both Yes, i carry floss but no needle No21. Have you ever done any of the following? Rock climbing lead climbing Backcountry skiing overnight Orienteering Rock climbing top rope only. 2 or more of the above No22. Have you ever taken an on-trail rest day. (not near town) No Yes, many times Yes, once No, but i often stop and camp early if i see a beautiful spot23. Have you ever forded a river?
River in this case meaning stream crossing of at least 20 feet wide or more. No Yes Yes, wider than 100 feet Yes, deeper than your groin Yes deeper and wider than both above I had to swim across a river that was too deep to ford already24. How many 14,000 peaks have you summited? None 1-3 3-8 8-15 15-20 20+25. How many nights have you camped (tented) above 12,000’? 14,000’? Never 1-3 times 3-10 times more than 10 above 14,000 feet more than 10 above 17,000 feet more than 1026. How many sleeping bags do you own? one two 3 4 or more 4 or more (all Down) 3 (all Down)27. Have you ever written a (published) guidebook or suggested changes to a published guidebook? Yes, I wrote one No I sent an author of one suggestions28. Have you ever started a fire without matches, lighter or already hot coals/fire? (flint & steel, bow drill, etc?) Yes No Yes, and it was raining29. Have you ever had hypothermia? Frostbite? Severe dehydration? Yes, all of the above Yes, at least one of the above No30. Have you ever been a guide for a raft company Yes, guided for a raft company Yes, was a paid fishing guide Yes, was a paid hunting guide No, not professionaly Yes, I was a hiking (backpacking) guide (and got paid for it) Yes, i had my own company31. Have you ever done a ski/canoe/kayak/raft trip of more than 100 miles? (how many miles total?) (self supported kayak trips & skiing get special bonus points) Yes, once Yes, more than once Yes, 200 miles + Yes, self supported kayak trip more than 100 miles No32. Were you ever in the army infantry or Marine Corps? (special forces?) Yes No33. Have you ever hiked a trail that you needed to carry a tide chart? (at least 3 day hike) Yes No34. What’s the closest you ever came to a bear in the wild? A moose? An Elk? Grizzly bear? 8 feet or less 20 feet or less 8 feet for at least 3 of the above animals 20 feet for at least 3 of the above animals 100 feet for at least 3 of the above animals Never saw any of those35. What’s the longest stretch you’ve ever gone without resupply? 5 days 5-10 days 10-15 days more than 15 days Less than all of the above36. What's the longest stretch you've hiked between water sources? Less than 5 miles 5-10 miles 10-20 miles 20-30 miles more than 30 miles37. Do you own a dehydrator? Do you use it for hiking purposes? Yes, i own one but haven't dried hiking food yet. No Yes, I use it mainly for drying my hiking food. 38. How old were you when you did your 1st overnight hike? How old are you now? within 10 years of both questions 10-20 years between both 20-30 years between both 30-40 years between both 40 + years between both (I am old!) I never did an overnight (yet)39. How many trails have you hiked longer than 300 miles? (includes partial hikes but must be at least 300 miles at one go) None 1-5 5-10 10-20 20-40 more than 4040. How many trails have you hiked longer than 2,000 miles? None 1 2 3 4-5 more than 541. How many years have you hiked a trail of at least 300 miles? None 1 2-3 4-6 6-10 more than 1042. How many miles of snow travel (can’t see the trail) have you done? Less than 1 1-10 10-40 40-100 100-500 More than 50043. How many miles of desert hiking have you done? None less than 100 100-500 500-1,000 more than 1,00044. How many miles of high altitude hiking have you done (above 14,500’) None 10-100 100-200 More than 20045. How many continents have you hiked at least 100 miles on? None One (USA or home country) 2 3 4 5 or more46. Have you completed any of the big 3? (in the USA) No Yes, the AT Yes, the PCT Yes, the CDT Yes, at least 2 of the 3 Yes, I have completed the Triple Crown47. Experience?
Generally section hiker with less than 1,000 miles Generally section hiker with more than 1,000 miles Thru-hiker with less than 1,000 miles Thru-hiker with more than 1,000 miles More than 3,000 miles More than 10,000 miles48. How many seasons a year do you generally hike? summer only spring, summer, fall all 4 seasons winter is my favorite but i hike anytime I go to the southern hemisphere when it gets too cold at home49. Do "Non-Pure" hikers bother you?
Non-Pure meaning ones who skip around or don't do every mile of a long distance trail. No (Hike Your Own Hike) Yes, I hike the whole thing, why shouldn't they? Yes, They bother me if they have a patch on their pack saying they did it, but skipped more than 20 miles.