Why I Hike Naked
I’ve been doing this since I was ten years old. That’s over 60 years. It is possible that I have a touch of autism. That might explain it. I’m definitely ADD.
I just listened to this beautiful podcast of a guy going on a nude hike in a national forest in Arizona. I really relate to this. The sense of being cooped up, stressed out, and feeling lethargic builds until I need to escape. Abandoning my clothing in the outdoors is my therapy.
Hiking Without a Stitch — A Podcast
Hiking clears my mind. It takes me far from screens, far from phones, far from people. I am free to be me. If the environment is conducive, I hike naked, or as nearly so as practical. Think of it as shedding armor that someone else made me wear. Think of it as reclaiming a tiny bit of the freedom felt by my prehistoric ancestors.
The sensory effect of the sun, wind, sweat, even rain on the naked body is intoxicating. I am ageless and the world behind me doesn’t exist. Past, present, and future all meld into a limitless now.
If you are thinking “What a wonderful day to be naked!” you aren’t there. When you have forgotten that you are naked, you’re there.
Yes, hiking naked also makes me vulnerable. It is a desired vulnerability — if you can imagine such a thing. I want to feel close to nature and nature isn’t kind. Nature is indifferent. I can live or die by the mistakes I might make. I am never more mindful than when I am miles from a rutted dirt track that requires 4WD just to get to the trailhead.
Some sort of gear is inevitable. Water, snacks, safety stuff, etc. I keep it in a fannypack. I often carry it by hand instead of wearing it. I feel more naked that way. Unless I’m on a beach, a hat and shoes are, unfortunately, unavoidable.
Get Au Naturel’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
There are hazards, greatly exaggerated by the inexperienced. Cougars and bears and rattlesnakes and bees. Poison plants and thorns and stinging nettles. Tripping and falling. All can be avoided or mitigated. I often follow less traveled paths on weekdays and odd hours to avoid other people. I use technology sparingly. This grounds me and keeps me fully present.
Yet at the same time it lets my mind wander where it will go. Trail hazards are avoided on autopilot. It comes with practice.
“But what if someone sees you???” goes the shocked question.
That might happen once every couple of years. Not a big deal. Trail nudity isn’t illegal here. I do remote trails, weekdays and odd hours and I check the trailhead for other vehicles. Very few people even get onto the beaten path, let alone the one less trod. Those who do are a bolder and more self reliant type. Never yet met a child on the trail.
On the rare occasions when I meet someone unexpectedly, I’ll step well off the trail and do a casual coverup with my hat. It goes back on my head if the encounter is friendly. Sometimes there’s conversation. Sometimes mirth. And sometimes they pass by quickly and silently, eyes fixed ahead.
Dancing to try to quickly pull on my shorts is now a complete nonstarter. (Wasn’t always.) I am not ashamed. I don’t wish to hide the fact that I’m nude. I’m just trying to be as innocuous and unthreatening as possible. No point in unnecessarily ruffling feathers.
There are a few places where nudity is so common that everyone expects and accepts. Mostly remote hot springs, protests like the World Naked Bike Ride, and of course Naked Hiking Day. They always seem to be many hours away and never when it is convenient. Plus, groups frighten off the fauna. I enjoy the quiet and meditative quality of being alone without another soul in miles.
So, why do I hike naked? Because I can.
