Freehiking refers to
naked hiking
Nude recreation refers to recreational activities which some people engage in while nude. Historically, the ancient Olympics were nude events. There remain some societies in Africa, Oceania, and South America that continue to engage in everyday p ...
as well as a form of hiking in which the participants intentionally avoid trails and predetermined destinations. This can also be referred to as "wander hiking" or "bushwhacking".
Naked hiking
The term ''freehiking'' has been used by
naturists
Naturism is a lifestyle of practising non-sexual social nudity in private and in public; the word also refers to the cultural movement which advocates and defends that lifestyle. Both may alternatively be called nudism. Though the two terms a ...
for decades to describe the activity of naked hiking. It was adopted by hikers after the sport of freeskiing gained popularity in the 1990s.
Off-trail hiking
For off-trail hiking, the freehiker relies on tools such as
topographical map
In modern mapping, a topographic map or topographic sheet is a type of map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief features, usually using contour lines (connecting points of equal elevation), but historic ...
s, a
compass
A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with ...
and a
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
unit. It emphasizes a hike experience free of constraints, as opposed to seeking a shortcut to a specific destination such as a scenic viewpoints or summits.
There is some concern that freehikers cause trailbraiding (creating multiple paths which can damage vegetation),
erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is di ...
, new trail creation, and other negative environmental impacts.
The freehiking community claims that the sport is limited to open, unrestricted public areas where off-trail hiking is permitted.
References
{{reflist
External links
Hiking Naked Website
Hiking