Originally Posted by
Machka
Hiking can be high-tech and expensive when it comes to the gear too. We're just getting into it, and yes, there are lots of sidelong glances between hikers kitting up for the next hike. But again, I suspect that it is the same curiosity that one cyclist has when looking at another cyclist's equipment ... what kind of backpack is that? How much room does it have? What kind of boots are those? What kind of jacket is that? Etc. Etc.
The equivalent hiker elite is probably ultra-light, through-hiker types. A couple of years ago we (briefly) met a guy on the JMT on his way up the PCT that was positively snobbish about our traditional backpacking gear and our "short" six-day journey. We took him for what he was, one jerk on a trail with otherwise nice people.
Originally Posted by
contango
With the possible exception of the Amish and trappist monks, are there many groups in society that can't be judgmental and elitist?
Apparently, it's all about
the beard.