Most people would gladly listen to their favorite music while they have free time, or when they are doing things that don’t require their full focus. That’s why trekking can be a great opportunity for many people to just walk and listen to music while hiking, but do people do that? Is listening to music while hiking safe for us? We have done the research for you, so let’s find out together!
Based on our research and the poll that we have recently started we can easily say that more than half of people are listening to music while they are hiking, but there are some exceptions to that, and people who don’t do that have good reasons. If you want to know more and how safe it is then keep reading.
Why people don’t listen to music while hiking?
From our research, about 43% of hikers are not listening to muscle while hiking, and there are some good reasons for that. Most of them have pointed out that they are not listening to music while they are hiking with someone else, and that’s a pretty obvious reason. Also, be aware that they are not listening to music all the time during the trip.
If we have a good friend with us we would like to spend that time chatting with each other. This is a very healthy and nice reason, but what if you are hiking alone and still not listening to music? Let’s focus on those answers.
The most picked answer for not doing it while being alone is that people are enjoying the sound of nature more than their favorite music. There is not much time in our daily life to stop and listen to the sound of trees and grass slightly moved by the wind, those sounds are just rare in 2022, especially for people who live in big cities.
Nature has been proven to make us less stressed, and calm our minds. That’s why we highly recommend you to stop listening at least for a few minutes during your next hike and try to enjoy nature with your ears.
Is listening to music while hiking a bad idea?
Putting headphones in your ears can make you a bit less aware of your surroundings. That means that you won’t hear something that’s important at that moment.
For example, while you are hiking near the road, you won’t hear if a car will be near you and you won’t make enough space for the car to not hit you. Of course, the driver should make enough space for both of you, but the reality is sometimes different and you should also make sure that you are safe.
Even when you will not be near the road, but somewhere in the woods, things like enduro (motorcycle) or quads can hurt you who is walking near them.
Except for other people, you should be aware of things that can live in the woods. Wild animal encounters are not that uncommon, and it is good to be at least prepared for that before an animal will start to charge, that’s why you should listen to your surroundings.
What music do you listen while hiking?
We also asked people about the music that they are listening to while hiking. In the 3rd place, we had rock/metal music, people who picked this option said that they just like to hear something hard to enjoy the trip more and that it gives them energy.
In 2nd place, we have something that’s called “Nature sounds” and we also think that it is weird but, some people just like to enhance their environment to make it more believable for them. So for some people being in nature is just not enough.
And in the first place, we have relaxing music, as you may guess. This is very common to aim for something that will relax you during your long hikes.
In conclusion – Do you listen to music while hiking?
A lot of us do listen to music during our trips, even if it is for just a few songs, we bring those headphones with us. The music can make us feel more relaxed, and even if it sometimes can be unsafe to wear them, still most people do.
Listening to music can be also the reason why you are hiking slower, due to the fact that relaxing music won’t make us walk faster, but it is more likely to slow us down, and if you want to know more about it then you should check out our new article about “Why Am I So Slow During Hikes? – (Improve Condition Quick)“.
