Music while walking

[Dyffryn Ardudwy]

No, ive never been a convert of MP3 players or the app on my Apple I phone.
The only music to my ears, is to the listening out for the sounds of nature around me.
Yesterday i was walking around Cors Ddyga nature reserve on Anglesey, and there is a very rare migration of Painted Lady butterflies happening at the moment.

The Painted Lady is a scarce visitor to our shores, but this year has been an exceptional year for their arrival.

There were Peacock Butterflies, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Small Skippers, and other species that i did not have the knowledge to identify.


These carefully managed RSPB reserves are like attending the Last Night of the Proms, as the sounds and smells of nature around us is truly magical.

I also heard a Bittern, and Water Rail, calling amongst the reeds, that is a symphony to anyones ears.

Listening to music along my travels, takes away the pure harmony of Nature around me.

[vghikers]

Absolutely never whilst walking on a backpack. The only trips where I might take an MP3 player are mid winter camps when it's dark at teatime and hours in the tent before I can get to sleep.

I do turn the volume down when I'm in queues and waiting at traffic lights, as I'm not sure how other drivers would react to a grey-haired oldie with something like Mountain or Rory Gallagher blasting away

Hmm, I never turned mine down. My wife reckons she always knew when I'd turned into our road because she could hear Jobriath playing from our house halfway along. Now I think about it there were some strange looks here and there...

[Warbler]

Hmm, I never turned mine down. My wife reckons she always knew when I'd turned into our road because she could hear Jobriath playing from our house halfway along. Now I think about it there were some strange looks here and there...

I have to admit to having never heard of Jobriath, and had to use Google. I thought I was quite knowledgeable about that era too .
Seems an interesting character.

[Bigfoot_Mike]

My car is also usually filled with rock music from the 1970s,with some 1960s and 1980s. Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Genesis, The Who, Supertramp, ELO, Queen, Rainbow, ELP. My journey to and from work is usually just under an hour each way and the music helps the time pass. I don’t lower the volume at traffic lights. You do need to be careful with some of this music, as a fast beat does tend to encourage faster driving.

[Kidder44]

It looks like i'm in the minority, or maybe just the only one who'll admit to it. I often listen to music whilst out walking the  South West Coast Path, from St Ives around to the Lizard
A mix of pop and rock from the 50's through to the present day, basically anything I like. Some days I'll listen for the duration of the hike, or just use my MP3 when I take a break, and on other days I don't use it at all, it all depends on my mood. I normally walk alone, but should I have company, then I don't listen to it. I've spotted dolphins, a whale, sunfish, various birds, foxes, seals, rabbits etc etc
I'm sure I enjoy my hiking as much as anyone else, so much in fact that I'm out almost every day on this stretch of the coast.

[ninthace]

High on my hate list are folk who play "music" at a volume that can be heard outside their car.  We have a couple of drivers locally who you can hear coming before you see them.  I find it really inconsiderate.

[jimbob]

High on my hate list are folk who play "music" at a volume that can be heard outside their car.  We have a couple of drivers locally who you can hear coming before you see them.  I find it really inconsiderate.

You're not alone. Something in last week's  papers about the testing of "sound cameras" to catch those vehicles who impose their music on others whilst driving above the permitted decibel limit.

[Bigfoot_Mike]

I don’t know how loud my music is outside the car, as I am inside the car when listening. However, at lights I can often hear an incessant thud-thud from other cars.

[Rob Goes Walking]

Music from cars only bothers me at night when I find it inconsiderate. In the day time I find it interesting to hear what other people are listening to (though only with it being transient) and am generally impressed by a loud sub woofer. I've even owned one myself though today I just have the standard car stereo, which I play on a normal volume.

[Bigfoot_Mike]

I do have a sub-woofer in my car and it makes a real difference to the sound quality.

[barewirewalker]

I don’t know how loud my music is outside the car, as I am inside the car when listening. However, at lights I can often hear an incessant thud-thud from other cars.

Probably synonymous with the landowner sitting in his mansion, unaware how his occupation on multiple acres affects the surrounding community.

[Mel]

No, I don't listen to music whilst walking - prefer the sounds of nature and all that.  Besides, I have a radio on at work, I listen to a radio or CD on my way to/from work, then there's the noise from whatever I'm watching on the tellybox.  It's just nice not not hear any man-made sounds now and again. 

[astaman]

Don't listen to music while walking ever. I have carried an MP3 player with a talking book, usually a novel, and some music downloaded on it which I listen to in the tent and around camp at night. It's lighter alternatie to carrying a book really. When actually walking I prefer to focus on my surroundings.

[gunwharfman]

I use an old small Ipod and a cheap pair of headphones, my son gave it to me. I sometimes like to hike uphill with a suitable music track to help push me onward to the next pub, Aretha Franklin's Respect is one track that helps me to get to the top.

[blistaz]

Podcasts rather than music. Not least because the chances of a song's tempo matching my preferred walking tempo have to be pretty low.