Types of Hikers

Text and illustrations by Frits Ahlefeldt, Hiking.org
(Click a drawing to see all hikers in a slideshow)

Woman walking pulling a stone, in a rope, after her

Recovery hiker, hiking to recover

illustration of a girl walking with a self-driving backpack

Girl hiking with a GPS guided self-driving backpack

Drawing of two expedition hikers, in extreme weather

Expedition hikers, mastering the extreme

Happy-feet-hiker

hiker sitting in his car looking at the good life trail

Reluctant hiker

Drawing of an elver hiking, walking very llightly

Elver hiker

hikertype-trickster-archetype-hiking-twister-illustration-by-frits-ahlefeldt

Old Hikers

illustration by Frits Ahlefeldt of a hiker that is half evolved into a phone. drawing by Frits Ahlefeldt

Half phone half hiker drawing

Hiker with hat, smiling in a barrel. illustration by Frits Ahlefeldt

Hiker in barrel

Illustration of an old weather beaten hiker. Portrait by Frits Ahlefeldt

Old hikers often look like their faces have been shaped by many years on the trails

know-how-stucked-in-book-hiker-type-illustration-by-frits-ahlefeldt

Drawing of a backpacker with a light pack

Hiker with light backpack

bringing-the-office-with-you-hiking-desk-backpack-illustration-by-frits-ahlefeldt

digital-map-hiker-illustration-by-frits-ahlefeldt

Drawing of an fur man, with a backpack and a long beard

Off grid hiker, walking to get back to basic nature

Hitchhiker illustration, standing with sign saying home please

The Hitchhiker

Hiker with feet that wants to go home

Drawing of a backpacker with a mid size pack

Hiker with mid sized backpack

Drawing of two men walking while talking

Walking the talk

Ultra Trail hiker

Drawing of a elf hiking, with a backpack in winter time.

Elf hiker, tiny magical hikertype, can follow hikers for long distances, without being seen.

girl-walking-with-happy-tree-to-greening-village-illustration-by-frits-ahlefeldt

man with backpack walking and watching birds

bird watcher hiker, hiking to watch birds

hikertypes-kid-hiker-little-girl-illustration-by-frits-ahlefeldt

Time hiker illustration

plug into nature hiker

man, woman and kid in baby carrier out hiking

toddler hiker walking with a baby carrier along the trails

man with backpack and plants ready to plant and take care of the trail

Trail ranger hiker

Hiker with a robot on the back instead of a backpack

virtual hike research hiker

Sketching up trails

how-are-your-story-storytelling-illustration-by-frits-ahlefeldt

digital-selfie-hat-hike-type-walking-with-virtual-screen-technology-illustration-by-frits-ahlefeldt

Drawing of a woman walking with a jar with marble pearls

Marble jar hiker, collecting miles, steps, mountain tops, long distance trails or other things

A happy Troll lady hiker

Drawing of a woman walking with notebook and pen, writing

Storytelling hiker, walking to write

Do like the trees, plug into nature

Walk and talk hikers

Drawing of a man burning books about how to make fire, to keep warm, while a man in a library looks on from a distance

Burning the books and traditional understandings in a new digital based reality

electrical- hiker

Drawing of a beggar asking for money from a many headed community figure with a tall hat

As the Common Good gets more fractured it becomes harder to figure out who should benefit from it, and who should not

Heavy pack hiker

four-legged-man-illustration-by-frits-ahlefeldt

hiker with a globe backpack Illustration by frits Ahlefeldt

Global hiker

hikertypes - dog hiker illustration, girl with backpack walking with a dog

dog hiker, hiking with a dog

I-walk-therefore-i-think-einstein-type-hiker-philosophy-and-illustration-by-frits-ahlefeldt

hikertype-psychologist-hiker-walking-with-therapist-talk-illustration-by-frits-ahlefeldt

Woman walking with headlamp at night drawing

Night hiker

The Spiritual hiker illustration

Love illustrations – click image to see the collection

hikertype-phone-hiker-walking-out-over-edge-distraction-illustration-by-frits-ahlefeldt

Fodie hiker

Camera hiker

Thrive hiker, walking to feel good

Gadget hiker

illustration of an flaneur walking with a backpack, classic dressed gentleman hiker type

The Flaneur hiker strolling along the trails of life

rasta hiker walking with headphones in low water along a beach

Walk on the Beach hiker

hiker with different weather moods over her head

Mood hiker

Illustration of a classic ghost with a backpack

Ghost hiker drawing

Walk and talk, two hikers, the last talking rain over the first

Complaining hiker

Drawing of a woman with a guitar, hiking with a backpack and an instrument

Music hiker, walking to the rhythm, making music along the trails

Drawing of a girl with backpack and a virtual reality mask out on the trails

Using Virtual reality headsets when hiking

Drawing of two hikers walking hand in hand along a trail

heart hikers connecting along the trails

Drawing of an veteran soldier gone hiking

Veteran-hiker walking along new trails

Hikers come in all shapes, orientations, colors and ages, with different motivations, backgrounds, cultures and styles. But still, something brings everybody together, something that is very exciting, because often people out on the trails relate to each other in ways that build trust and instant communities like nothing else

Sketched up different styles and arch-types of hikers you might meet on the trails, from the ultra-light gear fanatics to the old monks, the scouts, the pilgrims, the hippies, the dare-devils, the philosophers, the selfie-takers and the rest – and there are many more hikertypes out there.