Being "looked down on" seems to be an internet phenomenon. When you have folks bragging about how much they spent to drop 3 ounces of weight, it can be easy to pass judgements, especially when the poster seems to only take the gear out maybe two weekends a year.

But out on the trail, it's just never been an issue.

If you spend time watching the baiting, trolling, and bickering on WhiteBlaze, you'd think the Appalachian Trail was the ultimate haven of hate and discontent in the universe. But much of the bickering is from people who already know each other and enjoy bickering. And once you hit the AT, all the vitriol is long gone. It just doesn't exist out there.

So if you feel looked down on, hit the trail. Problem solved.