Inspired by the oh-so clever minds at Indecision Forever, we conducted a thorough Google search for 10 long, excruciating minutes to bring you only the best Top 10 lists for the year.

But to be completely honest, we have no idea if all (or any) of these lists were published during the 2009 calendar year. And, yes, we did slip in one list from the Hiking Boots Blog. It was simply impossible to resist.

Top 10 Hiking Foods – Although you probably shouldn’t bring the whole stash with you on a short trip, this list gives you some delicious (cheese and crackers, anyone?) and interesting (tuna?) ideas for what to nibble on while you wander the wilderness.

The 10 Worst Hiking Songs – We’re fairly certain these songs apply to any “–ing” verb (biking, exercising, breathing). Actually any Billy Ray Cyrus song should be banished from playlists everywhere (Believe us, you’d share that same sentiment if you were coerced into line dancing at a young age).

Top 10 Hikes in the World – This will come in handy if you have the moolah and time to explore the world. If you’re like us, you’ll be more interested in the Top 10 Hikes in a 30-mile radius from your office cubicle.

Top 10 Blogs on Hiking in Japan – Again, first you have get to Japan to make this list useful. Already live in Japan? Even better! We’ll meet you there in 10 years or so.

Top 10 Hiking Holidays – Obviously this is written by someone in Europe, since we don’t refer to vacations as “holidays” on this side of the pond. Actually, when reading this, we thought people actually celebrated an organized hiking holiday like Thanksgiving and Christmas somewhere in the world. Maybe someday…

Top 10 Reasons Why Hiking Is Better Than a Gym Membership – Apparently the author of this list enjoys both hiking and wine, probably not at the same time (we hope). While we can’t agree on all fronts, gym memberships are overpriced and generally worthless.

Top 10 Hiking Essentials – So, some of these are definitely no-duh items (first aid kit, compass), yet others are pretty ingenious suggestions (headlamp, waterproof matches). At least for us novices.

Top 10 Hiking Web Sites – When Google fails, this list provides all the not-to-be-missed websites that will likely contain even more top 10 lists. Imagine the possibilities … maybe someone will make a top 10 list about blogs about top 10 lists and include this very post!

Top 10 U.S. Hiking Destinations – Perhaps one of the most comprehensive and detailed top 10 lists ever created on the interwebs, it reads more like a great work of literature (think: Brontë sisters or even Shakespeare) than some content-created-for-the-sake-of-content dribble seen all too often on the Internet.*

Top 10 Stocking Stuffers for Hikers & Backpackers – OK, we get it, the holidays are over. Bookmark this bad boy for next year.

*This list, of course, came from the brilliant minds behind Hiking Boots Blog.

(Images via Wikimedia Commons)