Help me understand...

[bulgron]

I was more referring to earplugged/budded set ups, which preclude hearing anything else well (if at all).

I own several iPods, but I consider none of them to be part of my outdoor gear. That said, it is possible to hear what's going on around you even when using the earbuds. The key thing is to set them to a reasonable volume, which you should do anyway since earbuds are now known to cause hearing loss when used inappropriately.

Personally, an iPod to me is just a convenient way to organize and access music. I very much prefer to use them attached to external speakers. About the only time I use them with the earbuds is when I'm at the healthclub and I don't want to be distracted by the inane chatter that goes on in those places. In all other situations, headphones/earbuds/etc are simply rude at best and a good way to get hurt at worst.