SIDELINES //
Do You Know What “Backpacking” Really Means?
by Mike Richard
Forum goers over at LonelyPlanet’s ThornTree forums have gotten into a rather heated discussion over the meaning of the term “backpacking”. Who knew there was so much confusion over such a fundamental word in the traveler’s life?
For me, it’s simple: backpacking means traveling cheaply with a backpack. Period. Whether it’s in the middle of the woods, in a hostel in NZ, or at the Quebec Hilton. If you’re essentially living out of your backpack and traveling on the cheap (I realize cheap is a relative term), then your backpacking.
What are your thoughts?
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Related topics: Camping, Odds + Ends, Sidelines
About the Author
Vagabondish editor, Mike Richard, lives in Rhode Island - a spit of land in the northeastern U.S. He is a professional web designer and travel junkie with an unhealthy addiction to backpacking, camping, hiking and seeing the world. He enjoys knit hats, small, declarative sentences and speaking in the third person.
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September 12th, 2007
Backpacking for me is pretty much the same as how you define it. It’s really silly how people argue over the “rules” of “proper” backpacking.
September 8th, 2008
Hello, Im a backpacker from way back in the mid 80’s. I have backpacked all over the Yukon Territory through the Northwest Territories. It Was An Experience of a Lifetime, let me tell ya. I seen more of Nature than the average person will see in a lifetime. Im in my early 50’s and still Love Backpacking. Enjoy Nature and Keep it Clean for others to Explore and Enjoy.