So… What is Backpacking?

What Is Backpacking?

In short, backpacking can be described as an independent, often international, low- budget way of travelling.

Someone who backpacks is called a ‘Backpacker’.

Backpackers generally travel for a longer period of time than most other tourists, and they tend to travel in several different countries during their time away.

The number of countries differs and a backpacker can be on the road all from a few weeks to several years.

However, that is again the short way of describing it.

Backpacking is a very loose definition – there are backpackers who go tramping in the forests sleeping in tents and on the beach, and hitch-hike their way around the world, and there are those who backpack with roller-bag suitcases, sleep in hotels and buy their own car to get around a country.

These are two completely different types of traveling, but they both like to call themselves backpackers.

You can however separate these into 3 different backpacking genres if you like:

• Backpacking RTW Travel
• Ultralight Backpacking
• Flashpacking

The two later ones are newer styles in ways of backpacking.

Ultralight Backpacking

Ultralight backpacking is becoming more and more popular.

Today the industry puts a lot of focus on making things ultra light. The backpacks are light like feathers, and the sleeping bags can be squashed down to the size of your palm.

This is definitely something for anyone to look into, as it could really help you ease some weight from your backpack. These Ultralight backpackers go all the way, counting every ounce, cutting their toothbrushes in half to ease weight.

Although if this is your first time on the road, you will never understand WHY people would ever want to travel like this – but trust me after more than 6months travel, with your back hurting – you will start to consider this style of backpacking more and more.

You find more and more backpacker using smaller packs (under 50L) and buying lightweight clothes, quick drying towels etc. I think in the future a balance between this style and Backpacking RTW Travel will become more and more normal.

Flashpacking

Flashpacking is a new type of backpacking. It is generally where you travel more expensively and with higher living standards.

Many people like to explain the definition of a flashpacker as someone who travels with a lot of tech gear like iPods and laptops and such, but I think that has become so common these days that nearly everyone carry an mp3 player with them, and laptops are hardly something expensive anymore – so the view of a Flashpacker now is more of someone who has all the latest stuff, doesn’t save up for a trip, spends his money on drinking, partying and staying in nicer places.

Another way to define the flashpackers would be to say – ‘THEY BACKPACK IN STYLE’. They prefer to go to the main guidebook destinations, do the main attractions, see what everyone else tells them to see – and they view backpacking more as an extending party than anything else.

The Change Of Backpacking…

Backpacking has changed considerably the last decade. It has always been around, but today it’s easier than ever before. The flight tickets are cheaper, in many places it’s safer, the communication is better etc.

Plus, you don’t have to take care of the boring part of traveling like plane tickets anymore, there are hundreds of organisations over the world that help you with that stuff. Some people actually buy all their tickets to each country (including the one back home) before they’ve even left, through one of these companies.

All you do is to go into their office, tell them where you want to go, how long you’d like to stay in each place, and they’ll book all the flights you need for a trip round the whole world if that’s what you want. Although, they obviously don’t work for free, and certainy won’t spend extra time looking for the cheapest flights.

There are also heaps of tours you can make. How about biking through Africa or New Zealand on a push-bike? These days everything is more easily accessible, so that is also why you start to see more and more people leaving their home towns and exploring the world – which is such a wonderful thing, whatever way you do it.

The Original – Backpacking RTW Travel

This is the type of backpacking that you will find the most information about on our website. Backpacking in this term means traveling on a budget, usually for longer distances, seeing many different countries and for a longer time than normal holiday travelers.

These backpackers can be quite diverse, exploring different cultures and travel both in cities as well as on the country side. Some of them might make a short hike for a few days or do some volunteer work, and then continue their travels – they view backpacking and travel more for seeing amazing new cultures and as a personal growth than as a party, or simply a short get away from the real world – they see the whole world as their home, and don’t really feel a need to get back to the ‘real-world’ anytime soon – travel is their life.

For you who weren’t quite sure what the term backpacking means, I hope this made it more clear for you and that you are now interested in also going out there no matter what type of backpacker you are and start exploring the world. It’s a real fun way to travel and it’s not just young people who do it – backpacking is for everyone!

If you’re already planning a backpacking RTW trip, stay tuned for our next 3 part series about how to choose the right backpack for your trip.