Welcome to BackpackingPedia™ -- The Backpacking Encyclopedia
Our Mission:
To create the most complete and definitive source of information about the past and present of Backpacking.
Our Goal:
To be your source for Backpacking related information. We will supply our visitors with up to date news, stories, and information in the Backpacking News Links section above.
Backpacking News Links:
Eco-Friendly Tent Poles
6 Jan 2009 at 5:54pm
Backpacker Magazine November 2008 Eco-Friendly Tent Poles How do manufacturer's make your trusty ...
D. Rose: What the Hell is Going on Here!?
6 Jan 2009 at 6:11am
I spent the last 12 days backpacking around Europe and while keeping an eye on the site via my bl...
Community activities
6 Jan 2009 at 5:24am
The Mary Ingles Trail Blazers will give an introduction to winter camping and backpacking from 6 ...
Drugs, jewels and Versace
6 Jan 2009 at 2:53am
Howard University, over a decade ago, and I was, as you must know by now, the essence of elitist,...
TR: Losing the Paha Sapa Trail
31 Dec 2008 at 8:00am
Forum Topics Replies BACKPACKER's cyber-version of Campfire Chat User active in this forum: 23 25...
Powered by MediaPedia™
Backpacking:1. Travel:
A term that has historically been used to denote a form of low-cost, independent international travel. Terms such as independent travel and/or budget travel are often used interchangeably with backpacking. The factors that traditionally differentiate backpacking from other forms of tourism include but are not limited to the following: use of public transport as a means of travel, preference of youth hostels to traditional hotels, length of the trip vs. conventional vacations, use of a backpack, an interest in meeting the locals as well as seeing the sights.
The definition of a backpacker has evolved as travelers from different cultures and regions participate and will continue to do so, preventing an air-tight definition. Recent research has found that, “...backpackers constituted a heterogeneous group with respect to the diversity of rationales and meanings attached to their travel experiences. ...They also displayed a common commitment to a non-institutionalised form of travel, which was central to their self-identification as backpackers”. Backpacking as a lifestyle and as a business has grown considerably in the 2000's as the commonplace of low-cost airlines, hostels or budget accommodation in many parts of the world, and digital communication and resources make planning, executing, and continuing a long-term backpacking trip easier than ever before.
2. Wilderness:
Backpacking (US) (also tramping or trekking or bushwalking in other countries) combines hiking and camping in a single trip. A backpacker hikes into the backcountry to spend one or more nights there, and carries supplies and equipment to satisfy sleeping and eating needs.
A backpacker packs all of his or her gear into a backpack. This gear must include food, water, and shelter, or the means to obtain them, but very little else, and often in a more compact and simpler form than one would use for stationary camping. A backpacking trip must include at least one overnight stay in the wilderness (otherwise it is a day hike). Many backpacking trips last just a weekend (one or two nights), but long-distance expeditions may last weeks or months, sometimes aided by planned food and supply drops.
Backpacking camps are more spartan than ordinary camps. In areas that experience a regular traffic of backpackers, a hike-in camp might have a fire ring and a small wooden bulletin board with a map and some warning or information signs. Many hike-in camps are no more than level patches of ground without scrub or underbrush. In very remote areas, established camps do not exist at all, and travelers must choose appropriate camps themselves.
In some places, backpackers have access to lodging that are more substantial than a tent. In the more remote parts of Great Britain, bothies exist to provide simple (free) accommodation for backpackers. Another example is the High Sierra Camps in Yosemite National Park. Mountain huts provide similar accommodation in other countries, so being a member of a mountain hut organization is advantageous (perhaps required) to make use of their facilities. On other trails (e.g. the Appalachian Trail) there are somewhat more established shelters of a sort that offer a place for weary hikers to spend the night without needing to set up a tent.
Most backpackers purposely try to avoid impacting on the land through which they travel. This includes following established trails as much as possible, not removing anything, and not leaving residue in the backcountry. The Leave No Trace movement offers a set of guidelines for low-impact backpacking ("Leave nothing but footprints. Take nothing but photos. Kill nothing but time.").
If you have information or links that you would like included in BackpackingPedia™, please email us at: