You can think of backpacking as a combination of hiking and camping for extended periods of time. You carry everything you need for your adventure in a backpack and travel from one location to another by foot, setting up your camp every night you are on the trail. Thus your backpack is much heavier than it would be if you were just going on a day hike. You must carry your tent, sleeping bag, sleep pad, clothes, lamp, food, water, and stove among other items. 

 

          Backpacking is different from car camping mainly because you are continuously moving locations; in other words, your “home base” is different every night. In addition, you are off-the-grid, you find your own water source and filter it to drink, and you go to the bathroom in mother nature. Backpacking offers more seclusion than hiking or camping because you go on multi-day trips that take you to locations that are often too far for most hikers to go in a day and that are only accessible by foot. Make sure you've done a lot of hiking and camping (and are comfortable doing both) before you try backpacking. Backpacking makes car camping feel luxurious!  

 

          Backpacking is not for everyone and if it isn’t for you, that is okay! It is arguably the least glamorous outdoor activity. You are completely dependent on yourself and mother nature when backpacking. Backpackers often embark on much more rigorous and difficult voyages to get to places only accessible via multi-day foot travel. They often encounter more technical terrain than day hikers, are familiar with unpredictable or extreme weather, experience a lot of highs and lows on the trail, and get very stinky and dirty (you don’t take a shower unless you jump in a river or lake)! Backpacking requires more outdoor experience and preparation than hiking and camping.

 

          So why backpack? We have to admit that some of the most beautiful sights we’ve seen, some of the craziest things we’ve experienced, some of the best memories we've made, and some of the best learning experiences we’ve had come from backpacking. Backpacking is more about the journey than the destination. It is for those who appreciate being pushed out of their comfort zone, are looking for growth, or find pleasure from being deep in mother nature.

 

Happy trails!