Backpacking

outdoor adventure · hiking · camping · travel

Gear on your back. Backpackers carry a pack loaded with tent, sleeping bag, food, and clothes while walking for days or weeks. This lets you explore remote wilderness areas far from towns and roads.

Different shelters worldwide. In North America, backpackers usually pitch tents, but in Europe you might stay in mountain huts, and in New Zealand there's a network of huts built just for hikers called trampers.

Many names, same adventure. Backpacking goes by different names depending where you are: hill walking in Britain, tramping in New Zealand, trekking in remote mountains, and bushwalking in Australia.

Days-long journeys. A backpacking trip lasts more than one day and can stretch for weeks, taking you through forests, mountains, and valleys that most people never see.

Self-reliant exploration. Unlike day hikes, backpacking means you carry food and shelter, so you can go deep into wild areas where there are no stores or towns nearby.