In this technology-driven world where rush is the need of the hour, leisure is a often a privilege that comes at a cost. However, physical activities like hiking and backpacking beg to differ. They are an enjoyable and thrifty way to get closer with loved ones and explore the hidden haunts of nature without worrying about the next deadline or traffic jam. It’s common for people to put these activities in the same bracket but the truth is that they are as different from each other as apples are from oranges. Of course, there are similarities too (quite a few actually) but here we are going to focus on the differences between the context of the two words, backpacking and hiking.
1. DEFINITION
What is Hiking?
Hiking is essentially the act of walking in the midst of nature on a well-laid trail or an unknown path. Hiking just requires you to walk briskly at an average speed in a bid to reduce weight, get some fresh air, as well as experience solitude in a place away from the hustle bustle of daily life. People hike through rural areas and along the woods for exercise, pleasure or military training. It’s a leisurely outdoor activity that involves walking in natural surroundings, often in mountains, woodlands or any other scenic terrain.
What is Backpacking?
Backpacking is not very different from hiking. Just like the latter, it involves walking on nature paths. However, the key difference between the two is that backpacking is basically hiking that is done over quite a few days. As a result, backpackers carry a travel pack consisting of tents and daily supplies for camping purposes. In other words, backpacking can be defined as camping on a hike for days at a stretch in natural environments such as forests or mountainous areas.
So what a backpacker does is hike to great distances while looking for suitable spots to set up tents for the night. It’s obviously a more risky and adventurous activity as it allows individuals to enjoy the wilderness at its best without getting distracted by everyday items like cellphones, car horns, and city pollutants. Certain nature parks even offer a more robust housing option such as small rooms and cottages for those who are not confident about sleeping in meager camps.
2. DURATION
Hiking can range from a an hour’s walk to a few days’ walk depending upon the difficulty level of the terrain and capacity of the hiker. Depending on the duration of hike, hikers need to carry equipment like food, water, map, compass, sunscreen, insect repellent, etc.
Backpacking on the other hand, is never done for a day or two. It’s essentially travel mixed with hiking. So backpackers require equipment including camping essentials such as sleeping bags, clothes, tent, first-aid kits, jacket, survival tools and of course, all the materials required by the hikers.
3. CATEGORIES
Over the years, ardent travelers and nature enthusiasts have laid down specific categories for both hiking and backpacking.
What are the Different Types of Hiking?
What are the Different Types of Backpacking?
The definition of backpacking is pretty broad, to say the least. There are backpackers who love tramping in the woods, sleeping in tents and hitch-hiking their way around the globe, while there are those that prefer to backpack in style, with roller-bag suitcases, and sleep in cheap motels, as well as travel around the country in their own car. Both of these are two very different types of traveling, yet they both prefer calling themselves backpackers.
Anyway, the common types of backpacking are:
Ultralight Backpacking
As the name suggests, ultralight backpacking is all about cutting down expenses while hiking for miles and miles in a row. Ultra light backpacks are super light and the sleeping bags are extremely foldable. Ultralight backpackers count every ounce they spend, and even slash their toothbrushes in half to reduce weight. They use small packs, buy lightweight clothes and quick-dry travel towels to make sure their backs don’t hurt after more than 6 months of traveling.
Flashpacking
Flashpacking is a more refined form of backpacking. A flashpacker is someone who is used to higher living standards and hence prefers to travel more expensively. These people travel with tons of tech gear such as laptops, iPods and mp3 players. They simply scour through the main tourist attractions and see what the locals recommend them to see rather than hunting off to distant, off-beat locales and exploring hidden gems without any guidance whatsoever. These people view backpacking as an outdoor party rather than a hard-core adventure.
4. CLOTHING GEAR
Hiking boots are essentially lighter varieties of the heavy-duty mountaineering boots. Depending on their intended activity, hikers can choose between lightweight boots, lightweight shoes, and heavier boots. The only difference is that boots designed for backpacking are sturdier and heavier. They are entirely made of leather and thus offer more support when bearing heavy loads for week-long outings.
Another point of difference between hiking and backpacking gear is sock liner. Sock liners are strongly recommended for backpacking excursions. A liner is a thinner sock designed to act as the first layer on your feet. The next layer is the backpacking/hiking sock of choice which is followed by a pair of boots. A sock liner lowers friction against your skin, thereby precluding the onset of sores.
5. TYPES OF TRAVEL PACKS
The main difference between backpacks and hiking packs is that a backpack has a hidden back flap where you can comfortably tuck in shoulder straps and hip-belts to prevent them from getting trapped in airport conveyor belts. Additionally, backpacks have the following features that hiking packs don’t:
A feature-rich backpack may be nice to use but the additional features come at the cost of weight. And most people opt for light and basic packs with nothing more than a top loader, the main compartment, as well as two side-pockets (or none). These are merely generalizations and the fact is that packs come in a diverse array of sizes, weights and features.
6. ESSENTIALS & EQUIPMENT REQUIRED
A Checklist of Hiking Essentials
Hiking requires a couple of essentials only, however, the list may extend depending upon the time you spend hiking. Here is a rough checklist of items to consider stuffing in your travel pack:
A Checklist of Backpacking Essentials
Backpacking requires more than the items listed for hiking. After all, it’s a lengthy and arduous activity that requires you to stop at multiple places. Here’s a rough list of items needed:
7. Location
Hiking and backpacking are both outdoor activities and hence you might that choosing a place for either should come down to the same set of criteria. However, you are mistaken. The key factors to consider while choosing a hike are difficulty level, rating and elevation. And when it comes to backpacking, you need to ensure that the path you choose is safe for solo travel and consists of a well-established tourist network. We have elaborated the criteria for both in detail below:
Hiking Difficulty
Several parameters like distance, elevation gain and terrain of the trail go into determining the hiking difficulty of a trip. A shorter path set a lower elevation is considered to be easy, while the longer, more steeper trail with obstacles is supposed to be more difficult.
Rating
Rating is another way to determine the difficulty level of a hike and choose a location accordingly. Most hikes come under class 1 or 2. Classes above that involve climbing and scrambling where you have to use your hands for balance.
Just keep in mind that Class 2 is quite a broad category and it’s best to go through route descriptions to understand if all the portions of the hike are doable.
Here is a breakdown of the classes:
As far as backpacking is considered, you will have to look into a couple of additional factors such as:
8. Purpose
Hikers swear by hiking while backpackers swear by backpacking. The latter fail to see the point of hiking because hikers just keep walking for miles without a specific purpose and then walk back to the starting point. And at the end of it all, they get sore feet and muscle ache. Backpacking is thought to be smarter as it gives you the opportunity to visit different places at low costs and that too without compromising on modern comforts. However, there is a reason why hiking is so popular. We have listed a few:
Backpacking on the other hand, is more of a life adventure rather than a day-long or week-long trip. It’s a nice activity for anyone who has plenty of free time, as well as some extra bucks to spare, and for those who wish to see the world on a limited budget. The lines between luxury and adventure somewhat merge in backpacking, while they stay distinct in hiking.
Backpacking or Hiking: Who Wins?
At the end of the day, it’s all about doing something out of the box and spending time with Mother Nature, and both hiking and backpacking accomplish that. They are easy and fun activities that help you stay fit and reward you with splendid memories and photographs that remind you of a world far more peaceful and blissful than the humdrum of the material realm!
I would consider myself to be at level one at hiking, however , I been exploring at different canyons: Eagle rock in tapanga in the valley, the potatoe chip , in San Diego and a few others. But I want to become more experienced, to challenge myself to face my fears, to camp outdoors!!! Please give me some ideas, some input on how to expand?
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