Backpacking and camping – these two terms may sound like they’re interchangeable. After all, both require you to leave the comfort of your home, carry essentials, and have the physical stamina to cover miles with your feet. But there’s more to them than what most people conclude: yes, both backpacking and camping require you to head outside, but each involves a different set of activities and consequently requires different types of preparations.
Below is a breakdown of the nitty-gritty involved in backpacking and camping to help you identify and understand the differences between the two.
Backpacking
With backpacking, typically, you carry essentials like water, clothes, sleeping bags, etc. on your back. The total weight can go up to 45-50 pounds. You then head out to an unexplored city or town, living across hostels and eating local cuisine on a budget.
The backpacking lifestyle requires you to adopt a minimalistic approach, carry what you absolutely need, wear the same shirt for several days, live along with other people in the same room, and cook food on your own. If you’re backpacking across a city where is a shortage of clean water, you also end up purifying water on your own.
The beauty of backpacking is that you get to make lifelong memories and learn things that no one else can teach you. Backpackers are rewarded with new friends, local experiences, and adventures that require them to dig deep into their soul.
First-time backpacking tips
If you’re planning to go on a backpacking trip, it’s recommended that you begin small. A two-day trip to a nearby country or city should make sense. Keep the walking distance to 5 miles or less. Or if you have three days, consider this: enjoy the local cuisine on the first day, then return to your base that night and explore all the places you could visit on Google. On your second and third day, backpack outside.
It’s also a good idea to test your gear before heading outside. New sleeping bag? Try sleeping in them for a day outside of your home. Heavy backpack? Strap it on your back and walk for at least a couple of miles to test your fitness. Same goes for your shoes, water purifier, and emergency kit – test these beforehand. A sore back or an uncomfortable sleeping bag can ruin your experience, but such things are avoidable with the right test preparation plan.
Camping
Camping typically entails heading to a national or state park, stopping by a campsite, and converting an RV or tent into a household for a few days/for the weekend. It can also be termed as car camping because the vehicle you own will be in your close proximity. The other type of camping is heading over to a forest or a mountain. In both scenarios, you’ll be putting together a tent, creating a mini-kitchen, and building a bit of space to put hammocks or camp chairs in.
From this ‘base’ that you’ve set up, you can walk off beyond the boundaries of the camping site with a day hike, exploring nearby trial, or heading off to scenic destinations in the other areas of the forest or park. Then the camper will return to their original spot (the campsite household). This activity is often confused with backpacking because it also requires access to essentials like portable water bottles, water purifiers, sleeping bags, and emergency kits. Most of these items are sold in camp stores country-wide.
Camping has a lot of scenic beauty to offer. You’re less likely to make friends, but you get to experience the wilderness. Families with young ones can also immerse themselves in the experience without missing the warm feel of their home (as their second home) will be set up. Partiers can bring music and cold beer as their heart’s desire. There’s less walking involved too.
First-time camping tips
If you’ve never camped in your life but are interested in the experience, it’s advised that you explore a campsite before heading there. A busy campsite can be crowded with generators, partiers, and chairs – not exactly the ‘experience outdoors in a quiet setting’ type of experience you want. See potential areas where there’d be fewer individuals, like forgotten trials and nearby rivers. You can even take a regular excursion to areas where you see fewer people find potential gems at your campsite of choice.
Another thing to know is that you don’t need to move in with your entire house at your campsite. Bring things like pillows and sleeping bags and a reliable Grizzly cooler, but leave books, pots, Mp3 players, and other similar things at home. While these items are important for certain backpackers, many of them will distract you from the goal of the trip; to escape from your rigorous lifestyle for a couple of days. Yes, your RV can stock up loads of things, but just because it can don’t mean you have to occupy it to the brim. Plus, you’ll need to pack and unpack, so the fewer things you take along, the better.
Our Verdict
As evident, backpacking and camping have a lot of similarities, but they’re very different and involve a different set of activities and experiences. Backpacking would take you across cities and places where you’re likely to meet new people (most of them will be your age if you fall in the millennial demographic), see how a country works, and live on a budget. Camping, on the other hand, would less likely to make you cross paths with a lot of people from different cultures, but you certainly will at some point. However, you’ll be experiencing the outdoors, exploring nature, and enjoying scenic views of mountains and waterfalls.
In a nutshell, both activities have varying benefits. And, if you haven’t camped or backpacked before, see what you’re comfortable with and take a decision. For example, you may want to backpack if you’re interested in seeing Europe or Asia. On the other hand, you may want to camp if you want to enjoy the outdoors with your family. The final decision is yours to take.