Hiking Vs. Backpacking
Hiking and backpacking are similar activities at their core. They both involve taking a long walk through nature. However, taking the leap from being a hiker to being a backpacker can be a big one. It’s also not a progression that is right for everyone. Comparing hiking vs. backpacking can help you determine which one is right for you.
What Is Hiking?
Hiking typically refers to a long walk on trails or foot paths emersed in nature. Typically, people treat it as an activity or event that will take up a decent portion of the day. Although that’s not always the case. Some people may go on a quick 30-60 minute hike as a way to get some exercise and fresh air in their day.
A hike differs from a walk mainly by difficulty and setting. Hikes tend to be on rougher terrain with more elevation changes than a walk would. They also take place in national parks or other vast outdoor areas maintained for outdoor recreation. These routes will feature natural sights such as waterfalls, mountains, or rivers.
What is Backpacking?
Backpacking is a multi day excursion in nature where you carry your food, shelter, and clothing on your back. It’s a mix of hiking and camping, where you set up camp wherever you end your hike for the day.
Typically, backpacking means spending a couple of nights in the backcountry. However, the length of your trip can very substantially. Some people backpack to spend one night in the forest. Others will take on large trail segments, such as the Pacific Crest Trail, and spend a month or more in nature.
Regardless of how long you’re in the wilderness, you’re spending the entirety of your trip outside. Backpackers sleep in tents or alternative shelters, store their food in the trees to avoid animals from snagging it, and squat behind a tree when nature calls. You are truly roughing it when you go backpacking.
Hiking Vs. Backpacking
We have friends who are eager to load up their gear and come along with us on backpacking trips. We also have friends who prefer to plan a trip around day hikes and comfortable stays in hotels. Both types of trips are wonderful experiences in nature. It’s just a matter of personal preference.
Hiking is Right For…
Hiking is an easy hobby to get into. You can make a hike long or short, intense or easy. It’s something you can do in just about any public park or forest.
You don’t need much gear, either. Just a good pair of hiking boots or shoes and a day pack to carry water, snacks, and other necessities.
This low barrier to entry makes it a perfect activity for anyone to get into.
Trips dedicated to day hikes are a good fit for people who want to enjoy nature, but have their limits to how immersed in nature they’d like to be. Bugs start to really bother them after a while, they don’t like sleeping in a tent, and they don’t want to go to bed without taking a hot shower first.
If you’re someone who wants to sleep in a bedroom, needs indoor plumbing, craves wifi access, or is frightened by the thought of a bear showing up to camp, hiking might be a better fit for you.
Backpacking is Right For…
Backpacking takes a little more effort to get involved in. You need a lot more gear, more planning, and a greater interest in being in nature. If you are ambitious enough to go ultralight, you’ll be putting in even more effort to this activity.
Here is a list of all the things I bring along on a backpacking trip. Many of these items you may have at home, others you may have to buy. Though buying this gear may seem like a large investment up front, you’ll likely be saving quite a bit of money on trips in the long run. You’ll buy a tent, but won’t have to pay for expensive hotel rooms. You may buy pricy backpacking meals, but you won’t have to pay for expensive restaurant meals. Or you can make your own cheap meals with these meal ideas.
For the traveler on a budget, backpacking is an excellent option. Once you spend money on your gear, the cost of a trip is fairly low.
Backpacking is also a far more immersive travel experience. You go into these beautiful wildernesses and you truly live in it for days. For people who love nature, there is nothing better than waking up on a secluded mountainside and hiking on paths too deep in the backcountry for the masses to explore.
For the hiker who loves the outdoors, doesn’t mind sleeping on the ground (or in a hammock), and feels comfortable bathing in a lake or river, backpacking is an incredible adventure.
Conclusion
Which is right for you, Hiking or Backpacking? It depends a lot on your personal preferences and level of comfort with the outdoors. Backpacking certainly isn’t for everyone, but hiking can be! So long as you’re enjoying nature and getting some steps in on the trails, you have our approval.
