{"id":993,"date":"2019-06-13T14:00:13","date_gmt":"2019-06-13T20:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carcampingtips.com\/?p=993"},"modified":"2022-03-14T06:40:32","modified_gmt":"2022-03-14T11:40:32","slug":"camping-vs-backpacking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/camping-vs-backpacking\/","title":{"rendered":"Camping vs. Backpacking: The Showdown"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Camping of any sort is fun. But if you are deciding between a backpacking trip and a camping trip, sometimes it’s tough to know what to put your energy into. Should you go on a week-long camping trip? Or a week-long backpacking trip? Which one is better? Or rather, which one is better for you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before we begin, let’s quickly define the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most common meaning when people say “camping” means “car camping” which means camping within close proximity (often within sight) of your car. You drive up to your campground, either at a city, state, or federal park, and then you park, make a few trips carrying your stuff to your camping pad, and spend a night or two there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Car Camping” can also mean to literally sleep within your vehicle. I’ll be referring to the first definition of camping (meaning you are still sleeping in a tent), but to be fair, the experience of camping in your car isn’t wildly different from sleeping in a tent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many camping locations are nearby to cities and civilization in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The term backpacking means you are carrying all of your camping gear on your back (or perhaps shared among a few others), to wherever you mean to go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Backpacking often has a destination in mind, but not always. Sometimes a backpacking trip is a thru-hike, or a loop with no end point, where the entire purpose of the trip is to enjoy the scenery and to enjoy the physical challenge of carrying your house on your back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead of breaking camp at a very well-established campsite with a fire-pit and a picnic table, you are breaking camp at some random point near the trail, and your goal is to leave no evidence at all that you were ever there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are many backpacking trips where you are aiming to reach a specific feature, such as a mountain, a lake, or a river. You create a base camp where you leave the tents and gear up, leaving you able to explore and enjoy your time in the wilderness without your heavy pack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many backpacking locations are remote and secluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To compare camping vs. backpacking, we’ll discuss both in these categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n