What is the difference between camping and backpacking?

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Whether you decide to go camping, backpacking, or combining the two, you are sure to have a great time in the wilderness, enjoying scenic views and diverse wildlife. However, there is a difference between camping and backpacking.

So what hat is the difference between camping and backpacking? The main difference, is that you are able to take everything you need with you for camping, while backpacking is restricted to keeping only the bare necessities with you at any point in time.

What is camping?

Camping is a form of holiday where you decide to sleep outside. Although some find this strange, with the right equipment and know-how, it can be a liberating and inexpensive break from everyday life – everything that a holiday should be. Y

ou can choose to drive to a campsite, park up and set up camp in one place for a weekend or week. The benefit of driving to the campsite is that you can carry more gear to help you feel more comfortable. 

Of course, you can also camp en route to a destination, whether that be a loop to finish where you started or reach a faraway destination. To carry your belongings, you could opt for the quicker option and go bikepacking.

Literally loading up a bike with all the gear you need to camp. Alternatively, you could hike. If you are walking, you will need to carry everything on your back and are backpacking.


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What is backpacking?

Choosing to go backpacking means that you can make the most of public transport and other forms of transportation to get as far as possible without spending too much money.

You can travel the world by backpacking and if you are doing great distances, it will make more sense to stay in hostels and motels rather than lug all your camping gear on your back the whole time.

For shorter hiking trips, you can easily fit everything you need to camp in a large backpack. 

Camping vs Backpacking

Camping is taking everything you need to sleep outdoors for one or more nights, at the same, or in multiple locations. Backpacking merely is carrying everything you need for your adventure on your back.

As you can appreciate, the lines are blurred, but backpacking is usually associated with international traveling adventures to experience many different cultures. Camping is the perfect way to reconnect with nature; however, you decide to carry your gear.


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Conclusion

Whichever way you choose, both camping and backpacking have a lot of fun aspects about it. While backpacking may be more work, and harder to pack for, you are able to see some awesome scenery that changes constantly. However camping allows you to basically live outside.

Both are fun, yet different ways of being outside!