What is Backpacking?

Who does not know Backpacking? A lot of people particularly westerners and Europeans know very well about this word. But I am pretty sure a large number of people exist in this world who does not know about Backpacking.

How about a country (like third world countries) where it’s more important to feed whole families instead of spends time on tours, traveling, or other entertainments. I know a lot of people (Middle class) in my country who has not visit even neighbor cities of their country and their life cycle congested into home to job place and then back to home. But as I thought we only get life once we only live once. if we get chance why not some time for our self.

Let discuss what is backpacking. Any person who carries all essential his/her luggage on his back for short or long term travelling called backpacker. It is way of budget travelling. If you
are going to very remote areas, Jungles, or on mountains where you cannot find hotels or restaurants for food then backpacking is the finest way for exploring new places.

A backpacker packs everything that he needed while exploring new places  like camp for night stay, Rucksack for easy carrying all his/her  luggage,  food, day packs,  eggs,  clothes,  sleeping bag and a lot of things that he/she like to take. for more details about this topic click on wikipidia.

Backpacking trips may consist of just an overnight stay, a weekend or for months. Mostly travelers like it because through backpacking we can travel very economically and it helps to explore that places where roads, hotels, restaurants does not exists. 
So I also like backpacking. We all are used to for cooked food, comfortable beds but when you cook your own food after tough hiking on mountain that caused a lot of tiredness and sleep in tents that moments are the unforgettable moments of whole travelling.

I also did not know what is backpacking or camping tour. Some years ago a friend of mine came from Qatar. We met at coffee shop he invited me for backpacking tour. I was surprised about the word backpacking because its totally new thing for me however he told me all details about backpacking. He knew very well it is not possible that I will refuse to go with him. He gave me a list of all material and told me collect that material for tour like Rucksack, Rain Jacket and trouser, hiking shoes, sleeping mattress. I searched on google about camping tour. At the end I went to Balakot (A city of NWFP Province Pakistan) but I did a several mistakes and that caused lot of tiredness, illness, weakness and skin burnt because of sunshine. 

So I want to give some advice newbie’s who likes hiking tours and want to become a backpacker.

Some tips for newbie’s

• Whenever you plan for backpacking or hiking tour it is better to start any kind of exercise like bicycling, walking, or swimming near about 15 days or one month before. any exercise will increase your stamina and help a lot in hiking.

• I highly recommend to all newbie’s with out proper material don’t go on hiking tour. You should go with proper rucksack, sleeping bag, waterproof trouser and jacket, hiking stick and hiking shoes. With out all material may be some one encountered in a big problem. When I went first time for hiking tour I took all material but not hiking shoes. I felt I could encountered into a big problem and I was there with regular shoes. My shoes stitches has been broken after some hour. The protection of your feet needs to be given top priority when hiking. Foot pain or discomfort can quickly take the fun out of hiking, and an injury could prevent you from walking at all. so I decided I will go to next tour with proper arrangements.

• Don’t forget to bring some medicines with you like pain killers, headache tablets etc.

• Normally when some one go to Mountain for hiking tours we don’t care about sun heat but sun burnt our skin in some hours. So a sun blocks cream or a big handkerchief should with you.

• We forget our safety from wilds during planning of hiking. So if you are with a group so one gun should be with you and everybody should have a small knife or pepper spray.