Backpacking (travel)

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Backpacking is a subculture of generally youthful travellers exploring the planet on a limited budget. They refer to themselves as backpackers because they can be roughly defined as travellers that travel with a rucksack (a large backpack) instead of a suitcase. They may go hiking and camping, backpacking in the other sense, but they more often explore more urban settings. United in having slim wallets as well as a passion for the exotic, they seek out low-cost options such as sharing lifts, standby flights (or if the backpacking trip is circumglobal, a relatively cheap round-the-world air ticket which permits numerous stops), youth hostels, free hospitality services and buying food at supermarkets abroad instead of going to restaurants. They often collect in beautiful places with low costs of living such as Goa (India), Essaouira (Morocco), or Thailand. Australia's East Coast is also a very popular destination for many backpackers, and many travel and work in the area long-term in order to finance shorter trips to New Zealand and Fiji as well as other South Pacific Destinations.

Two Danish backpackers in front of the Vienna State Opera in July 2005

They are generally very social, and a highlight for many backpackers is meeting others on the road. They are quick to share advice on great sights, cheap accommodation, and e-mail addresses. Many strive to meet locals wherever they visit but find that the loose network of backpackers makes them feel at home instantly in a foreign country. When backpackers stay in one place for a while, they often seek a house-share with numerous other backpackers and are likely to share a room to keep the costs down. The common language of backpackers is overwhelmingly English to varying levels of fluency. Britons and Germans typically form among the most common backpacker nationalities in the world, in addition to Canadians and numerous other Western European nations.

Many backpackers gain temporary work (usually low-paid, unskilled, casual, and sometimes in violation of local labor laws) in the countries they visit. For instance, London's pubs are well known for the number of Australian bartenders working in them; "Irish pubs" the world over hire Irish backpackers, although few Irish backpackers would drink in them. In Australia, fruit picking is a popular job among backpackers, although it can be physically demanding and many accumulate their fair share of blisters, scratches and cuts.

Backpacker culture is perhaps typified by the Lonely Planet series of guidebooks, which is often referred to as the 'Backpacker bible'. The Rough Guide series of guidebooks are also popular.

Over the years, a backpacking trip is often considered as a rite of passage for many young people in primarily Western and other developed nations. Many college graduates undertake backpacking trips immediately after their college graduation and prior to their full-time employment as a way to assert independence, an opportunity to experience other cultures, and an escapist preparation (or simply delay) for the inevitable drudgery of their upcoming employment. An unfortunate backfire of this lifestyle is that many backpackers suffer through bouts of depression in various degrees upon the return to their hometowns, finding that they have little in common with many of their original friends or that they have moved elsewhere, as is typical for people in their early or mid twenties. The mundane aspects of settled life are also difficult for many experienced backpackers to bear, and find that they repeatedly get the so called "Traveller's Itch".

The concept of a long-term backpacking trip for citizens of the United States is noticeably weaker compared to other affluent countries, often because the US lacks the relatively easy reciprocal work agreements that exist between British Commonwealth nations and a number of European Union countries for twenty-somethings. Because of these constraints, there is often a false perception that Americans are relatively poorly travelled or are uninterested in such pursuits.

On the lighter side, people who return from longer backpacking trips often have a greater appreciation for their own priviledged upbringing, especially when much of their travels took place in third world countries. Furthermore, these backpackers can return to their homeland with a strong network of friends from around the globe, and backpackers who form friendships are often very receptive to provide free accommodation and sightseeing for each other if both parties ever travel through their hometowns or residence in the future.

Novels about backpackers include William Sutcliffe´s Are You Experienced? (India), Alex Garland´s The Beach (Thailand), Emily Barr's Backpack (India, Vietnam, China), John Harris's The Backpacker (India, Thailand, and Australia) and Ingrid Marson's The Rules of Backpacking (Australia, Thailand, Cambodia, South Africa).

Although not exactly about backpackers, Jack Kerouac's 1957 novel On the Road can be seen as very influential in the formation of youthful travelling subcultures.

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