Tell me what's great about Backpacking?

[dinosaur]

I have placed my hands and fingers in three toed dinosaur tracks.

Darn! And I always try so hard not to leave a trace.

As far as the question goes, it has been pretty well covered. Take everything you need and put it on your back. Then walk away to anywhere. ANYWHERE! How much more freedom can you have?

 

[Newanderthal]

Take everything you need and put it on your back. Then walk away to anywhere. ANYWHERE! How much more freedom can you have?

Once I did just that. I spent several months on Walkabout in the eastern half of the US. In the morning I had no idea where I'd sleep that night. At night, I had no idea where I'd be heading in the morning.

My only regret was coming home.

 

[ppine]

Ghostdog,

Thanks for another stellar post. Kephart got it right.

Eppo,
Thanks for the Leopold quote. I am glad you guys are reading the important stuff in your spare time.

I really like Colin Fletcher, Calvin Rustrum, and Townsend Whelen also.

 

[Eppo]

No servant brought them meals; they got their meat out of the river or went without. No traffic cop whistled them off the hidden rock in the next rapids. No friendly roof kept them dry when they mis-guessed whether or not to pitch the tent. No guide showed them which camping spots offered a night-long breeze, and which a night-long misery of mosquitos; which firewood made clean coals, and which only smoke..... The elemental simplicities of wilderness travel were thrills not only because of their novelty, but because they represented complete freedom to make mistakes. The wilderness gave them their first taste of those rewards and penalties for wise and foolish acts which every woodsman faces daily, but against which civilization has built a thousand buffers.

-- Aldo Leopold