If this is your first adventure into the unknown world of backpacking, be excited. You are about to embark on one of the greatest experiences of your life. Great authors like Thoreau and Emerson advocated the simple an natural existence that backpacking offers, but why? What is it about this experience that influenced them so strongly? Let’s explore a few of the reasons people love backpacking so much.
- It offers a unique view of nature. Ultimately when you are backpacking, it shows you how indifferent nature is to your presence. Whatever you do you can’t change the weather, the sunset. You realize just how small you are in relation to the world. This perspective helps you clear your mind and recognize the value of life.
- You get to see something special. Packing everything up in your hiking backpack allows you to get deeper into a park or recreation area, it allows you to get away from the crowds and go beyond the tourist level. You can see wilderness undisturbed and appreciate the beauty and value of nature in its purest form.
- You can appreciate the quiet. In the wilderness you can get away from the constant noise and bustle of city life. Away from the stresses and speed of motorized transport and technology, you can appreciate the true essence and nature of life. It offers a chance to realize that life isn’t really about e-mails and twitter, but the serene and beautiful experiences of sight, smell, and sound.
- You can escape the stress. Getting away is one of the goals of every vacation right? But how often do you go somewhere where you literally can’t check your e-mail. It might not seem like it at first, but sometimes getting outside the G3 network is a great idea.
- Gain a sense of accomplishment. Remember when your mom told you that if it wasn’t hard it wasn’t worth doing? Well, she was right, when you go out in the wilderness and living on nothing is a certain accomplishment, it proves that you can do something hard, and builds independence. When I look in my gear closet, at my North Face jacket, or my Marmot tent , my heart swells with pride thinking of all the places I have gone, and all the challenges I have completed.
- Find yourself in the woods. In the stillness of nature you have the clarity of mind and freedom of time to re-examine your life. By eliminating distractions you are given the time and ability for introspection. When we truly understand ourselves we are most able to affect the world around us. The author Tich Nat Hahn wrote we cannot make peace with the world around us until we make peace with ourselves.Backpacking offers this opportunity.
- Learn to appreciate the undeveloped world. Sometimes in our development focused world we view natural areas as unused areas. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Backpacking helps us view the world the way indigenous people do, as our mother, and our partner. It can help us realize we should live in harmony with it, and that it affects us in every aspect of our lives. It teaches us that we should respect it, protect it, and appreciate it.
- Recharge for the daily grind. Sometimes a change of scenery is just what we need, getting away from the office can help us realize the value we get out of our lives. This way when we return to our desks, we can feel refreshed, and with our newly recharged batteries, we can go on to conquer the world.
Everyone goes backpacking for different reasons, but everyone get something out of it. The experiences on trail are like no other experiences you can have. They teach you about yourself and your environment in a way that few things can. These lessons and benefits are absolutely invaluable. Everyone should be lucky enough to experience the joys of backpacking.
