Comments on: Is Flashpacking Killing The Art Of Backpacking?

By: chymali

chymali — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 20:43:38 +0000

What’s wrong with planning? You’re implying that a true backpacker is someone that doesn’t have a lot of money to spare and I would think that by that, they would plan because it’s a lot cheaper to get things ahead of time.

By: arcu-409

arcu-409 — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:13:08 +0000

Seriously this The Brave and the Free Backpacker thing seems totally over-hyped. Been travelling on and off for 30 years, but it seems most backpackers travel in bigger than ever packs, Lonely Planet in hand………….

By: Tortuga_traveller

Tortuga_traveller — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:29:10 +0000

Not sure if the article is 100% on target. When I travelled in Eastern Europe, hostels were far and few between, and i only found one in Georgia. I took hotel rooms out of lack of choice.

I don’t carry many electronics, true, but I have been known to carry a small laptop, and would do so again, they;ve gotten so small cheap, and to some extent, expendable.

I’d define flashpaking as more about ticking off destination points and hopping from place to place rather than where one sleeps. Does it matter where one sleeps if one never interacts with other hostel members?

I ran into this situation in NYC among other places, in the NY international Hostel, a huge place with over 40 rooms, lord knows how many.

Place was full of people I wanted to talk to, except, on a beautiful spring day in NYC, they all seemed to be talking to their more important others or surfing the net. They might as well have not left home.

So electronics do play part in ‘flashpacking’. I really think the poing of the article is that people who don’t interact with other backpackers by common modes of transport or places of lodging, who tick off lists, are flashpackers, while people who value human contact with other travellers and foriegners, who take common modes of transport and sleeping are ‘real’ backpackers.

That argument may be tenable, if thats how you want to define that group more tech savvy and home-conscious than travel, people, and place conscious.

There is a word for flashpacker. Flaneur- a tourist who gives gaze, but does not give or commit with their soul.
its probably one of the prime sins of many travellers, backpackers, flashpackers, or hotel/ package group tourist.

By: LilaBear

LilaBear — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 01:45:59 +0000

I haven’t back/flashpacked yet, but when I do go next year I’ll be between the two. Probably staying in 1 or 2 star hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs etc or maybe private rooms in hostels. I’ll be booking some of our stuff ahead of time (probably not all) because we’ll be going for a limited amount of time and this reduces flexibility anyway.
The only ‘computer’ we are likely to take is an iPhone (*maybe* an iPad-type thing for updating blogs and storing photos etc but probably not). I have little interest in meeting other foreigners in hostel environments. Isn’t meeting other travellers missing the point of travelling to a location and meeting the locals? You say “Flashpacking for me, seems like a style of traveling to simply “tick the box” and to be able to say “I’ve been there“”. What a load of rubbish. Think about the percentage of backpackers that are just interested in partying, getting drunk, etc! The difference between flashpackers and backpackers is *how* they travel. Not where or why.

(While you clarify in a later comment you are referring to long-term travel and not vacations, this does not factor in to your original article. TBH, I think anyone who quits their job/ takes extended unpaid leave to travel extensively is obviously *not* going just to say “I’ve been there/done that”, regardless of how they travel.)

By: YearAroundWorld

YearAroundWorld — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:55:49 +0000

Is Backpacking Killing the Art of Hitchhiking?

Backpackers are often simply affluent kids with larger disposable income. They choose to travel in more comfort than the average hitchhiker, often avoiding walking or bumming rides from strangers and opting for fancy hostels with bunk-beds & full kitchens over sleeping in barns & fields.

Backpackers are commonly quite tech-savvy and pack a variety of technological items including: backpacks, shirts, toilet paper, and shoes.

Backpacking for me, seems like a style of traveling to simply “tick the box” and to be able to say “I’ve been there“, which is completely missing the point. Begging on the streets for months at a time, and getting beaten up for jumping freight trains is a much more “authentic” way to travel.

By: Christine Cantera

Christine Cantera — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:29:25 +0000

I don’t think there is a “point of backpacking” to miss or get. People should just do what they want, you know? Why define it?

By: Mariette Kelly-McClintock

Mariette Kelly-McClintock — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:34:15 +0000

I totally agree with this article. I am old school backpacker – ok yeah I am also way older than the current backpackers. I can not understand people with laptops or people sitting in internet cafe’s. Part of the whole backpacking is being by yourself. There is nothing so freeing as not having contact with your everyday live. Don’t get me wrong, my family/friends know where I am heading to, and then I will check in once every 2 to 4 weeks – mostly via postcard.
Backpacking is combination of many experiences and one of it for me is absorbing the experiences, chewing on it by myself, processing it etc – how can you do this if you on the computer bragging over your every mundane experience.

By: Melissa-307

Melissa-307 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:02:27 +0000

Pharaonick & Texas:
Thanks for making me laugh out loud first thing in the morning! Have a smile on my face to last the whole day now.
The other comment I wanted to make was that TravMonkey has given me a new viewpoint to consider and for that – thank you.

By: MsTravelingPants

MsTravelingPants — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:51:58 +0000

The point was to draw discussion. And, certainly you did with this post.

I have done traveling both of the ways mentioned as well as corporate travel where you only see the inside of the airport, hotel room, & conference room.

I guess I would be of the position that no matter what way each decides to travel at least one is traveling. I certainly prefer a more local’s experience, but depending on one’s style I think it can be done in backpack or backpack with laptop or even in a more luxurious surroundings.

I have been stalled for a few months of all types of my travel so I am living vicariously through all of you as well as my past journeys.

Ms Traveling Pants

By: Craze_b0i

Craze_b0i — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:01:43 +0000

“Isn’t the point of travel to open your eyes to new experiences and be more integrated with the world you are passing through?”

Perhaps, but not necessarily. I think the point of travel can be anything you want it to be. Even if all you want is to do is go to Paris and take a photo of the Eiffel Tower.