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Frequently Asked Questions
A: BackPacker.org.uk is different in that unlike many of those sites/magazines we are not really asking you for anything (except your point of view) Backpacker.org.uk will strive to bring you information about the latest movements, ideas and products in the field of budget travel. This site also aims to be a forum for the exchange of views and ideas no matter how controversial. It aspires to look beyond the conventional to all sorts of travel related themes. These include (but are not limited to) urban theory and exploration, psychogeography, the anti-globalization and protest movement and even the philosophy of time and space travel (real travelers shouldn’t feel constrained by anything). Q: What is backpacking? A: Backpacking (or hostelling) is essentially a term for low cost/limited means travel (usually utilizing cheap accommodation). Travelling “light” is essentially as old as Human Beings (who dispersed around the world from their origins on the African continent). The concept of low budget travel has probably existed for a millennia as pilgrims and individuals migrated around the regions of the world that fate decreed they were born in. It is widely agreed that Richard Schirrmann, a German school teacher, is the father of modern backpacking. Schirrmann opened up the Nette school to young travelers in the early twentieth century (probably between 1907 and 1909). The concept of young people from the western world traveling to far flung destinations as a “rite of passage” seems to have been spawned by the so-called “hippie” movement of the late sixties and seventies. During this time many young men and women (who had apparently “dropped out” of society) traveled independently from Europe to India (and beyond).Since then“backpacking” has become a multi-million pound industry spawning an industry in guide books, clothes, accessories etc.. It is the conflict between the original aims and ideals of independent travel and the contemporary reality that this site will aim to examine and try and resolve. Q: Doesn’t backpacking harm the environment/ecology? A: Once upon a time the notion that backpacking damaged the environment/ecology would probably have been greeted with bemusement. However all forms of travel particularly those involving aviation are now suspected of causing a great deal of harm to the natural world. If you take into account the damage caused by commercial ventures such as bungee jumping, white water rafting, gorge swinging etc. (all a big part of many a backpackers itinerary) then there is a lot of evidence to suggest that even shoestring travel can have a big impact on local eco systems and the ecology generally. This site will look out how one can travel while retaining an ethical consideration of your impact on the world around you. Travel is one of humanity’s basic impulses. The idea of not doing it is as absurd to many as not breathing. The crucial question is “How can I travel and do no harm”? Q: Isn’t backpacking just club 18-30 with snob appeal? A: Sometimes, probably yes. Many independent travelers are aware that there often seems to be an unofficial hierarchy to backpacking. Who hasn’t met trail snobs who bore you to tears with self satisfied stories of life on the road. Places visited, lepers hugged, women (or men) bedded, waves surfed, sunsets viewed etc etc. One wonders if these people actually “see” anything. One suspects that many can’t see for looking. These “experience junkies” are often blinded by their own folly. They appear to be motivated by little except thrill seeking and a desire to climb higher into the upper echelons of the futile packers’ “premier league”. However, there are legions of genuine travelers out there who quietly seek out and gain something far richer to this type of travel. Through their imagination, dynamism and sense of shared humanity these twenty first century travelers are the spiritual descendents of their latter day “hippie” forerunners. Q: You seem to have a negative attitude to backpacking? A: There would be no point in creating this site if that were true. However it is true that independent travel has increasingly become a consumer “lifestyle choice” for many people. There is something voyeuristic about it at times. Every whim of the modern traveler can be catered for in modern hostels with “chill out rooms” and satellite TV A lot of packers’ forget that backpacking is an unattainable luxury for most of the world’s population (even though it is regarded as “budget travel” in the affluent west). In the sixties and seventies the early pioneers of modern travel seemed to set out with little other than a desire to see and experience how other human beings lived (while having fun on the way). Modern backpacking often comes across as little other than indulgent hedonism. A box to be ticked on one of the never ending lists of “things to do before you die”. Q: Why focus so much on the third world ( Africa, South America etc). Nobody goes there do they? Why not have a web site about a “popular” destination? Oz, NZ or Thailand. A: It is precisely because many of these locations are unpopular or ignored that they are worthy of attention. Few Internet cafes and “luxury” all mod cons hostels exist in these parts of the world . You are often likely to endure cold showers and a lack of electricity in some of these places. While there is nothing abjectly wrong with following the well-worn trails to OZ, NZ and Thailand, one can’t help but feel that there is something far more challenging (and rewarding) in setting your sites away from the road most traveled. The unknown (or as near to the unknown that exists in the twenty first century) lies in the worlds poorer regions. The material poverty of these areas is often in inversion to their spiritual wealth. Q: What are the forums for? A: The forums can be about whatever you want them to be about (within the boundaries of common decency of course). They can be used to exchange information, look for potential travel companions, contact old acquaintances, or to vent your spleen and put the world to rights. Whatever you like, but NO SPAM and NO ADVERTISING! Q: Can I post my travel tales and pictures on your site? A : Yes, in the forum. But, in the interests of originality it would be far more interesting if visitors could give their views and opinions on modern travel while providing anecdotes etc. |
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