Each year, every INTL Upper School class goes on at least one trip. In general, these trips fall into two categories: camping trips or backpacking trips. Camping trips consist of bringing a bag and a tent, and placing the tent down near the drop-off point. For the rest of the trip, the tent doesn’t move, and participants return each night to sleep. On the other hand, backpacking trips are much more arduous. They consist of bringing a tent and a large backpack, containing all the provisions for the trip. Every day, the tent is packed back into its bag, and participants hike for miles each day before unpacking the tent and resting for the night.
Backpacking is more rigorous and demanding than camping, while camping activities are more flexible. While this allows for participants to have more free time to spend on activities unrelated to hiking, it often leaves many discontented. Oliver Head Ferreras, a current Junior who recently came back from a camping trip reflects on the most recent trip: “I was honestly dissatisfied, and it would have been good to do more things in general.” This school-trip allowed for flexibility in the student’s experience based on their preferences, and Oliver later regretted his choice to take on a less rigorous aspect of the trip. This is the most fatal flaw of camping; although the less demanding activity may seem appealing at first, the experience often leads to a sense of unfulfillment, as the days pass by with nothing to show.
This shows that backpacking can often be a better activity for members. Another 11th Grader, Cevan Ozawa-Burns, stated, “When you backpack, it’s more satisfying when you finish.” Backpacking can not only improve the experience, but the extra hiking can also improve your physical fitness. Carrying all of your items is a great muscle-building exercise. However, for this same reason, backpacking may also not be the right fit for many. Some might prefer to spend their days relaxing in the woods rather than hiking all day, and end up exhausted only to have to continue the very next morning.
Many people do not enjoy the difficulty provided by backpacking. When asking for people’s opinions on this matter, another Junior explained to me: “For me, backpacking is very taxing, it stresses out your back and makes you very tired. I prefer camping where I have the energy to do what I want, over backpacking where it tends to wear you out over the entire trip.” As someone who understands the appeal of backpacking, it is also straightforward to understand why some may not enjoy it; backpacking requires strenuous effort and pushing your limits, which can be uncomfortable. Many might rather relax in nature than engage in strenuous activity on their trips. For them, camping can often be a much better alternative. Camping offers the chance for people to spend time in nature without all the difficulty of backpacking. Additionally, it offers more flexibility as there is no limit to how much you can bring. Nothing restricts the weight or size of objects, other than your mode of transportation to the trip.
If you enjoy physical activity and pushing yourself, backpacking is likely the right activity for you. If you enjoy relaxing in nature, camping is probably the better choice. In the end, both activities offer ample opportunity to enjoy the natural world around us. How you enjoy it is ultimately up to you.
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