Comparing Car Camping to Backpacking

Car camping and backpacking are two very different things, although they can both be called camping. With car camping, you pack what you need in your car, drive to the campsite, and park there. Backpacking, however, requires you to carry your entire campsite (tent, food, supplies) in a backpack, and hike to your campsite. Backpacking is more associated with long distance hiking, where hikers might take days to reach their destination and make multiple camps along the way. Either way, each has its own pros and cons.

Car camping is convenient, because you do not have to worry about weight. Whatever fits into your vehicle is fair game to bring. Backpacking loses in this category, because every ounce counts. Ounces add up to pounds, and gravity becomes your worst enemy on the trail. Therefore a backpacking camp will be much more primitive than a car camp. Food is heavy, so you may have to settle for dried / lesser quality food when backpacking. Backpackers should never carry more than 1/3 of their body weight in their backpack.

One advantage backpacking has over car camping is that hikers get to access pristine remote campsites without potentially being disturbed by obnoxious neighbors. However there can be crowds and different kinds of people at both car campgrounds, and backpacking campsites, so you never know what you are going to get with both. Additionally, you will see sensational views, bond with your trail mates, and have experiences on the trail that others may not ever get to have in their lifetime. Backpacking is a unique experience that cannot be replicated by driving a car to a campsite.

Car camping wins with safety, because if something happens, you have access to your vehicle and can get to help quickly. With backpacking, you are reliant on your first aid kit, and if you have an emergency, help could be miles away on foot. If you are backpacking, you should tell a family member or friend exactly where you are planning to go, and even carry a cell phone that gets service where you will be.

If you have not done either, you should start with the more civilized car camping to see how you like being in the wilderness, and then step it up to backpacking. Make sure you at least have experience with hiking and carrying backpacks before you commit to a backpacking excursion. Both car camping and backpacking allow you to have fun and appreciate the wilderness, but they are different experiences entirely.