What is backpacking? - A backpacker packs all of his or her gear into a backpack and hikes into the wilderness for an over night stay. This gear must include food, water, and shelter, or the means to obtain them, but very little else, and often in a more compact and simpler form than one would use for stationary camping. Many backpacking trips last just a weekend (one or two nights), but long-distance expeditions may last weeks.