So we have determined that you are not a tourist, but a backpacker – right? But kind are you? Well, it all depends on your age, for starters, and the goals of your trip. If you are in your early to mid-20s, for example, you might be looking mostly to party, get laid and have tons of fun involving adrenalin rushes, while the cultural aspects of your destination takes second or third priority. If you are in your 30s, you are probably taking a shorter time for your trip but are seeking more refined experiences, from nature to famous historical sights. And when you are a bit older yet, you are likely to seek solitude and take things more slowly and quietly. But regardless of age, I would venture to say that there are 3 basic groups of backpackers:
Extreme backpackers
If you come from any big city, you have probably seen homeless people. Well, these guys are bona fide homeless who travel. You have probably met these guys – hair that hasn’t been washed for so long it starts dreading up on its own, very tan and skinny bodies, a guitar or a didgeridoo tied to their beaten up backpack right next to worn-out sandals, dozens of thread bracelets on their wrists… Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for these guys. They can survive on literally a couple of dollars per day. They sleep on a beach in a hammock, in their own tent, or couch-surf; they hitchhike instead of taking buses; they cook all their meals from the food they either buy in cheapest possible places of pick from trees. They have all the time in the world. Some of them have no money at all, but I have met extreme backpackers for whom this kind of traveling is like a sport – to see how much of the world they can cover in conditions closes to absolute poverty. And everybody could learn a thing of two from them, as these guys are true survivors of the road. A lot of surfer backpackers tend to be quite extreme as surfing kinda presumes spending lengthy periods of time at the same location.
Moderate backpackers
The meat part of the bell-curve – this is probably 70-80% of backpackers out there. You know who you are – you are on your first or second serious trip, you stay exclusively in hostels, you party in hostels, too, because it’s cheaper and you are keen on hanging out with the other travelers. You don’t mind taking tours, usually arranged from your hostel, not because it’s cheap, but because you, again, prefer doing things in a group. You drink a lot of beer, you eat street food or cook, but it doesn’t matter because you are having a time of your life.
Backpackers-explorers
This type tends to be a bit older, a bit more experienced, and tends to travel solo. These folks like to do their own thing, and by doing that, they seek privacy and solitude over noisy parties and group activities. Typically, these guys are too old for noisy dorms, so they prefer to stay in private rooms. A lot of time, they are working people who have some time off to go see the aurora borealis in Iceland, dive with the sharks in Australia or trek in Ladakh. Some of these activities require substantial cost, so normally, these guys can afford a bit more than the typical first-time backpacker. Nothing wrong with that. You can still apply backpacking philosophy to your journey.
Backpacking is for everyone – but what kind are you?