Myanmar Backpacking History And Practice

By Pamela Roberts


Backpacking falls among outdoor recreational activities. Like the name suggests, people carry their gear in a backpack. The gear carried comprises of clothing, bedding, food, water, shelter and cooking kit. How long the activity lasts depend on the individual and can vary from a single day to several months. However, it must involve spending a minimum of one night outside for it to be called backpacking. Long trips involve regular resupply.

People engage in this activity for different reasons. Good backpackers are conscious of the environment and ensure that their activities cause as little pollution as possible. In an attempt to achieve this, some stay in established trails, carry garbage out and avoid disturbing vegetation. Myanmar backpacking culture is very advanced and people ensure that they follow the leave no trace movement ethos.

The journey and activities of hikers are directed by the movement ethos. The movement ethos stipulates that backpackers should kill only time, keep nothing, leave only footprints, and take only photos. The individuals should be prepared to come across some level of difficulty during the quest. Difficulty comes in different forms including dangerous animals, heights, difficult terrains, adverse weather, and treacherous water crossings among others. Surviving the experience may require a survival gear and the necessary skills.

Some hiking sites have campsites for resting and sleeping at night before venturing out during the day. The campsites have fire rings, area maps, outhouses, and bulletin boards. Most campsites lack underbrush and are in form of level grounds. Campsites cannot be found in remote areas, which forces backpackers to find their own sleeping and resting spots.

There are certain pieces of equipment that are needed for successful backpacking. A backpack tops the list of necessities. The choice of backpack should be based on suitability for the exercise in terms of size, fit, material, and utility. The choice of a backpack is followed by the choice of footwear and clothing. This may be dictated by the kind of conditions expected and period of stay. A sleeping bag and food are also necessary. Survival skills and kit complete the list of necessities.

Carrying shelter is not necessary, but some backpackers proceed to do so. Other items that may be considered of relative importance include cook kit, water purification mechanism and water container. People often carry food in ready-made form when the trip is in places where food facilities can be accessed. Otherwise, they carry food that can go for a long time without going bad.

It is critical to observe the weight of the backpack in this exercise. The weight should not exceed a quarter of the weight of the individual carrying the pack. As such, a lot of scrutiny should be done to all items packed inside the pack. Although expensive, the modern market has a lot of lightweight gear to purchase.

Lightweight gear is made in a way as not to compromise durability or utility. Most of the lightweight products are made using specialty plastics, impregnated fabrics, lightweight alloys, and carbon fiber among other materials. The exercise of backpacking varies from one country to another, with more common factors among Western countries.




About the Author:



No comments :

Post a Comment