Roughly two years ago, as a fairly new backpacker and bushcrafter but a relatively strong hiker, I packed my rucksack and car and set off on a self-supported solo tour of Scotland. You can find my video documentary of the trip here (to my more experienced self it is pretty cringeworthy though). As I packed for what was to be my first proper backpacking experience my biggest concern was being prepared for anything and everything. A query on a bushcraft forum instructed me to expect anything from -4* C and blizzards to hot sun, so I packed for both of those. I wanted to cook good meals to keep the calories up, so I packed my stainless steel billy can and frying pan. At the time I wasn’t all that confident in my ability to light a fire, so in went a stove and gas canister in addition to a fire kit. I was going to be relying on boiling water at the beginning and end of the day for water purification, so that meant packing my stainless steel canteen in addition to a water bladder to keep me hydrated through the day.
At the end of it all, I had filled my 88 Litre pack to the brim full of ‘essential equipment’. With water and food, I think I came in around 25kg which is pretty close to 45% of my bodyweight. Hefting that bag onto my shoulder instantly vanquished my plans to trail hike the 4/5 days and I resigned myself to a car supported tour of Scotland with only short hikes from the car to find campsites. Looking back, I can now see so much that I would now feel safe leaving behind or swapping out and admittedly I do also have lighter (more expensive) equipment now too. Nevertheless, without experience it is far too easy to pack too much, other people may be able to offer help and advice, but at the end of the day as a beginner you probably need to make these mistakes yourself and learn what works for you.
However, I think the biggest mistake I made was not in gear choices but in failing to define my goals properly and tailor my equipment to it. It is halfway through my trip, that I came to the realisation that I have been trying too hard to do too many things and that I need to define exactly what it is I want to do:
That was when I formally made the split between backpacking/hiking and bushcraft and began defining my activities as either one or the other and defined them as follows.
Disclaimer: I am not saying that there aren’t bushcraft skills applicable to hiking or that there is no way to go ultralight on a bushcraft journey. I am simply detailing my personal philosophy and approach that works for me and makes my trips and activities much more enjoyable. There are obviously many ways to get around the drawbacks of either approach by involving more people, conveyances and exceptional knowledge, but remember this is just my point of view.
Bushcraft
To me bushcraft is defined as a using knowledge of natural systems and resources to spend time in the wilds. If you are knowledgeable and skilled enough as a bushcrafter, you can gather or make just about anything you to survive – or indeed thrive – from the environment around you. Using fire making skills you can purify water, cook food and stay warm, with a rudimentary understanding of construction and the right resources you can build a warm and waterproof shelter, if you are in the right location you can even hunt, fish and gather to provide food for the table. The drawback to all of these activities is time, compared to putting up a tent a natural shelter is a significant investment in time, to build and maintain a fire will require at least an hour more work than turning the valve on a gas stove, and if you want to collect food that is pretty much your day gone. You can carry a lot of tools and equipment that would make these tasks faster or easier, but then you begin to add weight to your pack and unless you have a canoe or horse to carry it, that axe or stainless steel cookset begins to weigh on your back.
As such, I have often found that my bushcraft trips function a lot better as either static camps or more leisurely paced journeys. However, this is where the skills in bushcraft really begin to shine, as once you are settled into a location there is so much you can do to make your stay more comfortable. Whether it is building a table for food preparation, underfloor heating for your shelter or just a windscreen to protect you from bitter sea winds, you can begin to tailor your camp to your needs. Given the right tools, knowledge and location, your stay can also be extend as your reliance on packed-in consumable resources dwindle. A relatively large piece of woodland can keep you in firewood for a number of weeks, a beach with shellfish can extend your food supplies and water can be purified on demand indefinitely.
In conclusion, bushcraft suits a relatively static form of camping, but can utilise the resources of the land and a few essential pieces of durable equipment to thrive.
Backpacking
Backpacking in contrast, has always typically been focussed on the equipment you take with you rather than the knowledge in your head. Obviously, there are still skills needed in navigation, choosing a camp and using your equipment most effectively, but I feel that the bar is set a lot lower. A good down jacket and sleeping bag will negate the need to be able to light a fire, a good 3/4 season tent will let you pitch a camp in most locations and a portable stove will keep you in hot meals for as long as your supplies and fuel last. It is in being able to carry everything you need to survive in the most inhospitable locations in the UK comfortably on your back that backpacking really comes into its own. Even if I wanted to construct a shelter with a warm fire, many of the British mountains provide scant resources to do so. A hammock is an exceptionally comfortable way to sleep but without trees to hang from, it quickly becomes useless. However, after a long day hiking through the mountains, being zipped up and out of the elements in your tent within half an hour is invaluable. As is, being able to prepare a simple but calorie-dense meal with the turn of a valve and a click of a lighter.
Nevertheless, as with anything, where there are advantages there are also drawbacks. Firstly, while you can typically get kitted out for a bushcraft trip for under a £100 from your local military surplus store, putting together a backpacking setup that you would be comfortable carrying over hill and dale will likely set you back 5 times that amount. Secondly, wherever weight is saved durability and longevity will likely be compromised, a sub 1kg ultralight tent will never have anywhere near the durability and repairability of a solid canvas tarpaulin. Finally, as the food and fuel stocks that you can reasonably carry dwindle, resupply becomes a necessity which limits how far into the wilds you can travel.
To summarise, backpacking works exceptionally well for relatively long expeditions in unhospitable terrain but reliance on what you can carry limits how far you can go or how comfortable you can be.
I hope you enjoyed reading my ramble through the world of camping and that it got you thinking about how to best spend your time out of doors. Wishing you all the best on your adventures.