Backpacking

There are numerous places to Backpack in Missouri. Mark Twain Forest, Trail of Tears and many other locations.

Backpacking is an outdoor activity wherein a participant packs all of their gear into a backpack. This gear may include food, water, and shelter, or the means to obtain them, and often little else. Since each item must be carried, weight is a very important factor in equipment and supply choices and options.Backpacking trips may consist of just an overnight stay, a weekend (one or two nights), or an extended length, as in long-distance expeditions of a weeks or months, sometimes aided by planned food and supply drops. A backpacking trip without an overnight stay is considered a day hike).

Backpacking camps are often more spartan than ordinary camping trips from a car, boat, recreational vehicle. In areas that experience a regular traffic of backpackers, a hike-in camp might have a fire ring where fires are permitted, and a small wooden bulletin board with a map and some warning or information signs about the trail and area. Many hike-in camps are no more than level patches of ground without scrub or underbrush. In remote wilderness areas, established camps may not exist at all, and travelers must choose an appropriate place to camp themselves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backpacking_%28wilderness%29