4 ms·

What's the difference between backcountry and tent? I feel like they overlap - I often camp with a tent in the backcountry..

brudgers 7y ago
The term backcountry is a generic descriptor for areas of a park unit outside of highly developed front-country zones. http://npshistory.com/publications/wilderness/white-papers/4.pdf http://npshistory.com/publications/wilderness/white-papers/4...
qntty 7y ago
Probably tent-camping campgrounds vs no campground. They didn't want to label it "campground" because that could refer to an RV campground too.
- teej 7y ago
  Exactly this. To go back country camping in Denali means jumping on a bus that drives the length of the park and telling it to stop wherever you want to begin your adventure. Tent camping is a traditional campground.
alexhutcheson 7y ago
Drive-in campsite vs. hike-in camping area (which may or may not have "campsite" facilities).
mieseratte 7y ago
Going off of my experience with my state park system, there are four types of camping one can do: 1. Building Rental (Cabin, etc.) 2. RV / Camper 3. Park and Camp (Tent) 4. Hike and Camp (Tent) With #3 you park in a nearby lot and walk to a designated camp site, often times with things like tent pads, benches, tables, grilling areas, etc., roughly a mile or so from the parking lot, usually closer than not. With #4 this is non-trivial hiking and camping in proper wilderness. Sometimes they will have designated camping sites, sometimes it's completely up to you. I would assume "Tent" is just #3 and "Backcountry" is #4.
- superdimwit 7y ago
  Thanks, this makes more sense.
sdrg822 7y ago
Usually backcountry camping requires hiking in to a site, whereas "tent" camping would refer to stays in frontcountry campgrounds that are usually accessible via a car. With exceptions, tent camping would require a reservation, whereas backcountry camping sites often are occupied on a first-come first-served basis.
- logfromblammo 7y ago
  Tent camping: a flat spot, maybe a picnic table, one parking space, an elevated grill, a water spigot, on-site trash facilities, and a common toilet/shower building. The extent of your assigned site may be lined with old railroad ties, and clearly labeled with a numeric sign. Backcountry camping: a flat spot, a firepit ring, a covered latrine pit with a park service logo on it, and a cable on a pulley for your bear bag. The extent of your site might be represented by a dot at a place on your topo map that slightly differs from reality. Some tent campgrounds also offer wi-fi and limited electrical power distribution.
  - kkylin 7y ago
    To me, "back country" can mean many things, down to no trail and essentially no services. For example, when we backpacked in Denali many years ago, all we had for toilets were the shovels and biodegradable toilet paper we brought. Very different from camping next to your car and having a restroom with running water nearby.
  - prawn 7y ago
    Most of the backcountry camping I’ve done in the US has been “find somewhere 1-2 miles from any formal trail” and you’re on your own. No signage, no toilet, no nothing. Usually only fuel fires and no fire rings (especially in the west).
    - magneticnorth 7y ago
      National forests are usually like you described, but most national parks have camping areas with toilets and bear lines available at popular backcountry locations. Most national parks also allow dispersed camping, but not all - Rainier for example requires reservations for a particular campsite.
jcranmer 7y ago
The terminology that I've often used for the two modes are backpacking versus car camping. When you go backpacking, everything in your campsite has to be lugged in (and out!) on your back, which places a very high premium on weight, whereas car camping involves carrying stuff in your car's trunk. You're not going to see many 5-man tents or propane tanks going backpacking, for example. That said, we did have one trip that ended up being "dutch oven backpacking", because the road to the campsite was blocked and we had to lug all of the gear, including the cast iron dutch ovens, the mile or so by hand instead.

brudgers 7y ago

The term backcountry is a generic descriptor for areas of a park unit outside of highly developed front-country zones. http://npshistory.com/publications/wilderness/white-papers/4.pdf http://npshistory.com/publications/wilderness/white-papers/4...

qntty 7y ago

Probably tent-camping campgrounds vs no campground. They didn't want to label it "campground" because that could refer to an RV campground too.

teej 7y ago
Exactly this. To go back country camping in Denali means jumping on a bus that drives the length of the park and telling it to stop wherever you want to begin your adventure. Tent camping is a traditional campground.

alexhutcheson 7y ago

Drive-in campsite vs. hike-in camping area (which may or may not have "campsite" facilities).

mieseratte 7y ago

Going off of my experience with my state park system, there are four types of camping one can do: 1. Building Rental (Cabin, etc.) 2. RV / Camper 3. Park and Camp (Tent) 4. Hike and Camp (Tent) With #3 you park in a nearby lot and walk to a designated camp site, often times with things like tent pads, benches, tables, grilling areas, etc., roughly a mile or so from the parking lot, usually closer than not. With #4 this is non-trivial hiking and camping in proper wilderness. Sometimes they will have designated camping sites, sometimes it's completely up to you. I would assume "Tent" is just #3 and "Backcountry" is #4.

superdimwit 7y ago
Thanks, this makes more sense.

sdrg822 7y ago

Usually backcountry camping requires hiking in to a site, whereas "tent" camping would refer to stays in frontcountry campgrounds that are usually accessible via a car. With exceptions, tent camping would require a reservation, whereas backcountry camping sites often are occupied on a first-come first-served basis.

logfromblammo 7y ago
Tent camping: a flat spot, maybe a picnic table, one parking space, an elevated grill, a water spigot, on-site trash facilities, and a common toilet/shower building. The extent of your assigned site may be lined with old railroad ties, and clearly labeled with a numeric sign. Backcountry camping: a flat spot, a firepit ring, a covered latrine pit with a park service logo on it, and a cable on a pulley for your bear bag. The extent of your site might be represented by a dot at a place on your topo map that slightly differs from reality. Some tent campgrounds also offer wi-fi and limited electrical power distribution.
- kkylin 7y ago
  To me, "back country" can mean many things, down to no trail and essentially no services. For example, when we backpacked in Denali many years ago, all we had for toilets were the shovels and biodegradable toilet paper we brought. Very different from camping next to your car and having a restroom with running water nearby.
- prawn 7y ago
  Most of the backcountry camping I’ve done in the US has been “find somewhere 1-2 miles from any formal trail” and you’re on your own. No signage, no toilet, no nothing. Usually only fuel fires and no fire rings (especially in the west).
  - magneticnorth 7y ago
    National forests are usually like you described, but most national parks have camping areas with toilets and bear lines available at popular backcountry locations. Most national parks also allow dispersed camping, but not all - Rainier for example requires reservations for a particular campsite.

jcranmer 7y ago

The terminology that I've often used for the two modes are backpacking versus car camping. When you go backpacking, everything in your campsite has to be lugged in (and out!) on your back, which places a very high premium on weight, whereas car camping involves carrying stuff in your car's trunk. You're not going to see many 5-man tents or propane tanks going backpacking, for example. That said, we did have one trip that ended up being "dutch oven backpacking", because the road to the campsite was blocked and we had to lug all of the gear, including the cast iron dutch ovens, the mile or so by hand instead.