About r/backpacking
A subreddit for traveling backpacking and wilderness backpacking, not restricted to one or the other. All posts must be flaired "Travel" or "Wilderness"
The community at a glance
r/backpacking is a Subreddit for Travelers, Outdoors, and Hikers with roughly 5.5M members. It uses a forum format for communication. It is the 2nd largest community in the Travel topic page, the 3rd largest community in the Hiking topic page, and the 3rd largest community in the Outdoors topic page.
Roughly 115K members have joined in the past year. Popular discussion topics include Backpacking, Travel, and Trip. Common discussion themes are Advice Requests and Solution Requests. Product recommendations often mention backpack, sleeping bag, and hiking boots.
Community Topics
- Travel, 66 communities, 1K views per month including community pages
Travel
66 communities for Travelers
1K / mo - Outdoors, 50 communities, 732 views per month including community pages
Outdoors
50 communities
732 / mo - Hiking, 36 communities, 328 views per month including community pages
Hiking
36 communities for Hikers
328 / mo
Community Features
This community has a forum
Subreddit Analysis
via GummySearchMember growth over time
All time (yearly)
- 2013: 16K members
- 2014: 20K members
- 2015: 18K members
- 2016: 18K members
- 2017: 198K members
- 2018: 512K members
- 2019: 791K members
- 2020: 645K members
- 2023: 1.8M members
- 2024: 1.2M members
- 2025: 238K members
- 2026: 96K members
Past year (monthly)
- Nov: 9K members
- Dec: 9K members
- Jan: 9K members
- Feb: 9K members
- Mar: 10K members
- Apr: 9K members
- May: 10K members
- Jun: 14K members
- Jul: 13K members
- Aug: 10K members
- Sep: 14K members
- Oct: 1K members
Themes
- Advice Requests12 posts in the past month
- How can I apply to work at an Hostel and what is the experience like?
- Folks with small kids, what sleep gear do you recommend?
- Southeast Asia Route Travel Advice???
#112Advice RequestsHow can I apply to work at an Hostel and what is the experience like? · Folks with small kids, what sleep gear do you recommend? · Southeast Asia Route Travel Advice??? - Solution Requests3 posts in the past month
- What is the smallest pack possible for my trip ?
- I still think that for us with lower back pain the solution is wheels
- Help with gear
#23Solution RequestsWhat is the smallest pack possible for my trip ? · I still think that for us with lower back pain the solution is wheels · Help with gear - Money Talk1 post in the past month
- where is it actually worth spending money on backpacking gear?
#31Money Talkwhere is it actually worth spending money on backpacking gear?
Topics
- Backpacking21 posts in the past month#121Backpacking
- Travel12 posts in the past month#212Travel
- Trip7 posts in the past month#37Trip
- Gear6 posts in the past month#46Gear
- Solo5 posts in the past month#55Solo
Flair
- Travel60 posts in the past month
- Shots from my trip "backpacking" AltaVia4 in August
- My Hot Take: Hostel dorms with ensuite bathrooms suck.
- Banaue, The Philippines
#160TravelShots from my trip "backpacking" AltaVia4 in August · My Hot Take: Hostel dorms with ensuite bathrooms suck. · Banaue, The Philippines - Wilderness34 posts in the past month
- 1 shot from each National park I’ve backpacked
- Boundary waters MN
- Currently panicking. Please help.
#234Wilderness1 shot from each National park I’ve backpacked · Boundary waters MN · Currently panicking. Please help.
Product recommendations
- backpack4 posts in the past month
- What size backpack (in liters) is best for 3 weeks backpacking Europe? (hostels, trains, etc.)
- Recommend first backpack for hiking ?
- Anyone recommend this backpack? - Mountain Warehouse Voyager 50L Wheelie
#14backpackWhat size backpack (in liters) is best for 3 weeks backpacking Europe? (hostels, trains, etc.) · Recommend first backpack for hiking ? · Anyone recommend this backpack? - Mountain Warehouse Voyager 50L Wheelie - sleeping bag2 posts in the past month
- Which would be the best sleeping bag choice?
- Sleeping Bag Recs
#22sleeping bagWhich would be the best sleeping bag choice? · Sleeping Bag Recs - hiking boots2 posts in the past month
- Can anyone recommend some hiking boots for a guy with wide feet?
- Hiking boot recs
#32hiking bootsCan anyone recommend some hiking boots for a guy with wide feet? · Hiking boot recs
Community Reviews
Frequently asked questions
- Who is r/backpacking for?
- Best for Travelers and Outdoors and Hikers enthusiasts looking for a Reddit-based community with forum discussion.
- Is r/backpacking free to join?
- This listing is not marked as paid-only. Access rules and any fees are decided by the community.
- How many members does r/backpacking have?
- Roughly 5.5M members, based on figures reported by the community or its host. Member counts are approximate and change over time.
- What platform is r/backpacking on?
- r/backpacking runs on Reddit. Reddit communities (or "subreddits") are forum-based groups on the popular social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website Reddit. Reddit is commonly known as "the front page of the internet". Users submit content to the site such as links, text posts, and images, which are then voted up or down and discussed by other members. From investing Reddit communities, to professional ones, to ones just for laughs, you're likely to find a community for you on Reddit.
- What topics does r/backpacking cover?
- On the Hive Index, r/backpacking is organized under Travelers, Outdoors, Hikers.
- How do I join r/backpacking?
- You can join r/backpacking by clicking this link, or pressing the "Go to community" button above.
- What are the Travel communities like?
- Communities for travelers planning trips, sharing itineraries, and swapping tips on everything from budget backpacking to luxury travel. You will find subreddits for specific regions and travel styles, Discord servers for nomads and expats, and Facebook groups for niches like solo female travel and budget flights. Active communities for both trip planning and general inspiration.
Monthly Stats
- 17
- Views /mo (+42%)
- 16
- Visitors /mo (+60%)
- 0
- Referrals /mo (-100%)
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