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. On the Hive Index it ranks #8 in the Hiking communities list. It is the 2nd largest community in the Travel topic page and the 3rd largest community in the Outdoors topic page.
Roughly 103K members have joined in the past year. Popular discussion topics include Backpacking, Trip, and Travel. Common discussion themes are Advice Requests and Solution Requests. Product recommendations often mention backpack, sleeping bag, and hiking boots.
Community Topics
- Travel, 66 communities, 784 views per month including community pages
Travel
66 communities for Travelers
784 / mo - Outdoors, 50 communities, 479 views per month including community pages
Outdoors
50 communities
479 / mo - Hiking, 36 communities, 237 views per month including community pages
Hiking
#836 communities for Hikers
237 / 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: 85K members
Past year (monthly)
- Oct: 414 members
- 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: 3K members
Themes
- Advice Requests14 posts in the past month
- Really Struggling to Find the Right Pack and Looking for Advice
- Day trip to Muskoka, best hikes with great lookouts and scenery? I have a list before but tell me which to add/remove and if they're all possible in one day.
- Recommendations for a 3-4 night wilderness trek in Europe end of October
#114Advice RequestsReally Struggling to Find the Right Pack and Looking for Advice · Day trip to Muskoka, best hikes with great lookouts and scenery? I have a list before but tell me which to add/remove and if they're all possible in one day. · Recommendations for a 3-4 night wilderness trek in Europe end of October - Solution Requests10 posts in the past month
- Backpacking tent suggestions
- Kakwa 55 vs. More Supportive Pack for Carrying Gear for Two?
- Looking for backpacking tent recommendations
#210Solution RequestsBackpacking tent suggestions · Kakwa 55 vs. More Supportive Pack for Carrying Gear for Two? · Looking for backpacking tent recommendations
Topics
- Backpacking26 posts in the past month
- how much water do you usually carry on a backpacking trip?
- Best hiking poles for backpacking: aluminum reliability or carbon weight savings?
#126Backpackinghow much water do you usually carry on a backpacking trip? · Best hiking poles for backpacking: aluminum reliability or carbon weight savings? - Trip14 posts in the past month
- how much water do you usually carry on a backpacking trip?
- South of Italy coastal trip ideas
- Day trip to Muskoka, best hikes with great lookouts and scenery? I have a list before but tell me which to add/remove and if they're all possible in one day.
#214Triphow much water do you usually carry on a backpacking trip? · South of Italy coastal trip ideas · Day trip to Muskoka, best hikes with great lookouts and scenery? I have a list before but tell me which to add/remove and if they're all possible in one day. - Travel12 posts in the past month#312Travel
- Gear12 posts in the past month
- Garmin Mini 2 still viable in 2026?
- Best hiking poles for backpacking: aluminum reliability or carbon weight savings?
- Any non cottage brands have standout light weight quilts?
#412GearGarmin Mini 2 still viable in 2026? · Best hiking poles for backpacking: aluminum reliability or carbon weight savings? · Any non cottage brands have standout light weight quilts? - Hiking8 posts in the past month
- Best hiking poles for backpacking: aluminum reliability or carbon weight savings?
#58HikingBest hiking poles for backpacking: aluminum reliability or carbon weight savings?
Flair
- Travel105 posts in the past month
- What kind of sleeping setups do y'all give your dogs while backpacking?
- Hiking in Juta, Georgia
- Backpack Loops
#1105TravelWhat kind of sleeping setups do y'all give your dogs while backpacking? · Hiking in Juta, Georgia · Backpack Loops - Wilderness59 posts in the past month
- Solo hiking the JMT in 21 days over 214 miles
- A very wet night in Arthur’s Pass, New Zealand
- Goosenecks, AZ, USA. It feels like a different world. This is the closest I‘ve been to Mars.
#259WildernessSolo hiking the JMT in 21 days over 214 miles · A very wet night in Arthur’s Pass, New Zealand · Goosenecks, AZ, USA. It feels like a different world. This is the closest I‘ve been to Mars.
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
- 13
- Views /mo (+63%)
- 11
- Visitors /mo (+57%)
- 1
- Referrals /mo
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