What is Flashpacking? 6 Differences Between Flashpackers and Backpackers

What is Flashpacking?

Like backpackers, flashpackers travel the world, often carrying backpacks and usually staying hostels — but there are some key differences.
What defines a flashpacker? What’s the difference between backpacking and flashpacking?

1. Flashpackers are usually entrepreneurial.

Flashpackers seek out business opportunities while traveling whereas the backpacker is more focused on the art of travel itself.

Blake Mycoskie, founder of Tom’s Shoes, is the poster child for this concept. After failing in a few attempts to start businesses, Blake was inspired while traveling Argentina in 2006 when he witnessed hardships of children growing up without shoes. He created a sustainable business that has donated hundreds of thousands of pairs of shoes to less fortunate children across the world.

2. Flashpackers usually have a higher budget than backpackers.

Flashpackers usually have passive income coming in while they’re traveling (blog income, drop shipping ecommerce site, owning their own business, etc.)

Backpackers on the other hand, are often “gap year” travelers, traveling in between university and their future career. There are veteran backpackers (different than flashpackers) who might spend 6 months traveling and 6 months working a regular job in their home country to fund their travels.

Backpackers often exhaust their savings accounts each trip whereas flashpackers often end a trip with more in their bank account than they had at the beginning of the trip.

3. Flashpackers are usually more experienced travelers.

Many flashpackers are former backpackers who have figured out a way to make travel a sustainable way of life.

4. Flashpackers tend to be older than backpackers.

Not always the case but generally speaking, the backpackers we’ve met and connected with on social media tend to be taking a “gap year” between university and their career. Flashpackers are the grizzly veterans who have no immediate intention of finding a traditional career (their career is often based upon their travels).

Not this old, but older than the average backpacker. Think mid 30s-40s (flashpackers) v. early to mid 20s (backpackers)

5. Flashpackers consider value over price.

Although they generally stay in hostels or budget hotels, flashpackers might stay in a 5 star hotel one night because it seems like a high value experience (the amount they paid was worth the positive experience of feeling refreshed, well fed, and clean.) The backpacker on the other hand will almost always try to minimize costs in order to extend their trip.

6. Backpackers Disconnect More than Flashpackers

When checking into a hostel, the flashpacker’s first question is: “What’s your WiFi password?” whereas the backpacker is probably asking the attendant, “How can we find a way into Tibet?” Backpackers seek the travel experience whereas flashpackers almost always carry a laptop and stay connected with their blog base and/or social network. WiFi in hostels is the norm today whereas ten years ago that wasn’t the case — the flashpacking lifestyle is one of the causes for this change.

Flashpackers are often equipped with more technological gadgets whole traveling.

A Backpacker examining a map, there’s no WiFi in the desert!

Advantages and Disadvantages

Both flashpacking and backpacking have their advantages and disadvantages. The backpacker’s trip will come to an end at some point unless she has unlimited financial resources whereas the flashpacker’s trips can last forever. The flashpacker’s travels fuel their careers because they’re constantly generating new ideas or because they’re writing about their travels in order to generate income and sustain their lifestyle.

In our eyes, the downside of flashpacking is that the flashpacker might not allow herself to enjoy the subtle beauties of travel and she might struggle to be present while traveling because her mind is constantly focused on earning $ and conjuring up business ideas.

Our Experience

On our most recent trip, Brian and I were backpackers. We had just finished university and we saw the time period as a travel opportunity that we may never again have. We had a defined budget and decided we were going to travel Asia until we drained that budget. We stayed in inexpensive hostels (for the most part) and utilised mass transportation exclusively.

Brian living the flashpacker life? On top floor pool balcony of one of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s nicest hotels overlooking the infamous Petronas Towers

Most days, we traveled with backpacks and often went days or weeks without connecting with the outside world via the Internet.

Me settling into our $12 USD/night hostel in Kuala Lumpur

We had the time of our lives but must admit, for the future, the flashpacking model sounds appealing.

When you travel, are you a backpacker or a flashpacker?

What do you see as the key differences?

Via Wandering Earl

Earl shares with us some great ways to prosper and be able to support a life of travel.

A few examples:

It Starts With The Blog

This blog is actually my main online project and as a result, the main source of my income these days. I work on my blog almost every day and I could easily spend 50+ hours per week on this one website alone, writing posts, promoting posts, being active on all social media channels, answering emails and comments, updating my eBooks, adding new pages of information and on and on. Blogging is a ton of work, far more work than most aspiring bloggers ever imagine, especially if you want your blog to earn you some money.

Through the blog, I earn my income in a few ways…

Wandering Earl Tours

While Wandering Earl Tours is a relatively new project of mine, something I started only towards the end of last year, I’m quite blown away by the success so far. I have already led three tours and I have three more planned for this year, all of which are sold out at this point. I absolutely love organizing and running these tours and I can’t wait to start choosing destinations for next year’s trips as well.

Of course, at the same time, organizing these tours involves a great deal of work, not only during the actual tour as I travel around with the group, but in the months leading up to the tours when I am extremely busy with the preparations, bookings and overall organization. Tack this work on top of my normal blogging workload, as well as trying to travel to new places in between, and I barely have a free moment these days.

Am I earning a fortune from these tours? No way. That’s not my goal. Besides, I told myself that for the first year of Wandering Earl Tours, I just wanted to break even and maybe enjoy a tiny bit extra for my efforts if possible. And as the tours hopefully continue to grow, which will involve another increase in workload, I do plan to try and compensate myself fairly for all of the effort that I do put into each and every trip. Again, the plan is not to become rich from this project, but to offer affordable trips to various countries in exchange for a modest income.

Check out more ways — here. 

This story from 1969 is crazy. John Fairfax decided to paddle across the Atlantic Ocean in a trip that took 180 days.

Most people picturing a solo row across the Atlantic think of loneliness as the most daunting obstacles to overcome. But John was estranged from that emotion. He’d always been happy alone, and he truly believed he could find contentment if he were the last man on earth. Besides, many an expedition had failed due to interpersonal conflicts. Adventurers, by definition, are individuals, and it can be hard for them to work as a team.

Read the full long read — here. 

1) Melbourne, Australia

2) Vienna, Austria

3) Vancouver, Canada

4) Toronto, Canada

5) Calgary, Canada

6) Adelaide, Australia

7) Sydney, Australia

8) Helsinki, Finland

9) Perth, Australia

10) Auckland, New Zealand

Check out the list and images — here.

The website Asian Yoga Holidays is a nice site to discover yoga retreats and “yoga holidays.”

Having recognized the importance of stress-free, serene, and inspiring environments, we have sought out our hospitality partners carefully and are now able to offer a wide variety of life-enriching Yoga and Yoga-related holiday packages, ranging from week-long yoga retreats and full-immersion workshops to weekend intensives and private classes. While format and duration vary, high quality standards remain a constant. All programmes are taught by experienced and highly qualified teachers, who – together with the facilitators at the host resort – are sure to provide a supportive environment, cater to your needs and live up to your high expectations.

This site caught my eye because of the “teacher” section.

Our teacher’s teacher, Reinhard Gammenthaler, has interviews on the site. The interview provides a lucid look into Reinhard’s life.

Take a look and click around. It could be of benefit to our practice.

Please share with me if you learn anything you think is worth sharing!