Are we going Backpacking or Trekking?
Backpacking and trekking are very freeing activities that many people around the world enjoy! Walking through a pristine forest or meadow or summiting a mighty mountain-all of these can be achieved through backpacking or trekking. So what is the difference between backpacking and trekking? 
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http://www.xolaconsulting.com/adventure-tourism-hiking-trekking-trips-product-development.php
Backpacking is when a hiker carriers their supplies with them on their back in some kind of backpack. Backpacking is pretty much the same thing as hiking. Hiking is any walk done outside on a formed trail. The only difference is the backpack part which carries all of your supplies. Backpacking can consist of multiple days of hiking where carrying food and shelter (tents) is required.
http://cloudenterprise.info/backpacking-tips-outdoor-living-guru.html
Trekking on the other hand is slightly different. Though it still consists of walking outside trekking is lots of times done across uncharted land. The term ‘off the beaten path’ applies to trekking. Trekking is done typically on sketchier terrain where there is no dedicated trail. Trekking is also done over the course of many days. Trekking can be considered a commute or way of life. Many nomadic people trek around a region as they follow their food. Trekking could be considered more extreme since it is done over more treacherous terrain with usually very little signs of a trail. Backpacking on the other hand, typically follows a dedicated trail.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mountain-Trekking-Morocco.jpg
http://www.wildhimalaya.com/trekking-in-ladakh-22
One great example is the Appalachian Trail that spans some 2,000 miles from Maine to Georgia. It runs along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains, the major mountain range of the East Coast. The AT is identified by its famous white blazes on the trees that follow the trail. It is a very dedicated trail that is one of the most famous in the country. 
http://cabinsbysundance.com/things-to-do-in-blue-ridge/the-mountains/hiking-on-hallowed-ground-at-springer-mountai.html
http://www.backpacker.com/destinations/hikes/438253
http://www.fs.usda.gov/pct/
http://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/ http://cabinsbysundance.com/things-to-do-in-blue-ridge/the-mountains/hiking-on-hallowed-ground-at-springer-mountai.htmlhttp://www.backpacker.com/destinations/hikes/438253
The West Coast equivalent to the AT is the Pacific Crest trail. This trail touches from Canada to Mexico as it runs through the Cascades and Sierra mountains.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/pct/If one stays on these dedicated trails with a backpack full of supplies then they are backpacking. If one decides to wander off the trail and make their adventure a multi-day experience, then they are trekking. Both are fantastic ways to get outdoors and really rub noses with nature and all it has to offer.
http://www.treklocations.com/tag/trekking-in-kashmir/http://www.visitchile.com/en/tours/short-w-trekking-torres-del-paine-national-park.htm
