This post is about to get serious. Earlier this summer, I went a step above glamping and went BACKPACKING. Don’t be alarmed (I was at first) and think that this is not appropriate content for Glamped Out. I am here to explain how hiking and living out of a backpack can actually be semi-glamorous.

First things things first: backpacking packs can actually be really cute. Totally shallow, but living out of a backpack is much easier when there are lots of pockets to organize things, and the pack is a sweet bright turquoise.

For my first glamp-packing adventure, we chose an “easy” 4 mile hike on the South Yuba Trail. I was unsure at first, as hiking 4 miles uphill is already a bit tough, and adding a giant 20lb pack the size of my body was slightly intimidating. But once we got started and I figured out how to adjust the weight, it actually wasn’t so bad. The gorgeous views (and peanut butter cup trail mix) definitely made the hike (almost) enjoyable!

When we arrived, we had our pick out of four campsites. The nice thing about backpacking is that the campsites are hike-in only, so they are rarely crowded and much more spacious than a car camping site. I was even able to squeeze in some solar powered lanterns to give our site some character. The privacy was especially nice because the drive-in camping spot we had stayed at the night before (we did this so we could get an early start hiking) had Johnny Cash music blasting throughout the entire campsite all night.

Once we finally settled, we had the whole day to enjoy a private lake to ourselves. There is something really special about taking in such gorgeous views with no one else near you. And since such few people come by, the lake was pristine with zero trash (backpacking sites have a strict “pack it in, pack it out” policy). We even hiked around to find a hidden miner’s camp!

We were only glamp-packing one night, so we didn’t have to worry about rationing food and could eat to our heart’s content. I was introduced to “backpacking burritos”, which consist of cheese, beans, tortillas, hot sauce and schmeat (I am a veggie, but you can use real taco meat as well).  Having a JetBoil is crucial- it’s super easy to heat up the schmeat, and also perfect for making hot coffee in the morning. And I can’t forget about our appetizer of buttery mashed potatoes (goes perfectly with burritos after a long day!). We were also able to carry a full bottle of nice whiskey in a wine pouch (the glass was too heavy), which was clearly a crucial item.

The verdict? Back-glamping isn’t as glamorous as glamping, and I don’t know if I could handle more than 2 nights. But there are so many breathtaking hike-in sites in California that I will definitely be back-glamping again soon!