Abstract Backpacking is often regarded as an activity which is undertaken only by those people who have a deep love for the outdoors, adventure or for roughing it out. However, while it is true that backpacking is not for the fainthearted, it is an activity that perhaps everyone should try at least once in his or her lifetime, for backpacking can prove to be an enormously rewarding experience. It is the objective of this paper to describe the benefits of backpacking as well as explore some of its more practical aspects.
From the Paper "If backpacking allows a traveler to closely experience the environment and cultures in different parts of the world, it appears that backpacking in the wilderness may be the best way to commune with Nature. In America, for instance, there are still many wild spots with beautiful scenery that are best experienced by backpacking. Bialeschki, a professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, says that even the crowded Eastern Seaboard has such places: "A night spent along the banks of the roaring Linville River, in a gorge capable of generating its own microclimate.... Unlike most of the rest of the region, it's a place little changed since the European invasion." (Miller, 2003)"
Abstract This paper describes the author's positive experience backpacking in America. The author talks about the emotionally and spiritually uplifting experience that backpacking can be, as well as its educational benefits in terms of self-sufficiency, responsibility, co-operation, endurance, survival skills, and planning ability.
From the Paper "Last summer my parents decided to go on a world cruise, which they had long dreamt of. My parents? decision left me with the prospect of a summer with nothing much to do other than laze around the house. In fact, this was precisely what I was looking forward to when a friend suggested that we spend the summer backpacking our way through some of the wilder terrain of America. Initially, when my friend mooted the idea, I demurred since I just could not see myself walking endless miles groaning under the weight of a heavy backpack. However, my friend was highly persistent and persuasive and finally I gave in. Today, when I look back, I am thankful that I did so, for it was a highly rewarding experience in more ways than one. Indeed, I would have never imagined that backpacking could actually lead to the development of several skills. More important, today I believe that backpacking is one of the best ways for a person to get in touch with themselves."
Abstract This paper explores both the death and aftermath of a young man following his solo backpacking trip to Alaska. During the trip, the author cites authors such as Thoreau in describing the need to individuate in nature. The young man's family is quoted following his death, as they try to come to terms with their loss.
From the Paper "Alaska proved to be an incredible challenge for the young man. Unknown territory was the most dangerous and threatening to a person such as McCandless. Many locals could not understand how he had let himself drift into such a deserted location. What the locals did not know was that this was McCandless' mission, to live in complete solitude. McCandless just happened to wander into complete solitude at the wrong time. With no one around to help, McCandless' exhausted body could not handle the harmful conditions of the Stampede Trail. Four months on foot traveling the entire west coast would be life threatening to someone as is. For McCandless, the land was his home. Mother Nature provided him with the extra motivation he needed to keep going. In the very beginning of his trip, McCandless took plenty of pictures. Unfortunately his camera did not last very long. McCandless neglected to do any research, all he did was purchase a map and follow where he thought would be a good place to live in solitude. His naive attitude got him in big trouble. Had he gone about his risk taking adventure in a smart way, he would have thought about it as a backpacker would think about every trip. If he would have done some research about the Stampede Trail when he decided that that was where he wanted to go, he would have realized the dangers of going to the middle of nowhere at that time of year. Had he done even a little bit of research, he could have realized that there was a ranger cabin not too far from where he had ended up."
Abstract This paper explains that Tim O'Brien's short story "The Things They Carried" presents many examples of the psychological loss of innocence of a young soldier; similarly, in Louise Erdrich's "The Red Convertible," the reader becomes acquainted with the effects of war after returning home. The author points out that, in both works, the trauma, which a young soldier experiences, is made painfully real. The paper stresses that, in most cases, the family member they send off is not the family member who returns; they are forever changed psychologically just as the war-torn and battle-scarred characters in these stories will forever carry the trauma of their experiences in their backpacks of life.
From the Paper "In "The Things They Carried" the reader becomes aware of the emotional strain and weight a soldier endures during the war. Rather than taking place after the war like "The Red Convertible," the strongest part of the plot is within the boundaries of war. Being in combat so young completely changes the soldiers. The man in command, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, is only 22 years old. "As first lieutenant and platoon leader, Jimmy Cross carried a compass, maps, codebooks, binoculars, and a .45 caliber pistol that weighed 2.9 pounds fully loaded. He carried a strobe light and the responsibility of his men." "
Abstract This paper examines how preventing or lessening senseless carnage caused by terrorism is the mission of a small Florida-based hi-tech start-up company called BlastGard International. It looks at how it produces and markets a bubble wrap-like material that, when lining the inside of a garbage can, will absorb and dissipate a blast from a backpack-size-bomb hidden there in less than one thousandth of a second. Called BlastWrap, the material is actually a patchwork of 2.75-inch compartments stuffed with numerous foamy pellets commonly found in potting soil.
From the Paper "For a start-up company marketing a first-in-breed new technology, though, what matters more than an array of potential market segments is finding an immediate set of customers. For BlastGuard International, the most promising candidate in this respect is the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). It allocates almost $100 million annually in the Technical Support Working Group which brainstorms new ideas that might be useful in the war on terrorism. To date, DoD has gone on to invest in such TSWG-sourced ideas as blast-resistant building designs, countermeasures against explosives and weapons of mass destruction, personal-protection equipment, and equipment for military and civilian emergency-response teams for chemical incidents. ("DOD Seeks Technology")"
Abstract This research paper discusses the possibility of capitalizing on the wasted power of human locomotion by harvesting energy from it. The scientific principle behind energy harvesting devices is explained; with the use of piezoelectric materials, which can be crystals, ceramics, and polymers, an electrical potential is generated when mechanical force is applied. The author goes on to introduce some of these energy harvesting devices such as knee braces and wearable backpacks before discussing the pros and cons of each device. The paper concludes that although small human locomotion-powered generators are not yet ready for the mainstream with furthering advances in materials, design, and electronics we may all someday be generating power as we walk. This paper includes figures.
From the Paper "A third approach for mounting generators on people comes in the form of a wearable backpack. This device would use the constant up-and-down motion of a person walking to drive an electromagnetic generator. A weight inside the backpack is suspended on springs and oscillates with each step. This detail of operation reveals another benefit of a backpack-style generator: as the weight is suspended on springs it doesn't travel completely with the body as a fixed weight would. Instead the weight only travels a portion of the distance of the backpack, meaning that it is not necessary for the wearer to lift it as high as normal with each step."
