Are you a Flashpacker?

I keep reading about Flashpacking, most recently on Backpackers.com. Intrigued, I did some more research on "the kind of backpacking that doesn’t have the pesky constraints of a shoestring budget." Guardian Unlimited had an article back in June 2004, and many stories have been written on other sites since then.

From Blogging Abroad: "This isn’t about backpacking-lite. As much as their low-budget cousins, Flashpackers are looking for authentic and challenging experiences, and they’re quite happy to rough it with the best of them if that’s the best way to achieve that goal. But unlike your average gap-year student, they can afford to splash out on some luxury when the going gets tough — and just as importantly, they will spend what it takes to get the experience they’re after." For me, "when the going gets tough" means 3 days without a shower, and I'm not afraid to admit it.

A flashpacker is someone who wants the independent experience of backpacking, but has enough money to pay for more creature comforts. That sounds like me. I want the freedom of independent travel, especially traveling with one bag, but I also like my comforts. Unless it's part of the experience I'm going for (like camping), I want a nice bed and a shower with warm water and some pressure.

Some of the articles associate flashpacking with a lot of technological gear. While I like the idea of traveling with a small laptop and a digital camera, I'm not much into other tech gadgets. I don't want a phone or GPS system and the only time I use an mp3 player is on the plane. I love music, but headphones take away from my experience of traveling.

Travelholic has an article about different types of flashpackers, including the gadget loving Geeky Flashpacker, that I found interesting. Even though I am just as likely to take a bus as a plane, I liked the Minted Flashbacker. "Usually a bit older than the typical post-uni traveller, flashpackers might be less likely to put up with a 32 bed dorm of drunk, snoring, smelly guys and having to share communal toilets and might instead opt for the relative luxury of a single room in an upscale hostel or budget hotel."

That definitely sounds like me. What about you?