diabloinperth Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Hi all I'm a 32 year old Scottish girl currently staying in Perth with family but am considering doing a bit of backpacking/travelling. I guess what I want to find out is if at this stage in my life if I am considered too old for backpacking. Don't want to be stuck in amongst a lot of young ones nor feel like anyones mum! Cheers Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northshorepom Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 If you want to travel give it a go, 32 is still young and it's not compulsory to get involved in drinking competitions I remember being on honeymoon in NZ at 33 and there were a couple of guys in the lodge there backpacking who were in their early 30s, they were spending most of their time on some of the immense tramps they have over there. I was quite jealous. Didn't tell the wife that, of course.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Hi and welcome to the forum, I see lots of backpackers down in Cairns and I would say most of them are aged between 25 - 50 so no I don't think you are too old, plus look at the grey nomads, people who are retired who get a caravan or campervan and travel Aus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest littlesarah Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Definitely not too old, I'd say! You only have to go where you want to go, and do what you want to do. When I took a 'gap year' at age 25 I met people of all age groups who had decided to step off the hamster wheel for a while in order to see a bit of the world. I'd say go for it, while you can. It looks like I'll be a bit more tied down now, and I'm glad I did a bit of travelling while I could! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeegieDave Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 You only live once and you are hardly old!! I still intend on doing a bit of backpacking and I'm 34 ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I still backpack and I'm nearly 64 - don't go to the same haunts and hostels having a bit more in the pocket but have no intention yet of giving up the backpack (my son bought me a new one about 6 yrs ago!). At 32 you are in your backpacking prime! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Your never to old to back/flash pack. I did the OZ thing a little older than you and did find at times some were a little young but by and large enjoyed it. I do find the South East Asian scene flooded by gap year and incurious youth though which is a change from decades back when a greater age range seem far more evident with a greater interest in the countries travelled through.....All become far too easy now. On the road in Africa there seems to be a different older and heartier lot than OZ and SE Asia....goes with the terrain. Expect South America is similar. But to answer your question put age aside and do your thing. I find few things more satisfactory than travelling..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritChickx Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 You won't be eligible for a whv, but definately not too old to backpack! I hope to be travelling about still until I retire lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest79615 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Not too old at all, in fact i felt more comfortable doing it when i was a little older as when i done it in my late teens/early twenties everyone seemed older than me, i didn't have much money and wasn't as confident. There is a massive age range of travelers, not one age group more than the other. I took my mum a mini back packing trip with me one time and she was apprehensive as she was worried about staying in hostels and being the only 'old' one, she wasn't and met lots of people her own age and older, and made her feel young again I think its better to do it when your older in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonorange Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Hi all I'm a 32 year old Scottish girl currently staying in Perth with family but am considering doing a bit of backpacking/travelling. I guess what I want to find out is if at this stage in my life if I am considered too old for backpacking. Don't want to be stuck in amongst a lot of young ones nor feel like anyones mum! Cheers Lisa Ha! Had to laugh at that. Im 44 and went backpacking for the first time last year. Save up, buy the ticket, live the dream! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I did my gap year, well 6 months when I was 34 travelling around Asia and I think maybe I got more out of the experience than I would have at age 18. I probably stepped up to the slightly higher level of accommodation versus some backpackers as you do get more discerning with age, but I still did many $10 a night places and was very proud of myself for doing so (I'm normally a 5* type). I met plenty of people, perhaps not as many as if I had gone to the more typical backpacker establishment and indeed knew that was all I needed to do if I required more company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitalis Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 All this backslapping is all well and good but backpacking in Oz is definitely a young person (early twenties) game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 All this backslapping is all well and good but backpacking in Oz is definitely a young person (early twenties) game. What a load of rubbish. You better tell all the grey nomads then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 What a load of rubbish. You better tell all the grey nomads then. Yerr! Still go 'bush' every year in the most inhospitable places and I'm close to 72 years of age. But then M2M, some peeps are just too lazy to get off their R sends.:wink: Cheers, Bobj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritChickx Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 and paul who is in his 30's had nomad blood in him I think! He loved travelling round aus and we wanna go travelling again soon. Definately not a young persons thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 and paul who is in his 30's had nomad blood in him I think! He loved travelling round aus and we wanna go travelling again soon. Definately not a young persons thing. Definitely not. Daves in 30's too and says once the dogs are gone he's going to do a lot more travelling lol id like to be one of those nomads! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitalis Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 When your all in hostels scrabbling around in the kitchen at tea time get back to me. Difference between camping for a few weeks and travelling 10,000 miles to go backpacking for a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritChickx Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 yeah we travelled for months too....not weeks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 :mad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitalis Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Again. Backpacking as in this forum subsection is a long term lifestyle choice, of up to two years in a country 10,000 miles away. It' ain't a couple weeks "camping" on your annual leave. And again. The former is both suited and mainly populated by people in their early twenties. Not saying middle aged people don't do it but let's be honest you couldn't get more mid-life crisis if you bought a harley davidson, had an affair with your secretary and joined a sky diving club. When people here 30+ have spent months and months living in backpackers hostels, scrounging and scraping for work and decent accom, then get back to me. People posting from the comfort of their central heated UK living rooms, gobbing off, need not apply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clara111 Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 My dad was 44 when he backpacked the east coast,he wasn't a drinker either,you move all the time and meet so many great people,do the things you want to do and have fun and explore oz! Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest74339 Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 (edited) Hi Lisa, No, you're most certainly not too old to go backpacking/travelling. Which countries would you like to visit and when are you thinking of going? Edited November 10, 2013 by The Pom Queen Removed name as requested Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 When your all in hostels scrabbling around in the kitchen at tea time get back to me. Difference between camping for a few weeks and travelling 10,000 miles to go backpacking for a year. Yup, will do...when you're 72 and still travelling.:wink: Cheers, Bobj. PS. I do that kind of mileage every year from Qld to the NT (south to north), across to The Kimberlies and return.:laugh: Cheers, Bobj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitalis Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Awesome, remind me again bob what backpackers you stay in and how long for, also how heavy is that backpack you're lugging around busstations and airports. Mate your a holidayer not a backpacker, there is a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritChickx Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 I don't think so, bob has and still does proper outback camping....much more so than most people here would have done. Only got to read his travel thread and pics to know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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