i went backpacing in asia when i was shiping my bike from russia to the usa i was having some of the thoughs of the paper work cost type thing but when i opened the container door and seen my bike waiting there for me it was one of the best days and i then new it was $1200 well spent. all those miles of freedom are well worth it and i dont think i could go without a bike of some sort now

I rode my bike for over 5 months,from the US down to Ushuaia,put bike on a ship to Canada,had 3 weeks to fill in so went back packing around Argentina and Chile. Bloody hell never again,suffered acute withdrawals systems from riding.Some times waiting up to 4-5 hours on the side of the road for buses. Should have spent money hiring another bike..I would walk along the streets of towns and cities,drooling over all the bikes,from 125s and up.
Ben

I'm also having this problem at the moment. Having done a couple of big overlands now, even being without a bicycle seems impossible.

I want to do West Africa this summer (rain ) and the cost of getting a bike there, disposing of a bike there etc. etc. (it's only for a month) is almost too much to bear. Want to end up in Ghana and at the moment it's looking like the backpack option is the simplest....but i just cna't bear the thought ot it!

__________________
Thanks
Joe

wow, the thread that haunts me, seriously. Some great comments here.
after years of backpacking I discovered the delights of motorcycle adventure four or five years ago and have never looked back.
as much as i used to love staring out of long distance bus windows daydreaming endlessly and having strange unexpected conversations with strangers, those memories pale into insignificance when I look back on the constant buzz, riding challenges, decision making and pure independence of adventure biking that still give me goosebumps.
backpacking, sadly, has become an unwanted compromise, when logistics, availablitiy or costs conspire to force you to the bus terminal at ungodly hours and submit to the over-subscribed tourist trails with the lumpen sightseeing masses. Each new adventure without a bike fills me with a frustrated disappointment in myself and a renewed need to reform and redeem myself with another unforgettable bike misadventure.
Backpacking, it's a rite of passage, without question, but I wish i could confine it solely to rose-tinted glasses nostalgia of youthful pursuit.
Paperwork, parking, security, accidents and break downs are the necessary evils we must endure to experience the ultimate adventures available to us on our iron horses. Tourist attractions are just dots on maps we aim our bikes towards.

Somewhat off topic, I'm sort of playing with an idea of combining the two. I like low powered, simple bikes (MZ's). I figure that if I can pare down the dreaded "stuff" to the point where I can carry it on my back, I'll have a grab and go system that will work equally well with engine, pedals or even the dreaded peasant wagons. I've got it into my head that days when the prospect of another puncture (or conversation about either how MZ are not CZ, or the fact I did see the thing with the actor and his mate) fills me with dread, are exactly the days I'll fancy a walk and there is nothing like spending 3 1/2 hours on a train talking about Martians to a bloke drinking your stove fuel (I kid you not) to cure you of any notion that bikes are a bad idea.

I'm playing with ex-army webbing which might not be a great idea in the rougher-tougher parts of the worlds, but we'll see, maybe it can be dyed. At least next time something that can't be fixed with duct tape, cable ties and a can of coke goes pop I'll be ready for the walk.

Andy

I did three weeks backpacking in Burma simply because there is no other way of travelling there and would not like to make a habit of it, compared to the freedom of motorcycling or cycling it felt very restrictive and I did not enjoy sitting on a bus travelling at somebody else's pace. Not something I would do unless there is no other choice.

__________________
You can be too careful

Heh, forgot about this thread!

I'm currently on another big trip ... but since I can't take a big bike into Vietnam I'm backpacking it right now.

Today I took a tour of Cu Chi tunnels outside of Saigon on a bus that first stopped at a POS "Handicraft goods from handicaps" mandatory shopping trip. Then spent all day touring around with the masses.

I miss independent travel.. REAL indepenant travel, not lonely planet "independent travel".

Can't wait to rejoin my bike tomorrow in Bangkok!!!

__________________
http://davegtravels.com - RTW on a DRZ
All the way south - Texas to Tierra del Fuego in '08-'09