Did you hear?… Flashpacking looks to become next buzzword

According to a recent Associated Press report, there’s a new outdoor adventure travel buzzword making the rounds: flashpacking. The term refers to backpackers who load their packs with digital cameras, power adapters, blank CD-RW, cables, cords, cell phone, laptop, USB memory stick, rechargeable batteries, MP3 players, and more. Primarily the domain of the adventure traveler, this new category reflects a changing demographic where world travel and adventure remain important, but where the traditional journal and pen have been replaced by electronic gadgets and gizmos. The term first began gaining favor in early 2003 in New Zealand and Australia, and now appears to have become sufficiently popular to garner mainstream media attention. While still a novelty in the United States, the practice of flashpacking may soon become more important to U.S. shoppers interested in remaining connected while on a vacation to disconnect.