backpacker

noun

1. A traveler whose luggage consists of a backpack; especially, such a traveler who uses hostels, public transport, and other inexpensive services.

   “Among the ah bengs and ah lians, the mats and the minahs, the young expats and the backpackers, he stood out like a dozen guys on a male-only dance floor singing Dancing Queen (I'll never forgive Blur for ruining my 21st birthday).”

   “A decade ago, I was a backpacker entirely reliant on the railways as a means to see Britain, and with castles as my destination. Via trains alone, I was able to tick off nearly all of the castles that my English Heritage annual pass afforded me.”

   “Eight staff members of a backpacker hostel in Laos have been detained by local authorities as they investigate the deaths of six foreign tourists from suspected methanol poisoning, according to state-affiliated media in the Southeast Asian country.”

   “Lots of pockets help with a commute, a storm hood is great if you get caught in a storm on a hike, weight and packability are essential for backpackers and if you’re a climber or biker, you’ll want a helmet-compatible hood.”

2. A hostel offering accommodation for such people.

   “We hardly ever stayed in backpackers as it was approximately double the cost of pitching a tent in a caravan park or nature reserve.”

3. (slang)A fan or performer of backpack rap.

   “Blacks and Latinos were more likely to be gangsta rappers than backpackers.”

   “To him the white backpackers are abject, 'safari wiggers' who threaten to undo all his careful work at 'passing' in this culture. With their earnestness and clumsy naiveté they betray the scandalous truth of his posturing.”