Backpacker from Canada, eh?
December 12th, 2007 Posted in General 
I had to laugh when I saw this short piece in World Hum, About that Canadian Flag on my Backpack. If there’s one thing that never fails to bug the crap out of me when traveling, it’s those damn maple leafs on every Canuck’s backpack. I even had a man in Sumatra once ask me, “Why are people from Canada the only ones who have a flag?”
The only thing worse though is American losers who should have stayed home putting a Canadian flag on their backpack out of fear that they’ll get kidnapped or something. Hate to tell you buds, but a “westerner” is a prize no matter which infidel country he or she comes from—with bonus points for Danes over the past year.
Like the person who wrote the linked article though, I have a feeling many Canadians don’t even know why they do it. Sure, some want to be sure foreigners don’t think they’re from the same country as George Bush, but is it better to be from the country of, “Who is your president and why should we care?” Is it a positive thing that your national identity is more wrapped up in who you aren’t than who you are?
For many Canadians though, it’s just something they do with their backpack. Like mindless lemmings, they just buy the flag patch as they buy their backpack, figuring the two go together like bananas and pancakes. Somehow that custom never spread beyond the Great White North though, even though plenty of other countries have their own overshadowing neighbor to the north or south.
My advice is this: It’s better not to broadcast your nationality to everyone with eyes, no matter where you are from. I personally find it a lot easier to deflect the touts when I am from Botswana or Kosovo. There is no frame of reference, so the conversation usually comes to an abrupt end soon after, “Where are you from?” Someone I traveled with for a while refused to say where he was from whenever asked by a stranger. He would just reply, “Earth.”
When I’m having a real conversation though, I have always found that being an American leads to interesting and nuanced conversations that can last all night, whether I’m talking to an Egyptian, a Brit, a Venezuelan, or a Russian. I can’t imagine giving that up just out of some vague fear that some nutjob will think I’m a bad guy because of where I was born.
[flickr photo from Yamica]
12 Responses to “Backpacker from Canada, eh?”
By Beki on Dec 16, 2007
I love this blog! (the whole thing in general, but today, I mean the Canadian backpacker blog in particular). I think I might send it to all my Canadian and all of my Canadian-loving friends in Belfast. I am not sure what the love affair between Northern Irish and Canadians is about…do you get it?
By RT on Jan 7, 2008
Hear, Hear! Great post. As an American who has lived in Canada for the last 10 year (and traveled the world), my friends are constantly asking me when I will apply for my Canadian citizenship. Why? “So then you can travel on a Canadian passport and get treated better.” I have to say that I have never been treated poorly on the basis of my American citizenship because I don’t treat people with dis-respect. I completely agree with your last statement about having some great conversations as a result. A healthy debate is welcome anyday.
By tim on Jan 8, 2008
Thanks for the comments. I’m not a country counter and have lost track of how many places I’ve been, but I can’t recall a single incident where I’ve gotten poor treatment because I am American. That includes three trips around the world, living in Turkey, and traveling in loads of Muslim countries.
By Patch King on Jan 27, 2008
I’d like to add my 2 cents. I really don’t mean for this to be a plug for my own webstore. But I’ve been selling flag patches for practically every country in the world for over 2 years now. From my experience with 1,000’s of customers it’s not just Canadians that buy “home country” flag patches and attach them to backpacks or jackets. I’ve shipped flag patches from Australia to Azerbaijan and in between. People just like showing the pride that they have in their country or their heritage. Are Canadians any different? Not really, although I do see more Canadian customers because my company is Canadian… In fact my best selling patch over the last few years is a rather large USA and Canada crossed flag patch that I’ve shipped all over the world as well. I just wanted to poke my nose in. Thanks for reading.
By tim on Jan 28, 2008
Mr. Patch King,
Legitimate points, but you don’t know what your customers are doing with those patches once they receive them; probably very few international ones go on a pack. I challenge you to go take a long trip around the world and count how many NON-Canadian flags you see on backpacks. You’ll probably go months without using all 10 fingers. You could see 20 Canadian ones in a single day however if you’re in a place with lots of Canuck backpackers. Ask each guesthouse or hostel owner, “Who comes in with flags on their backpacks?” You’ll only get one answer, no matter what continent you are on.
By Doug on Feb 1, 2008
You Americans! Geeezz you’re annoying! Tell me you don’t have the stars and stripes plastered on everything and anything that looks like a flagpole. Sports events have flag-like bunting everywhere. Cars have flags stuck to bumpers that are as old as the Model T. Every building I visit in the States has at least one flag flying in front and on top.
I am a very proud Canadian. I like to show it.
I’m tired of people assuming I’m American. I like being Canadian and like you Americans at home, we like people to know it. We have a great country, one about which most Americans know nothing. I’m tired of being taken for granted by Americans. I can speak with a great deal of experience when I say you know nothing about us or our country.
I have nothing against Americans. You are our neighbors and we have been best of friends for centuries. I have a lot of very good friends and business acquaintances in the States. We share many things. I’m not sure values are among them. That may speak to what’s going on in this blog.
But when some of you self-righteous write drivel like the above because, as I have to believe, you are too afraid to use the stars and stripes abroad, that’s enough! You put your flag on everything else at home and in all kinds of sites and locations abroad! Why not your backpacks?
You’re the ones that need to ask the question about flags on backpacks, not us!! Why is it whenever you decide to recognize Canada it ends up being meaningless twaddle seemingly just to be negative!
Signed, Doug A VERY proud Canadian
By tim on Feb 3, 2008
Doug, your comment speaks volumes, so I’ll leave it at that. Just this: flags at home are different than flags abroad while traveling. Different meaning, different intention. (And please read the original post this referred to, written by a Canadian.)
By Benji on Feb 3, 2008
“We have a great country, one about which most Americans know nothing. I’m tired of being taken for granted by Americans. I can speak with a great deal of experience when I say you know nothing about us or our country.”
Ummmm, so a maple leaf on your backpack is going to change that? I’m lost…
By Puffy on Apr 8, 2008
It is an inside joke for us Canadians - I find it weird that so many people want to endlessly talk about it.
By Keith on May 19, 2008
My wife and I (in our sixties) have been seriously backpacking the world for the last 10 years staying in each country no less than a month. I could tell you many stories about how the Canadian flag on our packs have saved our hides and at other times have also been an annoyance. But my comment to this blog is to ask a question. I have been collecting flag patches from each country we visit and where we can’t find any we buy them at home (Toronto). What are your feelings about attaching these international flags to our packs? What message would a fellow backpacker get from this gesture?
Thanks
Keith
By tim on May 20, 2008
Keith - please tell us how in the world a flag on your backpack “saved your hides.” That will be the first real case I’ve run across in 16 years of conversations about this odd tendency with Canadians. Were the feared perpetrators really that discerning? Unless you were hanging out with Daniel Perl, there’s not a whole lot of times your nationality could have been a factor in a valid (not perceived through a Canadian lens) danger situation.
As for a collection of patches, I can’t imagine anyone would be bothered by that. It’s not a display of “I’m not who you think I am” in that case, just mementos of your travels.
By Antoine on Jun 25, 2008
Beautiful post. What’s up with all those Canadian backpackers with a Canadian flag on their back….. grrr
Anyways, who cares where you are from. If you are a nice person you are a nice person…. if not simply move along.
There are rotten apples in every country INCLUDING Canada