Etymograph

English

slackpack

Blend of slack + backpack.

A blend of slack + backpack

Proto-Germanic *slakaz

Proto-West Germanic *slak

Old English slæc

Middle English slak

English slack

Today it means

verb To hike on a multi-day trail without carrying a backpack. Typically, this is accomplished by having another person transport the backpack using a vehicle.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “slackpack”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / slackpack