A closer look
The entire modern budget backpacking infrastructure exists because a teacher almost got his class killed. In 1909, Richard Schirrmann was leading a pedestrian excursion when a violent storm forced them into a barn. As he watched his students sleep on hay, he had an epiphany: schools could serve as cheap dormitories during holidays. This frantic survival tactic birthed the Jugendherberge network, ultimately leading to a global empire of bunk beds, communal kitchens, and questionable hygiene for thrifty travelers.
