mochilear, a false friend

mochilear - to backpack a la chilena
"mochilear" does not equal "to backpack"
mochilear - comes from una mochila Chilean for "a backpack"
"mochilear" is an inexpensive summer activity that Chilean university students sometimes dedicate themselves to. Mochilear means to hitchhike or take a bus (to either the North or the South) with a backpack, usually during the summer months, and usually in Chile - although exceptions do exist. It's basically a cheap way for Chileans to get to know there country, meet knew people, and party a long way from home. They generally camp in camping areas and drink prolific amounts of alcohol, singing and strumming all night on a guitar with other drunk Chilean university students.

Vero: Qué vay a hacer para las vacaciones de verano?
Seba: Con unos amigos vamos a mochilear al sur por un mes.

Vero: What are you going to do during summer vacations?
Seba: I'm going backpacking a la chilena in the South for a month.

to backpack or to go backpacking - translates as "hacer trekking"
to backpack through a country is a bit more similar to the Chilean mochilear.
Like Chilean mochileros, a gringo who backpacks through a country is also on a budget (generally), and may or may not party a lot, as Chileans do.

Chilenismo, normal register