@martin1ws , kia ora (greetings, have good health)
I live about 2km (1 mile) at about the mid-way point of Te Araroa (The Long Way), a 3,000 km trail running the length of Aotearoa-New Zealand. And occassionaly encounter walkers undertaking this trek. From them, from my own knowledge of parts of this trail and from the guardians on this trail it is clear that I could not hope to undertake a large amount of that trail.
But I had no great trouble walking the 1,600 km from Le Puy-en-velay to Santiago de Compostela, 400 km along the Thames River and 150 km from Southwark Cathedral to Canterbury Cathedral.
The two articles you cite are describing and preferring the equivalent of my Te Araroa. Let's call these apples. And assuming that all walks that involve a backpack have to be provide the same challenges and be undertaken in the same way, even though many people would cakk some of these walks as oranges.
And we know you can not compare apples and oranges other than to say they are diifferent. And to agree that some people prefer one and some the other.
With respect to your upcoming walking I say:
Kia kaha (take care, be strong, get going)