Great question — answering as the UphillTech team:
Bushwhacking is generally what you say - off trail hiking. It gets its name from what you see in movies trying to get through a jungle with a machete, but that is not how it's done these days. Modern bushwhacking especially tends to embrace the principles of Leave No Trace . Also, destroying plants is good way to get in trouble or banned from an area. Note that even some public lands forbid off-trail hiking so make sure you have permission from whoever manages the land you intend to explore. They'll also be able to inform you about any potential dangers you hadn't considered. Gear needed would definitely include at least one map and compass - this is usually half the fun in bushwhacking....
Full answer by Silt Loam: https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/30157 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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