Backpacking

By Fabienne Rabbiosi, Chief Executive Optimiser @ Untanglemyweb.com and Outdoors Sports Junkie I spend most of last week travelling around the Whitsunday islands in Queensland, Australia. My incredible husband surprised me with organising it all. All I was given is a list of items to bring. I did not know where we were going, did not even know we had to catch a plane. Now just imagine h

You and your kids will really love to enjoy spending time with your family and friends at camping and packing is the most important part of camping. Always remember to pack light weight, especially while backpacking. Backpacking around the world is just funny. It requires an initial investment to buy the enough gear [...]

Recreational Outdoor Exchange (R.O.X.) had a free lecture last Sunday at their awesome store at the Bonifacio High Street. They invited speakers who have done it, are currently doing it, and will be doing it. Backpacking, that is. First to speak are newlyweds Gabby and Mench Dizon. They are both avid travelers, and to finance their [...]

By Darren Craddock Whether you head to the great outdoors in a pup tent or in an RV, you’ll find that one of the first things that you need to think about is your water. Even for campsites that have water supplies and faucets available, you’ll find that many people still decide that they want to [...]

Backpacking aimlessly is a bit more exhausting than you might think. And it's not the physical exhaustion of sitting on ferries for days eating god knows what from the ala-cart dining room or lugging a backpack around for hours wishing you would have read that Lonely Planet spiel on your current city before you got off the train. I think it's the mental numbing of too many art exhibits and cities

Backpacking aimlessly is a bit more exhausting than you might think. And it's not the physical exhaustion of sitting on ferries for days eating god knows what from the ala-cart dining room or lugging a backpack around for hours wishing you would have read that Lonely Planet spiel on your current city before you got off the train. I think it's the mental numbing of too many art exhibits and cities

Backpacking is a single trip which is formed by combining camping and hiking. You can spend for a single night or you can spend for weeks in the woods. You are required to bring the equipment and supplies that are essential to sleep and eat comfortably. If your backpacking trip includes one night’s stay then [...]

This clip demonstrates a way to hide money inside something in your backpack. Obviously, a big fat permanent marker may draw attention (no pun intended) as it would probably seem an odd thing to be carrying around backpacking, but if adapted slightly – by maybe using something like a non-clear ballpoint pen instead – it has the potential to become a nifty emergency money holder. If a thief did get into your backpack and went looking for goodies then a crappy pen knocking around in the bottom of your backpack could be easily overlooked in the hunt for money, cards or other valuable items. Something this small could easily accommodate a tightly rolled $100 bill which would be enough to get by on for a few days should you somehow get parted from your other money and cards. Backpacking Tips TV: How to hide money whilst backpacking

Before, when I thought of Las Vegas, I thought of glitz, glamour, excess, and a heady collection of high rollers and big hitters (read: a crazy place, but not one for backpackers) but how wrong I was. Last year, after friends duped me into booking a flight to Vegas whilst magnificently drunk, this much became clear. Previously I couldn’t imagine lasting out even one weekend in Las Vegas on my measly budget, but after looking into the possibilities of a cheaper Las Vegas I found that it could be done – or at least in theory it could, anyway. Curiously, it seems that Las Vegas’ obscene display of wealth and excess, or, more acurately, the way in which it’s created, actually helps backpackers to exist here. Everywhere you look in Vegas there are systems in place to entice folks into the casinos, and to keep them in there and spending money - free booze, free food, free shows etc - but if you can keep your head it’s nothing but a big, fat green light for freeloaders th

Want to visit Las Vegas but are afraid it'll crucify the budget? If this is so, a post highlighting the cheaper side of 'Lost Wages' should come as welcome news. With info and links highlighting cheap accomodation, cheap eats and cheap thrills in Las Vegas, backpackers can now love it (or hate it), too!

I don’t know how handy this tip will prove for backpackers on the road as you do need more than simply a beer can (and things that you probably won’t already have in your backpack). Although this video tip seems more suited to hiking/camping backpackers, it’s still pretty cool - and you never know, it may come in handy some day! So here it is:- How to make a stove out of 2 old beer cans Backpacker Tips TV: How to make a beer can stove

May be you’ll be on a beach, or in a backpacker hostel with friends etc and have beer but no bottle opener - so, can you still open the bottles? Of course you can! Here are a few tips in video form showing just some of the ways you can open a bottle of beer without a bottle opener:-

The previous post in this series dealt with outward appearance and how it can influence a sale price, and also touched upon the other ways in which it can affect us whilst backpacking such as by drawing unwanted attention from touts and hustlers. This next post gets down to the nitty-gritty and focuses on tips that may help when it comes to actually making a purchase. I feel they’re worthy of a separate post as they can clearly influence the initial stated price of something and consequently affect our remaining road fund. As Wade from the backpacking blog Song of the Open Road says: a traveller who saves a dollar today, has a dollar to travel another day. So, what can we do to avoid getting overcharged when actually buying things? Tip 1: Learn the lingo – A valuable point mentioned in a previous comment by Stuart from Travelfish is that learning even just a few words in a local language can go a long way. Basics such as please and thank you, numbers, words for local transport and

For this coming holiday, other than staying in my house doing nothing, I have decided to backpack to the north of Malaysia. This will be the first time I am doing this and hopefully, it can be a great experience for me.If I am on with this trip, I will start packing my bags now, including water bottles, backpacks, dry food, liquids, first aid kit and not to forget, my North Face jacket. All of these is a must in or

It’s a fact of life that in some countries overcharging visitors is commonplace. Dual pricing is sometimes the norm though, and is just something we have to take on the chin - but let’s face it, it’s normally such a small difference that it’s hardly worth worrying about anyway. If we make it an issue then the chances are it’ll only detract from our own experience - so why get het up about it? But as we know, there are occasions where some folk try to take the piss. They either try to overcharge by a bit too much, or simply try to scam or hustle us. This post is the first in a series of backpacking tips focussing on such occasions. These tips on how to avoid getting overcharged concentrate purely on the steps we can take, and things we can do ourselves, to avoid getting grossly overcharged or hustled in the first place. It’s more about prevention than cure. Let’s kick off this round with quite a heavyweight: Appearance Although you can’t always judge a book by its cov

Whilst on the road I’m constantly amazed at how few backpackers carry a first aid kit. Maybe it’s simply overlooked, maybe it’s not deemed necessary and sacrificed during the quest to attain a lighter backpack, or maybe it’s dismissed on a cost basis alone. I don’t know the exact reason, but what I do know is that a first aid kit can be worth its weight in gold - at worst it can provide piece of mind and at best could even avert a trip ruining calamity. What follows below is a quick guide to knocking up your own tailor made DIY backpacking first aid kit – it’s small, light, cheap and, most importantly, for its size it’s bloody effective. (more…) Related Posts

By Parry LoefflerThe South East Asian region of the world - especially Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos - has become increasingly popular as a destination for those travelers seeking a more adventurous holiday than can be had merely sipping fruity, ice-cold drinks at your typical beach resort. However, an adventurous trip to these developing countries raises many questions and one of the first is what route to take, which I will try to answer in this article.Most people with enough time would like to get a taste for all four that I’ve mentioned earlier, so I’ll concentrate on a route that includes all of them. It would take about three months if you spent a few days at each stop. Keep in mind that there certainly are options available that would allow you to skip countries or even shorten the trip to fit into a more constrained timeline, but this should give you a good starting point for further research.As far as getting around, travel by public bus, train, and boat is readil

When we decided to go to Maryland, one opportunity I wanted to take advantage of was meeting Dave from GoBackpacking. I've been following Dave's blog as he plans and saves for his upcoming round the world trip. He is leaving the country in just a few weeks, so this was a chance I couldn't pass up. I sent him an invitation to join us for drinks before we left D.C., and Dave graciously accepted. He suggested Ireland's Four Courts in Arlington, Virginia and I'm so glad he did.Set up like a traditional Irish pub, it reminded me of our trip to Ireland and the several meals we had at pubs just like this one. Even though I ordered an Irish beer (Smithwicks), I couldn't resist the non-Irish 5 Layer Dip with refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, tomato salsa and grated provolone and cheddar cheese. It was delicious.It was great to visit with Dave. We talked a lot about travel and blogging. His eyes light up when he talks about his trip, and his relief that physical therapy is

I had a brainwave last week. I remember a few months ago Brian Blogduck thought of a simple way of advertise your blog: write your URL on a bank note. It’s in circulation, and will be seen by plenty of people. The only problem? It’s a bit of a legal grey area. It is against the law to write on them, but a “Freedom of Speech” defence has been used in the past. Still, I’m sure your blog name plastered across a bank note wouldn’t really be classed as freedom of speech. So what can you do instead? Well most youth hostels have book exchanges (shelves full of books that you may take, providing you leave one behind), books are relatively cheap, and it could be an interesting way to find new visitors. So why not exchange books all over your backpacking holiday? Well, that’s the theory. I’ll let you know if it works, but here’s the process behind it. 1. Create An “Entry” Page for your Blog I spent a few hours today creating an &l

Safely Backpacking Around China The key to having the best and safest possible holiday in China is to plan ahead carefully. Make sure you decide where you're going ahead of time and know how long you will be in the country so you can purchase travel insurance accordingly. It can take six months to see everything in a country of this size, so you'll want to see a few of the highlights if you have

I leave today for my first weekend retreat with my new youth group at First United Methodist. This is a timely moment to reflect on my most pathetic attempt at leadership. In the fall of 1995 - only a couple of months into my first youth ministry position - one of my youth staff encour...

It’s easy to over-pack for a trip to India. Besides clothes for different climates, many travelers bring photo gear, a laptop and toiletries unavailable on the subcontinent. More: continued here

Developed by years of backpacking and inspired less by my father’s hand-me-down survival training techniques than by Batman’s utility belt, my habit is to go everywhere with the most essential supplies. Everywhere. A bike ride through my neighbourhood is as well stocked against disaster as a trek along the Allegheny Trail. Of course, “essential” is in the eye of the beholder. But I like to be prepared for any minor inconvenience. “Roughing it” doesn’t have to mean enduring a broken fingernail, does it? Sure, I fall just a bit on the fastidious side, but my Inspector Gadgetism has occasionally come to the aid of a fellow traveller in need. My inventory is categorized, which helps me retrieve things quicker and replenish supplies more efficiently. If you shop for the smallest gadgets for your own utility belt (I actually use several tiny cloth zipper bags that I can toss into a backpack, fanny pack or suitcase), you’ll be amazed at how much space you can save. Here’s w

Safe and economic backpacking in the UK With England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland offering their own unique selection of scenery and attractions, a UK backpacking holiday can show you a side to the country that you never knew existed. The YHA (Youth Hostel Association) is a backpacker’s best friend in the UK, providing reasonably priced accommodation [...]

In an article on the BudgeTravelOnline blog, This Just In, I found out about a new site called StartBackpacking by Greg Rodgers. According to This Just In and the author's bootsnall blog, the site went live yesterday. There are some great tips in a 10 step guide for planning a vagabonding experience. Another section has travel tips for Thailand. The site also has travel stories from around the world, and links to other travel blogs.StartBackpacking does not have an RSS feed, one of the requirements I usually have for recommending a travel site, but there is so much information about planning a backpacking trip, I am willing to forgive the missing feed. If someone from the site reads this, though, please, please, please consider adding a feed.*the picture above is the sun rising over the Greek island of Mykonos

I was chatting it up with Dutchie after I received my bike on some of the things one can find in, let us say, Amsterdam for tourists. What could I recommend to those who are interested in vacationing it in Amsterdam? Well for one, stop at the one of many tourist booths throughout the city and two is get a bike or a strippenkaart. You could easily find a bike rental place; you can even make reservations for bike rentals on line much like a hotel, car or flight. A strippenkaart is a strip with slots on it for stamps. When taking a bus or tram in any city in Holland you bring this card and either have the bus driver stamp it or punch it on a machine available on the bus. Each destination can cost you one, two or three slots to get you on your destination. What I find easy is this: if you are not sure of how many slots, have the driver stamp it for you. This and a bicycle is much easier driving in Amsterdam, or any city in Holland for that matter. Being an old country the city and resident

By: John PurdyIf you are looking to take an adventure travel lasting a day or two, or over a long holiday weekend, a backpacking adventure travel may be a perfect solution. This type of adventure travel is usually easier to plan and will give you a nice break away from your everyday routine. Before you begin, you first have to decide how long you plan on being away. If you plan on being gone for one single day, a daypack would satiate, but if you plan on going on a multi-day adventure travel, you would need to go for backpacking. With both these types, you would have to keep in mind a few more things. For example, the backpack for your backpacking adventure travel should come with sturdy shoulder straps. In addition to that, your backpack should also have enough padding and curves. This helps to keep your collarbone safe otherwise it would chaff it. Another thing that must be understood with backpacking is having good zips. The zips should be strong and durable. And to make things ea

For most Pinoys, to travel outside the Philippines alone is not something one commonly hears about, let alone encourage. What more if the traveler happens to be an attractive and still single Filipina, only 24 years of age? But that’s exactly what Lani del Fierro has done recently. And what’s more amazing about it is that [...]

It never ceases to amaze me just what the internet can throw up. A couple of months ago I happened on this little gem. Its a work in progress, a Backpacking Novel by Ethan Zara. Now, the thought of reading a book that has yet to be finished does not hold much appeal to [...]

Planning to go on a low budget, independent, off-beaten-track-traveling--- which is the backpacking traveling? Then insure yourself with a cheap travel insurance policy for backpackers.The name backpacking itself implies that, this travel is for all the youthful travelers who want to explore the whole planet at a limited budget. They are different from all the normal travelers because instead of traveling to a specific and conventional destination, they prefer going to unusual and unconventional places. They may go hiking and camping, seek out low cost options such as sharing lifts, youth hostels, buying food from the super markets abroad instead of going to restaurants.This unconventional way of traveling can affect your health to a great extent. The food you take, the places you visit etc can make you fall ill. Apart from that traveling on a budget inevitably means that backpackers are at greater risk for accidents and injury when abroad. Again your scuba driving or trekking can also

Backpacking travel has become one of the most popular travel plans that many people are undertaking. Many people who want a combination of adventure and fun, variety and excitement go for backpacking travel. Backpacking is different from conventional travel insurance plans because instead of going to conventional travel destinations, people prefer to go to unconventional and adventurous destinations. But these adventures can bring risks and dangers to your life during the travel. All these risks can be easily handled by backpacker travel insurance bought from the markets of UK.People who go for backpacking travels carry a limited budget with them. They, instead of staying in expensive hostels prefer staying in dorms, eat from cheap food joints, travel without much baggage etc. Though backpacking is fun, sometimes, all this fun can turn into a nightmare. Your health might get affected, you might get injured or you might face some mishaps; the treatments of these entire things can cost y

By Steven GillmanMaybe your favorite backpacking food is a freeze-dried turkey dinner. There really is no "best" backpacking food. There are reasons to bring certain foods, though. Here are ten foods, and the reasons you might want to consider them.1. Nuts. This is one of the most calorie-packed foods you can take. That means less weight to carry. With lots of protein and other nutritonal benefits, nuts are one of the best backpacking foods2. Olive oil. Add a little to your soups or dip bread in it. The best of the oils health-wise, you can eat it before sleeping, to stay warm, because fats generate heat when digested.3. Trail mixes. Any mix with raisins and nuts is great for backpacking. Vitamins, minerals, protein, and the best reason - convenience.4. Corn products. Tortilla chips or corn nuts are convenient, and they don't seem to cause the tiredness that potato chips and other simple carbohydrates can cause.5. Ramen noodles. When you need a hot meal fast, there isn't much that's

It doesn’t trouble me the slightest bit to publicize the existence of a website that covers a similar ground to the Brazil Travel Blog. I am talking about Backpacking Brazil, an excellent resource for all things Brazilian, the work of Gavin Raper, a well-travelled Aussie. Gavin’s endeavour is not a blog, though. In this age of the copy-and-paste style of blogging there are information pages on Brazil aplenty. Pages with original, reliable and independent information, and with an acute awareness of what is likely to be of interest of visitors are much rarer to find. Gavin’s Backpacking Brazil is one of them. Go find out! Share This

Should you stay at a hotels when backpacking?I wouldn't really recommend Hotels for backpacking travel unless you are wealthy or on a short vacation where you can splurge everyday.Another occasion might be if you are backpack traveling with a couple friends and you can split the cost of the room. A good idea would be getting an 80 dollar a double room with a couple friends then rotate who sleeps on the couch or sleeping bag. The thing is you can usually get a private group room for your friends in a hostel and get it very cheaply. It depends on your taste.If you intend on backpacking for any length of time, I definitely recommend a Hostel.What you need to know about Hostels.If you are wanting to have a long trip on the cheap, you are going to spend most of your nights in Hostels.Hostels, unlike Hotels, are cheap and very basic accomidations that you can get at a much cheaper rate than hotels.You should research your hostels before you arrive in a city to make sure they have rooms avai

Backpacking is a term used to denote a form of low-cost independent international travel, differentiating it from other forms of tourism notably by the following typical attributes: minimal budget use, longer duration traveling, use of public transport and multipliable destinations/countries. The origin of the name comes from the backpacks that budget travelers generally carry in the interests of mobility and flexibility.Many commentators see backpacking as descriptive, not only of low-cost travel, but of the culture and philosophy often associated with it, especially anti or trans-nationalism as well as a romanticization of wanderlust and a desire for "authentic" contact with local culture.Crime, dangers and victimizationSome countries are largely avoided by backpackers due to a substantially increased risk of being kidnapped or mugged of their possessions, to the point where the benefits of travel may not compensate for their dangers. Colombia in South America is a notable example, w

Westweg (Western Trail)The 285km "Westweg" was created in 1900 to establish and mark the first long-distance hiking route from Pforzheim, Germany (northern Black Forest) to Basel Switzerland(southern Black Forest.) It has been managed and cared for by the Black Forest Society (90,000 members) for over 100 years.The Westweg is the oldest of the high level walking routes in the Black Forest. The walk can be completed in 11 days with daily distances ranging from 20 up to 35 km.Pforzheim is the door to the Black Forest, and is known as the Golden city where gold has been mined and jewelry handcrafted for over 200 years. It sits at the junction of three rivers (the Würm, the Enz, and the Nagold) and is one of the Black Forest's largest settlements. (120,000)Tourist Info PforzheimPforzheim Jewelry Museum - the world's only jewelry museum. The major focus of the museum's collection is on jewelry from Greek and Etruscan-Roman antiquity, the Renaissance and the Baroque as well as a unique r

Travelers around the world enjoy seeing the sights and wonders of different places with only a backpack for all the things they need. Because they only have a pack on their backs, the possibilities of new sightseeing and activity adventures are limitless.But of course, before you head for a faraway hiking adventure with your backpack, you must make sure that you bring all the things you need to put in your backpack. Below is a checklist that will make your backpacking adventure a pleasant experience. - Backpack Of course, how can you go for a wild backpacking activity without a backpack! Pick one that is comfortable and fits well on you. A properly fitted backpack is essential. You are going hiking and the last thing you need is a backpack that is gouging into your shoulders. Make sure your is fitted properly.- Quick Drying TowelWidely available in many stores. You don't want a heavy, damp towel on your backpack, do you?- Walking ShoesPick comfortable shoes as you would learn soon