Backpacking is a universal and highly affordable way to explore the world and spend quality time outside your hometown. This format allows you to do various activities, from interacting with locals and bar-hopping to visiting cultural and historical places to meditating in the mountains in solitary. However, it is not to say that backpacking is effortless and requires no planning. It does. Moreover, you must approach the preparation thoughtfully, as forgetting to take something may be a bummer during the journey. Let’s look closer at what backpacking can be and focus on what you need to embark on your unforgettable backpacking journey.
Decide on the backpacking format first
While backpacking is often considered a typical hike in the mountains, its format goes way beyond that. Backpacking is so versatile that you can twist it however you wish. Below are the three standard backpacking models:
- Rough: Down to challenge yourself? This format is for you! By choosing this option, be ready to travel on a budget, sleep in a tent, and face rough weather conditions. This format requires more deliberate planning.
- Moderate: The moderate format is hitting the scene these days. Moderate backpacking lets you travel by bus/train, sleep in hostels or use Couchsurfing, eat outdoors, and be in relative comfort.
- Light: Although far from luxury, the light format is much comfier, allowing you to use Airbnb and visit paid events and performances. It’s pretty much the same as conventional traveling. But with backpacking, you bring fewer clothes and travel practically luggage-free.
Create an itinerary and secure an essential gear
Whatever the model you choose, building a route is vital to let you be on the go and make your backpacking trip splendid and saturated with events. If you plan to use a bus to get from one place to another, buying tickets in advance is a reasonable step to save you extra cash and ensure you won’t get stuck.
Imagine going to the mountains, ascending, and stopping to take a break for a snack, realizing that you’ve forgotten the gas stove. Yodeling won’t help, as there is no single soul in miles. What’d you do? Return? It could be an option, but the highest peak is too close and enticing to turn out and go back. To prevent such instances, ensure to brainstorm and determine the most critical items for your backpacking trip in advance. Other than a good backpack per se, remember to take a camera, especially if you run an Instagram blog and plan to furnish your profile with dozens of impressive snaps and animations. VistaCreate offers tons of animation solutions for any topic, including traveling; click to visit the website and see how you can attract more followers.
Have strategic reserves of essentials
Whether you go on a solo hike or travel around the states and live in motels, having enough water for several days is a must. You never know what can occur, whether a dry spring or the lack of water in the hotel. Of course, carrying five gallons of water doesn’t seem viable. But two bottles of half a gallon each? Pretty doable.
Besides, ensure you have enough energy to keep you going. Walking under the sun holding a several-kilogram backpack is tiring and burns plenty of calories you need to replenish. Food like energy bars (sugar-free), crunchy granola, and nuts and seeds are good food to bring when traveling.
Mind the weather
No matter your location, the weather can be unpredictable. Don’t forget to check the weather before starting your journey. Not that you should trust the forecast, but it will give you a sense of what you can wear. We recommend taking such life-savers as raincoats, backpack covers, and caps. Depending on the climate and season, you may also need to secure gloves, a hat, and a scarf.
Pre-download maps
Having pre-downloaded maps you can reach without the Internet connection is the thing you must not overlook. Apps like Maps.me allow downloading maps of separate regions to save your storage. We highly encourage you to download maps when exploring new places, especially when they are not English-speaking. Such maps will help you quickly escape dangerous places, find exciting spots, leave the city, and build routes.
Forget about those additional pants
It may be tempting to bring extra clothes when visiting different places, cafes, and food courts. However, it’s better not to succumb to that. You will simply be unable to savor your journey carrying a heavy backpack on your shoulders all the time. Besides, the chances are you will not wear all the clothes you hold. A good rule of thumb is to take fewer clothes and clean them more often. You can either wash them manually or do laundry where you crash for a few days.
Keep your head up
You will likely face lackluster moments during your trip, but it doesn’t have to make your experience negative and unpleasant. Don’t get discouraged when missing a bus or failing to stop a car when hitchhiking. The more journeys you make, the more experienced you will become and the fewer lame situations you will encounter. So, what are you waiting for? Start building your journey today, and you will get guaranteed new emotions and unforgettable memories!