Travel Quote of the Day

“I haven’t been everywhere yet, but it’s on my list” – Susan Sontag


(Mine Too!)





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Don't Get Jiggly with it: Shoot Better Travel Videos

You've got to love those old vintage vacaction videos your grandparents shot with some huge black and white bohemouth camera that they then transfered to a reel to reel player and flashed on the living room wall for everyone to enjoy. Well, actually not much has changed. We're still boring our friends with our recorded exploits. It's just now we do it with a smart phone and a blog post.

The only problem with that is it's hard to hold these little devices steady. So you're smiling wave from Machu Picchu ends up looking like you're about to fall off the mountain. So blogger, traveler, director and all around interesting guy Roger Sherman has posted a handy guide on Huffington Post Travel on how to use your smart phone or other small device to shoot video in a way that holds the frame steady. It's a cool bit of advice.

So if you want to shoot better impromtu videos, check out the Huffington Post story here.

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5 Most Unexpected Backpackers Expenses

So you’re planning your next trip and you’re thinking, “I’ve got $7 bucks per night for a hostel, $2.5 per day for street food and $8 dollars a day for beer. Cuzco here I come!” Which is fine and you can sometimes get by on such a strict budget for a few days. But there are a whole slew of expenses that lots of us overlook.
 

First: You’re there, you might as well. Sure, you’re having a blast in Rio staying at your cheap hostel and hanging at house parties. But damn, that $75 dollar, once-in-a-lifetime helicopter ride over the city sure looks good.

Second: Shit happens. We pulled into a Czech village around midnight thinking we’d go to the square and find a cheap place to sleep. A village is not Prague. The town was totally shut for the night. Expensive hotels will take you in 24 hours, but not the ones in our budget. Luckily, we found the only bar open on the square and met some locals who let us crash at their place. Point is, shit happens. So leave a little cash in the reserve so it won’t mess up the rest of your trip.

Third: Friends. Sure, you’ve got a strict $8 per day personal beer budget, but you don’t want to be a wanker about it. You’re going to go out, you’re going to meet friends and they’re going to buy you rounds and pay with one check for food. And somehow you always end up paying more than you would have alone. But if you’re not willing to pitch in your share or buy your new friends a few rounds, you won’t have any.

Fourth: Nine hours on a bus or a 40-minute $35 boat ride. You decide. Transportation is another area where planning doesn’t match reality.  Sure, there are plenty of 10 cent bus fares out there. But remote doesn’t necessarily mean cheap. If the only way to get to that tiny island is on the boat of the only guy in the village who has one, it’s not going to be cheap.

Fifth: Nickel and Dimed. You didn’t tell me that on your website. Probably the biggest unexpected expense is the dozens of little costs that aren’t big enough to derail a trip, but add up over time. The $1 per night hostel locker fee, the $7 border crossing fee that somehow you didn’t have to pay last time, the volcano boarding trip you read about in Lonely Planet goes up $5 bucks. These little moments are out there at every turn.

That said, backpack travel is still the cheapest and most enjoyable way to see the world. And even if you add up all five of these expenses, they still likely wouldn’t equal  two nights in a Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam. So don’t stress about it. Just bring a little extra cash to keep the good time going.

And if you've got a few thoughts on the topic, leave them in the comments section below.

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3 Reasons To Pack Underwear Made for Travel

Local beers, new friends and discovered music. These are the things you photograph and blog about to your Facebook friends when traveling the world. But writing home about your underwear is not exactly on top of most travelers’ to do list. But that’s why I’m here. And I’m telling you, a few good pairs of undies designed specifically for travel can make your trip much more enjoyable. Here are three reasons why.

Easily Cleaned and Fast Drying

Anyone who’s done a lot of backpack travel knows that Laundromats aren’t exactly on every corner in many countries. Cold water and a bucket may be all you have. Quality travel underwear, such as the Exofficio series, is designed to be cold washed and quick dried. You can just rinse it in the sink, hang it over a chair and it’s ready to wear or pack in a few hours. The joy of newly cleaned, dry underwear when traveling can’t be underestimated.

Health

Nothing like damp clothes and a dark warm backpack to build up odors and bacteria. And I’m not a big fan of placing fungus-filled fabric near my nether regions. Like Laundromats, jock itch and ring worm remedies are also not on every corner in remote Amazon villages. So the second big benefit of travel underwear is that most are treated with an antimicrobial shield that fights bacteria and odors between washings. If you have to stuff your undies in the bottom of your pack and travel for a few days, they will still be fresh when you pull them back out.  And nothing can crimp a trip’s style more than a nice little fungal rash down below. Eliminate the risk.

Durability

 Comparing regular underwear to travel specific underwear is like comparing twine and climber’s rope. One is made for everyday tasks the other is designed for adventure. Quality travel underwear is designed specifically for extended use. They are breathable, stretchable and hold up to active, athletic activity. Exofficio is fond of saying “16 Countries, 1 Pair.” That might be a bit hardcore, but travel-style underwear is designed to last and not leave you, well, hanging, while on the road.

So while a quality craft pale ale from the country of your choice is a bit more exciting to share with friends than your discovery of the joys of travel underwear. Bringing along a few quality pairs can keep you healthy, clean and dry.

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BackpackTravelStore.com Offers Eco-Friendly Mountainsmith Packs

Hello all. Just a quick note to let all Backpackers Post readers know that BackpackTravelStore.com has just started carrying Mountainsmith Travel Backpacks. We're really excited about this as all the Mountainsmith packs we carry are made from recycled plastic bottles and are extremely eco-friendly.
They are also among the lightest backpacks we carry. We have both the men's and women's versions of Mountainsmith's top travel backpack models, including the Lariat 65, Juniper 50 Womens, Approach 35 and Alder 30 Womens. Our prices range from $119 to $199.

You can see all four of the Mountainsmith models we carry here or individual models by clicking on the picture links below.

Mountainsmith Lariat 65 Travel Backpack

Mountainsmith Juniper 50 Women's Travel Backpack

Mountainsmith Approach 35 Travel Backpack                                                                                                                        

Mountainsmith Alder 30 Women's Travel Backpack                                                                                        

Check them out, and enjoy your travels and help the environment at the same time!

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5 Essential Packing Tips for Backpack Travelers

So you’re taking a month and a half to backpack South America. No doubt it’ll be good times. You’ll experience Iguazu, Machu Picchu and a little Chilean surf village all with new friends and tasty local drafts. The question now is what to bring and how to bring it.

Plenty of blogs tell you what you should and shouldn’t pack. I’m not going to tell you what to bring, so much as the best way to bring it.

But don’t worry. It’s travel. There’s no wrong decision. One thing might be a little heavier or less convenient than another. But you’re out there to see the world and make friends. And you’ll do that no matter how you pack.

1.    Don’t Bring Half. Bring One Quarter

You’ve probably read travel tips that tell you to lay out everything you plan to bring and then half it.

That’s a good start but you need to do that twice. Seriously, you just don’t need the vast majority of items you plan to bring. Unless you’re heading to the remotest corner of the Brazilian Amazon, there’s a good chance there are people already there. And guess what? They wash their hair, feed and clothe themselves, and live just fine with what they have right there.

And you can too. And likely for a lot cheaper than you would buy it back home.

My ultimate travel goal is to leave for a months-long trip with an empty pack.

2. Rent or Buy Adventure Gear. Don’t Bring

Whether you’re hiking Machu Picchu, surfing Brazil or scaling a snow-covered peak, you don’t want to lug a bunch of adventure-specific gear around for six weeks to accommodate a four-day activity.

Friends of mine spent five days braving knee-deep snow and howling winds trekking the Torres Del Piane National Park in the Chilean Patagonia. It’s a massive wilderness with weather that can kill you. And they didn’t bring a single thing.

They were spending six months in South America and weren’t about to carry for five months everything they needed for one week in Torres Del Piane. And neither should you.

Everything they needed -- and likely everything you’ll need – can be found right where you’re going. Even the most obscure adventure sites have been visited before and cottage industries of used clothes and equipment have sprung up to outfit visitors. The best part is you can sell it back after you’re finished.

It’s actually possible to pack only board shorts and conquer a glacier.

3. Plan your trip

The other thing that can really lighten your load is strategic trip planning.

If you’re an experienced surfer, musician or just someone who loves their personal stuff, you can still have it with you. Just don’t lug it around for the whole journey.

Planning your trip allows you to mail the items you need for particular parts of your trip to the hostel where you’ll be staying. Hostels are happy to accept your stuff via mail in exchanged for the guaranteed booking.

Meeting your band mates for a week in Buenos Aires? Don’t lug your bongos across the continent. Plan and ship.

4. Group Similar Activities and Climates Together

Multi-month and adventure trips often cross differing climates with great variations in temperature, altitude and rain. Group as many similar climate activities together as possible and then ship home what you no longer need.

The same goes for activities. You’ll need your hiking boots for the Amazon and the Inca Trail, but not for La Paz or Rio. So get your hiking out of the way, ship your boots home and then hit the beach.

5. Choose Carefully What You Do Bring

Travel is about seeing the world and making friends. And you can do that nearly naked. So there’s not need to stock up on lots of fancy travel gear.

But – particularly for shorter trips – you also don’t want to waste half a day trying to find needle and thread to repair your bag or pills to calm your stomach. So bringing a few key items can save time and make life easier.

What you decide is critical to bring is up to you. But I will say that it should all be ultra-lightweight, quick dry and designed for travel. Items such as quick-dry travel towels, or a folding brush and mirror designed for travelers can really lighten your load. So take some time to think about what you really need – whether its travel speakers or ear plugs for the hostel -- and then buy the best and lightest item for the task.

And, of course, take a moment to share with your fellow travelers your own packing tips in the comments section below.

Michael Anderson is a long-time international backpack traveler, blogger at www.BackpackersPost.Blogspot.com and advisor to www.backpacktravelstore.com. He likes local beer, unplanned adventure and music he's never heard before.

5 Post College Backpacking Trips

Congratulations! You have finally graduated. You've walked across the stage, waved at your parents, grabbed your diploma and kissed college life good by.
And now, a month later, having settled into your post-college life you suddenly realize -- "What the hell was I thinking? It sucks out here!" No jobs, no summers off, dress codes and if you screw up you can't just do it over. They don't tell you that until you're out. But welcome.

The good thing though, is you're still young. And no one expects much right out of the box. And since there are no jobs anyway, you might as well hit the road.

To make things easier the Huffington Post has put together a small story on five recommended post college trips. Bolivia is on their list and I highly recommend it. Lake Titicaca high in the Andes is amazing. So check out their recommendations here.

Or leave your own recommendations for fellow travelers in the comments section below.

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