Backpacking is one of the absolute best ways to travel. You can take time to really explore a country, be free to do exactly what you want, and you can find out who you really are in the process. In order to keep yourself safe as you travel, here are some handy tips to follow…
Keep To Your Budget
Here’s the thing that no one ever tells you about money: money means freedom. It means the freedom to do what you want, to be able to pack up and leave without warning and to afford a couple of nights in a nice hotel to recover from a bug that you picked up in another country. Make sure that not only do you keep to the budget that you’ve set yourself, but that you always have money left over for emergencies. You might want to be able to get home quickly, you might want to pay for an expensive taxi all the way back to your hotel or you might need to replace an important item like your laptop or phone quickly. Having a cushion of money to fall back on is crucial for your safety, if not peace of mind.
Always Be Prepared
Before you leave to go backpacking alone, why not take some self defence classes? Even if you never need to use your new moves, you’ll feel more confident knowing that you have them in your back pocket if you ever need to defend yourself. You should also make sure that you’re prepared for every eventuality while you’re away backpacking – if you’re planning to spend a lot of time out in the wilderness with your old friend Mother Nature, don’t go into it with your eyes closed. Make sure that you’ve fully prepared by investing in good quality equipment, clothing and shelter and that you’ve done your research by reading plenty of sites like YourSurvivalBlog.com. Remember that adventurers like Chris McCandless might be inspirational – but unfortunately he met an unhappy ending due to his lack of preparedness. Make sure that you have all the provisions you might need, that someone always knows where you are, and that you stay in touch with your family to keep them reassured that you’re healthy and happy.
Trust Your Instincts
A lot of people tell themselves to ignore their instincts, but I am a firm believer that you should pay as much attention to them as possible. A lot of the time your subconscious will pick up on things that you’re not totally aware of like the tone of someone’s voice or the subtleties of their body language – and those are the things that will you give you the heebie-jeebies and make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. If you feel creeped out while you’re travelling or if your instincts are telling you to get out of that situation, do it. Be polite and non-confrontational, plead sickness if you have to, and get out of there and back to your hotel. Make sure that you know the route home and that you carry a local taxi phone number with you at all times.
