Tremblant Lifestyle

Before you and your backpack head off for a hiking adventure, make sure you have all the essential items you need. You may have your own ideas of what should be in your pack but please take 1 minute to read this checklist and hopefully you wont end up with a sore back.

PRIORITY NUMBER 1: a good strong Backpack! How can you go for a wild backpacking adventure with a cheap useless backpack? Pick one which is comfortable and fits well on you. A custom fitted backpack is crucial. You are going hiking and the last thing you need is a backpack gouging into your shoulders. Make sure it fits as comfortable as possible, you could be carrying it for thousands of miles. Purchase one with a lock and key as well, if you can’t find one with a lock and key, then buy a separate padlock to keep your belongings safe.

Two of the most important elements of your backpacking journey will be, sleep and walking, hopefully not together. Pick a pair of very comfy walking shoes because, you will learn soon enough that walking is going to be a major part of your backpacking adventure. A pillow case and lightweight sleeping bag are essential items to keep when you stay in accommodation for backpackers. The pillow case is great because you know your head is the only one which has slept on it and it wont need too much regular washing. A sleeping bag will improve your sleep if your bag is comfortable and you can always pull out a few clothes to stuff in the pillow case for a custom sized pillow.

“DON’T FORGET YOUR PASSPORT”! This little booklet is the key to you leaving your home country and the same key, which will allow you to enter and leave many other countries. Without it, well, you wont be going anywhere. Separate your cash and travelers cheques into different compartments on your backpack and, keep some about your person. This way, “IF” robbers strike or “IF”, you lose your backpack, you can ensure you have something left. In addition, find yourself a comprehensive travel guide but one, which only has the essential info you need.

Most backpacks have a detachable daypack. This little pack can easily carry your essential items for a day trip, like a camera, journal, one or two travelers cheques and flip flops. Flip flops I hear you ask? Flip flops can be very useful when you take a shower in places you may not normally take a shower.

Mini packs of toothpaste, shampoo, sun cream, wet wipes, body spray or roll on, soap and a small bag of laundry powder will all keep you clean and feeling fresh for the first few weeks of your journey. Restock at different stages on your travels. A tiny first aid kit could prove very handy and finally, a quick drying towel! You don’t want to be carrying a heavy, damp towel on your back for miles and miles.

Take just enough underwear & socks for a week and make sure your socks are 100% cotton so your feet can breathe. You might also want to pack a pair of long Johns. This depends on the season and place where you are traveling. You might need your long underwear when you stay in accommodation with a poor heating system. Pack a lightweight raincoat or kagool, especially for tropical or rainy countries like those in South America or South East Asia.

Unfortunately, many backpackers travel insurance policies often fail to cover the activities that backpackers enjoy. Backpacking and many popular backpacking destinations may offer travel and adventure, but not if you are relying on a basic insurance policy for medical care or replacement of belongings.

Standard travel policies effectively place limits on the activities you can take part in, as well as the places you can go. Before heading off for an international backpacking trek, it is necessary to explore the types of travel insurance available and to find a policy that meets your specific needs.

Standard insurance policies exclude anything that has the potential to cause a claim. Backpacking, as well as certain other sports and activities, automatically places people at risk of illness and injury because it involves leaving the paved roads and vacation resorts. Backpacking in wilderness areas and mountain trails, as well as overnight accommodations in cheap hotels and backpackers hostels raises a lot of safety issues.

Insurers also consider people who participate in those activities more likely to be assaulted or robbed. A backpacker‘s travel insurance policy is issued with an understanding of the risks involved, and offers more coverage than a standard travel policy.

The travels of a backpacker are not like those of others on vacation, and a backpacker’s insurance must meet their individual needs. Backpackers travel insurance must cover a diverse range of countries, as well as the remote areas that standard policies usually fail to cover.

Natural disasters can have a seriously negative impact on backpacking vacations, as well as the health and belongings of backpackers, so policies must cover those events, even if it is with certain restrictions. In addition to all of these, backpacker policies also often offer the option of extending the policy, or changing the area covered by the policy, while traveling.

A common rite of passage for students leaving college is embarking on a multinational backpacking tour. It is a cheap way to see other countries, interact with the people and learn about the culture. It also offers the opportunity to find yourself, figuring out who you are and what you want to do with your life.

However, for many, backpackers travel insurance does not provide coverage for destinations and vacations that the backpacker wants to experience. This can leave you stranded, without assistance or replacement of goods in the event of an emergency. Taking the time to explore your options before you leave, however, will help ensure that your policy covers what you need, wherever you go and no matter what happens along the way.

Are you on a shoestring budget but still have the travel bug? Or would you really want to experience the day-to-day life of a community, its people and the sights of a certain country that you feel you might not see with a guide. Then, you could enjoy travelling and staying at a backpacker. These are also known as hostels, and are reasonably priced and efficient accommodations that are available worldwide, allowing backpackers a chance to experience the world on a tight budget.

If so, you might enjoy traveling and staying at a backpacker. Also called a hostel, these low-cost and efficient accommodations are available all over the world, giving backpackers a way to see experience the world on a tight budget.

1) Expect To Save Money!

The greatest advantage to staying at a backpackers is the price. These little gems offer clean, safe accommodations at a fraction of the price of a hotel, allowing you to do more or stay longer in the country you wish to visit. If you are going on an extended trip around Europe, or visiting a part of Australia you’ve always wanted to visit, there is a hostel waiting for you.

For example, if you’ve always wanted to see Venice, Italy, you can stay at a hostel for as little as $21 per person for a shared room, or $46 for a private room.

Want to see Paris? You can, for as little as $26 for a shared room or $55 for a private.

Want to bask on a Brazilian beach in Rio de Janeiro? You can, for the cheap rate of $14 for a shared room!

When you consider that the cheapest hotel rate for a single person for Venice runs around $91, Paris at $126, and Rio de Janeiro at $80, you can get a sense of the savings you’ll reap by going the backpackers route.

2) Be Prepared To Be Friendly.

Besides being low cost, backpackers tend to be a great place to meet other travelers. In fact the layout of the hostel encourages getting to know other visitors more so than a hotel or motel. Unless you request a private room you’ll stay in a dormitory-style bedroom, often co-ed. Most have a common area to gather and socialize, as well as a kitchen and an area to do laundry. It’s a great way to get to know people, but if you’re shy or value your privacy, you might want to think twice about staying at a hostel.

3) Carry Proper ID.

If you’re traveling in your own country, you’ll still want to carry proper identification, such as a photo driver’s license, passport or state/country ID. Most backpackers ask for more information than a hotel or motel would when staying with them because they want to ensure the safety of their guests.

Also, because of their cheap prices, hostels want to make sure that locals aren’t taking advantage of their hospitality, thus taking space away from an international traveler who really needs the cheaper accommodations. If you don’t have a passport, you might want to invest the time to get one, even while traveling your own country, just to give yourself one more ID choice.

4) Pack Lightly!

If you’re a true backpacker, you’re going to travel from hostel to hostel with your clothes on your back. You’re probably going to use local transportation, such as the bus or subway system, or your own two feet. Even if you’re not packing your way from hostel to hostel, keep in mind you’re not going to have a ton of space to toss open countless pieces of luggage. In either case, you don’t want to carry a ton of clothing and valuables to weigh you down and keep you from enjoying your trip.

What will you need?

- A sleep sheet: two sheets sewn together to put on your mattress so you can sleep in your own, clean bed. Some hostels rent them. Most hostels don’t allow sleeping bags because they offer ample places for bedbugs, fleas and ticks to hide in. Most hostels offer clean blankets.

- Toiletries, such as soap, shampoo and toothbrush

- Your own towel

5) Lock Up Valuables.

Although backpackers offer a secure and safe environment, you don’t want to take a chance of losing your more expensive personal goods by leaving them about. Just as you would in a hotel, you want to keep your valuables safe when staying in a backpacker. Most hostels offer a locker or safe of some sort to store valuable items while you’re out. You could also invest in a lock and key before starting your trip to keep handy in case it’s needed.

6) Check for bedbugs!

Unfortunately, bedbugs happen everywhere, be it a five-star hotel or a backpacker. These little pests do suck blood but don’t transmit any diseases, and aren’t any more pesky than a flea bite in most cases.

However, they do carry the stigma of a place being ‘dirty’ if you discover them. This just isn’t so. The cleanest, most expensive accommodations can have them. It’s important to know what they look like so you can tell the backpacker host/hostess. They will take the proper steps to clean the room and get rid of the little pests, since no one wants bedbugs around.

Bedbug signs:

- Most people think they’re so tiny you can’t see them, but this isn’t so. Bedbugs are about 5mm long, oval in shape and brown in colour.

- Check for flecks of blood on the sheets, mattress seams and bed slats

- A large bedbug infestation has an almond-like smell that’s very unpleasant

Bedbugs like to sneak into clothing and gear to travel to the next location with you, so if you think you’ve been infested with bedbugs, you should:

- Wash everything you own in the hottest washer setting and then dry on hot for at least 20 minutes-this includes your backpack!

- Wash yourself in a hot shower

- If something can’t be washed, check it carefully for signs of bedbugs

- Tell the backpacker hostess/host or staff so they can clean the room thoroughly

7) Learn the Etiquette.

When traveling in a different country or even in your own it’s important to know the proper etiquette and rules for that area to enjoy your backpacker stay. For example, some countries don’t allow smoking in public areas and others may have stipulations about drinking alcohol, such as age. You don’t want to end up breaking the rules and find yourself without a place to stay, or worse, locked up in a foreign jail cell.

You’ll also want to check if your backpacker observes a curfew or lockout times. A curfew means that unless you want to find yourself sleeping outside, you’ll be in the hostel at that time. You’ll also want to learn if there’s a lockout time, meaning the backpackers is closed for cleaning or to give the hosts time to run errands, so you can plan accordingly.

Book Online.

To ensure you have someplace to stay when traveling, you’ll want to book your stay in advance. The easiest way is to book your backpacker stay online. BUG (http://www.bugeurope.com) and Hostels.com offer accommodations worldwide as well as online booking. You can also see how others rated their stay and compare between other backpacker locations in the same city.

In Conclusion:

Going round the world or even travelling through your own country can be exciting and fun when staying at backpackers hostels. Providing you don’t forget to take proper ID, stick to the rules, check for bedbugs and pack suitably, you will be able to mix with the locals and save money while you travel. You may make a few new friends along the way!