What do you need to do a backpacking trip?

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Backpacking has become a way of travel desired by young people from all over the world. Here are some tips to keep in mind

Traveling around the world is increasingly a feasible reality for young people in the Western world due to the decrease in flight prices, the increase in information on tourist destinations and the number of apps that can make the trip more enjoyable. Therefore , backpacking is increasingly a form of travel that attracts the attention of many people, not only because it involves a lower expenditure of money, but also because the way to interact with other travelers and places of destination is different.

Leer en español: ¿Qué necesitas para hacer un viaje de mochilero?

Here in LatinAmerican Post, we give you five tips that can help you a lot to plan your backpacking trip around the world.

1. Lodging

Forget the all-inclusive hotels and private beach, because if you stay in one of them you would spend your money in a couple of weeks. The best thing you can do is to research cheap hostels and book them in advance. In this way, you will have a secure place to go and it will be cheaper because you have booked it with more time.

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However, if you want to make your trip more spontaneous, you can try other lodging options. The blog Mochileando por el Mundo recommends doing couchsurfing, house sitting or work way. Couchsurfing is an application in which you can contact natives of the place and ask them if they can stay overnight in their apartments or houses. This way you know people from where you go and you save some money. Remember to have a good attitude, since they are receiving you without paying money.

House sitting is another form of lodging in which you work taking care of a house, either cleaning or walking a pet, instead they give you free lodging. This is a very good option if you contemplate staying for a long time in one place.

Finally, workway or work exchange refers to working in some trade in exchange for lodging and even food. Think about what trades you can do and how you could help people in organizations, hostels, restaurants, etc., so you know what to offer when you want to use this form of accommodation.

2. Pack only what is necessary

Since you are probably going to use a 35L or 50L suitcase, it is best to choose the things you are going to wear to avoid unnecessary weight and objects that are a nuisance.

Pack only the clothes that you consider necessary and that you can wash easily, so you will be in constant movement and you will not complicate with demanding washing specifications. Likewise, it reminds us of the Backpackers website, you must find out the weather of the place where you go since that depends on the type of clothes you wear and it can make it easier to know what other items such as gloves or a bathing suit you need.

In addition to a good medical insurance you should have, do not forget to always carry a kit with medicines for the flu, stomach pain or headache, because they can be useful when you feel bad. However, taking some medication does not mean transporting a pharmacy, so Backpackers around the World recommends that it be a small medicine cabinet that does not take up much space.

Last but not least, be sure to bring all the necessary documents and credit cards to avoid getting stuck in a customs office or with a problem with the cashier. It is not wrong either to make a backup of your documents in the cloud. In case you miss one.

3. Find out discounts in tourist places

Skyscanner always recommends asking for student discounts , in case you have a current card, since this can mean discounts at tourist attractions or museums.

On the other hand, backpackers remember that it is important to learn to bargain with locals to get the best price of what you want to buy and sometimes avoid carrying an extra cost per tourist.

Do not forget to find out about free tours that sometimes offer the mayor or certain institutions of the places. Also be aware of the Free tours, a type of tour in which you pay what you can to the guide.

4. Cheap food

First of all, avoid eating constantly in restaurants, as they are the most expensive, no matter how tempting they may seem. In addition, if you decide to go to one, follow the natives, not as a stalker, but to go to places of real food typical of the place, at least according to the advice of Backpacking the World.

The best thing you can do is buy in supermarkets and cook in hostels. This way you save money by buying cheap food and take the opportunity to chat with other travelers in the hostel kitchen.

5. Interact with other travelers and locals

This last advice is to give your trip more spontaneity. As Skycanner remembers, the best thing you can do is to have a balance between getting together with travelers from your country or with similar interests and interactions with natives.

On the one hand, knowing other travelers may not only encourage interesting conversations and know about other travel experiences, but they can also recommend places, good lodgings and even give you advice for where you are going.

On the other hand, interacting with the natives can be an opportunity to conceive another way the space where you are traveling, as well as to know a little more about the everyday life of the place and the more local plans that are not of great tourist attractions.

LatinAmerican Post | Juan Gabriel Bocanegra

Translated from "¿Qué necesitas para hacer un viaje de mochilero?"