If you’re thinking of a thrilling or daring experience, consider adding solo backpacking to your bucket list. Perhaps you’re thinking of going hiking and peak biking in Africa or a year-long break in France. Or maybe, an arduous journey in Cinque Terre in Italy.
At times, it’s a challenge to find a travel buddy with similar ambitions, funds, and agenda. In such a case, should you just postpone and hang onto a long search for a partner to join you? Either that or just go ahead and backpack solo! The latter seems more promising if you’re up for it. It may seem scary and risky at first, but don’t panic. In this article, you’ll learn about the necessary tips for traveling solo.
5 Tips To Consider When You’re Backpacking Solo
When backpacking solo, it’s always good to know what and how to prepare. Check out the following tips below:
- Get A Good Tent
Stuffing a high-quality tent that you may set up almost anywhere is no doubt the way to have enhanced relaxation and fun on backpacking tours. When shopping for a new tent, you’ll notice that there are several alternatives with varying specifications, which make it difficult to choose the right tent. But this shouldn’t intimidate you; there are a lot of resources online that could help you understand these details and eventually pick the right one for your personal use.
If you chose one of the best tent brands, then you’ll survive and thrive even as you go backpacking in severe environments or with strong equipment. Going for a stronger tent is an excellent decision to ensure that you’re safe and protected out there from any external elements such as the weather. It’s also advantageous to opt for a tent that’s a tad heavy-duty so you’ll be certain it won’t collapse or be torn easily.
- Determine The Route
Before anything else, what’s your destination? When you’re traveling solo, your landing place is entirely your own decision. It’s now your chance to visit your dream place or country!
Below are several important questions to ask yourself when determining your destination:
- How much time do you have?
If you’re thinking of traveling full-time or spending more than 12 months in a specific destination, going to a far-off place can be an excellent option. However, if your diary dictates only a few weeks for your travel, it doesn’t seem practical to spend a few days of travel time on your way there and then back home. That’ll limit or shorten your stay in your actual destination.
Considering the span of time you have to spend both on the road and at your destination will allow you to properly manage your time and determine which the best place to go is.
- What’s your budget?
It’s advisable to plan your activities ahead and know how much each activity would cost, as well as the accommodation and food expenses. Several tips for saving money while backpacking include being aware of hidden costs, avoiding spending your money on unnecessary services such as Wi-Fi, considering alternative transportation, and taking advantage of a local sim card. Once you know all the costs you’ll have to pay for, then you can budget and adjust according to what you can afford.
- Research The Places You’re Planning to Visit
After all, remember you’re traveling solo, you don’t have a partner to help you double-check facts; therefore, you must ensure that your study about the place you plan to visit is comprehensive.
Here are several questions to help you with your research:
- What is the visa procedure like?
Are you required to apply for a visa? Is there a free visa at the borderlines? No matter what the case may be, do a quick search to figure out the steps on getting a visa for that country. You may also seek advice from your embassy.
- What’s the weather like?
Is packing a jumper or a swimsuit appropriate? Are you visiting during the rainy season? Apart from the weather itself, you must also anticipate anything that might harm you during your stay so you could prepare the right tools or remedies. For example, if the region is pest-ridden with insects such as mosquitoes, you might want to bring an insect-repellent lotion or bug spray.
- What is the conversion rate fo your money?
Be aware that it’s extremely easy to spend more than the expected or allotted amount if you fail to monitor your expenses in your home country’s legal tender. So, make sure you know and keep in mind the conversion rate from your homeland’s currency to your destination’s.
- What’s the country’s background?
Take some time to do some research concerning the language, faith, history, natural features, and demography, and culture of the people in your intended destination.
- Pack Like A Solo Backpacker
Getting a proper backpack should also be a key factor to a solo backpacker’s successful travel. Therefore, avoid going for a backpack that’s too big or very small. Moreover, choose to travel light. If there’s a ‘maybe’ sound at the back of your mind about carrying a thing, leave it behind. If you’re strictly keen on traveling light, opt for a light backpack.
- Get a Tourist’s Insurance Cover
Anything can happen to you while traveling.
For instance, called-off journeys, dental accidents, and emergency displacements—the list is endless. Thus, if you fail to take a traveler’s coverage then you get caught up or stranded in a foreign land, your exciting trip will become an extremely bad nightmare. Therefore, before you begin your fun excursion, search for the top insurance agents for solo explorers to get covered during your whole travel.
Conclusion
Solo backpacking shouldn’t be a terrifying or nerve-wracking idea. In truth, it’ll perhaps turn out to be an unforgettable and once-in-a-lifetime experience for you. Therefore, don’t be scared of this a new experience. Instead, look forward to having a good time backpacking by yourself! One great advantage of traveling solo is being able to find your inner peace and discover more things about yourself.
