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How To Travel Hip While Backpacking  By Paul, Hipsterpad.com    |Email| Whoever said that backpacking is an adventurous, freeing experience that will take you to new and exotic lands was certainly right, but what they forgot to tell you is that there is no glamour in it. In fact, it is the most un-glamorous experience you will ever have. Days without showers and clean laundry, stranded in the dust bowls of traffic of Asian cities, dogs chasing after you on your midday exploratory walk through medieval and desolate European streets- welcome to the reality of backpacking. But fear not, for though the road of backpacking is full of potholes and stinky sewage, there is still a way to pull it off with a touch of hip. "I'd like to live as a poor man with lots of money" -- Picasso The all-mighty dollar still carries some hefty weight in many countries, so you may want to travel to countries where you’ll get more bang for your buck. The Universal Currency Converter® Website can give you up-to-date exchange rates. Large metropolitan areas will undoubtedly have access to ATM’s from which you can access funds at home. Check with your bank or credit card company if you can retrieve money internationally and ask about the service fee. If your card, credit or checking, has a MasterCard or Visa logo, chances are you can use the ATM. Exchange some money at the airport and then rely on ATM’s for the remainder of the trip. Never carry more than you need and a little extra. "I base most of my fashion sense on what doesn't itch" -- Gilda Radner Dress comfortably. Visit thrift shops for affordable and hip clothes to journey. Pack clothes you don’t mind ruining or leaving behind when your satchel keeps growing. (A note on purchases: wait until the tail-end of your trip to buy stuff or you’ll be traveling everywhere with that 15lb. love deity for your spinster sister). Bring a clothesline and a bar of soap to wash your laundry in sinks or buckets. Jabon Zote does the right work. For decency’s sake, bring one light and formal outfit to wear when you’ve been invited to someone’s home or if you’ve managed to score a date in the jungle. Only buy backpacks you’ve tried on. Start with travel stores. They’ll have the right equipment and you can get an idea of what gear you’ll need (and then you can go to a hardware store or cheaper sports place for the same thing.) A travel store can also help you fit into your backpack. Make sure you have strong lower-back support. Splurge here. At all times travel with flip-flops. Your feet will thank you when you step into a slimy shower. "It was a good place for getting lost in, a city no one ever knew" --V.S. Naipaul Before you leave home, make copies of all the documents you will be traveling with: passports, visas, credit cards, itineraries, etc. and leave a copy at home, and also travel with a copy, safely sealed in a zip lock bag and out of sight. Keep others’ heart at ease and e-mail. If you really want to stay in touch, call your cell phone provider and ask them to ‘unlock’ your phone and inquire about international calling rates. You can also purchase a SIM card abroad and use pre-paid calling cards. Knowledge is power, Hipsters, so first educate yourself extensively on the country you’re visiting. Lonely Planet Travel Guides are the best for shoestring travelers. Once you arrive,you can throw caution to the wind. "Don’t Panic" --Douglass Adams Be infinitely patient. Be courageous and courteous. If you don’t know, ask. Smile and trust that you are being taken care of for the leap you have taken. - Marisol - Rate This Post ! Sponsor This Post Currently 2.55/5 1 2 3 4 5 Rating: 2.6/5 (38 votes cast) Comments No comments yet *Name: Email: Notify me about new comments on this page Hide my email *Text:

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