Adventure Travel

Adventure Travel and Trekking:
EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ADVENTURE TRAVEL & TREKKING
Adventure Travel and Trekking Page 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS..................................................2 1 GATEWAY TO ADVENTURE..........................................4
WHAT IS ADVENTURE TRAVEL?.......................................................4 THE HISTORY OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL............................................5 WHO'S INVOLVED IN ADVENTURE TRAVEL?....................................6
2 THE VARIETIES OF ADVENTURE..................................7

HIKING TOURS................................................................................7 CAMPING.........................................................................................9 BICYCLE TRIPS..............................................................................11 WATER TREKS................................................................................13 ACTIVITY-BASED TRIPS................................................................16 EXTREME ACTIVITIES....................................................................18 ECO-TREKS....................................................................................19 EVERYTHING ELSE.........................................................................20
3 THE ADVENTURER'S OUTFIT.....................................22

FOOD AND COOKING.....................................................................22 DRIED FOOD................................................................................23 CANNED FOOD.............................................................................23 DEHYDRATED FOOD......................................................................24 WATER........................................................................................24 COOKING SUPPLIES......................................................................26 OTHER SUPPLIES...........................................................................28 TENTS AND SLEEPING EQUIPMENT................................................28 TENTS.........................................................................................29 BEDROLLS AND SLEEPING GEAR....................................................30 BACKPACKS...................................................................................32 CLOTHING......................................................................................33 OUTDOOR CLOTHING....................................................................33 GOOD FOOTWEAR.........................................................................33 RAIN GEAR...................................................................................34 SOCKS........................................................................................34 OTHER USEFUL TRAVEL SUPPLIES.................................................35 FIRST AID....................................................................................35 ACTIVITY-BASED ITEMS.................................................................35 THE NUMBER ONE ITEM YOU'LL REGRET NOT PACKING................36
4 AFFORDABLE ADVENTURE........................................37
THE COST OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL................................................37 OUTDOOR TRIPS...........................................................................37
BICYCLE TRIPS.............................................................................39 WATER-BASED TRAVEL..................................................................40 EXTREME ACTIVITY TRIPS..............................................................40 ECO-TREKS..................................................................................40 OPTIONS FOR SAVING MONEY ON TRAVEL....................................41 EQUIPMENT COSTS.......................................................................41 TRAVEL COSTS.............................................................................42 STUDENT TRAVEL.........................................................................42
5 WHERE THE ADVENTURES ARE.................................44

HIKING TRIPS...............................................................................44 THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL...............................................................44 THE APPIAN WAY..........................................................................45 THE OVERLAND TRACK..................................................................46 WATER-BASED TRIPS....................................................................47 ALASKAN WHALEWATCHING...........................................................47 MEKONG RIVER............................................................................48 AMAZON RIVER............................................................................49 ACTIVITY-BASED TRIPS................................................................50 BELIZE BIRDWATCHING.................................................................50 THE LOIRE VALLEY........................................................................50 EXTREME TRIPS.............................................................................51 THE GREAT BARRIER REEF.............................................................51 NEPAL MOUNTAINEERING..............................................................52
6 SOME FINAL TRAVEL TIPS........................................54

TIP TIP TIP TIP #1: #2: #3: #4: EVERY TRIP REQUIRES RESEARCH....................................54 KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR BUDGET........................................55 PACK ADEQUATE EQUIPMENT...........................................55 CHALLENGE YOURSELF!....................................................56
1 GATEWAY TO ADVENTURE
Have you ever taken an unforgettable vacation? Maybe you spent a week on the Cote d'Azur, soaking up sun, culture, and delicious food. Maybe you took a driving tour of the United States from ocean to ocean and all the roadside stops and scenery along the way. Maybe you booked passage on a cruise liner packed with five-course meals and island stopovers every other day for sightseeing and souvenir collection. Or maybe--just maybe--you've done all of these things, and you're sick to death of them. Maybe you're looking for something a little bit more exciting that a typical vacation package can deliver. If this describes you--or if you haven't taken an unforgettable vacation yet, and you want to--then it's high time to consider becoming involved with adventure travel.
WHAT IS ADVENTURE TRAVEL?

Adventure travel is any vacation that takes you further off of the "beaten path" than you're inclined to expect from your time away from work, school, or other daily obligations. Adventure travelers aren't always immune to the lure of more traditionally restful vacations, of course, and a traveler who might take a trip to the Sahara Desert one summer might just as easily be found in the most touristy hotels of Marseilles the next. But if at any point you become tired of the standard list of hot vacation destinations, adventure travel may be for you. Obviously, there are many different varieties of travel that fit the adventure travel bill. You might take a hiking tour of Malaysia, or go on a birding safari through the rain forests of Belize. You might visit the probable location for each of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, or you might spend a month camping in the mountains of Alaska. Do none of these sound appealing? No worries--it's only necessary to consult appropriate resources to find hundreds of other possibilities for exciting, edge-of-your-seat travel that's a far cry from a few days of soaking up sun in a deck chair. This book is one of those resources, and throughout the later chapters, we'll go into a great amount of detail about where you might want to go, what you
might want to do, and what you'll need--both financially and in terms of trip preparations--to get from here to there in your travel plans. If you have a destination to which you're dying to go, this book will be a major asset in getting you there.
THE HISTORY OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL

How long has adventure travel been around? In a very real sense, adventure travel has existed for as long as people have. The status quo--the traditional boundaries of a given nation or society--have always, for many people, been insufficient as a source of fulfilment. More, exploration was a way of contributing to the overall health of a tribe or nation: only exploration brought Alexander his knowledge of the world outside classical Greece, only exploration enriched the economic life of Middle Ages Europe by giving people access to the treasures of Kublai Khan's eastern world, and only exploration doubled the size and material wealth of the newborn United States through the Louisiana Purchase. Through exploration, civilizations could expand, develop, and thrive far beyond their capabilities within their own traditional lands. Early exploration, however, can't be described as a leisure activity of the same type as adventure travel: the extreme threat of starvation, isolation, or even death provided a very strong incentive for the leisured classes to stay within their own borders unless it were absolutely necessary for some economic or political reason. The task of exploration was properly left to explorers, military expeditions, or merchant fleets whose economic prosperity depended on finding unmapped trade routes. And adventure, at this time, What we'd recognize today as adventure travel properly began around the same time as the birth of reasonable safe, swift, and affordable means of transportation. With the advent of railroads, cheap, quick ocean travel, and above all with the beginnings of flight, the cost--and the risk--involved in adventure travel diminished to the point that more and more people from all levels of society became excited about adventure travel. And in those days, virtually all travel was an adventure: if you'd spent your entire life to that point living and working in a small Michigan town--or even in New York--a week or two in Paris might seem like the height of daring. Of course, much of the adventure travel of yesteryear was up to the standards of adventure that we hold today. In a given free month, an adventure traveler might find him or herself clattering along the TransSiberian railroad toward points unknown, hiking the most bizarrely biological nature trails the Australian outback has to offer, or even flying into Egypt for a midnight tour of tombs and pyramids recently unearthed by the 1920s wave of archaeology. The newly-accessible nature of these adventure
destinations was one large part of their allure, true. But another part of the appeal of classic adventure travel can be found in the nature of society itself during that period of time. The world had abruptly become a much smaller place, one in which legendary destinations and faraway cultures had suddenly been brought within reach--and people, having long read about the exotic just outside their borders, were more than willing to put forth the time and effort to enlarge their worlds through adventure travel. A very similar situation exists today. A vast, rich, and dynamic world exists just beyond the bounds of our daily lives, and although many of us would love to discover it for ourselves, some of us never do. And so we have adventure travel: our means, since the start of human history, of bringing the exciting within our grasp.
WHO'S INVOLVED IN ADVENTURE TRAVEL?

A simple answer: virtually anyone. Young students spend summers or vacation weeks on hostelling tours through Europe or the sparse interior of the United States, and retirees devote months to exploring obscure South American ruins or taking jungle safaris through sub-Saharan Africa. Even the working public are often more than willing to dedicate their vacation days to a long hiking trek, chartering a sailboat to explore the Spanish main, or a tour of the famous cathedrals of France. Adventure travel is by no means an exclusively American phenomenon, either. All over the world, any number of people are picking this year to take that long-delayed adventure trek of a lifetime: British professors might study the mosques of Saudi Arabia, French history enthusiasts might explore Civil War battlefields of the old South, Norwegian musicians might be caught waterskiing the bay of Sydney. What's the upshot of all of this diversity among adventure travelers? Simply this: a crucial part of the adventure you undertake on your own adventure treks isn't merely what you'll be seeing or what you'll be doing: it's who you'll be meeting. As a rule, the adventure travel community is friendly, spontaneous, and as interesting in their own right as many of your destinations. It's just another way in which adventure travel helps to make our world a smaller, more accessible one--both in terms of our surroundings, and in terms of those we surround ourselves with. Heard enough? Interested in planning an adventure trek of your own? Excellent--and in the next chapters, we'll get into the fine details of exactly how you'll give yourself the experience of a lifetime.
2 THE VARIETIES OF ADVENTURE

As we touched on in the previous chapter, when we say "adventure travel", we really mean a host of activities, bound together by a common theme of experiences beyond the simply ordinary. In this chapter, we'll look at each of these activities in more detail, along with some information about what kind of budget you can expect from each, how much time you'll want to devote to the trip, and even a few suggestions as to possible destinations. Interested? Then let's get moving.
HIKING TOURS
A major part of the appeal in a simple hiking tour is just that: the simplicity. There's no need to deal with train schedules, airport madness, or a crowded tour itinerary: simply put on a backpack, choose a route, and go. If you're moving under your own power, you not only save yourself some hassle (and provide yourself with some beneficial exercise), but you discover the most important advantage of hiking as well: the absence of any barriers, be they windows or high velocities, between yourself and the beauty of your destination. You can feel connected to a place in a way that's simply impossible with any other form of travel. So what do you need to put together a hiking tour? You'll need: A destination Appropriate equipment The time and the money Plans for eating, sleeping, and resting along the way
Of course, the destination is the most crucial of these: if you don't know where you're going, you can hardly do the rest of the planning for your adventure. Fortunately, you needn't choose an exact destination from the thousands of potential hiking tours right off the bat. Instead, start thinking in terms of what type of hiking you'd like to do. From a logistical point of view, the simplest form of hiking tours is probably rural backpacking--or any kind of hiking tour that lasts anywhere from four
days to three weeks, and which involves traveling far outside the boundaries of cities, villages, or other outposts of civilization. With rural backpacking, you don't have to worry about local shop schedules, closing times for popular tour destinations, or sharing your tour route with a large rowd of sometimes unwanted fellow-travelers. Instead, it'll simply be you and your chosen destination--and whatever challenges might face you when you're on the trail, from mere endurance to circumnavigating that beautiful lakes, rivers, and mountains that you may find. On the flip side, you do have to worry about logistical matters on another front: what you'll do about getting adequate sleep, food, and drink while you're in the wilderness. We'll go into this in more detail in the next section, but it's important to remember this before considering a rural backpacking tour: you'll be some distance away from stores, restaurants, or hotels, and anything you'll need on your trip will have to be carried with you on your back. That includes food, a bedroll, any personal hygiene equipment you might need, and above all, water--which seems fairly innocuous when it comes out of a tap, but when it's carried on your back in gallon containers, you'll find it much more of a problem. And of course, a clean bill of health is necessary for all of this: if you think you can carry some forty-sixty pounds of gear for eight to ten hours a day when you've got a persistent medical condition, you're in for a rude surprise when you're actually on the trail. So be sure to get checked out by a doctor before you start in order to avoid any problems once you're outside the borders of civilization. Rural backpacking isn't the only sort of hiking tour available, of course. If you're more interested in seeing some beautiful scenery and getting into the outdoors than in long-term endurance trekking, you might consider a short walking tour instead. Walking tours differ from long-term rural backpacking in two aspects: there's typically a "base camp" of some type--lodges, campsites, or even hotels--and the tours tend to last for less than a day, covering a scenic loop of territory before returning to the base camp for a well-deserved rest. For certain travelers, the advantages of this over rural backpacking are clear. There's no need to carry quite so bulky a backpack, for one: a first aid kit, some bottles of fresh water, and possibly a snack or lunch should be sufficient. And there's no need for long endurance hiking and the demands it puts on your health, either: at the start of every day, you can look forward to the same comfortable lodgings and a fresh start for the following morning. For other travelers, however, mere day hiking isn't sufficiently adventurous to justify the time and money spent. So, as with all things, "know thyself" is
the operative principle: don't commit to more adventure than you believe you can handle, but don't commit to less adventure, either. Whichever form of hiking tour you choose, you'll need to plan to spend a certain amount of money. In most cases, rural backpacking is the cheaper option: you'll need to spend travel fees and possibly guide fees as well, and you'll need to invest in your gear. With day hiking, you'll probably need to spend those same travel and guide fees, along with whatever costs your lodgings, meals, and other expenses might incur. Depending on where you intend to do your hiking, costs will vary, but expect to spend at least $500 if you're involving a guide in any way, and more in the neighborhood of $2-3,000 if you're going to a popular destination. Generally speaking, the longer the trip, the more you'll have to pay, so be sure to take this into consideration as well.
CAMPING
Camping and hiking often go hand in hand, and if you're taking an extended backpacking tour of a remote region, you should expect to do a good deal of camping along the way. Even if you're not interested in extended walking, camping can be an excellent way to get into close contact with nature and to satisfy your desire for adventure. Of course, camping trips involve some additional considerations in terms of gear, time commitments, and expense. How much gear you take depends in part on where you're going and in part on how much you intend to "rough it" on your trip. If you intend to camp in a public park near a major urban area, you can afford to skimp more on food, fresh water, and necessary supplies (charcoal, tinder, or lighter fluid) than you'd otherwise be able to. If your destination more resembles a remote desert or a mountain pass, however, be forewarned: everything you'll require will need to be carried in, possibly through rough terrain, on your back. So it's important to know exactly what you'll require for a good, roughing-it style camping trip in the wilderness. We'll cover gear requirements in more detail in the next chapter, but in order to start thinking in terms of budgeting, make sure you have plenty of food and fresh water. You'll also need some means of cooking your food, which could be as elaborate as a Dutch oven or a charcoal cookstove or as simple as a book of matches and some knowledge about starting fires from scratch. Beyond food, you'll want some means of shelter--a tent or a bedroll--and a good supply of extra clothing, so that in the event of bad weather you aren't stuck freezing in a damp shirt through several days and nights. Add to all of this whatever equipment you'll need for your specific trip (compasses, utility
knives, cold weather gear) and you should have a pretty good idea of how much to budget for your camping trip. What you may not have a good idea about, however, is exactly where you want to go. Fortunately, as with hiking trips, you can start to narrow down your camping options by thinking in terms of how far off the beaten path you want to go on your trip. For simplicity's sake, we can divide these possible levels of camping as "roughing it" and "REALLY roughing it." If you just want to rough it, you have a much easier job of planning ahead of you. In America, national parks and forests are plentiful, well-maintained, and offer not only a wide variety of scenery and natural beauty, but also all of the amenities any well-appointed campsite needs. National park campsites provide you with picnic areas, cleared land for tent-pitching, fire pits and, most importantly (as any experienced camper will tell you), latrine facilities. In addition, the popularity of national park campsites ensures that nearby camp areas will probably be filled up, giving you a source of extra supplies and advice (if necessary), or of conversation with fellow adventure travelers (if desirable). Of course you aren't restricted to national parks--or even to parks within a certain nation. Thousands of private campgrounds and parks offer camping facilities comparable to the national parks, facilities which in many cases can be even more convenient than the national options due to their proximity to cities and stores. If you're interested in camping at a private campground, though, it's important to thoroughly research your options before making any plans or reservations. Private campgrounds sometimes provide a more enjoyable experience than public campgrounds due to more lenient regulations on fire safety, tent placement, or other campsite management issues, but this leniency often comes with a downside. In the absence of strict, environmentally-sound regulations of the national park variety, you might find individual campsites to be in poor condition, either to the point that your camping experience is mildly inconvenient or to the point that one of the major reasons people enjoy camping--the experience of natural beauty--is completely spoiled. So make some phone calls, read some testimonials from other campers, and if possible, check out some photos of your destination: at worst, you'll have erred on the side of caution, while at best, you'll have avoided a singularly unpleasant camping experience. However, even the most pleasant well-travelled campsite isn't to everyone's taste--particularly those who're less interested in adequate fire pits and latrines than in being the first ones to make it through a shelterless night in the wild, far from any civilization. If you're this type of traveler--the type
who's interested in REALLY roughing it--then you have some extra work ahead of you when planning a camping trip. First, you'll need to make sure that you have a clear idea about your destination. For most hard-core campers, this won't be a problem: with a few camping trips under your belt, you'll likely have definite ideas about what type of climate, terrain, or wildlife you're interested in experiencing on an upcoming trip. For camping novices, however, a bit of brainstorming is in order. Think about exactly these topics--climate, terrain, and wildlife--and think as well about how much roughing it you want to do. Are you interested in facing up to extreme weather conditions, or would you prefer calm weather with your harsh terrain? Are you dying to interact up close and personal with rare birds, mammals, and plants, or is it more important just to get into the desert with no thought for who might come to visit you? Write down your ideas and take a look at some travel resources and atlases before you make a decision: chances are you'll have too many options to pick from, rather than the reverse. Once you know roughly where you want to go, you'll need to do some more focused research. Specifically, you'll need to find out whether the places you want to visit are actually available to you for a visit. Will you be able to find the terrain you want within a public park, or will you have to negotiate with a private property owner? Will you be able to access the site by road, or will you have to do some hiking (and thus some heavy carrying?) And, if you're not traveling within the bounds of a well-policed and maintained national park, will your chosen campsite be reasonably safe from hazardous weather or wildlife--or are you willing and able to deal with any hazards that may present themselves? Researching all of this may be a frustrating step of the process, particularly for a true outdoors type: very likely, all you want to do is pack up the car, start driving, and get out into the wilderness. But don't be tempted to skip the research part of trip planning--nothing spoils a potential adventure as much as getting to your destination and finding out that for one reason or another, you can't make use of it. Camping is all about the location, and if you don't have your location locked down at the outset, you're not going to enjoy your trip very much. So do the appropriate research up front!
BICYCLE TRIPS
For some people, the leisurely pace of hiking or the mostly sedentary experience of camping just isn't enough to satisfy the adventuring urge. If you're this type of person, what you're interested in more than anything else is motion--and not just motion in the sense of a car or train trip, but motion
in the sense of reasonably fast-paced, human-powered travel that gives you the best of both worlds: the intimate connection to your surroundings that you get from a hiking tour, but the intense exercise and ability to cover distances that only a vehicle can provide. Bicycle travel is cheap, enjoyable, and healthy. What's more, the variety of bicycle trails and roadways available in the United States and Europe gives you an excellent range of possible trips, with plenty of opportunities along the way for sightseeing and exploring when the road becomes tiresome. Sound appealing? Then a good bicycle trip may be for you. Before you get on your bike and start pedalling, though, it's important to do some prep work. First, and most importantly, you'll need a bicycle and appropriate gear for the trip. If you've done a great deal of bicycle traveling in the past, you probably have the first part covered. If not, you'll need to invest some money either in a bike of your own or in an excellent rental. Your budgetary possibilities will determine which option is right for you. For extended travel, you don't want to use a bike that costs less than $100 in a store: anything less, and you can't be sure of the bike's reliability over extremely long distances or through rough terrain. If that isn't a reasonable price range, consider a good rental from a reliable establishment--and remember that with a rental, you'll need to return the bike by a certain date, so make sure your travel plans take this into account. In addition to a bike, you'll need appropriate gear. At a bare minimum, you'll need supplies to repair your bike in the event of an accident or in case of regular wear and tear. Get a good bike pump with a tire pressure gauge, a patch kit, and any wrenches or tools you'll need in order to take wheels off or adjust spokes in rough conditions. This may cause a slight hit to your budget right at the start of the trip, but if your tire gets damaged on a remote road in the Scottish Highlands or in the middle of a trail running through a national forest, you'll be glad you thought ahead. Beyond bike repair tools, you'll need the usual adventure travel equipment: food, fresh water, and whatever gear will help get you through a night outside of any town. Ideally, your route will be well-planned or well-travelled enough to allow you to go seamlessly from stop to stop every day without leaving you stranded outside of civilization for long (unless that's what you're interested in), but in the event of a crisis, it's better to be prepared than not to be. For more information about general gear for adventure travel, take a look at the in-depth treatment in the next chapter. Once you've budgeted your gear and bicycle, as well as any other financial needs along the way (lodgings for the night? meals?), all you need to do is figure out exactly where you want to go. This is slightly more difficult than the planning for a hiking or camping trip--bikes can go fewer places than a
person on foot can--but if you know roughly where you want to go and what you want to see, you shouldn't have any difficulty. Write out a list of landmarks, terrain, climate, sightseeing, and local wildlife that you're interested in, and do a little bit of online research as to what bike trails and destinations can best provide you with everything you want. Once you have a few potential trips planned, start thinking more concretely in terms of scheduling (how much free time do you have for your trip?), accessibility (are there public bike trails along your entire route, or will you need to find your way through crowded city streets or expensive private or toll roads?), and logistics (if you need to stop along the way, will you be able to? If you need to return early for whatever reason, is there a nearby bus route, and will they transport your bike for you?) Again, this level of planning seems counterintuitive to many extreme travel enthusiasts: why plan when you can just get on your bike and get on the road? But as we've said, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure: by planning adequately up front, you save yourself a lot of headaches and stress further down the line. And always remember that bicycling is a strenuous physical activity--before you plan a trip, be sure that you have a clean bill of health from a doctor, or be sure that you're traveling with a reliable person in case of emergencies.
WATER TREKS
When it comes to adventure, there are few destinations that can match up to the sheer excitement potential of the water. Whenever you're traveling by land, you always have a certain safety net under you: in the event of an accident, you're still on dry land and able to follow landmarks to a nearby city or helpful park ranger. But when you're traveling by water, the danger (and the thrill) abruptly increases: if anything happens to your boat, you're in the water with nowhere to stand, no landmarks to travel by, and no easy way to return to the safety of civilization. For some people, this kind of travel sounds frightening and awful. For the truly adventurous, however, water travel can be the ultimate in risk and adventure. If you're one of the latter type of people, and you're interested in planning a water-based trip in the near future, then you'll need to start thinking about exactly what kind of trip you'd like to take. The safest option--and often least-interesting option--is a cruise ship. Cruise ships are massive, stop in a number of standard tourist-destination ports-of-call, and provide their passengers with a number of amenities from non-stop buffet style eating to on-deck pools and shuffleboard--all of which equates to a pleasant trip, but seldom an adventurous one.
Still, if you're interested in taking a cruise, there are some more offbeat options available to you: instead of the typical Caribbean cruise, you might take a tour of the Aleutian islands, or travel along the coast of the icy North Sea. Whatever your choice of destination, be warned if you're planning to book passage on a cruise ship: all of the fancy accommodations carry with them a high price tag, which doesn't include the cost of luggage, meals and sightseeing, and other fees that you'll likely incur while on a heavily-travelled tourist destination. More in line with the spirit of adventure travel might be a chartered ship. With a chartered ship, you eliminate your dependence on tourist-heavy travel routes and idle fellow passengers, and you give yourself the freedom to chart your own individual course to wherever you might want to go. In addition, you'll be dealing with sailors and fellow adventure travelers rather than tourists, which makes the social aspect of your trip much more appealing, and which may put you on the inside track to interesting stories and interesting experiences on the water. There are a number of possibilities for traveling by chartered ship. You could try to charter a power boat (steam or oil) to a given destination. This option puts you at less risk from bad weather and extends the potential range and speed of your traveling, but you'll have to pay a higher price tag and you'll be that much more distant from the ebb and flow of the water beneath you--one of the major draws of any recreational water travel. You could also charter a sailboat, which is often cheaper, but which restricts your possible destinations, often reduces your pool of fellow passengers, and puts you at significantly more risk from bad weather or bad ocean conditions. What you choose depends in part on your budget and choice of destination, true, but it depends equally as much on exactly what you want out of your trip: speed and safety versus the calm of the ocean and the thrill of weathering potential storms. Every traveler is different, so be sure you know what you want before you start planning your trip. You might also forgo chartering a boat with a crew and simply rent a boat outright. This involves significantly more preparation on your part, since you and whomever you pick to travel with you will need to be competent at sailing or driving a boat through all possible weather conditions, from the calmest days to the stormiest, coldest nights. However, the price tag for the trip might be slightly lower (depending on rental fees versus charter fees at your starting port), and the experience of making your way across the ocean on the strength of your own ingenuity and skill is an adventure not lightly to be passed up.
If you've got the time to take a few courses in small boat sailing and water safety--and if you feel confident about trusting your life to a newly-acquired skill, far from the safety net of trained water-going professionals and tour guides--give this option some serious thought, as it may provide you with an adventure like no other. If you're not interested in ocean travel, you might investigate some other water-based travel options. River rafting trips often blend periods of intense excitement with long stretches of tranquility, a mix which appeals to many travelers. You might also be interested in long canoeing or rowing trips, which involve not only a brisk pace and plenty of exercise, but occasionally some stretches on dry land when portaging canoes from one tributary to the next. Lake trips are also a possibility, as are simple coastal trawls. Don't think that water travel needs to be about covering choppy ocean distances or islandhopping: sometimes, the most interesting water-based adventure trips are the low-key ones that take place well away from the coastline. In other words, there are plenty of options to investigate if you're at all interested in water travel. Once you've decided on a destination and a method of travel, however, you'll need to put in the requisite research and planning. Before anything else, make sure that you have a reservation on a tour, or that you have access to a rental or charter boat for either the ocean or inland waters. Many boat chartering or rental establishments have an online presence now, which can be both a blessing and a curse: it eliminates the need to travel to a port or marina well in advance in order to make your boat reservations, but it also prevents you from being able to investigate your boat, speak to the crew or captain, or otherwise familiarize yourself with your vessel before you actually begin your trip. To get around this problem, you might want to do all of your reservations in person, or you might schedule a few additional days onto your trip for some needed time in port, familiarizing yourself with the operation and handling of your boat before you trust your fate to the open waters. Or, if you know someone near your starting point, you might ask them to take a look at the boat for you and point out any potential problems in advance. Whatever you choose to do, make sure--unless you're booking passage on a major cruise line--that you give your boat a thorough inspection before you start, and try to learn as much as you can about the basics of water travel: you never know when it might come in handy. As far as gear goes, water travelers luck out: once you've gotten past the sometimes-hefty fee for chartering, renting, or booking passage on a boat,
there's very little you need to do in the way of purchasing gear. If your boat isn't large enough to feature adequate sleeping quarters, you'll want to buy extra blankets or a bedroll to protect yourself from the weather, and if you're not chartering a boat with a captain and crew, you'll be responsible for purchasing your own food. Make sure that you purchase non-perishable food where possible, make sure that you don't need any special equipment to prepare it (you don't want to be hundreds of miles away from shore when you find out that you need a can opener or a full-size oven), and make sure that you buy enough food to support yourself and your crew for an extended period of time away from port, even if your course takes you into port as often as possible. When it comes to water travel, the name of the game is managing the weather, and when it comes to managing the weather, the name of the game is to assume the worst. It's bad enough to have your sailing skills put to a sharp test by a heavy storm; it's far worse to be up all night baling water and trimming sails without anything to eat for the entire time. And above all, make sure that if you find any problems with your boat, those problems are fixed before you get into the water. On a trip involving land vehicles, you have a great deal of leeway when it comes to repairing your craft in the event of an emergency. On a water-based trip, it's almost impossible to manage leaks, engine problems or sail damage once you're in the water, and it's certainly an expensive proposition to fix any damage once you're rescued. So don't balk at the price tag in advance, and be sure that you get all of your necessary maintenance done: you might be paying a little bit extra now, but it's a sure bet that if you don't do the maintenance now, you'll be paying much more to do it later.
ACTIVITY-BASED TRIPS
If there's one quality lifelong adventure travelers have in common, it's passion. And there's no reason why that passion should be limited to travel alone: adventure travelers often have a wide range of hobbies, and more often than not they're as intense about their given interest--birdwatching, collecting, antique furniture repair--as they are about the prospect of an uninterrupted sunrise as seen from a staked-down shelter on a Nepalese mountain peak. Sound familiar? If so, then you might consider investigating one of the more esoteric, yet more rewarding varieties of adventure travel: activity-based travel. With activity-based adventure trips, you can satisfy two desires--the
desire for adventure, and the desire for deeper immersion in a beloved hobby or interest--with a single, memorable blow. What possibilities exist for activity-based adventure travel? No more and no fewer than the number of intense interests diehard adventure travelers are likely to have, with a few exceptions: one would be hard pressed, for example, to find a tour package that combines woodworking and waterskiing. Generally speaking, the more a given hobby or interest lends itself to traveling, the more likely one is to find a variety of possible destinations, price ranges, and tour styles. So what hobbies and interests lend themselves naturally to traveling? The short answer: anything involving a close connection to nature (including rare plants and wild animals), or anything involving a view of the world that most people don't ever have a chance to experience. For a longer answer, it'll be necessary to go interest-by-interest. Photographers of any sort are especially well-served by activity-based adventure travel. Whether you're interested in hiking, boating, or other forms of travel, there are any number of tours or destinations specifically designed to cater to the photography bug. You might take a boat trip to photograph whales or passing islands filled with nesting waterbirds. You might buy a train ticket through Eastern Europe, with plenty of stops to capture rolling plains, mountain peaks, or even a particularly picturesque train station. Or you might take a bus trek through the ghost towns of the American Southwest: with photography tours, virtually the only limits are those imposed by your imagination. The same holds true for other activity-based trips as well. Whether your particular passion tends to birdwatching, to naturalism, or just to taking in beautiful scenery, it's a sure bet that a tour or trip package exists that's tailor-made to your needs. And if you've already taken all of the prepackaged tours that you want to take, or you simply want to do something slightly more offbeat and adventurous for your next vacation, it's not difficult to put together a custom trip of your own using various booking services and a bit of dedicated research. What gear do you need for any of these trips? The possible answers to that question are as varied as the possibilities available for activity-based adventure travel. Whatever your interest is, you'll need to bring appropriate gear to take best advantage of that interest. For example, if you're a photographer, be sure to bring film, tripods, and whatever lenses you might need to deal with different lighting and atmospheric conditions. If you're a nature enthusiast or birdwatcher, bring a field guide, optical equipment, and whatever you use to record new sightings or observations. If you're interested in sightseeing or history, bring reference books and recording equipment.
The most important thing to remember, however, is that activity-based tours are, in essence, a kind of hybrid trip: you're combining your own interests with the general mechanics of traveling by whatever means you choose. So if you're planning to hike through South America in search of rare plants, you don't only need to prepare your naturalist equipment, but your hiking gear as well. If you're chartering a whalewatching ship, make sure you have appropriate gear for boating. It's a common-sense rule, but followed diligently, it'll allow you to avoid hassles down the line and make your activity-based adventure trip that much better.
EXTREME ACTIVITIES
Extreme activity-based trips represent a level of adventure and risk that isn't for everyone, to put it mildly. But if you're the type who enjoys testing your established limits with every new trip--if you find the notion of climbing a mountain peak in the Alps appealing, or if you can't wait to plan your next waterskiing trip through the Mediterranean--then adventure trips based on extreme activities may be an option worthy of investigating. There are two broad varieties of extreme activity-based trips. The first is a simple escalation of other, tamer forms of adventure travel. For example, on a less extreme adventure trip, you might plan a hiking/hostelling tour through the villages and cities of continental Europe. On an extreme trip, you might plan to hike through a section of rain forest in Belize. On a less extreme trip, you might go camping in the American Continental Divide. On a more extreme trip, you might elect to camp in the middle of the Mojave Desert during high summer. The other broad variety of extreme activity-based travel involves activities wholly unlike those on any other trip you might have taken. You might travel on an unusual, possibly dangerous vehicle, or you might undertake a challenging, even frightening project or experience. For example, one might take a motorcycle tour from Alaska to Cape Horn, or one might take classes in hang gliding and skydiving as preparation for the experience of a lifetime. As a rule, you'll pay a bit more for this kind of trip in equipment costs and any training you'll need. Never be tempted to skimp on training with this kind of extreme travel--not that many people would be tempted, since few want to undertake something like bungee jumping or parasailing without knowing the ins and outs of the equipment and techniques. But if you don't factor in training fees and all necessary equipment costs, at best you'll be unable to participate in your chosen activity--and at worst, you could injure yourself critically, putting an end to adventure travel for some time.
It's no less impressive to leap out of a plane after several classes than it is to leap out of a plane five minutes after the idea pops into your head, so put forth the money and time, do it right, and make sure that you'll remember your trip the way you want to remember it: as a success, rather than a costly failure. This kind of trip has the obvious advantage of being memorable, even to a higher degree than ordinary adventure travel: when showing photos of an ordinary adventure trip to your friends, you might elicit excited commentary; when describing a harrowing weekend spent in a hastily-constructed shelter just above the tree line of a Colorado resort, you're sure to elicit awe. Beyond the social aspect, though, high-risk adventure travel gives its practitioners a more subtle, private benefit: the ineradicable knowledge that you've done something few people can do, that you've taken on risks that few people can take. And isn't that what adventure travel is all about?
ECO-TREKS
As environmental awareness increases worldwide, eco-treks are becoming a more and more popular option for the concerned adventure traveler. "Ecotrek" is a catch-all term for any kind of travel that doesn't involve traditional means of transportation, or that has a specifically conservationist or naturalistic point of view. This can describe a trip as simple as a hiking tour through undeveloped regions of Nepal, or one as complex as a llama tour in the Australian outback. So if you're interested in an adventure trek that's a bit different than some of the other available options, or if you've got a sincere dedication to leaving the parts of the world you visit no worse than you found them, eco-trekking may be just your cup of tea. Even if you don't think of yourself as the type of person to be interested in environmentally-friendly recreational travel, there are plenty of good reasons to give eco-trekking some serious consideration. For one, there's the serenity of it: on an eco-trek, you can say goodbye to much of the loud noise, urban sprawl, and general modern chaos that can bedevil even the most restful-seeming tour package from a popular provider. For another, there's the novelty of it: eco-treks tend to emphasize regional products and color in a way that many more commercial tours don't, which not only means a more varied and interesting tour experience (and the possibility of discovering likes and dislikes in yourself that you might never have expected--what if there's a particular Malaysian delicacy that you've never heard of, but that, once tried, you won't be able to do without?), but which often means a less costly one.
And finally--and perhaps most importantly--the non-interventionist nature of an eco-trek means that you can become involved with the spirit of a destination to a degree unimaginable with many other trips. When you're eco-trekking, you're living according to the harmony of a place, you're often traveling by traditional means, and you're never--but never--causing any damage to the beauty of your natural setting, or to the authenticity of the native traditions and culture you'll observe and live with. In other words, you're close to the land and its people--and that, above all, is one of the greatest joys available to a traveler. In order to get all of these benefits, of course, you'll have to go to slightly greater lengths in terms of research than you might with more popular, less eco-friendly tour packages and destinations. This disadvantage is offset, though, by heavy advantages in terms of price, necessary gear, and the overall quality of the trip. One of the principal ideas behind eco-treks is the use, as far as is possible, of local resources and equipment, which usually reduces by a significant amount the money you need to invest in any travel plans. There's a dark side to this advantage, however: because conservation is such a vital concept to eco-treks, you may have to pare down your list of supplies or alter your typical traveling gear in order to match any restrictions levied by the tour company or by the local government. This can cause problems for certain travelers, in particular those with medical problems requiring a great deal of equipment, or those with hobbies that might intrude on the normal processes of the region. So before you plan an eco-trek, make sure to get a clear list of policies from your tour company, or--if you're traveling according to your own itinerary-from the regional government. Chances are good that they'll have the information you need in an easily-comprehensible form, and that they'll be more than willing to provide it to a concerned potential tourist such as yourself.
EVERYTHING ELSE
In this chapter, we've provided general information about a variety of different types of adventure travel. But by no means do we want to give the impression that the categories we've just gone over are exhaustive, and that there's nothing else in the world of adventure travel worthy of your attention. In fact, there are any number of possible adventure trip packages, destinations, or activities that don't fit neatly into any of these categories, or that don't fit into any categories at all.
If you've read all of the descriptions here and none of these trips seem to appeal to you, don't give up on adventure travel just yet. Take a look around online at some popular adventure travel websites, talk to friends who've spend a good deal of time on the move, or schedule a meeting with a travel agent who specializes in "off the beaten path" trips. Don't be afraid to experiment, or to build a trip of your own from various tour packages to better meet your needs. The first word in "adventure travel", after all, is adventure--and a crucial part of adventure is taking risks and experimenting. And sometimes, the trips that you design yourself from the ground up are the most memorable and exciting of all.
3 THE ADVENTURER'S OUTFIT

The Boy Scouts of America--an organization known for its tendency to spawn future lifelong adventure travelers--takes as its motto the simple phrase "Be Prepared". It's good advice for the Boy Scouts, and it's good advice for anyone planning an adventure trek in the near future. With adequate preparation and adequate gear, you can ensure that you'll be ready for any of the mundane situations that crop up when traveling--and that you'll be equally ready for more serious situations if and when they occur. In this chapter, we'll go into detail about exactly what you'll need to consider and what you'll need to budget for when preparing an adventure trek of any variety. As with the previous chapter, this won't be an exhaustive list of every possible option for purchasing adventuring gear: every trip is different, and in the end, only you can decide just what you do and don't need. Think of this chapter as a guide, then, and as a way to organize your thoughts before writing out your budget or hitting the stores. Most of the time, you'll know what you need and want for your trip, but just in case you forget one or two important details, don't hesitate to use this chapter as a reminder.
FOOD AND COOKING

For some trips, you won't need to devote much thought to how, where, and what you're going to eat. This is especially true if you're on most waterbased trips, if you're using a pre-packaged tour service, or if most of your travel is taking place in or around major urban areas; in these situations chances are that you're either being provided with food or you're able to find food in the event that you need to find it. If your trip involves much more time spent outside of urban areas, however-for example, if you're going hiking, camping, bicycling, or in some cases even eco-trekking--the question of food and cooking supplies should be foremost on your mind. The key to buying food suitable for travel is to think in terms of perishability. If you're walking through a desert or bicycling down long, winding forest paths, you likely won't be in a position to store things like meat, milk, or even fresh vegetables for very long. You could always carry a cooler or ice chest, but the weight involved with this makes it an impractical choice for
anything but camping in a location that's easily accessible by car. So unless this describes your situation, make sure to pick the most non-perishable food possible when planning your outdoor trip. Most of the time, this means that you'll want to restrict your food choices to dried food, canned food, or dehydrated food. DRIED FOOD Dried foods like trail mix, beef jerky, and dried breads have the advantage of being extremely non-perishable, but they have the distinct disadvantage of being neither very filling or nutritious enough to entirely sustain you for an eight-hour hike. This doesn't mean that you don't want to include dried food in your food budget; you do, but you don't want to make it the cornerstone of your diet for the duration of your trip. Reserve dried food for mid-day snacks or for brief rests. CANNED FOOD Canned food--vegetables, meats, or condensed soups, most usually--can be a double-edged sword. Canned food provides you with much more nutrition than dried food, allows you to maintain a balanced diet over a long-term hike, is extremely non-perishable, and at prices ranging from twenty-five cents for a can of chicken noodle soup to four dollars for a high-end can of beef chili, it's a very affordable option. The problem with canned food, however, is its lack of portability. Depending on the size of the cans you buy, expect to be carrying anywhere from eight ounces to thirty-two ounces per can in weight. This doesn't seem like much until you consider that canned food, once it's opened, can't be stored with any degree of safety. And since one can food will only provide a meal for up to four people, assuming an extremely frugal diet, you can expect to pay in weight and back strain for a food supply that consists mostly of canned food. Add into the mix the fact that canned food takes up a great deal of backpack space and you begin to see the major disadvantages to relying too heavily on canned food. This doesn't mean that canned food is altogether a bad option for hiking and camping trips. On a camping trip with ready access to a car, canned food can actually be one of the most economical options. But if you're going to be in the wilderness for longer than a few days, consider restricting your canned food purchases to only four or five cans, enough for one canned meal per day for four to five days of your trip. Canned food may seem appetizing after a day of relying solely on dried snacks, but the cost in terms of weight and space just isn't worth it.
And although this will sound obvious, it bears mentioning: if you're bringing canned food, don't forget the can opener. DEHYDRATED FOOD Dehydrated food is one of the best options for a long hike or an extended camping trip far from civilization. Dehydrated stews and soups are extremely cheap, varied, nutritious, and don't require much in the way of preparation. What's more, they take up very little space in a backpack, don't weigh much, and are highly non-perishable. All of these make them ideal as the mainstay of a traveler's diet during long periods in the wilderness. Of course, nothing is without drawbacks. In the case of dehydrated food, the drawback is the need for two additional supplies: an extra source of water and a means of heating the soup once it's mixed. Neither of these is a major problem--as we'll discuss in a moment, you should be carrying a great deal of water anyway, and cookware designed for backpacking is cheap and readily available. But it's important to take both into account when making out a budget and planning exactly how much weight you'll be carrying for an extended hike. Plan on multiplying by half the amount of water you'd ordinarily carry, and make sure to work out exactly how much water you'll require in order to prepare all of the dehydrated food pouches you're carrying. Then, plan to carry a little bit more water than that--as the Boy Scouts say, be prepared for anything you might face on the trail, including accidental water loss due to spills, evaporation, extra thirst, or the altogether unknown. WATER An adequate supply of fresh water is the single most important food-related item on your budget and in your packing plans for any hike or wilderness excursion. Without fresh water, your body won't be able to cleanse itself of the toxins that build up due to muscle use, and your immune system will be seriously compromised as well. The results of this can range from muscle pains and cramps to illnesses, neither of which you want to deal with when you're on a trail somewhere far away from civilization. So be sure to pack enough water, and to refill your water supply as often as possible. How much water is enough water? According to the United States National Research Council, the human body requires anywhere from 2.7 to 3.7 liters of water per day, depending on a person's level of physical activity. Since hiking and biking require the expenditure of a great deal of energy and sweat, it's best to err on the high side of this figure when planning.
All that water may at first seem heavy to the point of making it more difficult to maintain a consistent energy level while hiking. But without an adequate supply of water, you're not going to be able to keep up your pace, meet your daily distance goals, or stay on target with respect to your food intake schedule and general itinerary. So pack enough water to begin with, and remember this: the wonderful thing about consumable resources is that they tend to get lighter and lighter as a trip goes on. By the end of the trip, it's more likely that you'll be wishing you had packed additional water than that you'll be wishing you hadn't packed quite so much. But if you're planning a longer hike or bicycle trip, you'll find it extremely difficult to carry all of the water you need in order to maintain good health while on the trail. In the case of a bike trip, the weight restrictions are so prohibitive that for any trip of longer than a day or two, carrying all of the water you'll need becomes impossible. In order to counteract this, you'll need to purchase and pack supplies that allow you to turn natural sources of water--streams, rivers, and springs--into water that's safe and refreshing to drink. The classic tool for this is a bottle of iodine tablets. In addition to being lightweight and cheap, iodine tablets kill microorganisms and bacteria that make natural sources of water a dangerous proposition for most travelers. You can find iodine tablets on sale for anywhere from five to eight dollars a bottle, which will buy you about fifty tablets. Depending on the trustworthiness of the water source, expect to use two to four tablets for every quart of water you want to drink while on the trail. By making some simple calculations based on this formula, you can determine exactly how many iodine tablets you'll need for a trek, although there's no harm (save financial) in erring on the side of caution by buying more iodine than you think you'll need. Another more modern option is to carry a portable water filter with you. This is a more expensive proposition, as water filters designed for backpacking range in price from about thirty to upwards of one hundred dollars, with replacement cartridges available for substantially less. A water filter also takes up slightly more space in your backpack, which may be an issue if you're planning a longer hike and need to take along plenty of extra clothes and food. Water filters have two major advantages over iodine, however: they're reusable, and they usually don't alter the taste of the water you're drinking--a frequent complaint among lifelong iodine users. If you're just planning a single short hike or bike trip, a water filter may be too expensive to be a justifiable purchase. But if you plan to make a habit of outdoor adventure
trips, it's a good idea to invest in a water filter: after several trips, a good filter will pay for itself. If you don't like either of these options, a more low-tech solution is simply to boil all of your water for fifteen to thirty minutes before drinking it. This has obvious disadvantages, however, since you'll need to make a fire before drinking anything, and it's not by any means the safest option. In a pinch, however--if your water filter has broken, or if you've run out of iodine tablets--a simple cookpot can be a good solution to water supply problems. Whatever your method for purifying water, make sure to refill old water bottles or canteens with purified water whenever you get the opportunity. Dehydration can be a serious problem when you're on the trail, and it's important to always drink before you feel thirsty rather than after in order to avoid problems. You'll also want to plan your route to take advantage of any springs, rivers, or streams in the area at regular intervals: it's no good if you have lots of iodine or a top-of-the-line water filter but no source of water to use them on! COOKING SUPPLIES When you're in the wilderness, it's a sure bet that you won't miss anything from the civilized world quite so much as a hot meal. For this reason--and for the not-to-be-overlooked reason that cooking equipment is one of the soundest ways to purify water and food when you're deep on the trail--you'll want to be sure to include cooking supplies in your packing and budgetary plans. As Bruce Springsteen told us, "You can't start a fire without a spark"--a statement with particular relevance to outdoor travelers, since the most basic thing you'll need for cooking in the wild is a means of starting a fire. This is usually a cheap proposition, with your options ranging from a simple book of matches to cigarette lighters to a butane firestarter. One thing to bear in mind, however, is that your choice will largely be determined by your other cooking supplies: for example, if you're using a gas-powered stove, you'll want to avoid using a lighter. It's also important to plan ahead according to the weather--if rain is expected on your trip, or even if it isn't, make some provisions for waterproofing your matches, lighter, or other firestarting gear. You'll also need to think about how you're going to contain your cookfire or other cooking equipment while you're in a natural setting. For the most part, this is just common sense--you don't want to set the woods around you on fire in the process of heating up a packet of dehydrated stew--but depending
on your destination, there may be official rulings from the property owner or the government about exactly what kinds of fire or cooking equipment are acceptable for ecological and safety reasons. Do some research and take these regulations seriously when you're planning your trip. If you have the know-how, the simplest method for heating your food when you're outdoors is to take advantage of existing fire pits. Nearly all campsites based in national parks have fire pits already laid out, and a good number of private campsites can say the same. If your campsite has a preexisting fire pit, all you'll need to do to start a fire is to find appropriate kindling and dry wood, arrange them tipi-style (kindling underneath the larger logs), and light the structure. Of course, finding dry wood is more of an issue if it's rained recently in your area or if you're not camping in an area with plenty of trees. If this is the case, consider bringing along a small supply of dry firewood to save yourself some trouble later on. If it isn't the case, make sure you keep your existing firewood dry using a tarp, plastic sheeting, or other protective measures. If your campsite doesn't have a pre-existing fire pit, you'll need to build one. This is also a fairly simple matter: just clear all brush, twigs, and other flammable material out of an area, surround it with a good barrier against the wind (rocks are the most popular, but you could also use some of your supply of dry firewood in a pinch), and build your fire normally. As long as your fire can't spread too easily, and as long as it's protected from the wind, your makeshift fire pit will be perfectly usable for a number of cooking fires in a given location. Just remember to always put the fire out completely and to stir the ashes in order to prevent flare-ups in the night or at other inopportune times. Of course, building a fire can be time-consuming work, and if you don't have the know-how, it may not be the most attractive option for you. Depending on how much space you have available--and on how willing you are to carry equipment down the length of a trail--you may want to consider acquiring a propane camping stove. Propane stoves are fairly cheap with prices ranging from around twenty to around fifty dollars, and they're extremely easy to use even in bad weather. The downside, of course, is that you'll have to carry a bulky piece of equipment with you, as well as a propane canister for fuel. But if you don't want to build a fire, or if you're traveling in an area where weather conditions are likely to prevent most other forms of cooking, a propane stove is a decent solution.
OTHER SUPPLIES
At a bare minimum, you'll want to bring a pot along with you for boiling water and heating dehydrated soups and stews. Any material is fine, although aluminum has the distinct advantage of being lightweight and durable (and consequently pricey.) Iron or stainless steel will both work as well, but if you choose an iron pot, make sure to protect it from wet weather and its inevitable companion, rust. Space needs will no doubt play a large role in whatever else you choose to bring. Utensils are convenient (and vital in the case of soups), and you can get by as easily with lightweight, cheap plastic versions as you can with reusable stainless steel. Plates and bowls are also always handy, and the same rules about possible materials apply. You might also invest in a camping cup, which is extremely lightweight and comes with a convenient hook, allowing you to attach it to and carry it on your belt (and thus to free up space in your backpack.) For more complicated cooking projects--usually ones involving a cooler and a stable, car-accessible campsite--you might want to get more fancy with your cookware. Dutch ovens are a long-standing tradition of camping trips, and allow you to prepare large quantities of food in a fairly compact package, albeit a weighty one. Camping grills and If you still want to do some elaborate cooking, but you just don't have the available space or the willingness to carry a heavy Dutch oven into the woods, there are still options. One good trick in a pinch: carry a small supply of paper cups with you in the event that your pot breaks or is otherwise unavailable. If you fill a paper cup with water, you can place it directly on a fire with no problems: the cup will burn down to the waterline, but the water or food you're boiling will keep the rest of the paper from burning away. Obviously this isn't a solution for large-scale cooking and water-purification needs, but it can be handy if you find yourself in a difficult situation. Aluminum foil is also a classic camping lifesaver, allowing you to roast meats, vegetables, and other food items without heavy cookware. Simply wrap the food in the foil, place it in the fire, and take it out after an appropriate interval. This isn't the most accurate method of cooking, but aluminum foil is extremely lightweight and useful for a number of camping purposes, so it's worthy of consideration as a strategy.
TENTS AND SLEEPING EQUIPMENT
Once you have your food situation taken care of, you'll want to turn your attention to one of the other basic human needs: shelter. Whether you're on an extended country hike or a weekend camping trip, this section will detail some options you might consider for one of the most critical part of an adventure traveler's day: a long-needed rest. TENTS If you're camping, a tent is an indispensable piece of equipment. Hikers and bikers will probably have less regular need for a tent, but for certain types of extended trips and for emergencies, the usefulness of a tent can't be overstated. The type of tent you'll want to use depends mostly on your comfort level, your budget, and on your specific travel needs. Almost all tents collapse into similarly-sized packages, so you don't have to worry much about space or weight concerns between different tent models: all you need to worry about is what you're willing to pay for and how close to nature you want to be. Two classic tents for camping are A-frame and dome tents. Both are compact, durable, and usually more than adequate for all of your storage and sleeping needs. A-frame tents come in a variety of sizes, all the way from a singleperson "pup" tent to more elaborate three and four-person configurations, but the basic design remains the same throughout. As a rule, dome tents are slightly larger, with three-person dome tents among the most common configurations available. Tent prices vary almost as widely as tent features, with some tents coming in at around twenty dollars and more elaborate tents at closer to one hundred.
For campers with more extensive needs, more extensive tents are available. At any major sporting goods store or online outdoor supplies retailer, you can find multiple-room tents, extra-stable and extra-large tents, or other speciality tents designed to minimize the negative effects of being in the outdoors. As these tents also tend to distance their occupants from the positive aspects of being in the outdoors, they're certainly not for everyone, but large families or other large camping groups may find one a worthwhile investment. If this describes you, expect to pay anywhere from one to three hundred dollars for a luxury tent--not necessarily a bad deal, if the cost is split among enough people or if the tent sees enough use to justify the price tag.
If budget is a major issue, there's always the option of renting a tent. For student travelers, renting your tent may be the best option overall: many students get a discount on sports equipment rentals from their school, and the quality of the equipment is usually quite good. If you're not a student, or if you just want to rent your camping equipment from a third party, you'll want to inspect your equipment carefully before renting in order to avoid becoming the beneficiary of some previous renter's negligence. And you'll want to be careful to keep the equipment you rent in good condition, as well: if the company or agency you rent from requires a deposit, you'll obviously want to get that back, and you likely don't want to rack up bad karma as an irresponsible, inconsiderate traveler either. Don't make someone else pay for your outdoor crimes: clean and inspect your tent thoroughly prior to turning it in. It's always important to set up a tent (or watch one being set up) before committing to a purchase, since you don't want to think in exclusively budgetary terms and be plagued by a major design flaw (improper wind exposure, faulty zipper design, imperfect waterproofing) when you're on the trail and it really counts. It's also important to invest in adequate stakes: too often, cheap tents come with cheap metal spikes that can't stand up to heavy winds and weather, which is exactly when you depend on your tent the most. If you can find better-quality stakes available for the right price, don't hesitate to take advantage. You'll ensure that your tent can stand up to difficulties, and you'll assure yourself of a much easier time in the field. And it bears mentioning here: be sure that you know how to set up your tent before you start your trip! If you can't set up a tent in the privacy of your own backyard or apartment, you'll certainly have a difficult time of it in the wind or the rain. Most tents are fairly intuitive to set up, but don't count too heavily on your own intuition: take the time to familiarize yourself with all of the parts well in advance. And don't be afraid to buy some backup tent poles or stakes, either: nine PM after a long day of walking is not the time to realize that one of your principal tent supports isn't in good working order.
BEDROLLS AND SLEEPING GEAR

A sleeping bag is another of the most essential items for any kind of outdoor travel. They're also one of the most expensive pieces of gear for outdoor travel: although you can get a cheap sleeping bag for around fifteen dollars, more expensive ones can reach well about the hundred-dollar level. This may seem like a high price tag, but before electing to go cheap, consider very carefully what you're paying for. If your sleeping bag isn't compact, you'll run into some serious logistical problems when navigating a tough trail, and if your sleeping bag isn't warm,
you simply won't be able to get the rest you need in order to stay fresh for day after day of traveling. Pick your sleeping bag according to these criteria, and don't forget to think about durability as well: an expensive, high-quality sleeping bag is worth its weight in gold when you're outdoors, but you don't want to have to put forth the money for one more than you absolutely need to. A sleeping bag by itself is a vital piece of gear, but it isn't necessarily the most comfortable option available to you when planning a lengthy outdoor trek. If you're using a sleeping bag by itself, you're vulnerable to any rough ground you may (and likely will) encounter, and your rest isn't going to be what it needs to be in order to allow you to exert yourself at peak performance for the duration of your trip. So it's worthwhile to investigate some of the other available options for comfortable sleep. Inflatable camping mattresses are certainly comfortable, but they can cause logistical problems due to the high amount of space they take up and the bulky pump you're often obliged to carry. At around thirty dollars, air mattresses aren't the most expensive of options, but their disadvantages in terms of space and weight make them impractical for anything but a camping trip with a bare minimum of hiking or other travel. Cots have similar disadvantages: they're just too bulky for any kind of hiking trip, and they're also more expensive than inflatable mattresses at around forty to sixty dollars for a good-quality piece of equipment. Again, reserve cot use for camping trips with ready access to a car. If this is the kind of trip you normally take, however, a cot can be a very good option: they keep you off of the rough ground, provide you with a great deal of comfort, and can easily be re-used for trip after trip. Probably your best options for hiking or biking trips--or for any outdoor trip that involves you carrying your own equipment for some distance--is either a self-inflating mattress or a foam sleeping pad. The former option is about as expensive as a traditional air mattress at about twenty or thirty dollars, but it does save you some needed space, and it provides you with adequate comfort. Foam sleeping pads, however, have the dual advantages of being extremely lightweight and extremely cheap, while still providing a weary traveler with some relief from rough or wet ground. Their one disadvantage is bulk, but with a good backpack and some packing ingenuity, you should be able to use a foam sleeping pad comfortably for years to come. Finally, one often-neglected item bears mentioning: a pillow. In a tight spot, you can simply use your backpack or a wadded up piece of clothing as a pillow, but this isn't going to be particularly comfortable (especially if you
ignored our advice in the previous section and stuffed your backpack full of canned food!) A good pillow has serious disadvantages in terms of space, however, and may be impractical for long treks. The final decision is up to you, but remember that whatever you choose, you're going to need to provide some support for your head and neck while you're sleeping outdoors, and a pillow is easily a more attractive option than an old sweatshirt or a bag full of cookware.
BACKPACKS
Cooking and sleeping equipment are largely the province of outdoor-based adventure travel: urban or water travelers can usually avail themselves of local options or shipboard facilities when looking for food or shelter. A good backpack, however, is an essential item for any adventure traveler, regardless of the nature of the trip. Even if you're carrying plenty of luggage, a backpack will allow you access to a variety of useful things when you're on a walking tour or taking in the scenery from an island destination, and the portability of a backpack leaves your hands free for handling guidebooks, binoculars, or any other gear you'll need to get the most out of your adventure travel experience. What's more, you can store snacks in a backpack. What kind of backpack you need, however, depends on what kind of trip you're on. If you're on a day hike or a brief tour, a medium to large-sized backpack is probably sufficient to carry whatever you'll need. But if you're on a much longer trip, such as a week-long hike or a bike tour, you'll want to invest in a camping frame. A camping frame backpack, as the name indicates, is just a larger-thanaverage backpack reinforced with a light metal frame to provide additional support and to allow the backpack to hold more weight and bulk. A good camping frame backpack will allow you to comfortably carry some fifty to sixty pounds of equipment over a rough trail, a weight limit which should cover your sleeping gear, cooking gear, food, and extra clothes with little problem. A good camping frame will also come with some practical extras, such as pockets designed for carrying water bottles and canteens, insulated pockets to keep certain supplies dry, and straps at the top and bottom to let you hook a sleeping bag, foam pad, or tent onto your backpack conveniently, which frees up your arms and prevents your supplies from getting in your way while you're on an eight-hour hike.
Camping frame backpacks will run you anywhere from about sixty to over one hundred dollars, but they're absolutely indispensable for any hiking or biking trip, and they'll pay for themselves over time in terms of the headaches you'll save in terms of packing.
CLOTHING
The well-dressed traveler is not the most stylish traveler, but the most practically-outfitted traveler. This is especially crucial to remember when it comes to packing: clothes are notoriously bulky, and unlike other bulky supplies like water and food, you usually can't discard clothes as you go to lighten your load. So pack intelligently, pack adequately, and above all, pack with one eye firmly on your situation and its specific needs. OUTDOOR CLOTHING When it comes to outdoor clothing, the name of the game is weather. Based on your pre-travel research into destinations, you should have a rough idea of the kind of climate you can expect on your trip: bear it in mind. If you're on a long summer hike, load up on shorts, clean T-shirts, and a good hat to keep the sun out of your eyes. If you're planning a winter camping excursion, go heavy on sweaters, jackets, and winter-appropriate gear like warm hats, scarves, and gloves. Whatever your weather situation, there are three things you absolutely can't neglect: good footwear, rain gear, and socks. GOOD FOOTWEAR Good footwear usually means hiking boots. On a hiking trip, you'll very likely be on your feet for six to eight hours a day: take this into account, and buy boots that are durable, ideally waterproof, and above all comfortable. If you can't afford or aren't interested in buying or borrowing hiking boots, you can probably make do with tennis shoes, assuming that they aren't too old or beaten-up. If you do have to go the tennis shoe route, be sure that you've got good tread and above-average laces: after the first rainstorm, the condition of your laces will go down precipitously, and you don't want to be unable to tie your shoes when you're trusting yourself to your feet for the better part of a day.
RAIN GEAR Rain gear usually means a poncho. Ponchos are lightweight, highly portable, don't take up much space, and provide you with excellent protection from the rain when you need it. In addition, they're less expensive than a good jacket, which means that you don't need to worry nearly as much about the inevitable wear and tear that'll happen to your rain gear as soon as a storm rolls around. One caveat with ponchos: test them out before you start on your trip. Ponchos are usually cheaply-made, and in some cases this means that the dye used to color a poncho will run off at the first sign of rain. So if you don't want all of your belongings and skin to be dyed a bright hunter's orange, make sure that your poncho is of fairly good quality before you start. SOCKS Socks always means at least two times as many pairs as you think you'll need. Your socks aren't only a good way to keep warm and blister-free when you're walking, but they're also a good way to keep dry, which is often more important. If you don't pack enough socks and you end up having to walk for a full day in wet socks, you'll find the condition of your feet getting steadily worse, and you'll find yourself much less willing to face the trail the following day. At worst, you might find yourself unable to continue. So pack plenty of warm socks: you might be tempted to grumble at the space they take up, but you certainly won't regret having them along. And remember that whatever clothing you start out with on your trip, you'll more than likely have with you when you finish your trip--whatever its condition. So plan in advance what you intend to do with your dirty laundry when you're on the trail. Laundry bags are often a good idea, but if you're stuck in a tight situation, a good garbage bag works just as well. urban clothing When you're traveling in an urban area, the key is to dress unobtrusively. This goes double if you're traveling in an area that's in any way hostile to the West, or to Americans in particular. In many situations, the level of service you'll receive goes sharply down if people believe that you're too obviously Western or American, and in some extreme cases you might be denied service altogether. The same holds true in Europe, with slightly less severity: the difference between a T-shirt and shorts and a polo shirt with sensible slacks and shoes might be the difference between a terrible and wonderful dining experience in
a French caf. Not everyone will treat you differently based on your clothes, of course, but don't risk it: dress conservatively, and you won't have to worry about being unable to buy food or take out lodgings when you desperately need them at the end of a long touring day. If you're traveling in America, people are often less critical about what you wear. It's still a good idea to dress as conservatively and unobtrusively as you can, but in most situations you're more free to take practical considerations into account when planning your outfit, and more free to wear things like hiking boots and carry things like backpacks. Wherever you're traveling, don't forget to dress appropriately for the weather, and to be adequately prepared in the event of rain, snow, temperature extremes, or other bad weather conditions. This is less crucial in an urban area, but inadequate clothing for the weather can still ruin an otherwise good day, so take it well into account.
OTHER USEFUL TRAVEL SUPPLIES

FIRST AID Nobody ever thinks an emergency will happen to them, but if and when one does, it's important to be able to respond effectively to the problem. This is especially true in outdoor-based trips: in an urban setting, you might have some difficulty getting medical attention for a cut or injury, but you can still do it. If you're in the wilderness, the only medical supplies you'll have available are the ones you take with you--so make sure you take enough! At a bare minimum, you'll want Band-Aids, gauze or Ace bandages, disinfectant, and moleskin to take care of blisters. Any good sporting goods or outdoor store should offer a complete, compact First Aid kit with all of these items included in a waterproof container--take advantage of their thoughtfulness and pick one up. If you feel like you'll need over-the-counter medications like Tylenol or aspirin, bring them along as well. And pack some Kleenex: if and when it rains (and when planning any kind of trip, you always want to assume that rain is likely at some point), you'll want something to take care of any coughing and sneezing you need to get past on the road to recovery. ACTIVITY-BASED ITEMS Depending on your particular interests, you may want to pack any number of additional items to enrich your trip. Naturalists will certainly want to carry a field guide, a notebook, and a pair of binoculars or other optical equipment;
sightseers or history buffs will want to take guidebooks or other reference materials. Artistic types may want to bring a sketchbook to record interesting sights along the trail or in unfamiliar cities; reflective types will certainly want to carry a journal. Anyone involved in extreme sports or extreme activities will likely have a specific set of gear that they'll need to bring along. And it goes without saying that everybody needs a book once in a while to relax, even when they're having the adventure of their lives. If you're deeply involved in a hobby or other activity, you likely know or already have exactly what you'll need to get the most out of your adventure trek. The only concern, then, is packing--especially if you're going on a lengthy hike or camping trip where space and weight are both crucial concerns. Everyone's solution to this dilemma will be different, but bear in mind that the person who most needs to benefit from your adventure travels is you. So definitely take space and weight into account, and definitely pack all of your essential travel items first, but don't be tempted to skimp on a favorite field guide or a pair of binoculars just because you think it'll be too bulky. Adventure travel is meant to be unforgettable--make sure your trip is as personally unforgettable as possible, and pack what you need to engage in your favorite activities while on the road.
THE NUMBER ONE ITEM YOU'LL REGRET NOT PACKING

The number one item you may regret not having is a camera. Even if you don't think you'll want one, take a disposable or otherwise cheap camera along anyway. There's no feeling in the world quite as bad as seeing one of the most beautiful landscapes, animals, or sights you've ever seen, and knowing that because you don't have a camera handy, you'll never be able to see again. Again, as the Boy Scouts say: Be Prepared!
4 AFFORDABLE ADVENTURE
So you know what kind of travel you're interested in, you've picked out a perfect destination, and you've already started looking at equipment for your trip. And then--as you start adding up prices and finalizing your budget--you realize, with a sudden chill, that there's no way you'll be able to afford this trip. Your dreams of unforgettable adventure, it seems, have just become impossible nightmares. This certainly won't necessarily be everyone situation when planning an adventure trek. But every one of us can think of at least a hundred good uses for our excess money, and not all of us are comfortable with the idea of spending a large amount of money on a vacation, however unforgettable it might be. And even if we are comfortable with that, we might still be interested in getting the most out of our vacation dollar and in minimizing the cost of our ideal adventure trip. In this chapter, we'll address these concerns. We'll talk about the expected costs for the major categories of adventure travel we sketched out in the second chapter, and about what kind of budget you should expect to put together in order to make your trip possible. Then, we'll talk about a few classic ways to minimize these costs and get you the trip you deserve for the right price--freeing up that extra vacation money for other purposes, or just for a particularly unforgettable souvenir.
THE COST OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL

OUTDOOR TRIPS Aside from the higher equipment cost, hiking and backpacking are among the most inexpensive possibilities for adventure travel. You're providing your own motive power, you're usually bringing your own food, you're creating your own lodging, and you're staying away from high-priced and souvenirdense urban areas: what could be cheaper than that? If you've already been hiking, backpacking, or camping in the past, you likely have a large portion of the gear you need to make your trip a success. If you're a novice to outdoor travel, expect to invest about two hundred and fifty dollars for a good camping outfit. That includes a reasonably-priced
tent, sleeping bag, backpack, cookware, first aid kid, and a good chunk of the clothing and gear that you'll need. Most of the clothing you'll need should already be in your closet, and food is an ad hoc expense, different for every trip--but as a general rule, budget about three to ten dollars per day for food and water, depending on what you plan to eat. All in all, this is a substantial amount of money to put forward at once, but it's a simple matter to "scale up" your commitment to outdoor travel over time: start with a day hike or a weekend camping trip, buy only what you need for that, and invest in more elaborate equipment only when the demands of a longer trip require it. The other major expense you'll need to take into account with outdoor travel is, oddly enough, the cost of travel. Although hiking, camping, and even biking trips are often extremely low-cost ventures once you've bought all of your equipment, you'll still need to pay for the cost of getting to your ideal hiking trail or campsite (unless you're restricting your outdoor travel to your immediate area, which usually doesn't appeal to die-hard adventurers.) Depending on how far away your destination is, you'll have to spend either a fairly low gas or bus fee or the more substantial cost of a plane ticket or boat ride. If you're hiking in a foreign country, you also may have to pay the fees for tourist or travel agencies in order to help you get oriented to an unfamiliar location. All of this is highly dependent on your destination, so do your research and make a note of prices accordingly. Sometimes certain trails become cheaper during unpopular times of year, so you might want to plan your trip to take advantage of this reduced rate. If you're camping in a national park or private facility, you'll probably also need to pay for a usage fee or a permit. This helps the park or campsite to reimburse some of its maintenance costs, and ensures that your campsite will be stocked with adequate fire pits or that your trail is free of brush, eroded slopes, or other hazards. Day use fees for campsites and trails are invariably cheap, sometimes as low as five or six dollars a day; overnight fees are anywhere from two to three times the day use rate. One advantage for adventure travelers is that campsite and trail fees usually increase in direct proportion to the cultivation of the site or trail: campsites with RV hookups, latrine facilities or even shower areas might charge an extra few dollars per day than uncultivated areas, a small fee increase that adds up over time. So a willingness to eschew some of these more civilized comforts--an appealing idea to most adventure travelers anyway--can save you some money in the long run on a lengthy camping trip or a hike.
BICYCLE TRIPS Bike trips have the advantage of being independent of site-based fees or permit requirements: if you're on your bike and you don't like the regulations at a certain site, you've got the ability to move on. The disadvantage for bicyclists, however, comes in when you consider the necessity for regular equipment maintenance and repair. If you carry a pump, a patch kit, and appropriate tools with you, you eliminate many of the major maintenance costs you'll face, but there's still the question of major repairs and accidents to deal with if need be. Another major factor for bicyclists is lodging. Although it's certainly possible--and enjoyable--to carry a tent and sleeping bag with you on a bike trip and make your own lodgings along the way, not everyone is comfortable with not knowing where they're going to sleep on a particular night, and the prospect of carrying a lot of heavy equipment on the back of a bike gives some people pause. If this is you, you'll want to factor lodgings into your budgetary equation for bike travel. In Europe, lodgings are a much easier matter to deal with: hostels are cheap and plentiful, usually spaced a short day's ride or a long day's walk apart. In many cases, you can also trade work for the price of lodging, which gives you some fascinating stories and experiences while keeping your budget low. If you're biking through America or through another country with less of an established network for day travelers, you face a more difficult situation: although hostels can be found in America, they're usually restricted to major urban areas and often impractical as a primary source of shelter for traveling bicyclists. So expect to budget more for nightly lodgings on an extended bicycle trip. A cheap motel will run you around thirty to forty dollars a night, and bed and breakfasts, if you can find them, will often charge the same or slightly more (albeit with a friendlier atmosphere and a meal included.) And as with all adventure travel, plan to pay travel costs if your destination is fairly far away from your home city. You'll also have to consider the costs of transporting your bike, which can be considerable and which can restrict you from the more convenient forms of international travel. It might be a worthwhile option to rent a bike at your destination rather than trying to transport your own, but if you choose to do this, remember to budget the daily cost of rental--and remember to plan your itinerary to bring you back to the rental shop when your trip is done.
WATER-BASED TRAVEL Water-based travel is often one of the most expensive forms of travel available: boats aren't cheap, and neither is renting or chartering them. By no means should you expect to pay less than three hundred dollars per day for a good chartered or rented boat--more in popular tourist seasons--and fees of more than a thousand dollars a day are by no means unknown. And with harbor fees, provisioning fees, and in some cases licensing, permit, or safety insurance fees to take into account, the costs for water-based travel can quickly add up. Before you decide on any one boat rental company or destination, make sure to shop around for competitive fees, and be sure to leave room in your budget for any extra expenses that may crop up. Fortunately, water-based travel rarely involves the purchase of much equipment beyond the boat itself. Where you will face an additional budget crunch, however, is in the purchase of incidental souvenirs, customs fees, and the other incidental costs of stopping at various ports of call--an inevitability with any good boat trek. Be sure to budget an extra few hundred dollars in order to account for this and save you some troubling situations, or some days lost in port trying to get the necessary money wired from your home country. EXTREME ACTIVITY TRIPS The cost of extreme activity trips depends entirely on the nature of the activity. This means that an extreme activity trip might be among the cheapest trips you can take (travel fees to a foreign country plus hiking equipment) or the most expensive (lodging fees, sports equipment rentals, guide chartering, and extensive provisioning.) If you try to use your existing equipment as much as is possible and if you do plenty of research about various options for the incidental expenses you may face, you can shave off some of these costs considerably, but make sure that you know exactly what costs you face, and that you're willing to meet all of those costs before you commit to a trip. ECO-TREKS Eco-treks, as we stated in the second chapter, are often among the cheapest trips available--at least in terms of equipment, food, and lodging costs. In terms of travel expenses, the price of eco-treks can be surprisingly high. The reason for this is that the countries most invested in eco-treks are rarely the most developed, easily-accessible countries in the world. Another
important factor is that eco-treks, given their reliance on local culture, customs, and resources, usually require travelers to solicit the services of a guide, interpreter, or eco-trek-centric travel agency. Additionally, maintenance costs and fees for eco-treks can be higher than for other trips, since governments or property owners often paradoxically have to invest more money and effort in keeping a place unspoiled than they would in keeping it accessible and usable, but contaminated by the outside world. These kinds of costs are sometimes higher than expected, and can lead to nasty surprises when it comes time to prepare a budget. Eco-treks can be great money-savers--and great experiences--by virtue of their focus on conservation and local culture. But for the same reasons, they can cause unwary travelers to absorb entirely unexpected costs. Don't be one of those travelers: put in the necessary research time and figure out exactly what you'll need to pay in order to make your eco-trek a success.
OPTIONS FOR SAVING MONEY ON TRAVEL

Once you've done your research and assessed your budget, you might be optimistic about your trip, but still interested in saving as much money as possible. If you're one of these people--and it's hard to imagine that you aren't--then this section can help. We'll detail some common ways of saving money on all aspects of travel expenses, from equipment to airfare, as well as some options that certain travelers may be able to take advantage of in preparing their trips. EQUIPMENT COSTS The easiest way to save money on equipment costs for faraway destinations is to rent your equipment on-site rather than carrying your own. This is less generally true for trips that involve less equipment (possibly nothing more than luggage, clothes, and books) than it is for trips that involve a great deal of equipment (mountaineering expeditions, bicycle trips, or extreme sports endeavors.) If you bring all of your equipment with you, you'll have to pay customs duties, packing expenses, and in some cases even shipping expenses, a proposition which not only damages your budget, but which can lead to serious delays. So if you're going farther away than a few days' car or bus ride, plan on renting as much of your equipment as possible: think of it as a small expense that saves you from a much larger one. If you're traveling closer to home, consider purchasing second-hand equipment or traveling with other people. You may not have enough money
in your budget to support the equipment costs for a long-term camping trip on your own, but with a number of similarly-minded adventure travelers working together, you can pool your equipment and food expenses to save some cash (and possibly to have a more enjoyable trip overall.) And as long as you thoroughly investigate and test any second-hand equipment you buy, there's no reason why you can't save a significant chunk of money on your equipment budget. TRAVEL COSTS One of the best ways to save money on travel expenses is to plan your vacations during traditional off-seasons. The period of time from Thanksgiving to New Years' is traditionally one of the worst times to book a flight, and if you avoid traveling to any foreign countries during these months (or during the summer, another notoriously popular travel season), you can slash literally hundreds of dollars from your budget. You might also try experimenting with different airlines--major carriers like American are convenient, but don't necessarily give you the best rate on a trip. If you instead route your flight through several regional airlines, you may have a more frustrating trip logistically, but there's a good chance that you can save some needed money in the process. Another classic method of saving money on air travel is to make good use of the mileage incentive programs offered by many of the major airlines, as well as some financially-savvy newcomers. Airline rewards programs can be tricky to navigate and it's important to investigate all programs thoroughly in order to avoid problems, but if you choose carefully, you stand to reimburse many of your travel expenses from hotels, airfare, equipment rentals, and other standard sources of financial woe. Additionally, a good use of mileage incentive programs can not only save you some money on a present trip, but can also put you in a good position to save money on future trips: if you stay in a reasonably-priced hotel that grants you 2,000 bonus miles with the price of your room, you're that much closer to a free ticket to a more exotic location. Mileage programs aren't going to eliminate your travel costs entirely, and it takes some time before the rewards start appearing, but once they do, you can shave off a surprising amount of the financial burden of adventure travel. STUDENT TRAVEL If you're a student, there's no time like the present to begin adventure travel. Many colleges offer incentive programs and reduced rates to students
willing to undertake part of their education abroad, and there's no reason why you can't take advantage of this as a springboard for adventure travel plans. If you're studying in France for a year, what's to stop you from taking a few weeks to hike through Continental Europe, or from catching a cheap ride on international railways for an extreme camping trip among the lakes of Northern Russia? This cuts out entirely the most significant component of most travel packages--the airfare--and in many ways, studying in a foreign country for any period of time can be one of the greatest adventures of all. Students also have a number of other advantages when it comes to adventure travel, ranging from easily-obtainable student visas to discounts on hostels, equipment rentals, and other high-cost travel options. Students are also typically welcome in exchange programs--often the cheapest means of travel overall--and across the world, there are plenty of organizations dedicated to helping students defray some of the costs of travel abroad. Avail yourself of these advantages as often as possible--you can't remain a student forever, and you should enjoy the benefits of it while you can.
5 WHERE THE ADVENTURES ARE

At this point, you've got all of the information you need to plan an excellent adventure trek: you know some basic information about adventure travel and its many varieties, you know about the equipment you might need along the way, and you've learned a few important strategies for reducing your travel costs. You're ready, in other words, to plan your first trip. In this chapter, we'll talk about a few destinations from which you might choose. We'll go into the attractions in each location, some of the logistical difficulties you might encounter, and above all, the expected cost. It's probable that you have strong ideas about where you want to go already, but if you don't--or if you simply want a list of possibilities for future trips--we'll provide what you need.
HIKING TRIPS
THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL When adventure travelers think about hiking in North America, they're usually thinking about the Appalachian trail. The trail, completed in 1937, extends from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Baxter Peak in Maine, with a total mileage of over two thousand miles. Along its route, the trail passes through fourteen states, near to several towns, and among some of the most spectacular wildlife and scenery the American continent has to offer. The trail is specifically designed for long-distance hikers, and a number of provisions have been made along the route to make the lengthy walk easier for weary travelers. Campsites are spaced less than a day's walk apart, and most feature adequate tent sites as well as a few specially-built (if primitive) shelters. In addition, there's a tradition among many hikers of hitching rides into the towns that pass near to the trail in order to buy additional food and water, and some residents of the area near the trail have been known to take in hikers for the night. If you're a fairly spontaneous type who's interested in meeting new people, this aspect of the trail may be for you; if not, you can enjoy the prospect of months of solitude, just you, the trail, and the wildlife and scenery all around.
Part of what makes the destination great is the lack of cost. Outside of the expense of getting to the Trail in the first place, the cost of using the trail is usually limited to the cost of your hiking equipment and provisions. This is almost unheard of in the often-expensive world of adventure travel, and would make the Appalachian Trail notable even if it's length and beauty wasn't as impressive as it is. Of course, most people don't elect to hike the entire length of the trail, a feat which usually requires some five to seven months of solid hiking (although faster times have been known.) Those who do complete the trail are known as thru-hikers or 2,000-milers, and given the length of time that the trail has been in operation, there's a surprisingly low number of them: under 10,000 as of 2006, although the number of successful completions has risen sharply in recent years. If you think you might become one of them, then by all means, look into a trip to the Appalachian Trail. Even if you don't, you can still enjoy sections of the trail for shorter hikes and take advantage of all of the beauty and adventure of America's greatest hiking destination. THE APPIAN WAY If you're interested in history, then you're no doubt aware of the Roman roads. In order to bring all the outer reaches of their far-ranging Empire under central control, the Romans undertook one of the most impressive engineering feats of the classical world, covering many miles of Europe with roadways. Many of these still exist today--and as one might guess, they're an excellent choice as an adventure travel destination. One of the most enjoyable of these is the Appian Way, or the Via Appia Antica (as opposed to the Via Appia Nuova, a parallel road constructed in more recent times by the Catholic Church.) The Appian Way stretches from Rome well into Southern Italy, and although sections of the Way are open to traffic on most weekdays--a fact which tends to put a damper on any quiet country walk--the Way as a whole still retains its atmosphere of antiquity, tranquility, and adventure. Among the many attractions of the Way are the numerous Roman and early Christian ruins that can be seen along the road. The Temple of Hercules, the Mausoleum of Casal Rotondo, and the great column at Brindisi that terminates the Way are only a few of the sights to be seen on this route. Of course, some of the most enduring scenery on the route has nothing to do with the aura of antiquity, but simply with the beauty and color of the Italian countryside, its villages, and its rolling hills.
The major downside of the Way as a travel destination is undoubtedly the traffic. Parts of the Way are used as roadways for local vehicles, which is convenient for Italian commercial purposes, but which makes traversing the road by foot sometimes an unsatisfying prospect. In recent years, car traffic has been banned on the Way on Sundays, and anyone interested in traveling the Way should take this into account. The other major downside of the Way--the cost, for most travelers, of getting to Rome--can't be countered with as clear-cut a strategy, but with some dedication and some willingness to invest money in a travel budget--and with judicious use of the money-saving tips from the last chapter--getting to the Appian Way for the European hike of a lifetime won't be an obstacle. THE OVERLAND TRACK If your travel budget is high or if you're simply in the mood for some of the most exotic natural scenery available anywhere, Tasmania's Overland Track-one of Australia's most famous hiking trails--is an ideal destination. Although the Overland Track isn't by any means one of the longest trails in the world--at around eighty kilometers in length, it can be comfortably walked in just under a week--it more than makes up for its comparative brevity with its sheer glacier-carved beauty. Along its length, the Track passes through flat plains, vast tundras, and exquisitely-sculpted mountains, including Tasmania's tallest mountain, Mount Ossa, and an intricate system of tarns known as the Labyrinth. Another of the Overland Track's major advantages is its convenience. This doesn't refer only to the time it takes to get from one end of the track to the other, which is brief enough to encourage casual hikers while long enough to justify the expense of a trip to Tasmania. The convenience of the Overland Track also refers to the overnight shelters thoughtfully established by the Track's maintainers, most of which are open for overnight use and all of which are conveniently spaced less than a day's walk apart. This provision for shelter along the trail allows hikers to save some space and weight in their packing plans by eliminating--for the most part--the need for tents and bedrolls, although some hikers will no doubt want to get the full trail experience by creating their own lodgings along the route. Extreme endurance hikers will probably find little (beyond the scenery) to attract them to the Overland Track. Hikers whose interests run more to sightseeing and to tranquility than to personal challenges, however, will find much to love in this Tasmanian destination--assuming that the price of a flight to Tasmania isn't an issue. If you choose to take a trip down the
Overland Track, however, plan to do it in the summer: the Track's climate is notoriously unstable, and while summer weather typically ranges from cool to pleasantly warm, winter weather can drop well below zero at a moment's notice. Those who for whatever reason must go in the winter are well advised to take appropriate precautions and to prepare for an occasionally rough time. And like many of the world's great hiking trails, the Overland Track is also free to explore--aside from equipment costs and the price of a ticket to Tasmania, of course.
WATER-BASED TRIPS
ALASKAN WHALEWATCHING Naturalists, water enthusiasts, and all-around adventure travelers agree: if you have to pick one destination in the world for truly memorable waterbased adventure travel, Alaska is that destination. Although Alaska boasts a number of options for all manner of adventure travelers, from mountaineers to hikers to naturalists, it's the boating that often stands out as a unique experience--the boating, and the whalewatching. Whales are some of the most beautiful creatures the world has to offer, and it's Alaska that offers some of the most beautiful whales in the world. Alaskan waters contain one of the world's largest concentrations of humpback whales, known for their spectacular feeding behaviors, intricate songs, and dramatic breaches of the surface. In addition to the humpbacks, you can often see other unique and interesting forms of ocean life, including otters, sea lions, seals, and more. Add to all of this the astonishing Alaskan scenery and a good sampling of interesting land life as well, and you can easily begin to see the appeal in a good whalewatching tour. If you're interested in whalewatching in Alaska, prepare to dress warmly, and prepare to spend a bit of money. There are a number of options for chartering a whalewatching boat in Alaska, and with those options come a wide range of prices from as low as one hundred dollars per person per day to well over ten thousand for a group of five. In general, your rate is going to vary according to the size of the boat, the amenities you're offered, and the reputation of the tour: a cheaper boat might save you some money in the short run, but might not give you access to the best scenery and whalewatching locations. As always, do some research, ask other adventure travelers, and be sure you're comfortable with a charter company before making a commitment.
And remember to pack two vital pieces of equipment: plenty of warm clothing and a good set of binoculars. Whales are some of Earth's most fascinating creatures, and you'll want to get an extra good look. MEKONG RIVER Due to a sometimes frosty political climate and a general lack of exposure in the Western world, the Mekong River has often gone overlooked as a water travel destination. But with a length of some 2,500 miles, a course that takes it through six distinct nations, a singularly unspoiled and fascinating local culture, beautiful scenery, and one of the most diverse populations of fish in the world, the Mekong River is well worth your attention. The Mekong River's relative anonymity means that anyone interested in a Mekong trip should be prepared for an experience far outside of many people's bounds of comfort. Lodgings along the river often involve bunking down with friendly local villagers, camping along the shore, or other ad hoc forms of finding shelter. For some, this sounds like the opposite of an enjoyable trip; for others, this is a unique way to get in touch with local customs and the true spirit of a destination. If you fall into the former category, you might think twice before planning a Mekong trip; if you fall into the latter category, don't hesitate for a moment. There are few places in the world where you can combine a truly authentic local experience with exciting, intriguing water travel, and the Mekong is one of them: take advantage of it. You can do that by researching some of the British and American charter companies that have begun offering Mekong River travel packages in recent years, following a loosening of trade regulations in China. Trips along the Mekong can be excellent bargains, if you know where to look: Irrawaddy Flotilla offers an eight day steamer trip from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap for just over one thousand dollars per person, a rate which any boat traveler knows to be excellent. Other options exist, of course, so it's vital to do the necessary research before settling on one or another charter option, but whatever you choose, a memorable trek is assured. A note of caution: if you're considering a trip to the Mekong River, do it soon. In the near future, the Chinese government is planning to construct massive dams on the river, an act which has benefits for the Chinese economy, but which is sure to cause ecological damage to portions of the Mekong, and which might even make the most attractive parts of the destination totally inaccessible.
AMAZON RIVER At over 4,000 miles, the Amazon River is the second-longest river in the world (after the Nile), and certainly one of the most diverse travel destinations in terms of climate, local wildlife, and lush scenery. Because of all of these factors, the Amazon River enjoys an extremely high regard among adventure travelers as an ideal destination for water-based travel, whether the traveler is interested in birdwatching, sightseeing, exploring local culture, or simply sitting back and letting the miles float away. If you're interested in exploring the Amazon River by boat, you'll need to choose between a number of options for boat size, trip length, and exact route. Travelers interested in seeing the river from a comfortable distance while enjoying first-rate food and service are advised to look into booking passage on one of the many cruise ships that make regular tours of the Amazon. Cruise ships are one of the more expensive options, of course, and although they provide a great deal in terms of convenience and comfort, they can also be restrictive when it comes to passenger freedom to get off of the boat for a while and explore surrounding trails and villages. But if this is your particular adventure travel style, then contact a travel agent or one of the major cruise lines well in advance of your trip: rates vary widely based on season, and by booking passage early, you'll better your chances of getting a good rate. More interesting to many travelers are the smaller boat tours that can be found at all times of the year up and down the length of the Amazon. These are substantially less expensive, with rates as low as about one hundred dollars per passenger per day from certain companies. They're also much heavier on local culture and experience, with some companies offering frequent stops in riverside villages, brief treks into the rain forest, and even courses on traditional Amazon methods of preparing food, liquor, and tools. The main thing trips like this have in common with the larger cruise lines is the necessity of booking passage well in advance: although rates fluctuate much less with smaller charter companies, you still want to be sure that you can get the tour date you want--and you want to avoid any fees incurred for rush booking or other last-minute trip preparation hassles. One tip for anyone planning an Amazon River trip: the river experiences lengthy, predictable rainy seasons, which drastically increase the volume and depth of the river and which can cause problems in terms of navigation and simple comfort while you're on your trip. For most of the river's length, the rainy season begins in November and starts to fall off as the summer gets
closer, so try to book your trip around the summer months in order to get the most comfortable experience possible.
ACTIVITY-BASED TRIPS
BELIZE BIRDWATCHING The Cayo District of Belize is one of the world's most popular destinations for birdwatching, as well as for many other varieties of naturalism. And with over six hundred species of birds sighted within the District, many of them not found anywhere else in the world. If you're a novice birdwatcher or someone who's just interested in picking up some good nature photos and sightings, then Belize is a worthwhile destination by virtue of its unique flavor and the unique experiences possible there. If you're a lifelong "twitch", then a trip to Belize to augment your life list is nothing less than vital. Of course, birdwatching and naturalism aren't the only reasons to take a trip to the Cayo District. The District also boasts numerous opportunities for hiking, canoeing, spelunking, and sightseeing, considering the beautiful mountain and coastal scenery, the numerous ruins located just a day or two of hiking away from the most common tourist destinations, and the intricate caves to be found in the nearby hills. Most travelers to Belize find it convenient to rely on the package tours widely available, many of which provide travelers with a high degree of freedom to choose their own activities, and all of which can be a valuable introduction to the diversity and adventure possible in Belize. If you want to go with one of the package tours, expect to pay around two hundred dollars a night for lodging, guide services, and other amenities, often including meals. This fee sometimes includes airfare, which travelers on a budget will find a blessing and which they should certainly take advantage of. For any serious naturalist, a trip to the Cayo District is not to be missed, and any method for cutting costs is welcome. THE LOIRE VALLEY Interested in seeing Europe, but less than interested in major tourist destinations, urban centers, and strictly guided tours? If you've got a major interest in history and bicycling, and if you enjoy the freedom to soak in cultural landmarks at your own pace, then a tour of the Loire Valley may be for you.
The Loire Valley is one of the celebrated jewels of French culture. Boasting numerous castles, exquisite scenery, and a sense of peace and tranquility that you simply can't get from major cities like Paris or Nice, the Loire was deservedly selected in 2000 as one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites--a formal acknowledgement of what many historically and architecturallyminded travelers have known for centuries. (And of course no one should forget the excellent wines, locally produced and uniformly satisfying.) If you plan to take a trip to the Loire Valley, you have two options: either travel to France on your own and camp or hostel through the various towns of the region, or take one of the package tours available. Although package tours can be a mixed bag--you certainly don't want to see the Chateau Chambord through a grimy bus window--some of the Loire Valley tours offer a relaxed pace, a high degree of personal freedom for travelers, and decent discounts on hotel accommodations, meals, vehicle/bicycle rentals, and other common travel expenses. So do some research before deciding to eschew package tours entirely--you might find that you can get the personalized, historically-rich trip you want for less money than you had expected (which leaves you more to spend on the wines, naturally.)
EXTREME TRIPS
THE GREAT BARRIER REEF One of the world's strangest natural features--the Great Barrier Reef--has been described variously as the world's largest natural organism, a site for internationally-recognized biodiversity and beauty, and one of the seven wonders of the natural world. And what's more, it's a phenomenon that adventuresome travelers have long made a tradition of experiencing in an up-close-and-personal way by diving the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is notable for its coral alone, some specimens of which are over 1,000 years old, and many specimens of which are beautifully textured, colored, and simply begging for a savvy traveler to take as many photos as are possible with a waterproof camera. In addition, the Reef features breeding grounds for no less than six species of sea turtle, feeding grounds for some thirty species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises, several sea snakes, and thousands of native molluscs, including the massive and colorful giant clam.
All of this biodiversity isn't likely to go anywhere any time soon, thanks to preservation measures taken by the government of Queensland (the Australian province closest to the Reef), so there's no hurry in planning a trip to the Great Barrier Reef--unless you simply can't wait to feast your eyes on the fascinating scenery, or to bask in the pleasant climate. If you're interested in exploring the Great Barrier Reef, you first need to become interested in diving. This can be a fairly low-cost proposition if you simply want to snorkel the reef, which still allows you to see and photograph a good portion of the coral formations and native molluscs. If you want to go deeper into the Reef, however, you'll need to take some SCUBA lessons. Many local facilities provide introductory SCUBA tours of the reef complete with discounted rental fees and diver training, which can be an excellent option for an inexperienced traveler on a budget who still wants to get the most out of what the Reef has to offer. The prices for dive trips are fairly reasonable, with rates running as cheaply as thirty dollars for two dives by a single traveler, but as always, it's still important to shop around before making a decision. The Great Barrier Reef is an experience for anyone interested in learning the ins and outs of diving, and it would be a true shame to let budgetary matters get in the way. NEPAL MOUNTAINEERING When extreme travelers think of mountaineering expeditions, they usually think of Nepal. Nepal is not only one of the world's more serene and lovely countries, but it's also home to some of the world's most challenging and lofty mountain peaks, including the famous Mt. Everest. And if you're willing to take up the physical and mental challenge of climbing some of the tallest mountains in the world--including a full eight of the highest ten peaks on Earth--a mountaineering trip to Nepal is definitely for you. Mountaineering in Nepal is no task for the faint of heart or the inexperienced. At high altitudes, the weather gets extremely cold, and all of your hiking, camping, and climbing skills will be put to the test when making your ascent. So it's vital to bring the best equipment you can get along, and there's no shame in devoting part of your travel budget to hiring the services of a trained guide. A guide can help you to avoid common dangers among the peaks, give you advice on which peaks to attempt first, and shoulder a portion of the gear and food you'll need in order to make your climb a success. You'll also want to be sure to secure any vehicles you'll need, a more than adequate supply of food and warm clothing, and a very good hotel reservation for your return:
even the hardiest adventure traveler is just not going to be content with a night in a tent after coming down from the nearly 6,000-foot summit of Mt. Ramdung. If you're interested in a mountaineering trip to Nepal--probably the climax of any serious adventure traveler's life--then make sure to do it right. Don't skimp on any of your provisions or other necessary fees, and consider going with a package tour company in order to simplify your airline booking, hotel reservation, outfitting, and guide services. You can do all of these things yourself, of course, but the amount of planning that goes into a truly epic mountaineering trip is such that you're often better off letting a professional handle it--with the peak before you, you likely have enough on your mind.
6 SOME FINAL TRAVEL TIPS

By now, you've learned the rudiments of planning and budgeting for an adventure trek, and you've read about some of the greatest adventure destinations the world has to offer. In other words, you're as ready as you'll ever be to take the adventure of a lifetime. We'll leave you with a few words of wisdom about travel in general. All of it's been stressed throughout the rest of the book, but it bears repeating here, just as you're preparing to plan and take your own excellent adventure trip. When you do, just remember these simple principles, and you'll avoid some common pitfalls of travel--and you'll make your trek that much more incredible in the end.
TIP #1: EVERY TRIP REQUIRES RESEARCH

This can't be emphasized enough. Without adequate research performed well in advance of your trip, you might find yourself beset by budgetary worries, scheduling nightmares, improperly functioning equipment, or simply a stressful time when you'd much rather be challenging yourself in other, more enjoyable ways. Make good use of online travel sites and search engines, make phone calls whenever possible, and don't be afraid to hire the services of a travel agent. Although there are good agents and bad agents, a travel agent can get you better deals on airfaire, hotel bookings, provisions, and other expenses than you could otherwise get. Furthermore, an agent can sometimes be your best friend when it comes to making your trip truly memorable: you might be content with a four-day sightseeing tour of Moscow, unaware that you can also book a thrilling river expedition for an extremely low cost. Listen to suggestions with an eye on your budget, or if you're going it alone, never be afraid to ask yourself one simple question: "What else could I do while I'm on this trek?" Often, you'll be surprised--and delighted--by the answers you'll come up with.
TIP #2: KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR BUDGET

This tip seems like common sense when you're at home at the beginning stages of planning an adventure trek, but when you're in the thick of packing and buying your equipment, it can quickly be forgotten in the face of unnecessary purchases, anxiety, and the other stressful emotions that often accompany a trek into the unknown. Resist these tendencies and keep to your budget. If you spend all of your vacation budget before your trip even starts, you cut yourself off from two important abilities: the ability to take advantage of spontaneous opportunities when you're abroad, and the ability to respond effectively to unforeseen problems and emergencies. You don't want to know that an extra day of sailing through the Greek islands is available, but unaffordable due to a too-liberal budget at the start of your trip. You equally don't want to be injured or ill while in a foreign country with no easy recourse to medical care or emergency travel home. And although this may not be an issue for all travelers, it bears mentioning: if you spend all of the money in your budget up front, you don't have any money left over for souvenirs and mementos of your trip. Don't fall into this trap and leave yourself without memories of one of the more intense experiences of your life: keep your budget reined in!
TIP #3: PACK ADEQUATE EQUIPMENT

As a counterpoint to the previous tip, don't be so tight with your budget that you don't prepare appropriately for your trek. Extra food, warm clothes, comfortable sleeping gear, or optical equipment may seem like unnecessary purchases at first, but you'll feel their lack when you're on the trail and you're unable to change your socks or eat until you reach the next city. To avoid inadequate provisioning, make a detailed list of everything you think you'll need before you start. Don't be too hasty in making your equipment list: sit down and imagine each day, exactly what you'll be doing on that day, and the possible weather conditions, accidents, or other situations that might require extra supplies. If you think in detail about your trip before you actually take it, you stand a much better chance of having everything you need when you need it. Although it's important to keep as closely to your budget as you can, it's always better to err on the side of caution when it comes to equipment, especially with outdoor or extreme treks. If it means the difference between an extra pair of socks or the promise of a slightly better meal at the
conclusion of your trip, it's usually a better option to go for the socks if your pack is light on clothing already.
TIP #4: CHALLENGE YOURSELF!

This may be the most important tip of all. The name of the game with adventure travel, after all, is adventure. And adventure means never being content with the status quo, never being content to go exclusively where other people have been, never being content to indulge in an experience totally free of novelty or risk. If you've hiked through much of America, why not try hiking through Europe, or through Asia? If you've sailed along the Eastern Seaboard, why not try sailing the Mediterranean? Challenge yourself--you'll often be amazed by the results. And what's more, you'll have an incredible time in the process--which is, as we sometimes forget, another vital piece of the adventure travel puzzle, and what keeps thousands of people all over the world traveling year after year. You're one of them already--or, with some dedication, diligence, and luck, you soon will be.

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Adventure Travel and Trekking:

Adventure Travel and Trekking Page 1

2 THE VARIETIES OF ADVENTURE..................................7

3 THE ADVENTURER'S OUTFIT.....................................22

5 WHERE THE ADVENTURES ARE.................................44

6 SOME FINAL TRAVEL TIPS........................................54

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WHAT IS ADVENTURE TRAVEL?

THE HISTORY OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL

WHO'S INVOLVED IN ADVENTURE TRAVEL?

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2 THE VARIETIES OF ADVENTURE

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3 THE ADVENTURER'S OUTFIT

FOOD AND COOKING

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TENTS AND SLEEPING EQUIPMENT

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BEDROLLS AND SLEEPING GEAR

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OTHER USEFUL TRAVEL SUPPLIES

THE NUMBER ONE ITEM YOU'LL REGRET NOT PACKING

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THE COST OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL

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OPTIONS FOR SAVING MONEY ON TRAVEL

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5 WHERE THE ADVENTURES ARE

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6 SOME FINAL TRAVEL TIPS

TIP #1: EVERY TRIP REQUIRES RESEARCH

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TIP #2: KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR BUDGET