New Series  – Over the next few weeks i will be writing up my ABC of Backpacking. If you have any of your own then please leave in the comments below the post. It will be interesting to see how many we can come up with.

ABC of Backpacking
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Lets start with the first 3 letters ABC

A for ADVENTURE 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to change up your routine by adding in a little fun and excitement. In fact it can be extremely healthy to do something different now and again. You can broaden your horizons and gain experience by taking on a new challenge. Plus doing something different is a great way to reduce stress and boredom in your life.

So if you are feeling way too comfortable with your regular routines, consider adding a little adventure into your life.

There are 30,000 days in your life….. there are no warm-ups, no practice rounds, no reset buttons. Your biggest risk isn’t failing, it’s getting too comfortable… Instead of trying to make your life perfect, give yourself the freedom to make it an adventure – Drew Houston

Adventure  is usually defined by words like daring, exciting, experience.  Adventure is whatever you want it to be. Trek through your local woods, climb a mountain, jump a waterfall, anything to get you out of your comfort zone.

world map atlas
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World Map Courtesy of mapsofworld.com

A for ATLAS

Every Backpacker should have an Atlas in their library. When planning world trips or even to just one continent, you can already have a good idea of surrounding countries, cities, towns etc. As a child i found an atlas very interesting, and would often use it to identify the places mentioned in other books i was reading. I could identify everywhere Captain Cook, Captain Scott, Marco Polo and other great adventurers travelled….. yes i am showing my age 🙂
Do you have an Atlas? Do you have children? Have they ever read an atlas? If not then go and buy them one.

 A for Audere Est Facere 

Silverbackpacker.com motto – To Dare is To Do. I took this motto from Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, a team I have supported and followed since my childhood days way back in 1962.

B for BACKPACKER

Is a Backpacker a tourist, a traveller or something else? Opinions please !!!!!

B for BACKPACKING

Buy yourself a backpack. It should be easy to carry and be able to hold only what you need for your trip. Mine is 45L and is just right for carry on if i fly. Your trip doesn’t have to be around the world. It can be close to home, out in the countryside. If you have children encourage them to join and give them a taste for backpacking. Teach them how to respect their surroundings and learn about local culture and traditions.

B for BLOG/BLOGGERS

The online diary. We used to write out everything by hand and only we would read it but now we write for anyone who happens across our website/blog and some even go on to attract a worldwide following. A Blog is really an essential part of travel these days. We can keep in touch with our friends and family while backpacking remote corners of this world.

If you don’t have a Blog yet, then a good place to start is on WordPress.com where you can sign up for a free one. For more serious bloggers, you can move up to wordpress.org and put your own stamp on your blog and start to earn an income whilst backpacking and blogging.

Backpacking in Nepal in 1977
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Backpacking in Nepal in 1977

B for BUCKET LIST

A bucket list is like a shopping list of experiences or achievements that you want to complete within your lifetime or “before you die”. It doesn’t matter how big or small they are. Get yourself a notebook and make a list of everything that comes into your head that you would like to do. You can also draw or stick pictures and photos in there. Keep it handy and read through it everyday to remind you of your plans and also keep adding to it as you think of more things you want to do.
 

C for CAMPING

Backpacking and camping go hand in hand. Hike one of the many trails and camp out at night. This helps keep travel costs down but is also a way of life adding that extra dimension to your trip. Tents can easily be carried and put up quickly almost anywhere. Camping aslso gives you more feeling of independance.

C for COMFORT ZONE

To go backpacking you need to leave your comfort zone. This is the state of mind you are in for many months of your life. Get out there, experience new adventures, meet new people, try new foods. The hardest part is taking that first step and starting a new life. Turn off that TV, Pack your backpack and leave your familiar surroundings. Believe me, You will NOT regret it.

C for COUNTRIES

There are around 200 countries in the world. The exact number depends on how you define a country. Wikipedia lists 206 states recognised by the U.N.

There are many Backpackers who like to tick off Countries and make this their travel goal spending a few years in persuit of it. Recently one English Backpacker, Graham Hughes, travelled to every country in the world without flying.

C for Culture and Customs

As you travel around the world you will notice that different peoples hae different ways of life from the life you know. Don’t expect everywhere to be the same. Learn how other people live. Respect their culture even if it is difficult to understand and not to your liking.
Dress according to local law. The best way to immerse yourself is to people watch and discover how the locals go about their day

Preparing our bikes for a cycling trip
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Preparing our bikes for a cycling trip in 1971

C for CYCLING

 I like to think that cycling is also a form of Backpacking. When you fix the panniers on your bike and fill them with all the gear you will need for the trip then you are still kind of Backpacking. Cycling is very environmentally friendly and enables you to stop and start whenever you want along the way.

Are there any more ABC’s you would like to add to the list? Please add in the comments below.

Next time I will cover D,E,F

ABC of Backpacking silverbackpacker
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