Hiking Backpack Zone

Posts Tagged ‘adventure travel’

To travel the world as a family is the dream of many - but the financial aspect of such a journey makes it seem an unreachable dream. We have found it is very affordable to travel together as a family on our bicycles.

Although I can tell you how much we spend as we cycle from Alaska to Argentina, that won’t necessarily be how much you will spend. Thinking about how much a long-term family tour costs is a lot like thinking about how much a house or car will cost.

One family will be perfectly happy in a small house in a small town in North Dakota for $30,000. Another family requires a million-dollar mansion in Manhattan. So - how much does a house cost? Anywhere from very little to a whole lot!

Or we could think about this in terms of cars. The last time I bought a car, it was a small, used Saturn that served me well. It got me to work and my children to school. I carried groceries home in the trunk. I paid $5000 for it. Another family might requite a brand new SUV that costs $50,000.

That’s how it is with travel. How much does it cost? It depends on how you travel and what your needs are. If you demand 5-star luxury resorts, your journey will be expensive. If you are content in old, run-down, Ma & Pa hostels, it won’t be nearly that much. Carry a stove and cook your own meals or eat in restaurants all the time? Buy a bunch of souvenirs or take only (digital) photos?

Taking all this into consideration, I will provide a breakdown of our expenses as we travel the length of the Americas on our bicycles. Remember that we ride our bikes, so have virtually no mass transit expenses other than the occasional bus when we decide to ditch the bikes for a little while. We spend most of our time in small villages that are not tourist destinations and do not have the tourist amenities you may be used to.

Our general budget for day-to-day living for the four of us runs about $1500/month. That figure does not include occasional, one-time costs like bike parts, flights, or replacement clothing when ours wears out. Nor does it include health insurance premiums.

Housing

Nearly half of our daily expenses goes for housing. In North America we almost always camped - many of those nights we camped in the wild where we didn’t pay at all. If we were near a campground, we stayed there. They typically cost around $20/night. In some small towns we managed to find cheap Ma & Pa hotels. In large cities, we sought out hosts through warmshowers.com

As we entered into Central America, we changed gears with respect to housing. We found it was simply too hot to comfortably sleep in our tent, so we started finding hotels. Even so, we rarely paid more than about $25/night. We found the extra expense was worth it for a good night’s sleep.

Overall, we find we spend around $600/month on housing.

Food

The other major expense we have is food. We have found it simply isn’t worth skimping on food - we are demanding a lot from our bodies and must feed them well in order for them to perform.

For the first part of our journey through North America, we rarely ate in restaurants. We visited grocery stores every day and stocked up there. We ate sandwiches or cooked on our little camp stove. We spent around $20/day for food throughout Canada and the USA.

As we’ve moved south, we’ve changed strategy many times depending on where we are and what the situation is. Our general plan is to eat in restaurants if the four of us can eat a good meal for $10 or less. That has almost nearly been the case from Mexico south. The meals tend to be quite large, so we find eating one meal/day in a restaurant with numerous snacks the rest of the day is perfect.

Miscellaneous Expenses

After paying for food and housing, we have around $300/month left over for miscellaneous expenses. This could be used for entrance fees for museums, for a movie, or to splurge at a nice restaurant. We tend to spend very little in the villages, and then we splurge when we get to major cities (chocolate cake, anyone?).

We spend, for the family, around $1500 per month for typical day-to-day expenses. We live comfortably and don’t feel we are scrimping and saving at all. We seek out nice hotels (but don’t even consider 5-star places!), we eat a lot of good food, and we see the sights in the areas we pass through. We find we spend far less while traveling than we did while living in Boise, Idaho. We enjoy our lives on the road!

Will you spend the same? That is a question only you can answer. I hope this gives you an idea of how much an extended family bike tour can cost - and that it is very doable to live large on very little!

If you thinking about taking off for extended family holiday, check out Nancy’s website for suggestions on planning your own family trip.

Camping has always been a fun and cheap activity for the whole family. If you have children, they will gain much more from a camping tent vacation, then going on a motel, for example. Many campgrounds have areas where children can play safely and learn about the nature at the same time.

Let’s talk about luxuries. I’m sure you know, that when going out camping you won’t have all those everyday items, like television, computers, video games, a microwave etc. In a campground, the electricity is very limited and you cannot run a whole lot of appliances at the same time - unless, of course, you’re camping in a motor home.

One thing that you’ll have to think about carefully when packing is clothing. Since it’s difficult to predict the weather 24/7 in a camping situation, you’ll need to be prepared with the right kind of clothing so that you can adapt to all situations. For example, if it gets chilly, everyone on the trip will need to have a light jacket and a sweatshirt. The necessity for blankets and other wraps to keep every one warm may arise, so pack these items, too.

Products for personal hygiene are essential camping items, that a large number of campers tend to overlook. These items will include soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes, and, if the male campers desire, shaving necessities.

And, of course, a tent is a must. For those individuals who don’t currently own a tent, you can conduct an online search to locate and purchase one. There are a variety of vendors that offer inexpensive tents, that are well made, that can ship your tent directly to your home. One such retailer is Amazon.com. When you choose a large, reputable store on the internet, to purchase your camping gear, you will be protected by better return policies in the event that there is a problem, than if you deal with smaller stores online.

It’s not that easy to calculate the size of the tent you need; if you go with a “6-man tent” that’s just exactly what you’re getting. In this tent, there’s enough room for six people to lie down inside - but little space for anything else. You can always go with a larger tent, which will give you plenty of room to keep your personal items right beside you.

If you want to learn more about finding the best camping Tents, then all you have to do is to click here: Family Camping Tents!

Costa Rica truly is one of the top destinations to visit because of its amazing biodiversity and incredible sceneries ranging from beaches like Coyote and San Miguel to tropical forests. It offers countless options, you could surf through its tricky waves, feel like one with nature, hike through trails that go along volcanic sites and mountains or dare to raft the most brutal rapids.

It offers countless options, you could surf through its tricky waves, feel like one with nature, hike through trails that go along volcanic sites and mountains or dare to raft the most brutal rapids. Puerto Viejo is the perfect blend of beaches and amazing surfing options. Manzanillo located 12kms away from Puerto Viejo is the ideal spot to go snorkeling.

San Jose has an impressive amount of museums and colonial buildings. Here you can explore the eastern styled gardens, water ponds, fountains and streams of the Japanese Friendship Garden or go for a visit to the edge of the Poas Volcano’s crater located in the Poas Volcano National Park.

Here you can explore the eastern styled gardens, water ponds, fountains and streams of the Japanese Friendship Garden or go for a visit to the edge of the Poas Volcano’s crater located in the Poas Volcano National Park.

You see and feel the beauty of the Arenal Volcano as you hike along the tropical rain forest in front of it or you can visit the therapeutic Hot Springs. You can also unravel the underground world at the Venado Caves through rock passages filled with bats and stalagmites.

You can also unravel the underground world at the Venado Caves through rock passages filled with bats and stalagmites. Also The Palo Verde National Park is very interesting and located between the Bebedero and Tempisque rivers and is the largest marshlands in Costa Rica.

You can also hike through Monteverde and the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve as you see their beautiful flora and fauna. The Tamarindo, Manuel Antonio and Quepos are a great for fishing too.

Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, lives in Central America - Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. She’s traveled these parts extensively and now loves to organize vacations to these amazing parts of the world. Having first hand experience of all the places with her family, she can recommend the best options for you. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

If you’re going to travel, you’re going to want a way to live outdoors without being ravaged by the elements, and a caravan porch awning is a no brainer solution. Looking to protect your family from the weather on your next road trip? Follow these instructions.

Complexity: Simple

Instructions

Things Required To Build A Caravan Porch Awning:

1. A canvas tarp

2. A roll of measuring tape

3. Rope (preferably nylon)

4. Tent’s stakes

5. Adjustable tent poles

6. Scotchguard with weatherproofing capabilities

Brainstorming Stage

Using the measuring tape, determine your caravan’s length. How big do you want your awning to be? Canvas tarps can be bought in almost any size, but many are maybe nine feet in depth. Do your best to measure what size will be perfect for your use.

Ordering Your Canvas Tarp

Call up a verified canvas tarp seller and try to speak with someone who knows what they’re doing. Let them know how big your caravan is and what you want to do with it, then order the tarp perfect for you.

Buy Remaining Supplies

Any outdoors store should have tent stakes, poles and nylon rope. Be safe and purchase one hundred feet of nylon rope and six tent poles — that ought to be enough for any caravan awning. Try using pre-made pieces to make your building the awning that much easier. Get the pieces and items all together once that canvas tarp is delivered and get ready to put up your caravan porch awning — initially, at home.

Park In An Appropriate Area

When you’re ready to go, make sure to park your caravan in an area that is big enough to include the awning you’ve just built. It’s a good idea to use a location with soft earth for the stakes. But, if you end up someplace where this is not the case, don’t worry. You can use the tent stakes with metal nails to dig into tar roadways. If you’re over concrete, simply drive your stakes into cracks to avoid damage to the surface.

Getting Your Caravan Porch Awning Together

Arrange your canvas tarp so it matches the sides you’ll be connecting it to on your caravan. You can spread it on the ground if it would help. Then, push the tip of one of the poles into the canvas tarp grommet nearest the caravan. Take care to lift the awning’s corner until it stands vertically. Hammer the pole into the ground, being sure to hold it steady until you’re fastened to the earth.

Installing Your Awning Line

Making an awning line isn’t complicated — use fifteen feet of your nylon rope and, at one end, make a loop and knot it tightly so it will remain at the appropriate side of the canvas. Be careful to use this loop to throw it over the highest point of your vertical pole, which should enable you to secure the other end with a stake, which will be pushed down into the canvas tarp by that loop. Be sure that your loose end rope is always hammered down with a stake.

Finishing Your Remaining Materials

Next, attach those last five tent poles into the caravan awning’s grommets. There should be, at last, three awning poles for the rear and three for the front.

Weatherproofing Your Awning

Now you have your caravan porch awning and it looks great, but it’s very susceptible to weather damage. Spray your canvas tarp down with the Scotchguard you bought. Leave your tarp for three hours so it can dry, then go for a second coat. When you’re through, your awning will be weatherproofed for good. Remember to store your awning in a dry and cool place.

If you’re looking for protection from bad weather during your outdoor excursions, you might want a caravan awning. Why not grab a retractable awning today or even build it yourself? Do some research and you’ll turn up some fine prices for materials and more, as long as you’re looking at trusted websites that carry the appropriate merchandise.

An outdoors family camping holiday could be a good solution to alleviating the stress from work and school worries. Sometimes sharing memories and laughter around a campfire is exactly what your family needs to do.

If you are planning a family holiday you will have to set an adequate budget for your travels. Here you need to think about how many people are going, if you will need any tents, whether you are taking a caravan, will you take your own cooking equipment and food; and the list goes on and on.

It’s important to choose the appropriate camping equipment in order to avoid upsets when you arrive at the campsite.

If you are going to be using tents; make sure you take a sufficiently large one(s) to fit everyone in. The average adult will need approximately an area of 30sq feet to be comfortable. If you are buying a new tent make sure you get one with heavy duty zippers and reinforced seams.

Another important item in your list would be a suitable sleeping bag. There is a huge range of bags available to suit every shape, size and taste. Have a look at the weather forecast of the place you are visiting, this way you can have a rough idea of how warm your sleeping bag needs to be.

The next thing to consider is food. Normally when we are outside our homes, performing physical activities, our bodies consume more energy and those calories need to be replenished. A hot meal (plus plenty liquids) at the end of each day is exactly what the body needs. Before setting off, decide if you are doing your own cooking.

When cooking at a campsite its advisable to use the classic two-burner gas cooker. You can purchase this item from any camping or hardware store. Take care to notice the type of gas it uses. The cooker, plus a small pot and frying pan, will be enough to provide you with fast hot meals for the evenings.

For added comfort while you are away a caravan is the ideal choice as it provides living space at the campsite. This is important as you will want all the space possible when camping. A caravan porch awning extends your living quarters providing shade and extra room to sleep and sit under.

If you are well prepared before starting your trip you will avoid much stress as things tend to go wrong when travelling. Sometimes spending a little more cash in better camping equipment can make all the difference to your holiday.

If you have always suffered from lack of living space when you go away on a caravan holiday then caravan awnings might be the ideal choice for you. There are numerous quality brands out there including the best-sellling Fiamma awning.

India has long been a favorite with backpackers because there’s lots to see and do, and travelling around the country is relatively inexpensive. Popular reasons for backpacking there include: to become more independent; to experience different cultures; to meet new people; to enjoy yourself.

You can backpack in India for the half a year that the majority of tourist visas allow, yet still feel as though you missed out on so much. In fact, India is so huge that you could pass a number of years in the country and still not see half of it. There are Himalayan valleys, Hindu temples, Rajasthani palaces and forts, and tropical beaches

Even though prices have risen slightly in the past few years and tourism there is increasingly aimed in favor of the domestic middle class, it’s still possible to stay in a bamboo hut on a beach for around 100 Rupees a night. It’s also possible to eat in the country for a couple of Dollars a day However, food is more expensive in places that cater for backpackers and non-Indian food is nearly always more expensive than Indian food.

India is accomodating to backpackers and although travelling around takes time, it is easy enough to explore for even first time backpackers. It’s regarded as a safe country too, so long as you use some sense and show respect for the locals. Most travelers in India travel on a route that has been used by thousands of other travelers before them, and as a result you’ll come across lots of services tailored especially towards backpackers.

Locally run travel agents are readily available on popular routes and can be used for arranging day trips, visas and flights. Overnight buses and sleeper trains are ideal for backpackers and offer an inexpensive method of covering moderate distances. Long in-country distances can be covered with domestic flights; they’re mostly low-cost, dependable and can be booked on the day.

Travelling there brings the unexpected and there’s always something to write to your friends and family about, particularly if you venture away from the backpacker hotspots and explore India outside the tourist centres.

We Recommend : Activity Holidays

These are the most important items in your pack. Applicable to both dayhikes and backpacking trips, these will improve your safety, comfort and quality of your outdoor adventure.

One of the most important things is having a map of the trail you will explore. Get one at the park visitor center or find one online that you can download. This will keep you from getting lost, help you identify new trails to check out and possibly help rescuers locate you if you’re in trouble.

Purchase a map reading compass and learn how to use it. Once you’ve learned how to orient the park map and the compass, you will know what direction you are facing, how to easily correct your course and get back on track.

Two, one liter bottles of water so that you stay hydrated. This is your minimum required intake per day, but since hiking is physically demanding you will drink more, especially in warmer climates. You can survive for a month without food, but only two or three days without water. You should have some sort of water treatment with you. I carry Aqua-Mira, which is a liquid purifying agent.

Have extra food with you. Enough so that you could get through another day if necessary. Some companies produce compressed whole food bars that serve as complete meal replacements. My favorite is called the Pro Bar. Taking a few of these with will extend your energy levels if you need them.

Bring a couple more layers of clothing. These will serve to keep you warm and dry should the temperature drop unexpectedly, you somehow become wet or both. Choose layers that are synthetic. Most of them will still retain some insulative quality even if they are wet and they tend to dry a lot faster.

Pack some sort of light source like a headlamp or flashlight. If you are forced to make camp or hike out in the dark, you will be able to see trail debris an obstacles that could cause danger.

A good personal first aid kit is a must. If you like, you can make one yourself but be sure to include moleskin, triangular bandages and specifics for the outdoors. Don’t forget any personal medications. Take a basic wilderness first aid course to help you understand common outdoor injury and illness.

Matches, a lighter and or candle as firestarters. Be certain to keep them in a waterproof container. Only light a fire in the wilderness if it is a matter of survival, not just simply staying warm if an additional layer of clothing will do. Prevent wildfires, use caution!

A folding camp knife will serve many a purpose. Be sure that the one you choose has a blade that locks when open. I’ve seen knives that don’t lock take off finger tips.

Don’t forget the sunblock. Bring some sunglasses as well and you may want a cap with a visor or brim for extra UV protection. Your skin and eyes will be much happier.