Main > Travel
Always keep backup copies of your travel documents when traveling overseas in case of loss or damage. Three things you can do:
1. Take photocopies and keep them in a separate place
2. Leave copies with relatives
3. Keep a backup (encrypted) on a secure backup site online.
[guest]
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Main > Travel
Email whilst travelling: It's generally much preferable to use email software on your own netbook or laptop than to use webmail. But the problem comes when sending email, because when you are connecting to the internet via an ISP which is not your own you will usually be blocked from sending email (port 25 is blocked). In this case there are several possible solutions:
1. Using Gmail. Use your Gmail account, if you have one, to send email. You will need to configure the outgoing mail settings in your email software. [see your gmail account - settings - POP settings]. An advantage of using Gmail is that it uses SSL encryption which can protect your email password.
2. Use your own website account. If you have your own website domain and webspace you can use that account to send email, provided your SMTP server can use a port other than 25.
3. Use a commercial service like "Dyndns outbound" or "Smtp2go" to send mail.
thesource (378)
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Main > Travel > Camping
Choosing a site:
To avoid blood-sucking insects: choose a well-drained site among sclerophyll (dry leaf) vegetation and away from creeks and marshes. Green grass or mosses are potentially protecting leeches from the drying sun. Also, popular bush-walking routes attract bloodsuckers.
It is possible to camp on ant-nests, and amidst busy honey bee hives, so long as you don't disturb them. Bee hives radiate some heat, and smell like flowers and honey. Ants also smell and taste quite nice, like eucalyptus oil.
To avoid cold: choose a raised site, with a northern aspect, where a lot of earth is exposed to the sun. Look for windbreaks against the strongest direction of wind, and against cold air descending down a slope. Look for scats, burrows, spiderwebs, and other signs of life: this will indicate a warmer (but busier) spot.
To avoid rain: Find caves, overhangs, or on the leeward side of thick vegetation. The forest floor of conifer forests is an excellent spot: they are usually very dry, soft, bug-free, and very private.
To avoid gun-toting drunks: Avoid sites within 5km of broken or empty beer bottles, cans, rubbish, dead camp-fires. Also, avoid public camp-sites, lookouts, day-use areas with toilets and/or water tanks, and places with barking dogs.
"TSR": In Australia, these letters on a sign on a gate mean you can camp there. It is a travelling stock reserve.
Private property: Only if you are discreet, silent, hidden, and don't leave a trace of being there. If there are houses in the area, you will probably have been spotted approaching, so it is better not to try such a place.
State forests are generally fine, so long as one doesn't start a fire, leave rubbish, etc.
Water catchment zones are off-limits to the public, but if one is very careful not to leave rubbish or pollutants, it is a camping possibility.
Don't camp in sight of passing vehicles, unless you are really desperate and are with someone else.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Travel > Camping > Stealth camping
General tips:
1. Pitch late, strike early. Pitch your tent just before sunset, and leave on sunrise.
2. Select a site hidden from roads, paths, and buildings, preferably not on fenced land.
3. Use a camouflaged tent or fly.
4. Try to hide your tent with surrounding vegetation, or at least break-up the lines of the tent.
5. Don't light a fire. Tiny stoves are okay, but be aware that their light may be seen.
6. Even the white light from small LED torches can be seen from a long distance.
7. Leave no trace.
8. Be aware that while you may view yourself as a "stealth camper" the police may view you as a squatter or a vagrant.
thesource (378)
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Main > Travel
Travel lightly. The less you carry, the easier you move.
kellyjones00 (593)
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Main > Travel > Camping > Stealth camping
Some good campsites:
- Public school grounds during school holidays.
- Town parks or waysides.
- Woods
- Behind firehouses (you should ask permission first)
- Golf courses, behind bushes, on the back nine.
thesource (378)
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Main > Travel > Women
Best tip: see "epidemic" section.
Diogenes (25)
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Main > Travel > International travel
Make sure you have a signed, valid passport and visas, if required. Also, before you go, fill in the emergency information page of your passport.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Main > Travel > International travel
Australian Medicare cards can be used in several countries to obtain free medical assistance, including New Zealand.
[guest]
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Main > Travel > Women
Take only the bare essentials. Practical and versatile things only.
[guest]
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Main > Travel > Camping > Sleeping bags
Keeping warm: Fluff your sleeping bag well before bedtime. Use a good ground insulator beneath your sleeping bag. Closed-cell foam works best. Put on fresh, dry clothes before crawling into your bag. Keep your sleeping bag dry. Wear a hat or knit cap to bed.
[guest]
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Main > Travel > Camping > Sleeping bags
Overly compressing a down sleeping bag can damage the down, resulting in less loft and, thus, less warmth. For best performance (and maximum life) don't compress sleeping bags when storing. Hang them in the closet.
[guest]
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Main > Travel > Gear
Multi-purpose gear:
- Swiss Army Knife: knife, scissors, saw, awl......
- Nylon Cord: clothesline, securing splints, line for traction splint, food bag line.
- Candles: light for reading/writing, wax as fire starter, wax as waterproofing agent.
- Duct Tape: moleskin substitute, bandage wrap, gear repair (packs, boots, poles...), splint wrap, emergency sunglasses
- Sleeping Bag: emergency stretcher or litter.
- Cooking Pot: bowl for eating, cup for hot drinks.
- Water Bottle: cup for hot drinks.
- Backpack Metal Stays: splints.
- Ski / Hiking Poles: avalanche probe, splints.
- Stuff Sacks: pillows.
- Socks: hand warmers.
- Safety Pins: securing bandages and cloth slings, clothespins, fish hook, hook for hanging items.
- Clothing: slings, pillow stuffing, adds loft to sleeping system.
- Dental Floss: sewing thread, ties.
- Zip-Loc Freezer Bag: carry items, bowl for preparing & eating food, carry-out container for garbage.
- Compass sighting mirror: personal mirror, emergency signaling device.
- Tent Pegs: slender tent pokers with relatively sharp ends (like the titanium pegs sold by Simon Metals Company) can be used as a piercing tool- for instance, to pierce thick fabric or leather in order to run a cord through, to make a repair. Also, for grilling food over a flame.
- Flexible plastic placemat: sit pad, place for dirty boots in the tent, and to stand-on while washing. Other potential uses--stove windscreen (if you're careful), sunshade, fly swatter?
[guest]
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Main > Travel > Backpacking
Three essentials: a good pack, a dry sleeping bag, and a dependable stove.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Main > Travel > International travel
Health should be of uppermost concern when travelling, and you are more likely to be ill when overseas, due to stress, different diet, etc. So try to rest well, eat healthily (cooked food) and drink clean water. Make sure you have health insurance.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Main > Travel > International travel
Carry a written copy of your medical history with you.
This should include: your name, address, phone no, blood type, immunizations, your doctor's name, address, and contact number, your health insurance carrier details and policy number, any ongoing health problems, list of your current medications, list of any allergies, any prescriptions for glasses or contact lenses, the name address and phone number of parents and another relative.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Main > Travel > International travel
Make 2 copies of your passport identification page. This will facilitate replacement if your passport is lost or stolen. Leave one copy at home with friends or relatives. Carry the other with you in a separate place from your passport.
[guest]
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Main > Travel > International travel
Leave a copy of your itinerary with family or friends at home so that you can be contacted in case of an emergency.
[guest]
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Main > Travel > International travel
Prior to your departure, you should register your details with your country's travel registration website:
eg. US - link , Australia - link
[guest]
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Main > Travel > Countries > Australia
If you need to extend your tourist visa to stay in Australia, it doesn't cost much to travel to New Zealand to do so.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Main > Travel
Search engines: When booking flights, use search engines such as sidestep.com or travelocity.com, and when they find the flight you want, go to the actual airline's home page to book the flight, to save a few dollars more.
[guest]
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Main > Travel > International travel
If necessary, you can often purchase a cheap prepaid mobile phone for the duration of your stay overseas from a large department store when you are there. On a recent trip to the U.S I paid a small amount for a prepaid mobile phone that came with free calls to the value of what I paid for the phone, and included two months network access.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Main > Travel > Driving
If you will be driving in a country where they drive on the opposite side of the road to what you are used to, prepare yourself by sitting in the front passenger seat of your own car at home, to help re-oreient your senses.
[guest]
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Main > Travel > Driving
Use up to date maps, and familiarize yourself with the roadsigns you are likely to see, before you drive in another country.
[guest]
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Main > Travel > International travel
If you are traveling to a country where they drive on the opposite side of the road you will have to be more alert even as a pedestrian. The key thing to remember is that the cars are coming to you from the other direction. When crossing a road, we tend to look to one direction before stepping off the curb, but when the cars are driving on the other side, you will need to change this habit so that you look primarily in the other direction.
[guest]
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Main > Travel > International travel
If you can get away with it, only take cabin baggage with you when you fly. Sometimes it is easier to buy the things you really need when you arrive at your destination. It is a big drag having to lug large bags around, tend them for hours at airports, and wait around to collect them on arrival at your destination. There is also less to take through customs.
[guest]
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Main > Travel
Fly less!: Planes produce enormous quantities of greenhouse gas emissions. When looking at cheap flights consider the environmental cost as well as the financial.
Kevin Solway (173)
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Main > Travel
Waterproof map cases are a great way to store any important documents while traveling (tickets, passports, itineraries, photos of loved ones etc.).
Spud (21)
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Main > Travel > Camping > Boots
To dry out wet boots put boiling water inside a 600ml coke/water bottle, place this bottle in a sock and put in boot before you go to bed.
Spud (21)
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Main > Travel > Driving
Always get an international driving license before you leave your home country
Spud (21)
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Main > Travel > Camping
Sleep under the stars for infinite thoughts.
[guest]
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Main > Travel > Camping > Boots
Always carry a spare pair of shoe laces.
Spud (21)
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Main > Travel > Backpacking
Use a garbage bag as a backpack liner. This is a cheap way of keeping your gear dry.
Spud (21)
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Main > Travel > Countries
Always learn and try to use a few words in the language of the country you are visiting. The locals will always be more friendly and helpful if they can see that you've made this effort.
Spud (21)
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Main > Travel > International travel
Spare clothing: Always carry a spare change of clothing in your carry-on luggage. This way if your other bags are lost you don't waste time looking for new clothes while the airline are looking for your bags.
Spud (21)
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Main > Travel > Travel insurance
Always get travel insurance if traveling overseas.
Spud (21)
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Main > Travel > Camping
Don't reuse plastic bottles. And don't drink water that was poured hot into plastic bottles. Hot water in polycarbonate plastic bottles releases up to 55 times more bisphenol A, a chemical that mimics estrogen, and is linked to breast and prostate cancer.
[guest]
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Main > Travel
Take a compass with you: A simple compass will help you to orient yourself when you find yourself in an unfamiliar location.
thesource (378)
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Main > Travel > International travel
Timesharing companies that call you up to attend presentations may seem annoying but they often give you several nights accommodation in popular tourist resorts, just for attending the promotion. Last year, we got four nights in Fiji for an admin fee of $80, saving hundreds.
If you do get one of these free accommodation offers however, find out how much it costs to get there once you land in the country. Sometimes its an expensive 2 hour bus ride from the airport. If the resort holds no particular interest for you, you would spend over $200 just getting there and back! In my case, a resort like this was perfect as I was a scuba diver and there is nothing better than a resort with a dive operator in the same complex (in Fiji). But if I hadn't have been, I would have been far better off in another resort as this resort had no other redeeming features.
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Travel > Gear
If you are a member of a wine club and travelling domestically, take a couple of bottles with you (in checked-in cargo baggage of course). Red for colder climates, white for warmer. The bottles must be resealable. It will add a bit to your weight but you will be able to enjoy the wine in more exotic surroundings, as well as not having to pay tourist dollars for it!
myxlfidian (150)
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Main > Travel
GPS Units are now quite affordable, and are a bonus no matter what kind of traveling you are doing.
thesource (378)
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Main > Travel > International travel
Credit cards: Tell your credit card company where and when you will be traveling, to help them prevent fraudulent use of your card.
thesource (378)
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Main > Travel > International travel
GPS units: These are becoming much cheaper, and if you plan on spending a lot of time in a particular country then it might be worth buying one that comes complete with the maps for that country.
If you are an outdoors type of person who likes bicycling or hiking then you should purchase a waterproof outdoors-style GPS that has a long battery life.
thesource (378)
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Main > Travel > International travel
Emergency money: Keep a small amount of cash hidden away for emergencies. A few travelers cheques are also a good backup. Several different sources of funds are the best bet, including credit cards.
thesource (378)
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Main > Travel
Netbooks or tablets: These small laptops, with built-in wireless internet access, are great for travelers. The addition of a prepaid USB key can provide access to the internet through the mobile phone network when you can't find any other available wireless networks.
thesource (378)
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Main > Travel
Avoid losing your wallet to pickpockets: Smart travelers carry a cheap wallet with no money in a visible pocket to trick pick-pockets, and keep their real wallet hidden.
thesource (378)
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Main > Travel
Using your analog watch as a compass:
* In the northern hemisphere, hold the watch horizontal and point the hour hand in the direction of the sun. Bisect the angle between the hour hand and the twelve o'clock mark to get the north-south line. North will be the direction further from the sun.
* In the southern hemisphere, hold the watch horizontal and point the twelve o'clock mark in the direction of the sun. Bisect the angle between the hour hand and the twelve o'clock mark to get the north-south line. North will be the direction closer to the sun.
thesource (378)
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Main > Travel > Travel insurance
If you apply for a "Gold" credit card you may be able to get free travel insurance included with it. Consult with your bank.
thesource (378)
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Main > Travel > Camping > Sleeping bags
Sleeping bag liners will add an extra layer of insulation to your bag, as well as helping to keep it clean. Pure silk is best, as it is lighter to carry, and breathes, helping to stop moisture from forming on your body.
thesource (378)
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Main > Travel > Camping > Sleeping bags
Cold weather: If you find yourself in very cold weather with a sleeping bag that is not designed for that level of cold, you can do the following:
1. Wear all of your clothes, but with a good "wicking" material close to your skin, that will keep your skin dry by drawing sweat and moisture away from your skin. Avoid cotton. Moisture wicking clothes are made from wool or synthetic materials like nylon, lycra, polyester or a blend of these fabrics.
2. Line the inside of your bag with an emergency aluminium space blanket.
3. Climb inside a large plastic garbage bag, which you carry for such emergencies, or your rain gear. This dramatically reduces evaporative heat loss. But make sure that you keep your skin dry by wearing a good "wicking" layer close to your skin. Don't freeze from perspiration.
thesource (378)
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