Spending Your Vacation in a Big City? Check Out These 8 Tips to Have an Amazing Time!

Vacationing in cities of any size is completely different from traveling out in the middle of the country. However, all city destinations offer extraordinary activities, adventures, and attractions you won’t want to miss out on during your travels. Therefore, you must add a city or two to your vacation destination list for all your future travels.

Check Out These 8 Tips to Have an Amazing Time when Spending Your Vacation in a Big City

1) Choose Your Accommodations Carefully

It is so easy to have sticker shock when looking at hotels in a city destination. However, I recommend skipping over the prices of hotels and choosing where you will stay by its location. It is best to stay in a hotel that is close to the attractions and landmarks you want to visit, because it is much easier to navigate your way around. Plus, you won’t need to rely on public transportation as much to get to where you want to go.

2) Master Public Transportation

Even though you stay in the perfect hotel close to everything you want to see while vacationing in a big city, you are still going to find yourself needing to use public transportation on occasion. Depending on where you are visiting, you may find yourself utilizing a subway, bus, taxi, or one of the many ride-sharing options. I recommend researching all your options before your vacation, so you do not have any surprises once you arrive.

3) Download Numerous Apps

If you know you are going to be using ride-sharing options during your city vacation, you will want to have those apps downloaded onto your smartphone. It is also an excellent idea to download apps like Urbanspoon and TripLingo. The first one will allow you to see how the locals rate the restaurants you are considering eating at, while the latter will share tons of cultural information about the destination. Most cities also have their own app, which can be helpful in planning your vacation and finding deals once you arrive.
 
4) Plan Your Itinerary Carefully 

As you are planning your itinerary, you must place landmarks and attractions that are close to each other on the same day. After all, there is no point in crisscrossing the city multiple times during your visit, because you didn’t plan your days properly. You will see so much more when you decide to see the places that are close to each other at the same time, In fact, this is how you should technically plan every vacation you take, even if it is not in a major city.

5) Stay in Well-Lit Public Areas

It is so easy to get turned around and lost when you are visiting a city, because the area is massive. While you may think it is safe to go down a small alleyway, the city is not the best place to test your fate. There are many friendly people living in larger cities, but there are also those people who are always looking to take advantage of visitors when they are at their most vulnerable. If you are unsure of where you are and don’t know how to get back to your hotel, it is best to find a well-lit area and call a ride-sharing service.

6) Keep an Eye on Your Belongings

You should never carry more than you need to through a city. However, with that being said, you should always keep an eye on what belongings you are carrying with you. As handy as a backpack is for holding your important papers and wallet, they are really easy for someone to unzipper and reach into as you are walking around. I recommend either carrying the bag in front of you or purchasing a bag that has zippers that cannot be opened without multiple steps.

7) Always Stay Alert

There are many more scammers in cities than anywhere else, so you must stay alert at all times. In addition to pickpockets, you will have people telling young children to ask you for money or to distract you, so the adult can steal from you. It is fairly easy to research the latest scam tactics being used in the city you are planning on visiting, so check them out beforehand and plan accordingly.

8) Dress and Act Like a Local

There is nothing that screams tourist more than you walking around with your head buried in a map with a huge camera in your hands. If you do not want to be taken advantage of, I recommend making sure you know the route you want to take in advance. And when it comes to pictures, you can take them, but try to keep it low-key, as if you are a photographer doing your job.

These eight tips will ensure you have an amazing time during your city vacation. While I know spending time in a large city can be slightly overwhelming during vacations, everything you do will create memories that will last a lifetime.

Camping in the Bush? Utilize These 7 Tips to Make Your Experience Extraordinary!

Camping is fun and exciting, but that doesn’t mean everything will go as planned, especially your first time out. However, there are many things you can do to ensure you have an extraordinary experience when you are camping in the bush. Some of those things must be completed in advance, while others will occur as you are in the throes of your newest adventure.

Utilize These 7 Tips to Make Your Camping in the Bush Experience Extraordinary

1) Research Your Camping Destination

As you are planning your upcoming camping trip, you will want to research the destination you are visiting. This will ensure that there are enough activities you love in the area or lack of activities if you simply want to sit back and relax during your camping trip. This is also the time to note the closest hospitals in case of emergencies, as well as stores when you need those items you forgot to pack.

 
2) Check Your Equipment Before You Head Out

The worst time to realize your tent pole is bent or the camp stove is not working is when you arrive at camp and need those items! Therefore, it is best to check every piece of your equipment before you head out to camp. This will allow you to make changes as needed to your plans or purchase new items to replace those things that no longer work.

3) Always Arrive at Your Campsite Well Before Dark

It is always best to arrive at your campsite well before dark and get everything set up. While you may wonder why in the beginning, you will instantly see the logic in this tip after attempting to set up even one small section of camp in the pitch dark. Even the best lighting in the world won’t help you with setting up camp once the sun has gone down, so simply arrive early and start your camping trip out on the right foot.

4) Always Be Prepared with Enough Food and Water

You should always meal plan for your camping trips, because it allows you to take enough food and water with you without going overboard and having way too much. You may be tempted to throw an entire family pack of oatmeal in your camping bin, but if there are only two or three of you eating oatmeal for one meal, you won’t need that much. The goal is to have everything you need to eat without taking too many extras.

This will be wonderful for you, especially if you are backpacking during your camping trip, because you won’t need to carry too much. However, it can also be helpful if you are getting to your campsite via vehicle, because it saves so much space.

5) Keep an Eye on the Weather 

Everyone would love to say that they will not have any extreme weather during their camping trip. But all experienced campers will tell you extreme weather arrives during everyone’s camping adventure at some point. Therefore, it is always a good idea to check for changes in the weather, because you never know when a storm will pop up out of nowhere. Plus, it is common for warm days to turn into chilly nights and you will want to be prepared with the right clothing.

6) Always Carry a First Aid Kit

Camping in the bush means being out in the elements with bugs, critters, and even the blazing sun. A well-stocked first aid kit can be helpful in covering cuts and scrapes, while also providing medicine for those potential allergic reactions. In addition to medications and band-aids, your first aid kit should be stocked with antiseptic cream, scissors, gauze, tape, and even safety pins. You can never have too many supplies in your first aid kit, so stock up before you venture out and restock when you get home.

7) Look Out for Wildlife

As I mentioned above, there are critters everywhere out in the wild and they love wandering into campsites looking for food. This is why so many campgrounds will not allow campers to keep food outside. While there is a lesser chance of you coming across a bear or deer standing in your campsite, it can happen. However, you do have a larger chance of having a run-in with a snake, skunk, and racoon, so keep your eyes peeled for those creatures.

You should also take bug spray with you, because the insects and ticks can be plentiful at any campground you visit.

These seven tips will make your camping in the bush experience extraordinary! While you may not think you need all these tips, especially if you are a seasoned camper, there is no harm reviewing them and implementing them in your camping trips. If nothing else, these tips will enhance your experiences and make your campouts better than ever!

8 Must-Know Tips for First Time Backpackers

Backpacking around the world is an excellent way to see new destinations. While you can travel halfway around the world to backpack, you can also choose to backpack in the areas that are nearby your home. There is really no right or wrong place to venture out on a backpacking adventure, but there are a few things you really must do if you want to be successful.

8 Must-Know Tips for First Time Backpackers

1) Choose the Proper Backpack for You

Not all backpacks for backpacking are created equal, so you must try a few different ones before you find the one that will work best for your needs. Some backpacks will be longer than what you need, while others will feel too heavy once they are loaded up with your belongings. Take your time with finding the best backpack, so you do not have issues at any time during your backpacking journey.

2) Always Pack Light

When you are backpacking, you are not going to want to lug a heavy pack around on your back all the time. Therefore, it is necessary to pack as light as possible for your backpacking adventures. As you are attempting to pack light though, you must make sure you have all those must-need items too. Those must-have items include a first aid kit, food and water, sunscreen, a navigation tool, a light, and clothing for all types of weather.

3) Simple Meals are a Must

You are not going to be capable of carrying around all types of different cooking equipment, let alone ingredients to make complicated meals when you are backpacking. Well, you can but it will add a ton of weight and discomfort to your trip. All the meals you eat while on a backpacking trip should be simple and easy to make. Dehydrated meals, protein bars, and freeze-dried foods are all excellent options.

4) Choose Your Destination Carefully

As a first-time backpacker, you must choose your very first backpacking destination carefully. A one to three-day trip is best, because it will give you a taste of what to expect out on longer backpacking trips. However, it will also allow you to return home and figure out what changes you must make before you go out on another backpacking adventure.

5) Pack Any and All Medications You May Need to Take

There are so many people that will take their prescription medications with them when they go backpacking but forget every other type of medication. If you have ever had a headache or an allergic reaction, you know how important those medications are to have with you when you need them. Therefore, you should pack that ibuprofen, allergy medication, and any other medication you have taken for ailments in the past. If you end up not needing them, great! But you will be thrilled you have them if you do need them!

6) Utilize Offline Maps or Guidebooks

You are not always going to have access to cell signals or Wi-Fi when you are out backpacking. This may not be an issue most of the time, but it can be a problem if you are lost and have no idea where you are going. This is where offline maps and guidebooks can be very helpful. You can download these things in advance, but you can also take advantage of free Wi-Fi to download even more during your trip.

7) Go Backpacking with Friends

While it is completely possible, and sometimes amazing, to go backpacking alone, it is best to go backpacking with at least one friend. This is especially true for your first time out, when you have no idea exactly what to expect. When you backpack with friends, someone is always available to go for help if needed. This tip will also come in handy if you forget to take something with you and one of your backpacking buddies has it with them!

8) Always Take Toilet Paper with You

Toilet paper is something we all use, yet first time backpackers always seem to forget to take it with them when they head out into the wilderness. Toilet paper can be so useful, but it is truly helpful when you need to go to the bathroom in a place where toilet paper is non-existent. Of course, you can always use the toilet paper to blow your nose, wipe your face after a meal, and to coax a fire to start. However, if you are using it for all those things, you may want to throw an additional roll into your pack!

These are the 8 must-know tips that every first-time backpacker needs to be aware of before they head out on their first adventure. All these tips are helpful in the planning portion of your backpacking trip, so you won’t need to remember any of them once you hit the trails. That is good news, because it will allow you to simply enjoy the natural settings around you.

9 Essentials You Must Add to Your Backpacking Checklist

Backpacking is an excellent way to explore areas close to where you live or destinations halfway around the world. However, backpacking is slightly different than a vacation, or even camping, because you will not have one spot to return to at the end of every day. That means you need to take everything you bring with you everywhere you go for the duration of your backpacking adventure.

9 Essentials You Must Add to Your Backpacking Checklist

1) Consider a Day Pack

Yes, you will need a backpack when you head out backpacking, but it is also a good idea to have a day pack with you as well. You can place the items you know you will need throughout the day in this smaller pack, so you do not need to unload your larger pack every time you need something.

 2) Maps and a Compass

While you may plan on using your smartphone to get you to where you need to go, that one item is not going to be too helpful if you are not near a cell signal. Maps and compasses are a much better option when you are backpacking, because they will never lose a signal when you need them the most.

3) A Light

There are many different lights you can use when you are backpacking, and they will come in really handy when you haven’t reached your destination yet and it is getting darker by the minute. A portable lantern can be nice, but a headlamp takes up a lot less room in your pack when it is not in use.

4) First Aid Kit

You never know when you may get scraped by a twig, bitten by a snake, or stung by a bee. All those things and so much more are reasons why you must pack a first aid kit into your backpack. A few things to make sure you include in your first aid kit include band-aids, gauze, scissors, tape, ointment, and different types of medication.

5) A Towel

So many first-time backpackers throw an old bath towel into their backpack and call it a day. However, those towels can be bulky and heavy, especially when they are wet. If you are looking to save space and keep the weight on your back as low as possible, you should consider a microfiber towel. These towels are light, and they dry super quick, so you are never trying to dry yourself off with a wet towel.

6) Clothing You Can Layer

Since you never know what the weather will truly be like when you are backpacking, you must be prepared for anything and everything. One of the best ways to pack is to include clothing items that can be easily layered for additional warmth and then taken off when they are not needed.

7) Dry Bag

Speaking of weather, the rain can wreak havoc on the electronics you take with you on your backpacking trip. If you think you are going to encounter rain, or plan on crossing a river where your belongings can get wet, you are going to want to protect your electronics by placing them in a dry bag. These bags come in all sizes, but a five-liter bag is usually the largest you will need.

8) A Multi-Purpose Tool

You never know what you will encounter when you are out backpacking and there may be times when you need a saw, screwdriver, pliers, or hammer. One of the many multi-purpose tools will solve all these needs, so make sure you toss a good one into your pack before you leave.

9) Mosquito Repellent

Backpacking means spending lots of time in wooded areas amongst trees and wildlife. Mosquitos, ticks, and other insects live in these areas and mosquito repellent, or other insect repellent, can be helpful in keeping you safe and bite-free.

These are nine of the essentials you must add to your backpacking checklist. However, did you know there are things that you should never include on this checklist, let alone take with you when you head out?

Sentimental items should never be taken for a backpacking trip, because they can easily be misplaced or stolen. While you may think these items will be safe, because you won’t encounter anyone else on your journey, that is not always true. There are usually other people on the same trails that you are taking or some of the unsavory locals stick near these trails to see what they can steal from unsuspecting backpackers like yourself.

Other items you should never take with you are those items that are huge or unusable when you are out backpacking. Camp stoves are a great example. When it comes to camping, these stoves are wonderful, but they can be a heavy burden when you are backpacking.

So, stick with the essential items on this backpacking checklist and only add those other items that you know you cannot survive without during your backpacking trip.