Alex, 18, helpless newbie -- pleased to meet you!

[Scodischarge]

 Thank you to both of you for your further suggestions and inquiries. Again, my apologies for staying away from the thread for so long; I know it's not good form, but life has unexpectedly gotten a lot busier on my end. Plus, it turns out notifications from this forum have been marked "spam" by my email client. The more you know...

On 1/12/2022 at 7:36 PM, Michael aka Mac said:

One could infer that you are saying that this trip of yours seems that of desperation and fear that this life journey has to be now, and has to be as long as it can as the ability to have such an adventure will never be accessible to you ever again.

Far from it. I know people who quit their jobs later in life to travel. Others managed to make travel and their job work in parallel (like your teacher acquaintance). So I know that this plan is possible later in life, too, in principle -- but I have no idea whether it will be possible in my life specifically.

Why do I say that? Two years ago, a friend of mine lost his apparently healthy father very suddenly. On Sunday, he'd taken his family out to dinner before going to his workplace for the week, two days later he was found dead.

Last summer, my best friend fell from a roof and needed emergency surgery; thankfully he's mostly fine now, and no long term mobility limitations are expected. But given my job (at the time) at a roofing company, it struck me that that could easily have been me, and it could easily have gone a lot worse.

I do not think I'll never have the chance to travel once I'm older. But the last few years have shown me that you can never be sure of what the future holds, and now is the only time I know I can do this.

On 1/12/2022 at 7:36 PM, Michael aka Mac said:

Ahh food part.  See where i am going.  Just realize  your life  has been a suburban one and not one living off the land.  When camping, the very basic things to do, daily tasks,  take a lot longer. This for many is very fun, when on a short trip that is, but doing this day by day for years is a different animal. 

This is, I think, where my earlier question (what exactly you are preparing me for) came from. I don't plan on living entirely on my own or in the wilderness for long periods of time. As stated before, my main goal is to meet people, and I'll mostly be travelling to cities and villages and rarely live completely on my own. It is of course possible that I'll be living off the land for extended periods of time, so I appreciate your suggestions either way, but it is not expected. "Expected" being the important word: Anything might happen, so your advice is both important and highly valued.

On 1/12/2022 at 7:36 PM, Michael aka Mac said:

This could limit you to under the table jobs, that only pay in cash, which are either rather dirty jobs, dangerous, or simply undesirable, (think cleaning toilets or shovelings manure). Some jobs like in Alaska, USA, are dangerous like crabbing, lobster, fishing vessels  that go out for a month at a time on the ocean.  (they are in the top 10 most dangerous professions) 

I'm well aware of that. But that's the price I'm willing to pay to travel in this way.

On 1/12/2022 at 7:36 PM, Michael aka Mac said:

Have you thought about possibly staying as Hostels?

Of course, and when I can afford them - or in regions where it's simply too dangerous to sleep outside by myself - it's quite possible I'll make use of them.

Other kinds of adventure

Instead of continuing to reply one quote at a time, I'm going to adress this topic both of you raised as a whole.

When I first started thinking about going on a journey of my own, it didn't look anything like this. In its original form, it would have been shorter, geographically smaller, with more reliance on money, and overall "tamer" (this isn't meant in a derogatory manner). But the more I thought about the plan and talked it over with several people, the more it became clear that those parameters I outlined in this thread are the ones that will facilitate the sort of experience I'm hoping for best: It will bring me close to the culture; it will force me to connect with the people; it denies me the ability to "cheat" and escape into the parallel universe that tourist infrastructure represents.

The most important part of the journey is implicit in all the aforementioned criteria: spontaneity. I never mentioned it specifically because I didn't think it would even be possible to travel in this low-budget manner without a healthy dose of spontaneity. Balzaccom, you detailed a few adventures that sound positively thrilling. The great thing about this way of travelling: It allows me to experience those adventures without limiting me to them. Can I hike the length of the Andes if I want to? Sure! Walk from a port to the highest point in the country? Of course! Travel through regions where nobody speaks my native language? Most of the time, I'll even be forced to!

Now what about alternative routes I could go to experience adventure? Volunteering, a semester abroad, classic work & travel ... The list goes on.
Most of those, I've thought of and considered (those I missed, I can guarantee my family told me about). I've examined each of these options and evaluated them based on what they give me and what I would have to sacrifice. You know my conclusion - no need to repeat myself.

Balzaccom, I believe this partly answers your concern of whether I'm running the risk of spoiling the adventure for myself, should I break any of the rules. Short answer, no, I won't. I set them for a reason, and should I ever "break" one of the rules ("They're more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules"), I know that I will be doing it for a good reason, too.

(To stray a little bit off-topic: balzaccom, the adventures you mentioned sound very specific, and incredibly awesome. I'm curious, did you ever do those yourself?)

On 1/16/2022 at 5:26 PM, Michael aka Mac said:

Alex, I was just curious what preparations and precautions are you taking on this trip with regard to Covid?  I am sure with all the research that you have been doing that you have taken into consideration International Laws and each countries' Quarantine laws.  

Many countries require proof of vaccinations for Covid 19, and have a mandatary 1-2 week quarantine that forces you to stay at a designated hotel or lodging during the course of your quarantine, sadly , paid by you. So for example visiting 3 different countries over a course of 3 months requires up to 6 weeks quarantine, which would mean you are spending 1/2 of the 3 months  in quarantine for your trip.

I'll answer about health precautions in general, since I'm sure questions about it will come up.
I will make sure to take a travel pharmacy (not quite sure if this is the same in English as in German) and a first aid kit, and I will have health insurance that covers both medical costs in the country I'm in (including health problems caused by Covid) and transport back to Germany when medically sensible. I have had three shots of the Covid vaccine and am currently in the process of getting a myriad of other vaccinations that make sense for my plans. Of course I will still avoid any virus hotspots.

Concerning quarantine laws, yes, they might be a major annoyance. Most current regulations are pretty much irrelevant for me right now, as they change about once a month anyway (at least here in Europe), so planning with the information available at the moment is pretty moot. My hope is that things have calmed down a little by the time I'm starting (as they did last summer), but if not -- well, then that's just another cross I'll have to bear (if you'll forgive some slightly ironic melodrama).

Michael, you wrote a couple of things which I didn't reply to specifically, mostly because I didn't quite know what I should reply. All of them are noted and appreciated; if you're interested in a specific answer to any or all of them, feel free to pick my brain.

[balzaccom]

Hi Alex

I'm not really a summit seeker, so I've never hiked from the coast to the highest point anywhere, except for a few smaller islands.  I did drop out of school and go to live in Spain, where I lived for nearly five years.  I arrived with a very rough version of Spanish, a couple hundred dollars in my pocket and a return airplane ticket to the USA....but ended up working and living there. That had a far larger impact on my than my years at university.  And my Spanish is now pretty darn good. 

I have hiked in the Andes, but only for about a week at a time.  Would love to do more of that. 

[Michael aka Mac]

Hey Alex,  3 months have passed and getting closer to your planned trip and I was wondering how the planning is going  and if you have anymore questions you wanted to ask us

[Scodischarge]

Hi Michael, thank you for following up again; I appreciate it. I've got my gear together and don't have any more questions at the moment. In fact, in just a couple of days I'll be going on my "test-trip" to Spain and back; I'll take about 6 weeks to do that, both to field-test my equipment, and as a last chance to recognize that this style of travelling isn't for me, should that be the case. I'll let you know how it goes.

'Til then, your probing questions and expertise in backpacking helped me enormously, Michael. So once again, thank you for everything!

[Michael aka Mac]

Hi Alex,  how did your test run in winter turn out in your backyard?

Also considering how much time we have discussed gear, I was hoping you would share with our other readers  what gear that you ended up purchasing for your future endeavor?  Sleeping bag, stove, mess kit, backpack, flashlight, head lamp, fire starters, compass, clothing, communication, entertainment,   etc etc. ?

I am sure Trailgroove readers are patiently awaiting the final results for your gear choices...

Just remember, any trip that you can make it home safe after, no matter if the trip was cut short, was a successful trip...

Edited May 2, 2022 by Michael aka Mac

[Dogwood]

You're not helpless if you can carry my backup for me and you have a spare Tuna packet to share.

[Dogwood]

"Now what about alternative routes I could go to experience adventure?"

Perhaps the best alternative route to  experience adventure is the route of your own design...even if that means a hiking route through a city as innovative  Liz "Snorkel" has taught me. You go girl.

[Michael aka Mac]

umm I think you are on the wrong thread dogwood, either way u are  assuming wrong gender of poster,    

[Scodischarge]

Mac, the winter backyard test went very well. I had to get up close to morning to don another hoodie, but tent, sleeping bag and mat did very well.

Right now, I don't have the time for a detailed list, but once I'm back from Spain, I'll be happy to share what I had with me; along with what I wished I'd purchased and what I needn't have purchased.

'Til then, happy camping!

[Michael aka Mac]

Hmm sounds like the mat might not have been at a high enough R value.  The R value determines  how much cold it can withstand without transferring the cold to you, in a matter of speaking...

You can have a 0 degree down bag sleeping in 20 degree temperatures with a sleeping pad with a R value of 1 and still freeze ur A$$ off.  The higher the sleeping pad R value the more comfortable you will sleep without being cold.

Good luck in Spain and if you do not mind when you get back toss us some photos  of your experience.

Oh, and last but not least, I know that your intention is not to be camping every day, but I was trying to prepare you for the "What If Factor"  as in what if the crap hits the fan and you need to leave the comforts of a actual lodging due to finances and forced to sleep outside in the cold.   I rather see you prepared for that ordeal rather then seeing you with no options.

In  2002,  I went to Switzerland  while my passport went to Germany, and I was forced to hammock for a night in the wilderness in Zurich (banks were closed to swap currency and my credit cards were not valid in that country so had to wait until next day for banks to open).

Luckily I always bring camping gear with me even if not going on a camping trip as you just never know what is going to happen.

Enjoy Spain,  Adios senor Alex .Que tu viaje esté lleno de aventuras, tanto las buenas como las malas, ya que sin las malas nunca apreciarás los buenos días.

and remember Alex, google translator is your friend when traveling to foreign countries...