Preparation for the Long Travel - Part 1 (General Preparations)

No matter how many travels I’ve done, it’s always a bit of a rude awakening when a new one begins. Nothing seems to prepare you physically and mentally like the travel itself. I’ve never travelled for as long as I’m planning to be on the road this time. The idea is to backpack across South America for about six or seven months, crossing several countries during this time. Living abroad for long stretches at a time (the last being two years in the Amazon jungle itself) is not the same thing. Whilst living abroad, you have a base where to leave your belongings, you make a new circle of trustworthy friends and you also have the time to find your bearings and understand what is safe and what you should avoid. When on the road, you are almost constantly plunged into a new context with all your belongings on your back. You need to think quickly and watch your back. 

Like birds about to be set free

Pre-travel preparation is essential – especially when crossing a complex area such as a jungle. The following is a very practical description of my preparation for this upcoming travel. It may not be of any worth for non-backpackers but may be an interesting read anyway.

When travelling to potentially complicated areas, it is vital to see in good time what vaccines you need and read a bit about the possible risks in the area you are heading to. In the jungle, one main risk is disease – generally brought about by mosquitos. There is enough general knowledge online to be able to stock up with the right items. Also, make sure that you have a passport that will be valid for the length of your travel and that you check about visa requirements for the countries you plan to visit.  Whilst I really believe in flexibility when travelling, it is a good idea to have a basic idea of your travel route and then adapt it as you go along. For a long travel across South America, I’d really strongly suggest at least a basic knowledge of Spanish for the travel to be truly worthwhile. Otherwise, how will you communicate with the locals (the main point of interest for most travels)? My thoughts about backpacking preparation below are based on conversations with other travellers and a bit of research. I suggest reading more than one source of advice before leaving, in order to be more exhaustive in your own research. 

As with any longish travel, it is important to have good equipment such as a comfortable backpack, a sleeping bag - if you plan on sleeping in the rough (always check the average temperatures of your chosen destinations during the time of year you’ll visiting to make sure the sleeping bag is not going to be too warm or, worse, not warm enough). I’m always very minimalistic with clothes – I doubt I’ll be having tea with the Queen of England along the way of any of my travels. You can rather cheaply wash clothes along the way so don’t worry about too many changes of clothes. Just make sure you’re prepared for all potential temperatures you’ll be facing. 

Crossing South America means that you’ll be facing very cold weather when climbing to very high altitudes (at times, over 4000m above sea level) in the Andes or when going south to Patagonia – and that you’ll also travel through the extreme heat of the jungle and some other areas at sea level depending on the season. This implies carrying a bit more clothes than usual, but still the bare minimum according to your needs. Whatever you take will be carried on your own back for a very long time, so it is essential to strike a balance between having the clothes you want and as little weight as possible to carry. I tend to take some cutlery for eating in the rough (you can buy these kind of items at an adventure or army surplus shop) and possibly also a compass if I’ll be trekking in the wild without a guide (not recommendable in a number of locations – watch the very good movie 127 Hours as a reminder that no traveller is a super-hero). 

Climbing the Ruku Pichincha near Quito, at
4,698 metres (15,413 ft) above sea level - it's very cold up there

Good tough walking shoes are essential since you’ll be walking a lot, whether trekking or exploring towns and cities. For the jungle, I recommend that they’re waterproof.  If you buy new shoes, use them as much as possible before setting off on your travel. There is nothing worse than getting blisters on your feet when facing very long walks. Good socks are also important to avoid this problem. If you’re planning on camping, then a tent is an important but rather bulky necessity (especially if you’re going to camp in cold weather, otherwise a light tent will be enough). Access to money is another essential need to keep in mind. I’d recommend a mixture of cash and (if possible) two different credit cards, kept in different places in case something gets robbed - at least you’ll have a backup and will not remain penniless. Cameras, batteries, chargers and other such accessories will most likely join you on the travel (make sure you have a plug-adapter with you).

A young Kiwcha boy walks through the torrential rail of the Ecuadorian Amazon - here it is both wet and hot

When planning your travel, prepare the essentials and anything else you may need along the way. Nevertheless, keep in mind that you can buy many basic things during the travel itself, so leaving your toothbrush at home will not mean that you’ll have dirty teeth and stinky breath for the length of your travel! I find a stack of garbage bags and other plastic bags to be very useful. Here I place items I don’t want to wet, or others that I don’t want to dirty anything else with such as a bottle of shampoo that may leak or dirty clothes. The garbage bags are also handy to cover your backpack when it rains. 

Finally, there is no better company than a good book for those long travels by road or river. Books take space and are heavy, whilst an electronic device such as a Kindle is light and can contain several books but its battery may run out and leave you bookless. The choice is yours when packing – with every item you consider taking, analyse the pros and cons (weight and space required are always essential considerations).