And more preparation
Be physically and mentally fit before you take that long awaited trip. Unexpected situations (like the hotel being 5 miles away from the beach instead of the advertised 50 meters) and problems (like your hotel room being over-booked) are easier to bear when you're fit. Walk or cycle to work or school, eat healthier and more balanced food and lower (or abstain from) alcohol and tobacco. Make sure you've had a medical check-up and have been to the dentist. Inocculations and vaccinations are vital for many regions, even mandatory in some cases. Allow for plenty of time. Many vaccinations need generous time to become fully effective: an effective anti-typhoid treatment means 3 injections over a period of 6 months!
Think of Murphy: "what can go wrong, will go wrong". So, make alternative plans beforehand. Having at hand the addresses of your embassy and consulates, the phone numbers of your insurance company and airline company, extra cash money, being able to at least speak a smattering of the local language, etc. can stifle many incipient problems or can help solve occuring problems quicker. It once took me 3 hours just to find the phone number (on the airport!) of my airline company. It was not good fun.
Prepare as well for other circumstances. Terrain can be harder than expected, you can loose your supplies, the group gets separated unexpectedly, the weather can turn bad or transportation fails at a critical moment. It's still very well possible to end up with no petrol in the tank in many places on this globe. At one time I ended up nearly stranded in Gobi desert simply because none of the villages we had past in the previous two days had any petrol left for sale. We managed only just by pooling the petrol of all vans into one van, which then went to the nearest village where (after some calling around) we knew petrol to be available. At 35 degrees in the shade (with no shade for miles) things could have turned ugly.
Illness and physical injury as well as trouble with local militia or the police can seriously ruin your day. Prepare for them in advance. You'll feel more comfortable handling all these setbacks and be on your way again sooner.
Technorati Tags : survival techniques scouting Boy Scouts hiking orienting camping trail primitive sustainable alternative modern technology Shards of Survival
Think of Murphy: "what can go wrong, will go wrong". So, make alternative plans beforehand. Having at hand the addresses of your embassy and consulates, the phone numbers of your insurance company and airline company, extra cash money, being able to at least speak a smattering of the local language, etc. can stifle many incipient problems or can help solve occuring problems quicker. It once took me 3 hours just to find the phone number (on the airport!) of my airline company. It was not good fun.
Prepare as well for other circumstances. Terrain can be harder than expected, you can loose your supplies, the group gets separated unexpectedly, the weather can turn bad or transportation fails at a critical moment. It's still very well possible to end up with no petrol in the tank in many places on this globe. At one time I ended up nearly stranded in Gobi desert simply because none of the villages we had past in the previous two days had any petrol left for sale. We managed only just by pooling the petrol of all vans into one van, which then went to the nearest village where (after some calling around) we knew petrol to be available. At 35 degrees in the shade (with no shade for miles) things could have turned ugly.
Illness and physical injury as well as trouble with local militia or the police can seriously ruin your day. Prepare for them in advance. You'll feel more comfortable handling all these setbacks and be on your way again sooner.
Technorati Tags : survival techniques scouting Boy Scouts hiking orienting camping trail primitive sustainable alternative modern technology Shards of Survival
posted by SoS @ 10:45 PM
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