Have you ever taken items around the world with you that you really didn’t need?
Perhaps you’re planning your first trip around the world and are unsure if you really need to be taking so much gear?
The days are suddenly slipping by and the day of your departure into the unknown is becoming ever closer to reality. So many questions circle in your head, “will I be safe?”, “am I taking too many things”, “am I doing the right thing going alone?”. The fear of the unknown always seems to have a certain effect on you as a first time traveler.
Having been through the whole learning curve of being a first time traveler I’ve made my fair share of mistakes along the way. From planning too much, to taking items that I really didn’t need. In hindsight I would have changed a few things.
Planning
1. Planning Too Much
It is an easy trap to fall into as a first timer traveler. There is a tendency to fear the unknown, in order to combat the fear you plan. Whilst planning the first part of your trip is always a good idea, over planning can lead to a lack of flexibility on your trip.
I have known people to plan, in detail most of their trip before they’ve even left. A big part of going traveling is having the freedom to make decisions on a whim, but if you’ve made a detailed plan it’s far less likely you’ll be able to deviate.
2. Booking Too Many Tours
As the departure date creeps closer fear begins to set in, fear of the unknown. This often leads the first timer to look for some kind of safety net, it often comes in the form of a tour. While tours can be good fun, for me they do take the “traveling” element out of the experience, as all your arrangements tend to be made for you.
I take a tour when I feel I want to put my feet up and let someone else do the leg work for a change, then I can just sit back and relax. I don’t often like to take tours as most trips can be done independently.
3.Taking a Last Minute “Friend”
Fear of “going it alone” can see the first timer hunting for a travel partner to join them on the trip. Instead of being selective about who their travel partner will be they just pick anyone who is willing. In this scenario arguments can set in early causing major friction and not pleasant start to a dream journey. See my article – Should I Travel Alone? .
Gear
4.Buying a Huge Rucksack
For some unexplainable reason a lot of first time travelers opt for the biggest backpack they can find in the shop. In the mind of a first time traveler the longer the length of the time away, the more gear they have to take with them. In turn requiring a huge backpack for the hairdryer and four pairs of jeans.
5.Taking Too Much Gear
As with point 4. now having bought the large backpack the first time traveler now has to fill the bag with gear. There is a tendency to buy new clothes, new gadgets and security locks. What the first time traveler isn’t told is that they can buy most of the items they require out on the road. In many regions the items they require will be far cheaper than buying them back home. See my article – Should I Take My Laptop Traveling? .
6. Taking a Mobile Phone
There seems to be a large number of people traveling today carrying mobile phones. For me I prefer to travel without one, I want the freedom of being away from home without anyone being able to contact me anywhere in the world. Using the Internet and emails is enough for me to stay in contact with love ones back home, a mobile phone is just another expensive item to worry about losing or being stolen.
7. Taking a Beach Towel
A towel takes up a large amount of room in your backpack and is also pretty heavy. Lightweight travel towels are a good idea, or if you don’t want to take one at all you can also pick one up on the road.
8. Taking a Sleeping Bag
Sleeping bags can often be useless if you’re traveling in a hot humid weather. If you are traveling in such climates it’s often a good idea to purchase a sleeping bag liner and use that instead. The liners take up a tiny amount of room and often come in handy in dirty hostels and guest houses, where a sleeping bag would just be far too hot.
9.Taking a Water Proof Jacket
Before my own trip most travel guides suggested taking a water proof jacket of some sort. I used it twice, it proved quite useless as the weather was so humid. I’d sweat so much when wearing it that I might as well have just got wet in the rain.
Besides you can always purchase a cheap poncho on the road that you can use and dispose of when you like. Obviously if the weather is less hot and humid a water proof jacket will come in useful, but on the other hand you could just go for the poncho option.
Out on the road
10. The Fear of robbery
Before their trip has even started the first timer is worrying about being robbed on the road. Various scare stories circulate making the unknown sound like a scary place when in reality it is probably safer than their home city. As long as you keep your wits about you like in any town or city around the world you should be fine.
I believe I had a much greater chance of being mugged in London than out on the road. To combat the fear of robbery the first timer will buy various security devices, padlocks are fine but taking a pack safe is a little extreme.
The key to not losing anything of value is to not take anything of value in the first place, or by making sure anything slightly valuable to you is on your person at all times.
11. The Fear of Illness
I remember someone telling me before my trip around the world to brace myself for illness and food poisoning. I was only really ill once and it was simply my own fault, I ate some dodgy train food in Thailand, the mistake I made was a basic one.
The best way to ensure that you won’t get food poisoning is to make sure the food is cooked properly. On many street stalls and outdoor restaurants you can watch as they cook the food, it is the food that you don’t see being cooked that is more of a worry. On my trip I was ill less times than I normally would be in a year back home in my day to day life.
The Fairy Tale
12. The Belief That Everyday Will Be “Amazing”
I noticed a topic posted on a travel forum recently where a girl had gone traveling. She was about three days into the trip and complaining that she was bored and that she had not met anyone yet.
It seems that a lot of people are told that by going traveling they’ll have “an amazing time” and “you’ll meet some many people”. Both statements are usually true, but what the first time traveler isn’t told is that there will be many days when you spend time on your own or days where you don’t have “an amazing time”.
Sometimes you will be lonely and sometimes you won’t be doing amazing things. You tend to get out of traveling what you put into it. For me traveling isn’t always
“amazing” everyday, it has its ups and it’s downs at times. That is exactly what makes it such a character building and memorable experience.
How many people’s favourite travel stories emanate from a bad day on the road?
A little fear is a good thing, but too much can easily cloud your judgment. You’ll make mistakes as a first time traveler, you learn and develop as your journey progresses.
Things you worried about at the start will seem insignificant and you’ll find yourself much more confident with what the world can throw at you.
Have you made any mistakes as a first time traveler?
Feel free to comment below…
