Backpacking Info Site

Berlin is one of the most fascinating cities of the world and has a great deal of intriguing history surrounding it, and the city famously reached notoriety during the Second World War when Hitler was at the helm of things; not to mention all the attention caused by the Berlin wall. Despite being essentially leveled in World War II, this amazing city has a lot to offer along with cultural and architectural capitals like London, Paris, Athens etc. If you decide to go on a backpacking tour to this land you will find yourself lost in the vastness of its cultural, historical, and scenic beauty.

While embarking on the punk tour you should do well to take note of a few things like:

Get some background of the city as it will help you to have a better perspective of the various tourist spots or for that matter anything that catches your fancy. Moreover, by doing proper background research you can also get to understand the people of the land better, their way of life you can really get into the skin of the city.

If you have a dog with you it will help you to get your punk-backpacking success stamped. You should also need some black clothes, ill-fitting ones are more the way to go, obligatory safety pins, hair in a mandatory Mohawk (coloured or without and vertical inclination), big black boots (like the Caterpillar Peril boots), empty pockets , and to add to this maverick collection a loping stride and downcast sneer.

If you are really serious about having a Berlin punk look, Alexanderplatz is the most ideal place for the purpose as it is an awesome place for people to congregate with a huge amount of open space as well. Here you can find your look alikes coming from all wakes of life to be comrades, to meet, to exchange notes, and spend some care free time, even in the depths of the cold Berlin winter.

Sometimes backpacking can get quite expensive and people’s budgets are stretched thin to the limit. One option to conserve valuable currency while travelling is to forgo the luxury and comfort of a four star hotel and opt for a low priced hostel, of which there are plenty. Still if anyone wishes to be slightly more adventurous and is on an even tighter budget, then the convenience and affordability of sleeping in the airport becomes apparent.

Before doing so, however, it is important to note that many airports are different and that this type of accommodation cannot be practiced in every country. Nonetheless, you will find that spending overnight in an airport, and especially an airport with shower and hygienic facilities, can be both safe and enjoyable. In fact, some airports even include all the amenities of a hostel (couches, showers, television, internet) and at zero cost.

There are even some good reasons for why sleeping in the airport beats the other affordable means of accommodation, namely, camping. For one, airports are typically heated and provide a roof over one’s head. If the backpacker finds themselves in freezing climates, or even chilly nights, then the warmth of the airport can be particularly inviting. Moreover, if the backpacker has undertaken their journey without bringing along a tent, and it is monsoon season, then the airport provides a dry alternative.

Typically, the airports in the most advanced and wealthy countries have the best reputations, facilities, and, because of the number of passengers who sleep in the airport on account of legitimate reasons (like getting stranded by delayed flights), security will leave you alone. These include the airports of Amsterdam, Helsinki, Oslo, Vancouver, Singapore, Hong Kong, and other mostly advanced countries.

On the other side of the spectrum, airports from poorer and less developed countries often offer the poorest accommodation experiences. Expect hassles from security looking for bribes, or out right robbery, terrible hygienic facilities, uncomfortable chairs, and possibly animal companions such as rats or mosquitos. Airports such as the Lagos airport in Nigeria, or the Bombay airport in India top the list of most awful and unadvisable places to spend the night.

Well, sleeping in airports might seem to be an immediate low cost option, especially for the budget travelers, but it is not necessarily a comfortable option. While staying for few hours or overnight at airports, you have to grapple with some specific problems, of which disturbance from noise is the most obvious one.

For those routine travelers who are accustomed to sleeping in airports, it is not the problem. For others it is. You need to follow some effective guidelines in order to have a comfortable overnight at the airports, especially if you are stuck at some of world’s cold region airports in countries such as England, Switzerland, Norway, Paris, Sweden etc. The floor is cold and in order to avoid the frigidness you need to have a blanket and quilt with you. Moreover, it is important that you take care of your luggage and other items. For safety purposes, you should chain your luggage well and lock it properly.

While you prepare yourself for a cozy night’s sleep, you should have some fast food, a water bottle, and other basic amenities with you. This is extremely essential, otherwise, the majority of times you’d end up looking for them and get little time to rest. If your flight is in the wee hours, then you can enjoy hot water shower in the airport’s toilet and get ready for the departure. One thing, which you should keep in mind while sleeping in airports, is to set your alarm clock, or else you’d end up missing the flight.

Sleeping in airports is the necessity, though for many it is also a source of adventure, a part of their travel. However, if you were with your family, then obviously it wouldn’t be an adventure! In order to avoid any last minute hassles, it is sane that you find prior answers to the questions such as, how to spend a day or night sleeping in the airport; what stuff should I carry with me… and many more.

On a safe side, it is important that you have the backup plan ready with you. Most of the airport officials take sleeping in airports with a serious note. You can be put through a litmus test and asked different questions such as why you are not in a hotel, when is your flight, etc. Therefore, you should have enough proof to support your answers.

If you have the flight delayed by several hours or is rescheduled for subsequent day, then you can very well imagine yourself entangled in a situation where you have at spend 18 hrs to 14 hrs on the airport premises. Sleeping in Airports under such conditions is tormenting. In order to past the time meaningfully, you can carry some magazines to read, a mp3 player with large headphones, water bottle, etc. The annoying chairs, which you find queued out there in the airport compounds at many places, are too uncomfortable and these might cause backaches.

In conclusion, the decision of whether to spend the night depends primarily on the airport, but also on the traveller’s finances and the current weather conditions. It is also important to note that most airports are located far away from the city centre and interesting sites, making them better suited as a place to rest up for a day or two, rather than a hostel/hotel alternative. The site linked below offers more detailed and specific information for any would-be airport overnighters.

Budget Guide to Sleeping in Airports

For many people, true backpacking also means camping out in the foreign wilderness in one’s tent. This doesn’t only entail a closer connection with nature, but the traveller also saves themselves the expenses of a hostel or hotel room. Of course, if one is trekking through multiple day long hiking trails, or planning on climbing the summits of remote mountains, than a tent is likely to be the only option. But picking a tent is hardly as simply a decision as it might seem, as there are some tents for professional mountain climbers that will easily set you back almost as much as a brand new plasma television, while others can be purchased on sale for under £15 in your local department store. Like with many things, the middle ground often offers the best option. We will take a look at some of the best brands and features to be on the look out for, although your ultimate choice will be dependent on your individual tastes and needs.

Firstly, you have to figure out how many people your tent will have to accommodate. Having a one person tent for a party of three is no good, unless the people don’t mind taking turns sleeping, or are very close with one another. But there are many more practical things to keep in mind. Make sure the tent is made of a reliable, non-tearing material, like nylon, and try to ensure there are no seams on the bottom floor. Aluminium tent poles are more reliable and less likely to break than plastic poles, although they do come with the added weight. Once again we are stressing the importance of weight when backpacking, and choosing your tent is no different. A tarp is also a great companion for you, your tent, and your travelling party. Especially if it rains, a tarp will do well to ensure that your tent won’t even get wet. But it can also be used for shade on the beach or protecting cookware from precipitation. We could not end this article without mentioning one type of amazing, and sometimes even more comfortable. backpaper accommodation; namely, the hammock. This essential piece of equipment offers the utmost in relaxation and is easier than a tent to both set up and pack up. Although it is a less ideal solution in rainy or insect infested environments.

So which tent should you buy? Just try to make sure it satisfies some of the requirements we just laid out, and that it is made of quality material. The Mountain Safety Research brand of tents are professional specimens designed for braving mountain elements, and are undoubtedly very durable and resistant. Though for anyone who plans to camp in less intense environments, yet still wants a quality tent, Sierra Designs offers an affordable solution. Of course, there are many, many more quality brands out there, like Coleman, Quechua, or Vango, just make sure to take care in selecting your new home away from home.