Dobrodružné cestovanie

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Here you can get inspired from my own experience.

 

Hitchhiking signs: autostop-signs.zip

 

Equipment:

 

• backpack

• • Shorter / summer trip: Backpack middle size ~40l try to have from quality materials like nylon (polyamid). When it's possible with equipments, food and drinking water shoud be weight between 5-11kg. 45L Military Tactical Backpack
  • Longer / winter trip: Big backpack ~55l try to have from quality materials like nylon (polyamid). When it's possible with equipments, food and drinking water shoud be weight between 15-22kg. GEMMA Turist 55 Khaki

Sometimes it's necessary to walk 3-7km and believe or not it's burden, which temporary you will feel already after 30min. of walking. In addition your back will count it for sure together when you will be old. Every one thing you have in your backpack you shoud use on your journey and it should have there exactly place. When you will know exactly where what is, you will pack easily and you don't have to always combine space to fit everything. When something will miss, you will see it immediately.

• sleeping bag

  • sleeping bag is better to choice longer because sometimes is better to cover whole, and at the same time don't be squeezed inside, so that it can isolate well.
  • Weight shoud be about 1kg. It's better to take two sleeping bags in winter designed for spring/summer/autumn of 1kg weight, than one for winter with weight about 1,6kg. Other alternative for winter is combination 3-season sleeping bag with down jacket. 
  • The color of sleeping bag choose not very shiny, that you will be not too appealing. Dark attends heat and dirt is not visible too much on it.
  • try to don't clean your sleeping bag in washingmachine. that means, try to protect it from soiling of dirt and sweat. when you have to wah it, clean it in washingmachine short like 15min. with soft program.
  • Dawn sleeping bag almost everybody knows, that it will demage while it comes to contact with water. So give attention to when it's rainy and never clean it in washingmachine only in cleaning shop.
  • When you are back home from travel, store your sleeping bag out of package, for example under bed.
  • Sleeping bag pack with pushing him into cover, but not compose. It will work more easy and you will not demage it so fast, because it bends always in different places.

For 3 season: Hannah Scout 120 / Hannah CARVEL, for woman: Hannah Scout W 120 / Hannah CARVEL W. To snow and frost: Thermarest Polar Ranger, Cumulus Teneqa 850, Warmpeace SOLITAIRE 1000.

• sleeping pad

  

  

  • In summer i recommend basic sponge mat with closed fibers, so it will not absorb water. It's works with some holes or scratches too. You have to check detrition. It can get bedsore and unnoticed thin in the middle. BasicNature Eco Deluxe. However for comfortable sleep it's necessary pack in air mat, for example: Spokey AIR BED, HUSKY Fury 5, Robens Vapour 60.

• • In winter sponge mat izolation is weak, because of that it's necessary to add air mat unless you don't want to to use 3 pieces, or 2 pieces + conifer branches. So ideal is to use air mat together with sponge mat.

More expensive version is air mat with isolation and sack filling. NeoAir XTherm MAX, Exped SYNMAT HL LW, Exped SynMat UL LW

• tent

For sure two-layer tent. In one-layer water drops are creating and running down from inside. When you touch tent wall full of drops with your sleeping bag during your sleep, till morning you will have it wet. It's not easy to dry up, it becomes easy dirty and grows with weight. Tent is good when it's windy and rainy at same time. To countries where is not raining is useless, actually when it's warm, you feel hot inside.

While wild camping you have to understand, that tent "screams" from far distance and creates discomposure in people, because the don't see inside. Mostly people get negative ideas and questions like for example: Is the a homeless guy, odd man, thief? Who knows how long he will be there. Maybe he will steel and for sure he will leave after him self rubbish and excrements. This all can lead to calling the police, which uselessly makes bad mood and takes time. That's why is better when tent has less sharp color and is hiden little bit.

• hamak

Hamak is for sure useful when is need to avoid ground, like for examaple in tropics, swamp or rocks.

• tarp

Tarp is useful when rains always a little but with no/light wind. You can easily get off water drops. Same against strong sun you can not hide from. Color i recommend unobtrusively adapted to environment. When is important protect from sun, then silver or white color is good. DD SuperLight Tarp

• respirator

Respirator indeed helps against dust, but in cold is useful too. Helps to keep higher body temperature and stops to snotting. It works so, that with inhale takes fresh air heat from exhailed air inside of respirator. It fits good to face, it don't touch nose and mouth, and is made from hygienc paper. Kerchief or scarf makes simillar efect, but not so comfortable like this respirator. Respirator 3M™ Aura™ 9332+ Gen 3 FFP3

• mosquito net
  

While summer traveling is it irreplaceable thing. Sleep is inevitable for good regeneration. You will don't need varios chemicals anymore. Net is small, light and effectively against mainly mosquitoes and flies.
 

 

• head lamp:

Good head lam is by my opinion, which meets this:

• • • • • • • • • • lightning rate shoud be at least 100lm, which is sufficient for most needs.
                  • It's possible to change lighting strength and type of lighting. Sometimes is enought and more convenient weak light for long time or strong light to uncover far distances. Strobe effect scares animals and blinds attacker.
                  • Micro-USB charging is universal and practical because special charger is not needed.
                  • Waterproof shoud be obvious. In critical situations usually light is most needed.
                  • Simple design promises easy manipulation and long lifetime.
                  • By higher light power for eaxample: 700lm is good when it reacts on distance with light intensity. With strong light power in case you hit closer object you'll get unsight.

 

PETZL Swift RL

ArmyTek Wizard v3

Fenix HL60R

 

• cell phone:

• • • • • • For travels i recommend smartphone, which is really necessary in manny aspects. Maps, text up to video communication, weather forecast, camera, translator, currency converter, music player and simillar.
          • Don't forget take with you Powerbank with capacity 10-20Ah (250 - 450g), which helps you use your phone in most needed situations. Remember that in case high humidity in phone port or in low frost temperatures phone will be not charged. Solution is to let charge the phone in sleeping bag or jacket.
          • Powerbank you can leave charge somewhere and avoid risk of losing your phone.
          • In case you loose your documents, it's useful to have photocopy in your phone and in mail. 

 

Samsung Galaxy S7/S8

Apple iPhone 8

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)

Huawei P9 lite

Huawei Honor 8

Samsung Galaxy S5 mini (SM-G800)

 

 

• cell phone apps (Android):

 

 MAPS.ME - offline open street maps.

 Easy Currency Converter - shows history and direct conversion.

 GPS Status & Toolbox - shows location and altitude.

 GPX Viewer - stores location in time to map.

 Fancy Widgets - Nice clocks with weather forecast for more locations. Shows moon phases. Recommended clock skin "Fancy Digital Clock" and weather skin "MIUI Weather"

 Puffin Browser Pro - Fast internet browser thanks using Proxy.

 

• sun lotion:

First hours are most impoprtant! When you have sesnsitive skin, don't forget use regular sun loation first of all in beginning of your travel on sun. Shoulders, nose, neck, ears and top of your feets are most sensitive. When your skin is red, it's too late. Airy head cover is useful too. In critical case use your t-shirt and cover your ears and shoulders, or make a hut from paper. Priority shoud be your health, not thoughts of people.
 

 

• money:

Most simple is to use paying card VISA, which is most accepted in the world. For example in mBank.sk charges you for account and card max. 1,2€/month. and cash withdrawal is free from 70€/pick. You have to count with extra fee in several countries, usualy it's 1-5€/pick. To be sure you can take one more but different card with you. Cash is good to have when you are traveling in not developed countries. In case somebody steels everything from you, there are still some possibilities. You can receive money through MoneyGram or Western Union. Transfer takes just few minutes, but they charge aproximately 10-20% fee from sending amount.

In real need, you can beg for water and food, or search food in bin. In the world are good and bad people. Good people help you out of mud. When it happens to you, be awake and see similar situations in other and help when you can. For steeling rather forget, evil is creating evil and opposite.

  

Equipment - knife:

 

• knife:

• • • • • • • • • • Culinary knife with blade length approximately 12 - 15cm.
                  • Forget on short and heavy knifes, which are made for exhibition.
                  • Simple culinary knife has good price, is practical and light.
                  • Cover you can create from hard paper in a while.
                  • Is good to take little pocket knife SPORTSMAN 0.3803 with you as wine, beer and can opener.
                  • To airplane with you is possible take knife with blade max. 6 cm long, like: MIKOV 130-NZn-1

   

• cooking stove:

For longer trips i recommend take cooking stuff with you. You can cook for your self anytime and anywhere and stay in good physical condition. Expressly i recoomoned gas stove. It has no smell, easy and fast using, you can be sure it will work. It safes your time and nerves. When you are exhausted and tired, you will see this values.

I recommend Primus Express Stove. It has easy set up, weight is around 80g. For me it is best cooking stove on market for 1-2 persons. I recommend model without piezo ignition, because it works not reliable. When is not used as burning torch, model titanium versus classic one has no big advantage.

For 1-2 persons:

Primus Express Stove - video

Primus Express Stove

Primus Express Stove Titanium

Pinguin Surpass Titan

 

 

For 3-4 persons:

Primus Express Spider

Pinguin Spider

Attention! It's not possible take gas container to the air plane in general. In lower temperatures you need 4-mix mixture. Standard propan-butan mixture stays in temperatures < -15°C liquid.

 

• pots/bowls:

Pots or bowls choice for sure made from stainless steel. Aluminium is harmful to health, and because corrosion is there fast, it makes your things dirty. The best is when bowls is possible arrange inside each other. Better bowls are for dogs, because they are more solid. when you don't want burn your food, it's enough to put 2 bowls together and inside of the lower one infuse little bit of water. With steam food will warm up slower but without burning.

   

• bowl holder:

pot holder is great think, i recommend to use. Very useful in summer with temperatures >15°C and more. it's safe and comfortable. In winter temperatures <5°C you don't need pot holder. Cold wind cools bowl edges fast, it's safe use hands.

Primus aluminum grip pliers

 

• fire:

• • • • • • Take with you 2-3 quality lighters with good stroke stone (not piezo-electric).
          • 1. lighter; when you lend it, never expect get it back.
          • 2. lighter; use for ignite cooker and similar.
          • 3. lighter; envelop it to rainproof plastic bag, don't mind about it nobody and use it only in critical situations. Carry with you at least 2 lighter always.
          • Forget on matches, they are not practical. You just increase troubles.

• spices:

Oil, salt, black pepper, oregano, red pepper powder, kurkuma, kari...

For oil is important to have 0,5l PET solid bottle. Search for sweet juice in supermarket. Lid is very important. Great lid you can find on YO syrup!

For sugar and salt is good to have small and solid 0,2l PET botttle. Search for children sweet drinks.

 

Traveling:

• When you travel don't be skittish and stressful. It's always a solution. Try to keep your primary needs under control. Take a rest first, drink and eat something. After think about solution.
• In standard situations avoid night traveling. Night is for regeneration during good sleep on a good place. With night traveling you just exhaust yourself, and next day you will feel like a zombie. Everything you will see as difficult and not enjoyable.
• In case is important to be awake in night, think about that while you are tired, you will incline to don't see things and make bad decisions. Your mind will not work properly, the worse thing is you will not release it in that moment! You can make bad decision and for example make you injury. Except this count with extra time for rest next day, whih you will need not only to catch time from yestarday, but as well time for recovering from extra performance.
• Take care for hygiene! Clean your teeth 2x per day, and when your are not lazy clean your interdental gaps. Face, neck, armpit, between legs and feets clean with cold water at least once in a day. Cold water kills better bacteria. T-shirt replaces towel. When you have pleasant look, you don't smell with your body and mouth, you will feel better and as well person you speak to.

 

Some tips to choose good hitchhiking spot:

• • • Cars choose shortest distances. When you are in town, try to get out far as possible. In town cars just shamble like flies around...
    • Driver shoud have good place to stop. When it's possible avoid hill and not transparent curves.
    • Driver has to have good visibility on hitchhiker, so he can at least see him good. Who is cleaner and well clothet will be favoured.
    • In night hitchhikers transforming to murders and killers, so rather go sleep. When you need to reach your point in night, try to be visible. Ideal is petrol station with light or place under street light.
    • When you are two people, hitchhike together next to each other.
    • Your backpacks shoud stand and be on a clean place when it's possible like on grass next to you.
    • Don't hitchhike on motorrways, but when you have to, then try to hitchhike 30min. max. because after that time police will stop you and give you fine. When you are two, hitchhike with distance 150m. First he goes trough, at second he stops, first one runs to him.
    • On a place where you hitchhike try to be alone when it's possible, and on the road should not be any objects or rubbish.

 

Behaviour:

Your travels are created by You. How you feature, and how you represent yourself shows you your next possibilities.

While traveling is most importan to be respectful and grateful. For somebody who will make a good thing and gives you ride, is best feeling for him, that his act fell on fertile ground. Don't forget, that what you spread affects you and goes forth to others.

From childhood majority of us was take in love and material needs from our family. It is importan to conscious that thing like this are not certainty even though it seams to be like this. Try to see things from other side and act with responsible. Discuss carefully and consider used words. Create discussion like artist creates music.

Charm is this essence, which gives life exceptional taste. So, search for charm in everything and your life will be better by hitchhiking as well.

 

Shelter/place for sleeping:

It's not possible to say what is the best. It depends always on conditions. And more you will find out while traveliing what is suitable for you and what you need.

Good places for sleeping:

• • • under a tree - You avoid dew. Best is pine tree, because it is dense and always green. Needels last longer and creates soft and dry base, which isolate better.
    • cemetery - It's piece there. You will find it in town too. Grass is often cutted nicely, straight terrain and water manny times.
    • village - Peaceful, bigger chance to find good place. Often you will find grocery shop near.
    • forest / forest edge - Temperature don't fall down in night like outside of it. There are soft leaves/grass. It's not windy. In the morning check yourself from wood tick!
    • abandoned house - Possibility to cover against rain, wind and temperature fluctuation.
    • airport - It's safe there, warm and peaceful relatively.
    • bank area with ATM - When you are in town, it's rainy, blows wind, it's cold, and it's too late, it's good place in critical situation.
    • hole in snowdrift - It's quite easy to make cave, isolate from coldness, wind and noise.
    • iglu - With good snow you can relatively fast make shelter from snow. Important is to make passage under, which protects heat escaping.

 

Bad places for sleeping:

• • • park - Even if it's tempting. Always somebody walks there includng thiefs and police, which only disturbs you with ID checking, faint and suspicious questions.
    • city center - In general it's not good to search place for sleep. Almost always you can find some uncared property when it's needed. Search first for place where to hide your backpack and make a fast observing. Little shop for example, infocentrum, or cabinet in supermarket. While hitchhiking it's not easy to get out from town and takes usually 1-2h.
    • beach - next trap like park. Always walks there somebody. Everywhere you will have sand. Waves roar irregulary and loud, it's not easy sleep at. When rain is not often sand can smell from cigarets, shit or similar.
    • under motorway bridge - Noise from cars is awful and concrete is hard to sleep on. When is no other option, then moistered napkin in ears dims noise a little.

 

Food/cooking:

At first you need to understand, that during traveling is quality and energic food necessary. When you dno't eat, everything will be more dificult. Forget on sweets, these give you energy only for a short time, overacid organism and spoil teeth. Vegetables and fruits put into a paper box or in to soft clothes. Paper isolate from heat, bypass humidity and shape of box prevent from mechanical damage. Rice, pasta, legumes, oats and similar. are not heavy and gices lots of energy. Little fresh vegetables into and food is complete.

While you walk you can peck nuts. I recommend make own mix, for example: almonds, cashew, hazelnut, peanut, raisins, apricots. Don't mix big with small into one bag, little will stay at bottom. Or sometimes take a hard boiled egg shot. Don't take food for whole trip, so you will not carry it. Usually it's enough to supply for 2-3 days ahead. Where are people is food too.

Snack - summer:

In summer don't take meat, in heat it can spoil. For example:

• • • bread with butter, pepper, hard boiled egg + salt and black pepper.
    • bread with pate, pepper.
    • bread, humus, pepper, tomato. cucumber.
    • bread with lard, sliced onyon + salt
      
      

Snack - winter:

In winter meat last longer and gives what body needs. For example:

• • • good smoked not cooked bacon, bread and onyon.
    • bread with butter, ham, pepper.
    • bread with lard, sliced onyon + salt
      
      

Cooking:

When you clean vegetables or meat, don't do that next to place where you sleep because you invite ants, snails or some animals. Your organic waste take away from you and bowls clean instantly. Important is the taste, nutrition value and practicality. For fast cooking of vegetable, but not overcooking, it is practical cut all to small pieces. Don't waste time with nice dining, it is important to eat healthy, tasty and profuse.

Some recipes for example:

• • • potatoe soup: On vegetable oil we fry onyon, put some salt, we add cube sliced vegetable. Beans, chickpeas, rice, pasta or oats gives soup value .
    • vegetable with tuna and rice: On vegetable oil we fry cube sliced onyon, add salt, add fine sliced vegetable and little water. We watch vegetable color during cooking to not overcook. At the end we add tuna from can. Rice we cook beside. Usually with 1,5x cup of water. Covered we cook on low flame until water disapears. After you hear small bursting, turn of flame and leave it covered for 5min.
    • sweet oats: We add some cashew and almond nuts. we add half of a apple cube sliced, and as well some berries like currant, raspberry, or gooseberry. We add sugar/honey after our taste. We add some slices of cow butter. We add water and mix to necessary temperature. We leave it rest a little and carefully ad some water. If it is cold we can warm it up but only on steam, otherwise we can burn bottom of bowl.
    • tuna, chickpeas and onyon: When you have not chickpeas from can, leave it in water for night, so it can be softer. After you cook it spill water, but keep a little to not be dry. Add tuna in oil and fine sliced fresh onyon. Add salt and mix.
    • pasta/millet with white beans in tomatoe sauce: Pasta or millet cook while slicing vegetable. Fry onyon on oil and add cube sliced tomatoes or use tomatoe purée. Add salt and sugar. After add cooked white beans. Mix it with pasta, add lots of oregano and cube sliced cheese.
    • pasta with onyon and tomato purée: You fry fine sliced onyon on vegetable oil, and at the end add tomatoe purée to fry too. Mix it with cooked pasta in good proportion, add salt and mix again.
    • buckwheat with vegetable and dried salami: At first you cook buckwheat with 1,8x times of water, on light flame with gently opened lid. Buckwheat is ready when water stops to hiss. Meanwhile you fine slice onyon and mix it with vegetable oil and salt. Salami you slice on cubes. Cooked buckwheat you put aside. After onyon is fried, you add salami, little bit of water and cook it with lid. Meanwhile you slice on cubes pepper, carrot and zucchini and add inside. Meanwhile you fine slice garlic and when vegetable is ready, mix it all together with buckwheat. When it's too dry, you can add some water or zest with black pepper or chilli.
    • brocoli with rice and cheese: On cow butter you fry fine sliced onyon, add on rose sliced brocoli, eventually a little of champions, add some water and salt. Important is to cook vegetable on steam created from water to crunchy taste and shiny green color. It has to be not overcooked or raw. After brocoli is cooked turn of flame and add fine sliced garlic and cube sliced half hard cheese Gouda. Instantly mix it with basmati/jasmine rice, which you cooked while slicing onyon and brocoli.
    • red beans with rice, dry salami and cheese: Fry fine sliced onyon on vegetable oil, you add salt and cube sliced dry salami. When it's fried, you add cube sliced zucchini, pepper and some water. You can use some black pepper or chili. Before it's cooked you add cooked beans drom can/tetra pack together with fine sliced garlic and half hard cheese Gouda. Everything you mix all together with basmati/jasmine rice, which was cooked meanwhile slicing.

 

Enjoy your adventurous traveling with tasty meals!