You do not need to bring everything, travel light like this article on campingfunzone.com says.

You do not have to spend a lot of money on one to have fun. Being on a shoestring budget is ok. Be sure you have enough room for the basics like food, water, and tent.

Backpacking Safely

Nowadays because of the poor economy and continuous loss of jobs, people hit the road with their backpack, especially to save money as they explore the world.

It is important to know your destination well before you go. You need to take your time and research your destination, understand the local customs, what vaccinations you need, the medical facilities available, and whether you need a visa or not.

Many people love backpacking outdoors, but most of them tend to wonder. Is backpacking safe? Can you go alone? Do you have to be the strongest in the group? Being aware of the most essential backpacking safety rules and best practices are important if you want to be the best backpacker you can ever be. That is why it is essential to address some of the ways you can improve safety when backpacking.

1. Attend Self-Defend Classes Before You Start Your Journey
You can find defend classes anywhere. They will teach self-defending strategies, including how to defend your self, in case you are attacked on the way. You may not be able to succeed if you find a well-trained and experienced criminal, but at least it will boost your confidence when you are faced with a common mugger.

2. Know Your Destinations Health Conditions
Depending on your destination, you will need to know the health conditions before you set off. Do a little research to find out, and update your travel medical kit. If you are backpacking in Africa, for instance, you need to bring mefloquine or doxycycline from home. You should not rely on locally acquired drugs when you are traveling.

Things sanitizers you can acquire from local shops, so, just packing small amounts of them won’t do you any harm.

3. Dont Forget to Pack A Doorstop and A Cable Lock
As your backpack, you need to ensure you are safe by all means. You can use a doorstop when you have locked the door of your room. Stick it under the door at night. This is the simplest way of preventing people with bad intentions from breaking into your room. Unlike room keys or door locks, a doorstop keeps the door in place and enhances your safety.

4. Hide Some More Pockets into Your Pants by Sewing
Sew hidden pockets inside your pants and place the valuables like cash, your passports, or credit cards in the pockets. If you come across a mugger and they try to search your pockets for a money belt, they won't find any. Don't worry If you don’t have sewing skills. Simply call a tailor to help you with that.

5. Divide Your Cash
Divide the majority of your cash into several hiding points. You can hide some in your hidden pockets, and some in your backpack (place some cash in the hidden pocket of your square set of pants). This ensures you don’t lose all your cash in case you are robbed.

6. Avoid Carrying Expensive Electronics in Your Trip
Carrying your expensive electronics on a backpacking trip is never a good idea. Don’t worry. You can catch on mails later. You will find internet cafes everywhere, so, taking your electronics with you is not safe. Do you have an old cellphone that you hid somewhere? Well, this is the time you put it to use. Place a local sim card into it. You can't worry about losing that, so keep it in touch. Ensure you have your destination's emergency number on your phone before you go.

7. Pack Your Resume
You may need to get a job in case you are robbed, or you run out of money. You will use your resume to get a job. You can keep it in your email, or have it in your flash disk.

8. Buy Travel Medical Insurance
Buying a travel medical insurance is not expensive. If you are backpacking, it is a good idea to have it in place, so that if you get injured, your insurance will cover your medical costs no matter where you travel. Other than covering your medical cost, it has other benefits such as getting you home if in case there is an emergency.

Your safety matters a lot when you are backpacking. Ensure you have everything that you can hardly do without. The above tips will keep you safe as you travel to your destination.

Backing is fun and good exersize, you can burn 500 calories per hour going uphill. Email the webmaster@shoestringbackpacking.com