its a book and i believe it's a movie now or has been, im not sure. but look it up, you find what you are looking for. =)
i plan on backpackin the appalachian trail in 08. im really excited. thats all i have to add to this thread, sorry.
it's not all that hard, I would imagine the hardest part is getting cheap plane tickets, if you plan to really go all around the world google it.