New to backpacking...need some help

Hi, I am new to 'backpacking' but not new to traveling or camping. I am currently planning my trip around the US with hopes to eventually end up in Thailand. I have enough money saved to buy the essentials; ie. backpack, tent, gear.

I am hoping someone can offer some advice or any sites to help me get on my feet correctly.

My main concern is getting to Thailand from the US, I have a passport but with the low funds I will be traveling with I am wondering how it's possible to get out of the country in this manner? I am very excited and hope to leave before the winter season.

I've roughed it before, and I mean ROUGHED it. So this should all come naturally and be a great experience.

Please help me on my path

 

first rule of packing is buy one of those steel mesh things that goes around your pack cause thieves will slice the thin nylon with a blade and steel your shit...

also,,,,put a canadian flag on your pack except in afganistan or pakistan....dont know your time line but the parliament buildings in ottawa are a complete waste of time but ''the gleeb'' in ottawa isnt

dude you joined in 2008 and waited till now to post????

 

No, don't put a Canadian flag on your backpack. You're not Canadian.
And i'm honestly tired if Americans going abroad and wearing our flag and making us look like ass wipes.

No offense, not saying this specific American is an asshole.

Also I'd recommend you wait and save a little more money until you decide to backpack. The point is to travel below your means and meet some interesting people and really test your survival skills but you always need a little safety net to fall in just in case you get robbed etc. Also read up on laws in the countries you're planning on visiting. Sometimes they're alot stricter and you don't want to end up in a prison abroad.

Seriously RollingAlong, we have worked hard as a country to maintain our peaceful polite appearences, we don't need every american douche bag ruining that for us because they feel entitled (like most americans) to wear our flag. It's bullshit. Sorry im really touchey on this subject, alot of them are really rude, and ostentacious. (also alot of them are incredible people) that aside I still don't think they should wear our flag.

 

I wear but one flag
...and it's green and blue

 

every american that i have personally met including my grampa[RCAF]my uncle[US ARMY]a shit load of cousins and aunts are some of the most kind wonderful and generous humans I have known..

many of my friends here are americans...and many of the top ten reputation earners on this site[I'm 7th]are americans....i love every fuckin' one of'em...specially orison319 who is first and he wears girls fingernail polish lol

tell ya what...i wont lend our flag out online if you start a thread and insult the americans again so i can watch them flame you

.........................and my godfather outranks your husband[Lt Colonel]

 

Interesting how you get so defensive over something like that. I didn't insult all Americans, infact I even stated that alot of Americans are incredible people. You completly misconstrude what I said, I did point out the fact that alot of Americans are assholes. Alot of people in any country are assholes. And you know what I don't want them to wear our flag either.
I wouldn't start a random hate thread about Americans because i'm not a fucking bigot.
I don't have a problem with Americans. Just the one's who wear our flag abroad and act rude in restaurants, stores etc. With our flag on their bag.

Fuck do I really have to pick a part everything I said just to explain that to you. It's like some of you idiots try to make drama and try to make what other people are saying on the forum into something it's not just so you have something to bitch about.



There are alot of beautiful people in America, some of which use this forum and i'm not trying to slander an entire Country.

If their own country is soo great, they can wear THEIR flag abroad...


Or wait..hmm, why is it you're suggesting they have to wear ours again???

MY POINT

 

My friend went to Thailand. It cost him A LOT to get out there, dirty cheap when you are actually living out in the country. I think without sufficient cash you have no chance of getting over there, i'm afraid.

As you mentioned a passport, remember you also need an approved Visa- as well as shots to defend you against malaria, and you would probably be advised to get yourself some good insurance. Point is, it's all about money.

Start saving and think about going next summer. You haven't a chance to accomplish you goals if you are low on dough. Good luck and happy traveling though, when you eventually do.

 

what color is the sky in your world?

 

:eggnog:


yep

 

I bet its dark and raining in her world at the moment:eggnog:

 

obviously i am an idiot,,,no argument there.....

dmt...lol..sorry about the thread jacking...it was unintentional...enjoy your travels...pm me and i will send flags to you and anyone that wants one...you can all pretend that you're canadians

 

you're insulting them. why cant they wear their own countries flag? are you saying that people will view them negatively?

 

You have to make comments about the sky because you can't argue your point without attempting to degrade someone. Is it lonely up there on your pedestal?

 

the only one throwing insults around is you....

first...i dont ''argue''
second..you degrade yourself with every word out of your mouth..you think because your husband is a soldier that you some how are more patrotic than me...or that I have no right to invite people to wear my flag...my relatives died to give me that freedom and right ..its mine and you cant take it away

 

LOL what! I don't have a husband who is a soldier??? Get your facts straight.
Secondly if your relatives died defending your freedom and for their country wouldn't you think that the Canadian flag is something sacred and not just to be passed around to anyone.
Do whatever you want tho, I'm just saying..that's MY opinion and you can't take it away.

 

sorry..mixed up the husband with someone else...trust me...wont happen again.....

....what about buddy off the boat claiming refugee status..can i give him a flag?

 

Wow this thread went of quick! First of all I am Canadian, and extremly proud of it. And I completly agree with "wildflowers" I went to Europe this spring and the incredible amount of stupid americans I ran into wearing Canadian flags pissed me off!!! You know what I noticed, the nice friendly respectful americans wore their flag or none. How pitiful of a person are you that in an attempt to get respect or get away with being a prick you utilize another countries flag. Also I have many friends who are americans and my sister just married an american. Like Wild Flowers I have nothing against the average american just the uneducated annoying Canadian flag wearing ones. Maybe Rolling Along you should just accept you started a flawed argument and "move along"

Last of all I appologize DMT for joining in the argument on an otherwise great thread. You should save money though. It is very expensive to get over there and you dont want to get caught there illegally. Get the shots, and visa. And most of all enjoy yourself, but please do tons of research first. People go over there all the time and not all of them return and I am not trying to scare you. Amazing place my friend just got back from there and she is a girl but she was very careful and planned for a long time.

Peace,
Juicy

 

I'm an American and would never want to say I am "Canadian " no offense. I love my country to much to do so. I rock an American flag. If someone doesn't like it they can kiss my ass. =-)

 

I have relatives tht served, defending America. In fact we have served in
...King Philip's War;
...King William's War;
...Cherokee War;
...American Revolution;
...Shay's Rebellion;
...War of 1812;
...Creek War;
...Mexican-American War;
...U.S. Civil War;
...Spanish-American War;
...World War I;
...World War II;
...Korean War;
...Vietnam War;
...Grenada;
...US Invasion of Panama;
...Persian Gulf War (myself and a couple cousins);
...Intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
...Invasion of Afghanistan;
and the Invasion of Iraq.

And guess what? We don't go around half-cocked thinking we're God's gift to mankind because we served. You do. I feel sorry for your family.

 

I've been backpacking 8 months in Asia, and 4 months in Mexico, and never met a single American with a Canadian flag on their backpack. I think it's probably happened a couple times, and a few people make a nationalistic fervor about it because of a media inducted farce. In Vietnam, I told the many people who asked that I was American, and never met a moment of hostility from it.

It reminds me of a situation here in where a local Newspaper reported that a Thai actress stated that Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand. She never said that, but it started a riot in the capitol here in Cambodia.

Nationalists are gullible pawns.