Plan your backpacking trip across South America

If you want to go backpacking across South America then you should take care to plan your trip well ahead of time. Travelling on your own would require you to be self sufficient while on the move hence preparation for the trip is quite important. Read on this article for some tips on backpacking across South America.



1. Make an itinerary – An important thing to do before going backpacking across South America is to map out a basic itinerary. You should become familiar with the map of South America as you would have to travel huge distances through forests, rivers, mountains and even deserts.



2. Have a suitable travel insurance policy – This is a must have for any holiday you are taking in order to cover for any mishaps that may come your way.



3. Follow safety measures – This is especially applicable if you are a woman traveler and if you are travelling alone. Do not walk in empty dark streets at night and by all means take a cab or any other form of transport to reach your destination if you find the streets around you devoid of people. Also don’t accept the invitation of going anywhere alone with anyone whom you do not know.



4. Have a travel guide book – Having a guide book helps you to come up with solutions at different difficult junctures by following the book. You should also take care to buy a book that caters to the region where you are going backpacking as South America is a vast continent and it is difficult to cover all of it at once. This book will be your best companion and guide you throughout your trip.



5. Travelling shoes – Having a pair of tough and durable walking shoes is the utmost necessity as you will be doing most of your journey on foot.



6. Travelling gear - Invest in a proper quality backpack with plenty of compartments and pockets. This helps you to be organized in carrying your necessary items and you will be able to find them quickly when you need them.



7. Language phrase book – The two main languages that can get you across South America are Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. Since English is not widely used across the continent you should carry a phrase book of these two languages to help you in basic communications with the natives.



Apart from all the above measures you should carry a medical kit with proper medicines for all kinds of emergencies. You should also take vaccinations for the common diseases that are found in South America before you embark on a voyage to the distant land.