Round The World Tickets (RTW)

One of the lesser known ways to travel is the RTW or Round The World ticket.  They allow a person the ability to travel around the world for a set price regardless of destination.  If done correctly they can save a person hundreds or even thousands of dollars in airfare for your trip.  The trick is to knowing when and how and when to use them.  The first thing you need to know about RTW tickets is that they require extensive planning.  You have to make sure that you know what area of the world you plan to be in at any particular time.  While it is possible to change some of the tickets after they have been scheduled there are restrictions like limited seats per flight that might make it difficult to alter your plans on the fly if that is your travel style.  Also each airline group like Oneworld and Star Alliance have their own rules and regulations on how their RTW tickets can be used.  It is important to be aware of the specific rules each carrier group offers because some offer their plans based on mileage, others on a per continent basis, some say you can't back track or have specific numbers of stops per continent you have to take, all of this is important because all of this will dramatically affect how and where you plan your trip.  The only really consistent limitation I have seen in RTW tickets is that they generally require the trip to conclude within a year.  The benefits of an RTW ticket is that you can use it to dramatically reduce the cost on the world's most expensive air routes, particularly between North or South America and Oceania (the Australian continent).  When planing your routes remember that you do not want to pay for plane tickets to each city you will be going to (if you did this your RTW ticket might not be cheaper than standard airfare) what you want to do instead is use it to get you to a specific region such as South East Asia.  For example if you land in Thailand and want to explore you should use overland travel, like the cheap bus to Cambodia, or use one of the regional air lines which can be very cheap depending on what part of the world you are in.  All of this is done so that you do not needlessly waste your mileage or your number of allotted flights.  In the end if you use it correctly and in the right circumstances you can use an RTW ticket to travel cheaper and more often than you would with other methods.


*image taken from wikimedia commons and can be found here

How To Deal With Blisters On The Trail

When doing long distance or multi-day hiking it is important to make sure that you have the proper protection for your feet.  Not only can blisters become an annoyance they can also lead to infection or put you at higher risk of parasites depending on where you are hiking.  The obvious first step to avoid blisters is to make sure that your hiking shoes are comfortable, broken in, and not rubbing on your skin.  Also if at any time you feel warmth in one isolated section of your feet pay attention to it, because that is the first warning sign that you are getting a blister.  There are several ways to head blisters off at the pass before they become a factor for your trip.  First if you can make sure that you are not walking in any wet shoes or socks.  While keeping your feet dry all the time on the trail may be impossible because you might have to ford rivers, it is sometimes best to pack a water sock or pair of sandals to change into on the trail so you can keep your shoes dry in your pack.  Secondly there is a really good anti-blister product out there called mole skin.  It is this padded felt patch with adhesive on one side that you stick on the part of your foot that is getting a blister (experiencing isolated warming) also it works on areas that have already developed a blister and makes it more bearable to walk on and can help keep the skin together and from shredding on the trail.  Now because mole skin usually comes in a sheet you will need a knife or something to cut it to the right size (of course make sure the area is as clean and dry as you can make it before applying).  Also each type of mole skin has a different thickness and that means when walking it will feel different on your feet or in your shoe so you might want to try some of it on before you go to make sure your mole skin doesn't make you uncomfortable.  In general the Dr. Sholl's brand mole skin has some of the thickest padding,  which means more comfort but a larger bulkier mass to deal with in the shoe, and the generic store brand ones have the thinnest.  Try on a few and see what balance works best for you, trust me if you get a blister on the trail you will thank yourself for it.

Water Purification: Iodine Tablets

If you are going to be doing long distance hiking one of your biggest issues will be finding safe drinking water.  In order to avoid a potentially deadly infection while in the wilderness you will need to have a method of purifying water.  One of the best methods of purifying water is to use iodine tablets to remove any harmful bacteria that might exist in the water.  After you have filled your container with water, added your tablets, and waited the proper amount of time for it to purify, you need to remember to loosen the lid of your container and let some of the purified water pour out so that you can wash off the rim and cap.  This is done because there might be a droplet of infected water from when you first filled your canteen.  Also it is important to realize that this method of water purification will not remove any chemicals or sediment from your water.  This is less a factor if you are dealing with clear streams, than if you are dealing with cloudy water or a water source near a mining operation (which may have polluted the water with chemicals like mercury during the extraction process).  Some people find the taste of iodine unpleasant the way I would recommend dealing with that issue is by bringing some powdered drink flavors like Kool-Aid®.  The only other real issue is that some people with shellfish or iodine allergies can have allergic reactions to the tablets, so if you have those conditions consult your doctor or consider a water filter.  The benefits of this method is that it weighs less and takes up less room than some water filters, also you never have to worry about if your filter has reached the end of its life and stopped working because the number of tablets give you an accurate picture of how much more filtered water you have to work with.

Getting Arrested In Japan

Sometimes things happen, you party too hard, you make a couple of bad decisions and you find yourself on the wrong side of the law.  The question now is, what do you do and what can you expect to happen.  The first thing to know is that you need to request for your consulate to be notified and to request their assistance in your case.  Having your consulate be aware of your arrest is important because not only can they relay the message about your arrest to people back home, but they can also many times get you in contact with a lawyer who speaks your language.  In case you want to review some of your options for legal consultation this State Department article has plenty of information including a directory of English speaking lawyers in Japan.  Even if you do tell the Japanese authorities that you want to have your consulate to be notified about your arrest don't expect to immediately get to meet with a lawyer.  This is because Japan often times, if you were arrested with something like a drug crime, simply reports the arrest to INTERPOL and allows them to notify your consulate.  Also Japan does not always allow for legal consultation before indictment for all crimes.  While the list of crimes that warrant pre-indictment legal consultation has grown since the mid-1990's there are still some offenses that do not allow for it.  It is important that if possible you utilize your pre-indictment legal consultation because according to The New York Times "Japan has a 99 percent conviction rate."  So trying to avoid trial (while also avoiding prison) would be a good idea.  The article also goes on to say that Japan has a well documented history of forced confessions, so bear that in mind when considering whether to confess or not, because even if it was acquired under duress that does not mean that the confession wont be used against you.  Also the Japanese penal system uses solitary confinement in many instances including for drug crimes. This is true especially for the pre-indictment, period which can last for months.  In case you missed it, you might want to go over the article on Illegal Japanese Meds so that you make sure you know what to not pack in your luggage.  Also if you get arrested realize that you wont be able to take the medication that you brought with you for any health condition you may have.  This has repeatedly caused health complications for inmates in Japanese custody.  In the end you want to make sure as much as possible to avoid anything that might land you in trouble because once arrested, your options and conditions become pretty stark.



*image (but not information) was taken from the wikipedia article on prisons.

How To Find North With Sticks

While it is always best to have a compass when you are doing long distance hiking, they can break so it is always good to know another method of finding your directions so you wont be lost.  You can always pretty easily tell east or west when the sun is low but the higher in the sky the sun gets, or the closer to the poles you move, the less reliable this method becomes.  One good way to find north during midday can be done with some sticks.  First you want to place a stick in the ground (the taller it is, the more accurate this will be) then mark the end of the shadow that is cast by the stick.  Next you will want to wait 15 minutes for the shadow to move.  Then place your left foot on your first mark and your right where the shadow moved to.  After you do this you will be facing north and can easily figure out the other directions from there.  Now when using this method for finding directions it is important to realize that it is not near as accurate as a compass and should mainly be used to give yourself general directions and not an exact degree heading.  Also it is important to know that this method gives you true north and not magnetic north.  So if you have been compensating one way or another to make up for the reading that magnetic north gave you, make sure that you realize that you no longer need adjust your bearings in order to find true north.

How To Get Cheap European Flights

One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to travel, particularly in Europe, is that it has to be expensive.  There are ways to travel around the world without breaking the bank, you just have to keep an eye out for deals and have a little bit of flexibility.  One of the best ways of getting cheap airfares is by signing up for the newsletters of various budget airlines.  By doing this you will be able to be aware of incredibly cheap airfare deals that certain airlines offer from time to time.  One such airline is Aer Lingus, which is based out of Ireland, I have seen deals on average of about $200 USD for airfare from the cities of Chicago, New York City, and Boston to various European hubs like Paris, Rome, or London.  Once you are in Europe itself its best to switch over to other budget carriers like EasyJet and Ryanair which can offer incredibly cheap offers from time to time.  I have seen Easy Jet prices as low as one pound for a flight from London to Barcelona.  There are however, some downsides to these deals.  The conditions in budget carriers tend to be very cramped and tend to offer much less amenities than their more expensive cousins.  Also in order to get the really low deals there are usually very specific conditions such as very narrow travel windows and limited number of seats at that price.  That is the reason why it is best if you are planning a trip across Europe to both plan ahead and pay close attention to the deals they offer.  In the end if you are willing to put in a little planning, work, and be flexible with conditions and prices you can let yourself travel longer and more often with the same budget.