Planning a move to the city?

Moving house is never easy. There’s always stress, with the rushing of packing the household items ready for the removal men to take them. Also, sending your items to be kept in storage until you move is not as easy as it may seem, as you still have to make a date to pack everything up and hire a van to come and collect your items to send to storage. Now you no longer need to worry about this - portable storage allows you to bring the storage company to YOUR home!

Portable storage offers you the laid back option of moving and packing your household items to your requirements, with no fixed date! Moving containers can be dropped off direct to your door step and kept wherever you choose! Then all you have to do is call the company when you have finished packing your treasured items at your leisure. Once you have packed the goods they will be taken to the place of storage, and kept there until you decide that you want to have the items delivered to you - or of course you can collect them in person! Shifting house has never been simpler with moving containers.

Mosquitoes – A threat to backpackers

Mosquitoes are a major threat to the backpacker’s safety. These dangerous insects can beat all rainy days and thunderstorms, added together, in ruining trips for inadequately prepared backpackers.

Swarms of mosquitoes target a backpacker in the wilderness, especially when his hands are totally occupied in a demanding task. The nagging buzz of mosquitoes can drive a backpacker crazy. Most importantly, mosquitoes, act as carriers of dangerous diseases that can even kill people.

A backpacker should never forget to pack mosquito repellents along with all their essentials. Generally, the carbon dioxide that we exhale attracts mosquitoes. Repellents mask that odor and keep mosquitoes away.

Almost all mosquito repellents contain DEET, which is considerably successful in keeping mosquitoes away. Most backpackers do not have any problems with DEET, but a few might get skin irritations. One should (a) use this repellent in moderation, (b) avoid having any clothing on skin coated with the repellent, (c) keep the repellent away from the face and eyes and (d) wash the repellent off properly once he is inside the tent, in order to prevent repellent-related problems. If problems persist one can use a repellent with a time-release formulation or one with a weaker concentration of DEET.

Wearing pants and full-sleeve shirts, and making the lunch stops away from wet, marshy areas, are also going to help a backpacker in staying away from the menacing pests.

Purifying Water – A Backpacker’s Concern

Those days are gone when backpackers drank straight from lakes and streams without having the slightest worry about the purity of the water. Mountain streams were believed to be the purest of all forms of water.

Then the word “Giardia” entered our dictionaries and backpackers needed to start purifying water.

A protozoan parasite named Giardia lamblia leads to a horrible disease called giardiasis, which results in vomiting, bloating, cramps and severe diarrhea. This disease needs to be treated with powerful drugs that have their own side effects.

Thus, it is absolutely essential for a backpacker to purify every drop of water he drinks. The easiest water purification technique is the boiling of water. Boiling water kills Giardia and all other water-borne menaces. But there is a dispute about the duration of time for which water needs to be boiled in order to effectively kill each of the water-borne parasites. Moreover, boiling water wastes a lot of time and fuel.

Water-purifying tablets that contain Iodine are believed to be excellent killers of viruses and bacteria. But recent researches show that Iodine hardly affects Giardia. Present day backpackers better rely on water filters designed specially for backpacking.

Backpacking can be an enjoyable and enriching experience only if you do not catch a disease during your trip. Thus, every backpacker should adopt adequate water-purification measures to ensure that they do not fall prey to Giardia or other severe diseases.

Backpackers and air travel

Air travel was simpler for backpackers prior to 9/11. We have seen numerous changes at all the US airports since 9/11 and many of these changes have affected the backpacking traveler.

The fact that many components of a backpacker’s gear appear highly suspicious when x-rayed contributes greatly to the backpacker’s plight. The stove may be mistaken to be a land mine ready to blow away the airplane. In short, since most of a backpacker’s gear looks suspicious, their bags are always going to be searched.

It is advisable that a backpacker takes two bags during air travel. He can stuff the first bag with his completely packed backpack. He should not pack any metallic object in that one. He can then stuff the second bag with things like his headlamp, camera, knife, stove, GPS, cook-set and trekking poles. Any object that can appear even remotely dangerous under an x-ray should be packed in that bag. If the security personnel at the airport decide to search, you can be done with it quickly and with minimum hassle, all your suspicious gear being in one place.

A traveling backpacker should also remember that canister stoves are prohibited on an airplane. Fuel also needs to be bought after reaching the destination only.

Have a light backpack

You can be a happy and comfortable backpacker only if you know how to pack light.

The following factors can help you achieve that ever-elusive feat:

a) Knowing the weight of your empty pack: You will find the weight of your empty pack in the “description” section of your gear catalogue. You must judge a pack on the basis of its weight and size. Going for a pack that is lighter by even a couple of ounces is bound to make a significant difference.

b) Avoiding heavy tents: A 2 or 3 man four-season tent is the heaviest of them all. The first question that you need to ask yourself while choosing a tent for your backpacking trip, is whether or not you actually need a big and heavy tent. You would not need a heavy tent for a summer trip. You also would not need a big one if you plan to hike on your own.

It is advisable to take a 2 or 3 man three-season tent if only you have two or three people with you. This will be a lighter option compared to that of each one carrying a separate tent.

The confidence and skill of packing light comes from years of experience and once you achieve it you will know the true joys of backpacking.

A Backpacker ready for the rain

The United States boasts of innumerable trails that are adorned with scenic beauty and are plagued by rains. A backpacker, who is setting out on a trip on these trails for a week, is bound to have a rainy experience. They can either be ready for the mighty rains, or can somehow struggle and survive.

How to be prepared for the rains so that your backpacking spirit is not dampened:

1. Clothing: Your clothing should be appropriate for a hot, sweaty and rainy summer. And you need to remember that hiking is going to make you even more hot and sweaty.

You should wear a t-shirt and polypro briefs, as they would dry fast. Nylon shorts with zip-off legs, synthetic socks, polypro sock liners, to-the-knee gaiters and boots should be ideal for you. Last but not the least, a rain parka, with the hood covering your head, the body covering your pack and the sleeves tied with the pack straps, is going to keep your head and pack absolutely dry.

This way you avoid sweating inside an increasingly smelly parka - and manage to keep yourself and your pack dry.

2. Having a dry tent: A continuous rain can guarantee that the body of your tent is absolutely drenched while you try to erect it. But if you try attaching the tent fly with Velcro, the tent can be erected with a dry interior, once you thread the wands via extended sleeves.

Thus, with a little pre-planning you can enjoy the rains during your backpacking trip.