Are you excited about planning your trekking adventure? Worried that you might forget something important? We’ve jotted down some tips for you on how to prepare for your trekking adventure effectively – check them out below:
1. Plan And Budget Your Itinerary in Advance
To enjoy your vacation and avoid any last-minute stress, plan an itinerary and plan it according to your time & financial budget. Ensure that you have sufficient time for rest and even extra time if any emergency scenario arises. Bring extra money, especially if you are going to a remote area where rates may change constantly. Avoid rushing or compressing your schedule, especially if you are traveling with a group – your pace might not be the same as theirs, and if your schedule is planned down to the last minute, it might incur some changes. If you can, allow an extra day for your trek before traveling back home so that your schedule will not be as tight, and you will have another day to spend on a specific area or get needed rest.
2. Contact Local Guides and Book Your Accommodation
The key to being prepared is getting ideas from the locals themselves. If you have contact numbers of local guides and operators, they might even give you some tips on reaching a certain place, what things you should prepare for and how much money you should take with you – this also creates a sense of camaraderie between locals and tourists! If you are going to an urbanized and well-known area, it’s best to book your accommodations ahead to get cheaper rooms and ensure that you will have a place to stay in; the influx of tourists can often be quite unpredictable. Another good thing about contacting local guides ahead is that they can be so accommodating once they know that their place and service are becoming popular!
3. Get Emergency Contact Numbers and Embassy Address
Every adventure comes with risk – so to ensure your safety, get the police and the embassy’s contact numbers and keep them in your wallet or your cellphone so that they will be easy to reach in case there are any emergencies. Carry the correct change for local payphones as some countries still have them, and your cellphone carrier may not have good coverage. If you can, register at the embassy of the country you are visiting and so that it will know where’s the specific trail or place you are traveling to. Depending on the circumstances, be cautious of local police as in some countries, they may be very corrupt, and you are the outsider in their community. Be cooperative, but be mindful where you are and, in serious situations, e.g., if you are involved in an accident or if you are the victim of a crime, contact your embassy first and have them contact the police on your behalf.
4. Check The Weather During Your Visit
 Although weather can often be predictable, it never hurts to check the weather, especially a few days before your travel. This gives you an idea as to what types of clothes you should prepare. If you are going to a place such as the Philippines, which is a tropical country so most of the times, light clothes are recommended, but if you come and there’s a tropical storm passing by, then it’s likely you will need protective gear such as parka jacket and rain shoes instead of the usually recommended flip-flops! Be sure to check if the trails you will be trekking are safe during your visit and its weather just before you go on your trek. If the weather isn’t favoring your odds, then it’s better to postpone your trip. There are recommended months for travel all year on the internet for more well-known places, and you can also ask local guides for their recommendations.
5. Read About Local Laws and Norms
If you visit a different country, it’s important to read about the local laws and norms. Remind yourself that you are a visitor, so you must respect their rules no matter how strict it is. Most countries have a tourism website wherein tourists can read about the different laws that they enforce. As a visitor, it is your obligation to read ahead and follow these rules. You can also read about other trekkers’ experiences online on websites such as TripAdvisor and Quora. Seemingly simple offenses can lead to extreme fines and even jail time, so take this point seriously so you can have peace of mind on your adventure.
