The Backpacker Travel Lifestyle

Backpacking is without a doubt one of the most uplifting and soul-enriching forms of travel. There really is no better way to get up close and personal with the often unseen areas of a country, or even a whole continent! Backpacking brings a set of rewards and challenges unique to other ways of traveling.

And with it its own particular lifestyle that you need to get to grips with before embarking on your backpacking adventure.

Living on a Budget

Although this is something that most people do every day, living efficiently can take on a whole new meaning when backpacking. There may be the odd occasion where you can afford to eat out in a fancy restaurant or two, but most of the time you will need to be buying your own food and cooking it on a modest stove. Everything you save can be put towards something else – ideally a longer stay abroad!

Traveling

You can save money on flights easily enough by shopping around, but part of being a backpacker also requires finding the best forms of travel within a particular country. This is especially important in a country like Australia, where large expanses of outback mean you will often be forced to arrange your own transport. Campervans are a great option for Australia, particularly if there are a number of you traveling together, and a quick search online for “campervan hire Australia” will provide you with the best prices and vehicles.

Sleeping Together(!)

OK, so you won’t be forced to “sleep” with other people on your journey, but you will need to think of another way to cut down on expensive hotel bills. Staying in hostels is one cheap way to get a good night’s rest, where you will most likely be sharing a room with a number of other travellers. Although this may have disadvantages (particularly if the people around you snore), there are also major benefits too – you will doubtless meet a range of interesting people and may even form some close friendships with your neighbours.

Backpacker Jobs

There are certain times when you may simply run out of money and need to get a job to make ends meets. Due to the temporary nature of backpacking excursions, any job you are likely to get unfortunately may not particularly glamorous (i.e. be prepared to wash a few dishes or clean the odd hotel room). Not perfect by any means, but these jobs usually only last a couple of weeks and they’ll give you enough money to continue traveling, so roll up those sleeves!

Living Out of Your Backpack

Obviously when you are backpacking you want to be carrying as little luggage as possible, which means you will invariably end up living out of your backpack during the many months ahead. Packing light is the key, and although this may mean you are frequently washing clothes and get sick of everything in your backpacking wardrobe, you will certainly feels the benefits of a light pack on those long hikes!
Backpacking is one of life’s most fantastic experiences and if you can get to grips with the necessities of the backpacker lifestyle early on, you may find it hard to give up! Travellers Autobarn knows Australia inside out and is passionate in providing quality budget campervan hires for all travel enthusiasts, especially backpackers looking to take their holiday on the road.