####  <center> How to travel as a backpacker? What to consider when planning a route? What rules to follow? About this in today's article! </center>

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## Avoid highways and expressways
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The pleasure of backpacking on a busy road is much less than when you could walk along a forest or mountain path. Sure, sometimes it is easier because the topography is less demanding, but you are going on a route for sensations, new experiences, for communing with nature ... sometimes it's better to take the road and walk along the hiking trail. In addition to the obvious visual sensations, hiking along the trail will also be safer and healthier

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## Always be aware of the distance between places (water, food, preparations)
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When you traverse an area where you know you will not come across any town for half a day, a day or two, you must prepare yourself for such wandering. Plan the route so that you know how far ahead of you is, prepare the right amount of food, water and be ready for any inconvenience.

Once I found out for myself how important this type of preparation is. During one of my first hikes in Spain, I thoughtlessly changed my route and after a day of hiking, I realized that I was in the middle of nowhere with no town on the horizon. My water supplies were quite limited, so I exposed myself to a potentially risky situation, and although I got to the village the next day, I never again dared to make the mistake of rerouting without first checking it and making proper supplies. 

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## Pay attention to natural hazards 
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It is always good to know what wild animals that could threaten us are present in the area we are going to cross. If possible, take precautions by taking venom-neutralizing medications, deterrents, or taking precautionary safety measures.

Some areas are also dangerous due to the topography. An example is the so-called temporary rivers created by heavy rains.

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## Mark on the map attractive places that you would like to see
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Traveling along the road is a great pleasure and a form of meditation, but sometimes wandering can be additionally diversified by visiting attractive places that occur along the way.

 Before you go on a tour, google what is nearby and mark the places you would like to visit on the map. It is always good to catch up a few kilometers to participate in some amazing festival, see a medieval village, take a bath in a lake hidden in the forest, or relax in hot springs. Don't miss the opportunity to reward yourself for your effort - your morale will increase significantly.

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## Think about accommodation 
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Sleeping in the woods shouldn't be a problem, but if you plan your route inadequately, and the night takes you by surprise in a fenced-in soybean field on both sides of the road, setting up your tent can be more troublesome.

Always plan your route so that you know more or less where there are potentially good places to stay. These can be forests, hidden valleys, and other natural places, although it is also good to know where to find camping or hostel in case we need to be closer to people for some reason (for example when we are sick).

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## Plan two times smaller daily distances than you think you will walk
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The golden rule when traveling on foot or by bike. When planning the route, we can easily assume that walking 30 km a day or cycling 100 km is not a problem. The reality, however, can surprise you. When we have a heavy backpack on our back, we have been on the road for several weeks and our bodies are already tired, the distance that we can cover is shortened. Additionally, we may want to stay somewhere pleasant, or we may have to wait out the unusually hot noon in the shade or hide from the storm. You never know what will happen along the way, so when planning, it is better to plan a shorter daily distance and possibly surprise yourself than assume that we will cover tens of kilometers, and then stress that we will not end our wandering before the end of the holiday.

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## Always be ready to change your plans
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Flexibility is very important and allows us to enjoy the road and be less stressed about what might happen in the meantime. It is good to have an itinerary, and I encourage all of you to do so, but it is important not to consider it as final, to be ready for any change of plans.

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All photos in this article come from a private collection. 
Thank you for reading, 
@papi.mati