Common problems that travellers encounter, such as stomach upsets and those from insect bites, can be prevented by taking . . . → Read More: Preventing Medical Problems]]>

Common problems that travellers encounter, such as stomach upsets and those from insect bites, can be prevented by taking simple precautions.

These include such things as good hygiene and safe food preparation practices, drinking (and using) only treated or clean water, avoiding being bitten by various insects and worms, and getting vaccinated and taking pills to prevent diseases.

Clean water and water treatment

Everyone needs a minimum of about two and a half litres or just over half a gallon of clean water a day. In hot climates while doing things like carrying a backpack, hiking or just walking around in the sun, you will need even more, maybe around 4 litres or about a gallon a day, mainly because of loss from sweating.

It is extremely easy to become dehydrated while travelling in hot and unfamiliar climates. It is recommended to take a water bottle with you each day.



Public water in all of the USA, western Europe and some parts of eastern Europe is safe to drink. A lot of countries around the world, however, are not so stringent about the cleanliness of their water supply, which can mean health risks for travellers.

Drinking water can be contaminated with all sorts of infectious agents, ice (for example, in drinks (even in alcoholic ones)) is a major problem, as is finding safe water to use when brushing your teeth, washing (and swimming).

Salads, vegetables and fruits washed in local water should also be avoided, as well as and water-based products such as ice cream.

Check destination information on the Internet to find out in which countries you are at risk from inadequate sanitation and contaminated water.

Sites such as www.tripprep.com and www.cdc.gov are good sources of information. However, the main danger areas are:

- The Indian subcontinent

- Africa

- Mexico, Central and South America

- Russia and the former USSR countries

- Asia

There are five basic ways to get clean water. Buying bottled water, and either boiling, distilling, filtering or purifying water from local supplies.

Robert Sangster’s book here is a good place to find more information.

Bottled Water

Generally easy to find and sold in various sized plastic bottles. Other bottled drinks are somewhat safe and routinely drunk by travellers.

Bottled water can be expensive, but the main problem, though, is availability. It can’t always be found everywhere you go (or when you want or need it), and even if do find it you can’t be sure that it is really safe. Anyone can fill an old bottle with tap water, reseal it and sell it to you.

The worst thing about bottled water, however, is the hundreds of unrecycled plastic bottles that get dumped or left behind.

Boiling

Boiling water for a minute or two is the best method for eliminating infectious agents. Also the best method to use when making tea, coffee, and soups.

While boiled water is safe, it should not be relied upon as the sole source of drinking water as you won’t always have access to a stove or pan.

Distillation

Distillation involves a unit that boils water and then condenses the steam into a clean container, leaving nearly all of the solid contaminants behind.

This will kill and remove bacteria, viruses, cysts, heavy metals, and other particulates, more so in fact than any other system.

Useful if you can’t tolerate or don’t like the taste of iodine, or for long-term travellers (where using iodine for extended periods may cause problems. See below).

Most systems do need electricity to work, however, although there are some non-electric systems out there. They are also quite slow to produce clean water, as well as being heavy and bulky.

They also leave scale behind, which means that the distillation apparatus be frequently cleaned.

Filtration

Water filtration devices work by forcing water through materials which screen out particles. What gets filtered out depends on the size of the pores in the material used.

Filters of about 0.2 microns will remove dirt, bacteria and parasites, but waterborne viruses, such as hepatitis and polio, are 0.04 microns or smaller so may not be removed, and the water will need subsequent boiling or chemical treatment.

Filtering doesn’t change the taste of the water, however, and there is no need to wait. You can clean and reuse filters so it is also cheap.

Again this is a good solution if you are sensitive to iodine or where viruses might not be a problem, such as for backcountry use in the U.S. and Canada. Also can be used where the user has had all the vaccination for local viruses.

Mechanical filters can, however, be bulky, heavy, and hard to use for less experienced travellers. Filters can become clogged and if further chemical treatment is needed the cost per gallon increases.

Purification

Water can be purified with one of a number of chemical additives. The most popular is iodine, either in tablet or liquid form. Chlorine and silver are alternatives.

Iodine is used by putting 2-3 drops or a couple of tablets in water and letting it stand for about 30 minutes.

The dosage must be doubled for very cold water (e.g. from mountain streams).

Tablets and liquids are very compact and are good for short-term use or with filters.

Regular iodine stains badly (if it leaks in your bag) but you can find uncoloured (as well as regular) iodine in some places, for example, in pharmacies around the world.

With iodine the water has a chemical taste (as it does with chlorine) which some find objectionable, and is coloured, although both the colour and taste can be removed by adding vitamin C (orange juice, for example) to the water, but only after the waiting period is over, otherwise the iodine will be neutralised.

There is some debate over the safety of iodine for long-term use and what is a safe maximum dose to ingest over and above the recommended daily amount. Reports of serious side-effects are few and far between, however. A 1998 study published in the Lancet described thyroid problems in a group of Peace Corps workers in Africa which was linked to their use of two-stage iodine-resin filters as their only water purification method for over two years. Then again a study in the 1960′s of Florida prison inmates who were given iodinated water for up to 15 years showed no such problems. Those with thyroid problems, pregnant women, or those with a sensitivity to iodine, might want to consider alternative solutions, however.

Read more about it here, especially the ‘Recommendations for Iodine Use in Water Treatment’ section.

Other approaches

A combination of methods works well. Some travellers (including myself) carry personal water purifiers which both purify and filter the water at the same time, and generally does it a lot quicker than with iodine alone.

Most purifiers use iodine as the active ingredient as part of a filter cartridge. The filtration process removes the larger, hard-shelled creatures such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium, then the water passes through an iodised resin bed, where bacteria and viruses are deactivated. Some systems incorporate a carbon filter at the final stage of purification. These filters absorb traces of residual iodine and greatly improve the flavour of the water.

The most convenient method I have found so far, and one which I thoroughly recommend, is the Aquapure Traveller Water Bottle. You can fill the bottle from ANY water source, streams, ponds, rainwater barrels, and obtain safe, palatable, clear, odourless drinking water. It kills viruses and bacteria and removes parasites such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Read more about it here, or watch the video:

As a backup I also carry a Steripen (the Adventurer model). This is an amazing product, it is an ultra-light UV water purifier that destroys 99.99% of the bacteria, viruses and Giardia in water. It emits UV light which purifies 16 ounces of water from any source in under 1 minute (32 ounces in 90 seconds). You can use regular camera batteries to power it but I bought the optional solar charger which means I can go anywhere in the world and not worry about drinking the water. I bought both the Steripen and the solar charger in the US but you can also buy them in the UK.

Another device (used by the US military), is MSR’s MIOX Purifier which creates a dose of mixed oxidants (MIOX) that is then added to the water to inactivate bacteria, Giardia and Cryptosporidium, (which iodine won’t kill). It runs on common camera batteries and uses regular salt to operate, and needs no maintenance.

As well as a passport, many countries require a visa to enter. This is simply a document or stamp . . . → Read More: Visas]]>

As well as a passport, many countries require a visa to enter. This is simply a document or stamp issued by a country giving you permission to enter for a given period of time and for certain purposes, which is usually stamped or glued inside your passport, or issued as separate pieces of paper.

Here are some examples of entry requirements around the world (check with the country’s embassy or consulate before you leave, though):

New Zealand doesn’t require US or EU citizens to obtain a visa in advance but you do need a return or onward ticket (plus a visa for the country where you are heading, if required).

Some countries (for example, Australia) use electronic “visas” where you can apply online and, if successful, your name is added to a database which is checked when you enter the country.

Indonesia requires an onward ticket for entry but these can be bought cheaply after landing at the Indonesian airport and then sold later if not needed.



There are reciprocal arrangements between various countries, too, like the US Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens of specific countries to travel to the US for tourism or business for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa and vice-versa. The reciprocal arrangement means that most European countries will admit citizens of the United States with just a valid passport.

Canada just requires that US citizens have official identification (usually a driver’s licence), and sufficient funds to enter.

Mexico requires just an id to travel within 26 kilometers of the border, and a $15 visitor card beyond that (bought at checkpoints).

Thailand will issue a free transit visa valid for 15 days to those arriving there without a visa as long as you have an onward airline ticket. For $25, paid in advance at a Thai embassy or consulate, you can get 30, 60 or 90 day visas (valid from the date of entry), with no need for an onward ticket.

A visa for visiting India is multiple entry (you can leave and re-enter on the same visa), and can be obtained at your local Indian embassy. You will get an application form which you send back with your passport and the required fee by registered mail. Your passport is then returned with the visa inside. This will take about two weeks, although, for an additional fee, you can get next-day processing. The visa is valid from the date of issue, not from when you enter the country.

Other things to be aware of are such things as the fact that there are certain countries that will not let you enter if you have an Israeli entry stamp in your passport (or if you use an Israeli passport when entering). Luckily, you can make alternative arrangements, for example, by applying for a second passport if you travel frequently to Israel.

The World Travel Guide says this: “Tourists [visiting Israel and] continuing [on] to Arab countries, excluding Egypt and Jordan, are recommended to request that an Israeli stamp does not appear in their passport. The granting of such requests is at the discretion of the authorities.”

As with passports, applying for visas is another thing that can take time (for visas to enter some countries it can take months), so, again, check the requirements for the countries you are visiting well in advance of your trip (here, for example, on the World Travel Guide website).

Once in a country it can be possible get visa extensions but sometimes it is easier to leave the country and come back on a new visa.

Finally, it also pays to take extra passport-sized photos for any additional visas that you might need while travelling.

Not everywhere takes credit or debit cards so another option is to withdraw cash from a local ATM. This . . . → Read More: Getting Cash from ATMs]]>

Not everywhere takes credit or debit cards so another option is to withdraw cash from a local ATM. This has the same advantage as using a credit card, that of getting the wholesale exchange rate, plus the fact that you can get local currency from the machines.

Again, find out any daily /weekly/ monthly limits your bank imposes on transactions.

Disadvantages are, again, the fees charged. There is the usual currency exchange fee, plus a handling fee (a flat fee of a few dollars/pounds, or a percentage 2-4%, again, per transaction).

In addition, bear in mind that if you use your credit card for a cash advance from an ATM then interest will start to accrue immediately without a grace period (unlike purchases made with the credit card). And of course, with debit cards, there is no interest to accrue as the money comes straight out of your bank account.

For this reason a good rule of thumb would be to use your credit card for purchases and to use your atm/debit card for cash withdrawals (remembering that you also get purchase protection with the credit card).



Another thing to keep in mind is that PINs (Personal Identification Numbers) can work differently in different countries. Some countries use six digits but four is more common, so consider changing to a 4 digit PIN if you can.

Try to make sure that the first digit of your PIN is not a zero either, as this can sometimes cause problems. Conversely, if you do have a four digit PIN and the machine you are using asks for a six digit number, try entering two zeros at the start of the number then your PIN.

If you can, try to find and ATM which is part of the PLUS network (for VISA) or the Cirrus network (for MasterCard) withdrawals. These are interbank networks that allow your cards to work in the other bank’s ATM machines.

A Cirrus system card, for example, will currently work in over sixty countries, including about 10,000 machines in the U.K., 1000 in France, 1400 in Austria, 3000 in Turkey, 300 in Israel, 3600 in Mexico, 1800 in Australia, and 150 in Thailand.

The networks are designed to make available the same services that you get when you use your ATM at home, such as balance enquiries (and of course, cash withdrawals). There is no guarantee, however, that you won’t be charged yet another, additional fee to use the other bank’s ATM (as well as your own bank’s fees on top of this).

Even so, you will inevitably run into trouble using an ATM abroad, so to cover all eventualities, take a credit card, an ATM card, and a few hundred (or thousand) dollars/pounds in cash, as well as a small amount of local currency, and maybe even some traveller’s cheques.

If you are having trouble finding an ATM overseas you can find them using the Internet. Click here for the worldwide Mastercard ATM locator, and here for the worldwide VISA ATM locator.