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What's New:
- Avoiding Insect Bites
Many tropical diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis, West Nile virus, L
- Websites
Some of the following links are on other pages of this website. I have brought them all together on
- Books
Below is a list of just some of the books that I have bought and found useful on my travels. I usua
- Suppliers
Links to the suppliers of the travel gear I use and recommend can be found through out this site. He
- Miscellaneous
Waterproof bags Used to separate and keep various items dry in your bag. Good for keeping valuables
 Links to the suppliers of the travel gear I use and recommend can be found through out this site. Here is a list of those suppliers on one page.
I don’t work for any of the companies listed, neither do I receive any money from them to list them here. The list changes all the time as I add new suppliers and test out new gear.
I buy my equipment from companies on both sides of the Atlantic (I am both British and American). US-based companies and website links are preceded by  and [...]
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 Facilities for keeping clean while travelling vary greatly. Guesthouses and hotels may (or may not) have showers, sometimes you may get hot and cold running water, sometimes it may be just a tap and bucket of hot water. There is no guarantee that the water you use is clean either.
Keeping your hands clean is probably the easiest way to keep healthy in some countries, although this can be hard to do if you aren’t close to fresh water and soap for most of the day. Keeping your hands away from your mouth and eyes will help [...]
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 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 [...]
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 Some problems with the cold aren’t necessarily associated with cold temperatures, for example, hypothermia.
Hypothermia
Cause – a life-threatening condition defined as body temperature below 95 F (35 C).
Temperatures do not have to be extreme to cause hypothermia, since water and wind can combine to rapidly chill a person. Most deaths from hypothermia occur in well-above freezing temperatures.
Symptoms – a pale, drowsy, confused, and cold victim. She may become unconscious.
Treatment – consists of seeking immediate medical help and warming the victim. Warm drinks are effective, as well as hats, blankets, emergency aluminum blankets which reflect body heat, and, [...]
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 The sun is very intense in the tropics and at higher elevation. For every 5000 feet (1500 meters) in altitude gain, UVB radiation increases by twenty percent.
Travellers should wear a hat with at least a three-inch brim all around, and use sunblock with a sun protection factor of at least fifteen.
Wear sunglasses with ninety-nine percent UVA/UVB protection, and protective goggles are a must for preventing snowblindness at altitude.
Heat and humidity
Unacclimated travellers run a risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke if they try to do too much, too soon. Also, pricky heat may be a problem.
If [...]
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 Inadequate sanitation and contaminated water are the leading cause of stomach upsets in travellers.
Unfamiliar foods, changes in routine, diet, all can cause digestive problems.
While some are are not life threatening, they are still annoying and can make you feel sick for several days.
Traveller’s diarrhea
Found – common amongst visitors to the developing world.
Cause – usually caused by unfamiliar bacteria and sometimes even anxiety. Generally, lasts a few days and no great problem.
Treatment – best to let normal diarrhea run its course, drink plenty of liquids, eat no solid foods on the first day. On the second day [...]
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 If you need to buy gear, get it from the classifieds, craigslist, ebay, buy it used, or borrow it from friends.
Stay in hostels, rather than hotels. Stay in a tent, rather than a hostel.
Take a train instead of a plane. Walk or get the bus instead of taking a taxi. Hitchhike instead of taking a train or bus.
Don’t buy water, use a plastic bottle filled and topped up with tap water.
Don’t eat out in restaurants every day, especially in Europe. Supermarkets and bakeries are so much cheaper and the food is often better (than McDonalds, for [...]
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Infected wounds