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cjhubbs 
Group: Members
Posts: 4
Joined: Feb. 2013
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Posted on: Feb. 10 2013, 3:37 pm |
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Hello Everyone,
My friends and i have been trying to decide what we want to do once we graduate from highschool, for the past few months. Well somehow along the way we set our eyes on backpacking for a year and have come to the conclusion that Europe will be our target. We are just in the beginning stages of planning the trip and on top of that have barely any backpacking experience. I was wondering if you know of any sites where I can find information on what gear and supplies we would need. I am trying to find a way to grasp how much money this may cost. Thanks for the help, I must sound like such a newbie lol! 
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| Post Number: 2
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cjhubbs
Group: Members
Posts: 4
Joined: Feb. 2013
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Posted on: Feb. 10 2013, 3:44 pm |
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Oh, I also was wondering if you had any suggested reading material about backpacking or long-distance hiking?
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| Post Number: 3
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no_granola
minor deity
Group: Members
Posts: 12659
Joined: Dec. 2004
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Posted on: Feb. 10 2013, 4:56 pm |
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European backpacking is much different than US backpacking. Do you want a wilderness experience or do you want to walk from town to town and stay in a hostel every night?
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The difference between people who think for themselves and those that follow the herd is that thinking people aren't afraid of reality.
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| Post Number: 4
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High_Sierra_Fan
Group: Members
Posts: 39801
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: Feb. 10 2013, 7:34 pm |
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The Lonely Planet "backpacking" forum is what you want. This forum is almost entirely wilderness hiking trip oriented not urban traveling with a backpack as luggage.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2117814
There's a reference to LPs "Europe on a shoestring" for Europe backpacking tips.
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| Post Number: 5
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hikerjer
Group: Members
Posts: 9239
Joined: Apr. 2002
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Posted on: Feb. 10 2013, 9:14 pm |
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I would shurely look into the European hostel system if you plan to be in cities at all. Not sure of the websites, but if you surf the net, I'm sure you'll find tons of information.
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"Too often I have met men who boast only of how many miles they've traveled and not of what they've seen." - Louis L'Amour
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| Post Number: 6
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cjhubbs
Group: Members
Posts: 4
Joined: Feb. 2013
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Posted on: Feb. 11 2013, 2:40 pm |
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I was planning on doing both. The trip we are planning is walking from the Eastern boarder of Europe in Greece to the Western Boarder of Europe in Spain. So it would compromise both the wilderness, small towns and cities. We were planning to camp and stay in hostels depending on the location.
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| Post Number: 7
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SW Mtn backpacker
Born to hike, forced to work ...
Group: Members
Posts: 6742
Joined: Jul. 2006
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Posted on: Feb. 11 2013, 3:57 pm |
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Gear-wise I saw a lot of Deuter and Osprey over in Germany a couple years ago but they don't have the lightweight stuff, only 75L to 85L to 110L packs. TNF, think I saw ArcTeryx. Same clothing, though Jack Wolfskin is big over there for hiking clothes. Not as much selection but pretty much the same stuff you see here at REI. Groceries run about the same but be prepped for sticker shock in restaurants. Bring your own coffee least you get trapped by the infamous $14 coffee cup in eastern Europe. Also if you are on a budget, McD's and BK pervade Germany and elsewhere nowadays (tourist towns, highways).
Trip-wise (prepare for essay):
It's not all hostels and hotels. France and Spain have some good backpacking trails with campsites but eastern Europe is still opening up. Francis Tarpon had a book on backpacking Eastern Europe that you really must check out. Transylvania is the big wild area in Europe, though I've read that you can stealth sleep ("rest") in German forests and fields, just you cannot "camp" (i.e. cook, wash, play cards). Google stealth camping backpacker-style.
Definately check out this site ... Christine - German backpacker I've been following. For traveling end-to-end on a continent, she's more hardcore than many Gore-Tex ad wanna-be, "manly-men" who populate outdoor websites (who shall remain nameless).
In some countries, like Belgium and Greece, ... backcountry sleeping is plain illegal. Know the rules but also check out some blogs to see if they can be bent.
I've only visited cities in central and eastern Europe for a previous job (recently), so can't really help you hiking (bring Euro coins for public toilets in Germany though, they'll catch an American quarter). Europe is very different from America, especially eastern Europe. Do what the police tell you as the population in general can be rather forward (not that American cops are pushovers but generally you can interact).
Bring a phrase book: The locals open up when you at least try to start a conversation in English. You have too many languages to get decent on but there are some free pronunciation lessons online. Don't worry about offending anybody - even Muslims cut Americans some slack because they know we are tourists. Know which countries do not allow pictures of potential military sites (bridges, etc..). Kryzygstan was kind of a bear about that.
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Usually Southwest and then some.
In wildness is the preservation of the world. - Henry Thoreau
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| Post Number: 8
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| Post Number: 9
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SW Mtn backpacker
Born to hike, forced to work ...
Group: Members
Posts: 6742
Joined: Jul. 2006
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Posted on: Feb. 11 2013, 4:36 pm |
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(Chuck D @ Feb. 11 2013, 2:10 pm)
QUOTE
(SW Mtn backpacker @ Feb. 11 2013, 3:57 pm)
QUOTE Definately check out this site ... Christine - German backpacker I've been following. For traveling end-to-end on a continent, she's more hardcore than many Gore-Tex ad wanna-be, "manly-men" who populate outdoor websites (who shall remain nameless). Thanks for the link. Read a little on the blog, excellent read...
Neat thing is notice her gear list, she has been mostly using an American Gossamer Gear G4 ultralight pack. That's another thing the OP should take a look at, though big backpacks are not uncommon in Europe like they are here in most of the USA. Does the OP want to visit the sites in town while worrying about a large backpack ... or go lightweight so that the pack is as easy to deal with as a book bag?
Our own Ben2World will probably have his own thoughts, as UL packs can have a thin fabric.
Another thing, if buying a pack in Euros watch the exchange rate. An Osprey 85 liter pack in Germany ran 450 Euros which translates into $600 US. It is still an uneven currency exchange, so buy all your major items here.
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Usually Southwest and then some.
In wildness is the preservation of the world. - Henry Thoreau
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| Post Number: 10
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cjhubbs
Group: Members
Posts: 4
Joined: Feb. 2013
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Posted on: Feb. 11 2013, 4:40 pm |
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Thanks for all of the help! This definitley will be a complex endeavor to undertake but I am up for the challenge. I guess the first place I should start is to get some maps of Europe and begin planning our route. At the same time I should start tasking some of my friends with trying to get a price tag on this thing. We are trying to make it more of a getting back to Earth and our routes type of trip. Thanks again for the help
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| Post Number: 11
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| Post Number: 12
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