Backpacker Problems: 7 Things I Struggled With in My First Month on the Road

Backpacker Problems: 7 Things I Struggled With in My First Month on the Road

So here we are: firmly in the middle of our journey of a lifetime. It's been exactly a month since we left London - an amazing month in which we've swum under waterfalls, kayaked to deserted islands, dived for the first time, explored the depths of Millennium Cave and stared into the crater of an active volcano.

It turned out to be much better and easier than I predicted. Of course, there were some backpacker problems I had to deal with - some we expected, some we didn't.

1. Find nothing

"Okay, I finally admit it. I am indeed a nerdlinger," I texted my old deskmate with a copy of the image below. As an organization freak, I like punctuality, I like deadlines and I like order. Under normal circumstances, I would unpack and organize everything as soon as I arrive at a new destination.

However, when you're constantly on the move, it's not practical to unpack everything; You have to learn to live out of your backpack. And therein lay the problem: I kept searching for one thing or another until finally, much to Peter's amusement, I decided to name parts of my backpack and list what each contained.

alt="Backpacker Problems">Yes, I'm a nerd, but I'm a happy,more organizedNerd

Now when I pack or unpack, I make sure I put things in their proper place, which makes finding, using, and storing things much, much easier. Yes, I'm a nerd, but I'm a happy, organized nerd.

2. Smell different

Okay, stop giggling in the back - I don't mean that I smell bad; just different. I'm used to my special toiletries: my shower gel, my body lotion, my shampoo, my perfume.

I packed small amounts of the things I needed, but as we headed out, I decided to use the hotel-provided toiletries whenever possible to store my own supplies. Of course, this meant I smelled like generic hotel toiletries, which was oddly confusing.

I have since returned to my own brands. I'll probably come back to this issue once my supplies run out, but hopefully by then I'll have gotten used to all the other changes, which will make this one a little less annoying.

3. The prospect of slumming

I've never wild camped before and before this trip I had never stayed in a co-ed dorm, so I was a little worried about doing the backpacker circuit. I'm not high maintenance, but I like warm showers and comfortable beds, so I wondered if I had the guts to handle "real" backpacking.

My only consolation was the fact that when I was 13, I had lived in Bangladesh for a month without electricity, running water, or a proper commode. Surely if I did it then, I could do it now?

We haven't camped in the wild yet, but we have stayed in places with some pretty basic facilities. To my surprise, I handled them with little difficulty. It takes a change in expectations, but once that's done, slumming can be surprisingly fun.

Pro tip: I grew up Muslim, which means we clean ourselves with water when nature calls, not just toilet paper. Much of Asia has bidets in public toilets, which is great, but most of the world doesn't.

In the absence of a water jug, I use a fantastic little contraption called the Hygienna Solo. It's not the most ladylike thing to discuss in public, but it works so well that I wanted to share it. I am convinced that the whole world will use this in the future.

4. to be ‘served’

I have an unofficial saying: Clean your own toilet and you will always remain humble. The idea is that you never become too comfortable or too middle-class to lose touch with those less fortunate than you.

I come from a working-class family and have never felt comfortable with submissive employees. It's not a problem if I slum it (see above); It's more likely in higher end hotels where people rush to open the doors for you, or insist on carrying your drink from the bar to your table, or apologize profusely for making you wait a second and a half. My insistence that “no, no, no, it’s okay” always feels like fake magnanimity.

A few times we returned to our room while housekeeping was still in progress. On these occasions I asked Peter if we could come back later or wait outside as I was uncomfortable relaxing in a room with people cleaning it for us. Luckily he understands how I feel. I guess we have to slum it more often than not.

5. Share all our moments

I started a personal blog long ago, before I became a “real” author. The blog shared many ups, downs, and insights into my life, including marriage, divorce, and bereavement.

At some point I stopped sharing details about my relationships (divorce will do that to you). However, as part of Atlas & Boots, Peter and I shared pictures and videos of us together.

alt="Backpacker Problems Mt. Yasur">

We created the blog to 1) give us an outlet for our writing and photography, 2) give our trip some focus, 3) make ourselves more marketable to employers when we return ("we didn't just mess around for a year!"), and 4) generate a little income along the way. Sharing quiet moments with each other is part of what makes a travel blog successful, but I'm uncomfortable doing it.

Despite my history as a blogger, I share very few pictures on Twitter and don't accept Facebook requests from people I don't know "in real life." Suddenly starting to share our lives in public feels strange.

6. Antimalarials

Eh, great. Don't take Lariam. That's all.

7. Mistakes

When Peter and I arrived in Vanuatu, I told him that I would practice “Unagi” when confronted with beetles. For those unfamiliar with the term, the following should help.

Unfortunately, even though I can handle spiders now, I'm still deathly afraid of bugs, so you'll understand my horror at encountering this little guy.

What you don't see in the video is that shortly after we dropped him outside, another one crawled out a few feet from my bed, which proved much more difficult to catch. The South Pacific provides the perfect environment for everything that creeps and crawls. Let's just say I'm going through a period of adjustment. The Unagi will come soon… I hope.
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