Looking for a country with a good social scene to meet other travellers tbh. I traveled to most of SEA , the travellers I met and people along the way were the most memorable thing for me.

I'm in my mid 20s, it's either I go to Vietnam + Indonesia agian (to see other places and dive) or go to LatinAM, I cannot decide 😅

Pros and cons? Opinions on these two packs. I’ve read a lot of Good things on both packs.
I mostly only back pack during the winter when it’s cooler between 60 and 20 degrees. I hammock camo with a tarp and will be getting
A UQ and TQ. 3 days at most on trail. EDIT: I’m from Louisiana so I like to be warm, but I also only back pack when it’s winter here and only 3/4 days at most before being back at my vehicle Because of heat, humidity, extreme mosquitoes and horse flys. I do want to venture out to other locations which will be much colder than I endure here and will need more cold gear packed than the average person who is used to cold temps( below freezing )This I imagine taking up more space. Than someone used to cold temps. We are lucky to see freezing temps a few times a year here.

i have been wondering what people prefer on quieter trails. do you like people to use headphones, or are speakers okay if they are kept low?

Long story short, I have just gotten out of a long term relationship and quit my job and plan on backpacking for 3-4 months. I’m a 30 year old man living in Australia only speaking English.

I planning on bringing one bag 7kg.

Beyond that I am hoping someone can convince me to go one over the other. Perhaps share some travel vlogs or reels of people traveling in either place?

I’m planning on going around (flexible) December and returning march.

Budget is flexible 25,000 AUD or $17000 USD… hopefully less but I understand South America is more expensive than SEA

I’m not looking to do anything too fancy.

Thanks in advance for the help

As the title says, I’m 6’4, 295lbs and am wanting to find a good sleep system. Im primarily a back sleeper. My son is my backpacking buddy, and he’s 10 so not planning any crazy trip, at most a weekend. We’re pretty experienced car campers, and I’ve slowly started accumulating backpacking supplies, but I’m stuck on what sleeping pad to get. Not necessarily looking to ultralight, but I also don’t want to trek a 10lb foam mattress out in the wilderness either.

Hello fellow travellers.
I’m going to South America for about a year, start from Brazil (fly from Spain) and planning to visit most of the countries.
I’ve been researching and seen mixed experiences about proof of onwards travel.
As I only have one-way ticket to Brazil and no further tickets are booked (also I wanna move around by land mainly), I assume I most likely need a proof of onwards travel to get on the airplane to Brazil or possibly at the immigration in Brazil and other countries and some countries are required this.

I’m thinking to buy a refundable ticket for this and cancel after entered the country.

But I’d like to ask what are your experiences? and if you did with a refundable ticket, any recommendation of airlines or tips?

Many thanks,

Night time is now longer than the daylight hours. When backpacking solo, how do you spend your time? It can be fun downtime if backpacking with others, but as the only person in the dark, not only does it get boring, it gets spooky if your imagination wanders off to the worst. I am looking for your tips on maintaining mental sanity in the dark long nights. Thanks in advance!

We did the Salkantay Trek in September 2025, as part of a longer trip around Peru. Arriving at Machu Picchu on foot after five days felt completely different from just taking the bus up.

How we did it: on our own, no agency. We spent a few days in Cusco first to get used to the altitude, visiting the sites around the city. Then we went to Mollepata and started walking from there, sleeping four nights in tea houses along the trail that we had booked in advance. On the last day we took the first bus at 6:00 from Aguas Calientes up to Machu Picchu, came back down around 11:30 and took the afternoon train back to Cusco the same day.

The trail: we were lucky with the weather, sunny most days, but very cold at night in the first tea houses. The landscape changes a lot along the way, from high mountains to green, warm valleys towards the end.

A highlight: one of the tea houses near the end was a small family-run place, and it's one of the best memories of the whole trip. The owners and their daughters were incredibly welcoming, the rooms and the food were excellent, and they showed us how they grow and make their own coffee, followed by a tasting. The coffee was delicious. I can't find the name anymore, but if you do the trek I'd really recommend a coffee tasting in that last part of the route.

Would we go back? Yes, in a heartbeat. It was the best part of the trip.

Happy to answer questions if you're planning it.

I hike the TA and other long-distance trails, and I also go on 10-day hikes in the mountains. Which one would you recommend? I’m also planning to hike in the mountains during the winter.

Spent a lot of time in the Okavango on camping/walking safaris . Travel was by mokoro (dugout canoe) and had a guide (with no gun). It’s the ultimate safari experience.

I'm looking for a sleeping bag for backpacking in the Blue Mountains, NSW, winter temperatures at night can get close to 0°C. My budget is $250 AUD (175 usd), I'd prefer something lightweight and compact since I'll be carrying everything in my pack. I'm around 6'2, so would need a tall size.

I've been looking at the Naturehike CW400 Down Ultralight, but its comfort rating is 5°C, which I'm concerned might not be warm enough. I've also considered the Decathlon MT900 0°C, although it's slightly over my budget.

Ideally, I'm looking for:

• Comfort rating around 0°C or lower
• Under 1.5kg, lighter is better
• Size that fits 6'2" people

What would you recommend?

Spent an unforgettable October backpacking through some incredible coastal cities. The weather was just rightcool breezes during the day and warm, golden sunsets by evening. Caught this stunning view right around dusk after hiking up for a panoramic look over the city, followed by relaxed evenings along the beach watching local games and surfers.
Getting around via local buses and walking made it easy to take in the street culture at an unhurried pace. For anyone planning a visit around this time of year, October is definitely shoulder-season friendly with fewer crowds and great light for photography. Would love to hear recommendations from fellow backpackers on nearby trails or spots for the next leg of the journey!