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OKTOBER 2016

ENGLISH EDITION

How to Prepare Homemade Backpacking Meals?

Backpackers.com — Eating in the wilderness is paramount to survival, but it’s also one of the traditions that keeps people from spending long nights in the woods. Most think the food just isn’t that good.

There are two truths:

1. After hiking 8-plus miles, everything tastes good.
2. You can prepare homemade backpacking meals to get the exact meal you want.

The below is a guest post from Thomas Freeman, a computer science undergraduate with a penchant for the wilderness. He originally wrote an article on homemade backpacking meals and how to prepare for them. He has since embarked on his journey — below you’ll find his process, reflections, and recipes.

Eating in the Wild: How to Prepare Homemade Backpacking Meals

by Thomas Freeman

When it comes to backpacking, preparing and eating meals can be a bit of a task. While car camping has the conveniences of ice-filled coolers, plates, silverware, and propane grills, backpacking does not have these luxuries.

Eating in the wild includes its own set of requirements, such as food storage without refrigeration, having as little trash and cleanup as possible, and preparation without a full stove top. The most common option is to bring prepackaged freeze dried foods for your meals. There are a number of companies that produce such meals.

While these are very easy to use and handy to have around, there are a few issues with them:

• Large amount of trash after eating. (Always remember to Leave No Trace!)
• You are limited to their selection of meals.
• The extremely sharp edges of the plastic can actually damage the backpacks they are stored in.

In March of 2016 I was fortunate enough to be offered an internship working with a name brand tech company on the west coast. Since I live in Florida, the plan quickly became to drive across the U.S., with its endless opportunities for incredible backpacking through some of the country’s most amazing National Parks and forests. In preparing for this trip one of the main concerns besides picking trails and getting permits was the preparation of food.

While I had originally thought that I would just buy a bulk order of pre-packaged freeze dried meals, the reasons above encouraged me to find an alternative. Enter homemade backpacking meals.
                              


Creating these meals has a number of advantages:

• Different Flavors: There are endless amounts of meal combinations one can come up with, which means a more tasty and varied eating experience.
• Packaging: While I use Hefty brand ziplock bags, these could be stored in whatever you can fit in your pack.
• Customization: Gluten free? No Problem! Like it salty? Go for it! Make these meals how you want them.

How to Prepare Homemade Backpacking Meals

Making homemade backpacking meals is easier than it might seem. I’ll break it down into four main parts below, then run a cost analysis of every part.

Base

Any kind of starchy food can work here, including rice, noodles, pasta, etc. The only requirements are that they cook fast and don’t poke holes through your packaging! (More on this later).

I decided on using three different bases in my meals — linguine, Thai rice noodles, and white rice.
                      


All of these were relatively cheap as I ended up buying in bulk on Amazon for less than $1 per serving!

Vegetables

Of all the ingredients in this list I was most excited to customize my meals with freeze dried vegetables. I found a company called Harmony House, which specializes in creating packaged freeze dried vegetables for backpackers and campers. Harmony House makes kits that include a variety of vegetables and beans, one of which even won the Editor’s Choice Award from Backpacker Magazine.

While I used them solely for backpacking, I can see how these would be very useful for an office snack, or to spice up a simple meal in the dorm room.

                               

While I was really excited and pleased to use the freeze dried veggies, to save even more money in the long run I would recommend buying a dehydrator and using fresh veggies in bulk. The dehydrator should pay itself off in no time, as the freeze dried alternatives aren’t that cheap.

Meat

While there are a variety of companies that make different freeze dried and dehydrated meats for backpacking, I decided to go with Mountain House’s large can of diced chicken. My hiker in crime (read, girlfriend) is not a fan of beef and I cannot stand tuna for the life of me, so chicken was our only easy choice.

                                                           

If I were to hike alone or go with a different group I would be interested in trying some recipes that called for beef or something even more exotic.
Each recipe I used called for around 1/2 cup of chicken, which made for very easy meal prep.

Spices

While rice and chicken is not so bad by itself, adding a variety of spices really changes things. From cumin seed and pine nuts to cinnamon and ginger root, the list can go on and on. This is where the customization of homemade backpacking meals really shines, and it is here where you have the power to make the meals the way you want.

I was lucky enough to be able to use some of my parent’s spices while I was home prepping for the upcoming trip.

                                            
 After combining the base with the meat, vegetables, and spices you’re pretty much ready to go. Just put them in easy to store bags — I used ziplock freezer bags — and do some meal planning.

                                 


Serving them is as simple as:

1. Boil water.
2. Add to bag (or add contents of bag to water, depending on your setup).
3. Wait 5-10 minutes.
4. Enjoy!

Homemade Backpacking Meals Price Breakdown

Although saving money was one of the original reasons why I decided to make my own backpacking meals, it was not the only reason. Along with saving weight, having more resourceful packaging, and the sheer fun of making my own food, I was very interested to see how the price difference would turn out.

I posted my initial setup to Reddit, and user /u/cornered_crustacean completed a price breakdown, which can be seen below:

• $12.99 for rice (72 oz, 44 servings), $14.31 for noodles (6 x 14 oz, 42 servings), $17.35 for linguini (6 x 12 oz, 36 servings).
• $53 for the box of veggies, 70 servings
• $40 for the can of chicken (17 oz), 14 servings
• Spices? You probably have these, but $25 will get a starter set

So with my crappy rounding and estimating:

• Starch: $0.37 per serving
• Veggies: $0.75 per serving
• Chicken: $1.14 per serving
• Spices: $0.35 per serving (scaled to 70 servings)

A total of  $2.61 per serving.

Pre-made Mountain House meals:

• Mountain House, Chicken Teriyaki with Rice: $24.36 for 10 servings. Equates to $2.44 per serving.
• Mountain House, Beef Stroganoff: $23.47 for 10 servings. Equates to $2.23 per serving.
• Mountain House, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce: $21.51 for 10 servings. Equtes to $2.15 per serving.
• Mountain House Essential Bucket: $61.51 for 32 servings. Equates to $3.33 per serving.

While I will admit that the actual savings ended up being little compared to the price of buying the prepackaged Mountain House meals, the flexibility of making my own food, the convenience of packaging it how I like, and the fun I had creating them all made it well worth it in the long run.

With the lessons learned from doing this for the first time, I am confident that I would be able to lower the price even more the next time I decide to make these meals.

 

Post Trip Report

As I mentioned earlier, these meals were created for a trip across the U.S.
Seven National Parks and many homemade backpacking meals later I can say that this was a success. I had very few issues and most of the meals cooked well and tasted amazing! While I am not sure if hiking for 10 miles through mountainous terrain makes everything taste better (it does), I can confidently say that I will be using this method from now on whenever I go backpacking.
While the meals mostly turned out great there were still some issues that came up.

Always assume the base requires more time than it claims

For instance: The Asian rice noodles I used for many of my meals took way longer than I thought they would to cook. I believe it was partially due to the altitude I was at (over 9,000 feet), but even after 20 minutes of cooking in the bag, and with the meal becoming less warm by the minute, I succumbed to eating hard noodles. Luckily this did not happen with the rice or pasta noodles.

More Salt

While I originally thought the combination of spices would make the flavoring sufficient, I found it a common theme that the meals tasted as if they could be significantly improved with another teaspoon or so of salt. Along with being a crucial ingredient in remaining hydrated, the extra sodium would have been a welcome addition.

Less Pokey, More Round

I made the mistake of ordering thin, sharp noodles to use as the base for some of my meals. Along with them being hard and unable to cook thoroughly, they also had the property of being incredibly sharp. I discovered this when I went to pour boiling water into the bag and some of it seeped through holes, giving me a delightful surprise on my thighs. A lesson here would be to buy less sharp noodles; luckily I had no issue with the pasta noodles nor the rice.

Your Eyes Are Bigger Than Your Stomach

Seriously. For almost every single meal we had lots of left overs. Even after hiking for 8+ hours a day and having nothing but snacks throughout the hike, we were never able to properly finish a meal. I’m 6’3” and am able to put away a double bacon cheeseburger like nothing, but that big bag of fiesta chicken proved too much for me to handle.

 

Final Thoughts and Recipes

All and all I think this was an incredible learning opportunity that turned out excellent. Being that this was my first time making these homemade dried meals I still think it was a resounding success
As much as I would like to think I made this all up myself, I stand on the shoulders of giants.
I found a lot of ideas and inspiration from a number of websites, including The Yummy Life, Wild Backpacker, and Trail Recipes.

Below I’ve listed a few of the recipes I used. Note that these are single serving recipes meant for a hot meal after a long day of hiking. Adjust ingredients as necessary.

Combine all dry ingredients into a ziplock or similar plastic bag. When on the trail simply boil the appropriate amount of water and add to bag. Stir thoroughly and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then enjoy. Alternatively, you can add the contents of the meal to your stove and boiling water if that works better for your setup.

Fiesta Chicken

• 2/3 cup instant brown rice
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds or ground flaxseed (optional)
• 1/3 cup freeze dried chopped chicken
• 1/2 cup freeze dried corn
• ¼ cup freeze dried chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried minced jalapeno
• 1 tablespoon freeze dried onions (or 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons powdered chicken flavor base (or boullion granules)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican preferred)
• 1/2 teaspoon freeze dried cilantro (or 1/8 teaspoon dried)
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• 1-1/2 cups water

Creamy Chicken Alfredo

• 1 cup pasta broken in 2”pieces (use pasta that normally cooks on stovetop in 4 min. or less—thin egg noodles, angel hair pasta, or quick-cooking artisan pastas)*
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds or ground flaxseed (optional)
• ¼ cup freeze dried chopped chicken
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
• ¼ cup freeze dried chopped mushrooms
• 1-1/2 teaspoons powdered chicken flavor base (or boullion granules)
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (the dried, unrefrigerated kind in a can)
• 2 tablespoons instant dried buttermilk powder (or regular powdered milk)
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 teaspoons freeze dried Italian herb blend (or 3/4 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend)
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• 1-1/4 cups water

Thai Peanut Noodles

• 1 cup pasta broken in 2”pieces (use pasta that normally cooks on stovetop in 4 min. or less—thin egg noodles, angel hair pasta, or quick-cooking artisan pastas)*
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds or ground flaxseed (optional)
• ¼ cup freeze dried chopped chicken
• ¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts
• ¼ cup freeze dried mixed vegetables
• 1-1/2 teaspoons powdered chicken flavor base (or boullion granules)
• 2 tablespoons PB2 powdered peanut butter
• 1-1/2 teaspoons freeze dried cilantro (or ½ teaspoon dried cilantro)
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• pinch of ground cayenne pepper (or more if you want it spicier)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• 1 cup water

All images courtesy of Thomas Freeman, All Rights Reserved

TINTA BACKPACKER

XPDC GUNUNG SENYUM - TEMERLOH,PAHANG 

20 OKTOBER 2016

 

 

 

 

SEPTEMBER 2016

ENGLISH EDITION

Backpackers Guide to Online Outdoor Retailers 

Backpackers.com — How obsessed with outdoor gear are you? It’s OK, you don’t have to lie. You don’t have to say it out loud — just think it. Rate your level of obsession on a scale from 1-10, mouth the number to your computer, and take a deep breath.

Whatever number you picked, you’re not alone.

In the outdoor community there are two contrasting elements: the peace and quiet of the wild, and the capitalistic frenzy of gear. Sure, you can venture into the backcountry minimally obsessed with gear. But you know, as well as we do, that most backpackers like to geek out over every item in their pack. The industry has been there to support that obsession — there are countless brick and mortar stores in almost every town across the U.S. that sell outdoor gear by the armload.

While those are great, we’re also in the age of internet. This means online outdoor retailers, of which there are plenty.

We know most of you are obsessed and know you want the best, cheapest, and most well-reviewed process to explore and buy gear. That’s why we’ve assembled this epic list of online outdoor retailers for you. We’ve split them up into appropriate categories for your reading (and purchasing) pleasure.

 

U.S. Online Outdoor Retailers

The U.S. was the first country to create a federally protected piece of land; today there are over 50 National Parks and hundreds of wilderness areas and forests. The modern concept of backpacking — strapping a pack to your back and surviving in the wilderness for days on end — has roots in the U.S. because of all those incredible swathes of land.

It makes sense, then, that the U.S. online outdoor retailer market is booming. While most of these retailers ship internationally, their home-base is the U.S. You’ll probably be familiar with a number of these, but we’ll break down exactly what they do.

 

REI

If you haven’t heard of REI you’ve been getting outside for a really, really long time — since 1938, to be specific. REI is a brick-and-mortar store with over 140 locations, an online outdoor retailer used by thousands, and is the current dominant force in the marketplace.




REI began in Seattle, Washington as a place to buy gear and receive advice from expert wilderness enthusiasts. It has kept that general mentality, but branched into so many avenues we have to list them:

• REI is a co-op. You can shop there without a membership, but a lifetime membership will cost you $20, and provides yearly dividends. You’ll get 10% back on full-priced items you purchase under your membership, access to special sales and discounts, and be “part of the club.”
• REI carries many brands of outdoor gear, most of which are high-end name brands, like Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, and Big Agnes.
• REI has its own line of gear under the REI and evrgrn lines. Historically, REI branded gear has rivaled high-end name brands at a cheaper price, but that cheaper price mentality is changing. The evrgrn line was launched in 2015 and targets the urban hiker.
• REI’s non-gear offerings include: REI Adventures, an active vacation program; the Outdoor School, which teaches survival skills and conducts one-day outings in local areas; and Adventure Projects, a map and trail enterprise that includes Mountain Project, MTBProject, HikingProject, Powder Project, and TrailRunProject.

Basically, if you want to get familiar with any aspect of the outdoor industry, you could do it through REI.
With all the extra curriculums REI is now involved in (like the #OptOutside campaign that rocked the outdoor world in 2015), gear is still its primary focus and money-maker. That means REI is particularly good at selling gear.

When it comes to actually buying gear at REI there are four main avenues:

1. Physical stores

Odds are there’s an REI within an hour of you. If not, skip to the next number. For those who enjoy trying before buying (which we highly recommend), the REI physical stores serve as a perfect testing ground.

Typically the physical stores have the most popular items in stock, and you’ll notice nearly every sub-genre of outdoor activity possible, from backpacking to SUP paddle-boards to mountain bikes to car racks. You can find things on sale in store, especially in the discount racks (look in the clothes section, you’ll always see a marked down area), but most gear is full price.





Beyond browsing, touching, fondling, and caressing gear to satisfy your obsession, the physical stores are also perfect for those who need to pick up last minute items before a big trip. We recommend planning everything out well before an excursion, but it’s hard to do perfectly. That last-minute REI run will probably cost you, though, so be careful of buying items you don’t really need.

2. The Main Website

REI.com is a haven for the gear lover. The selection is even larger than physical stores, and you can narrow your search by activity, gender, size, cost, rating, brand, deals, and more. Shipping is free if you’re buying more than $50 worth of goods — and let’s be honest, you probably are.

Make sure to create an REI online account and enter your Membership info to receive the correct dividend amount on your purchases!

3. REI Garage

REI knows that gear enthusiasts will flock to a deal like locusts after the first rain. REI Garage launched in August 2016, and is a revamp of REI Outlet — both sites are built around discounts deals. REI Garage is supposed to highlight items that are excellent but now discounted, as opposed to the Outlet which was a crapshoot of gear nobody wanted or didn’t work with occasional good deals.

REI Garage is still too new to know if that’s a real transition, or an advertised one, but either way you will find massive deals in the Garage.

The deals in the Garage change frequently (especially the ones you’ll want to buy), so if you find something grab it. You won’t get dividend returns for items bought on REI Garage.

4. The Garage Sale

Capitalizing on the U.S. notion of garages, the Garage Sale by REI is a madhouse. It’s only in physical stores, so we won’t explain it too much in this article. Multiple times a year REI hosts epic garage sales, in which it sells all of its used, returned, and damaged goods for insanely low prices.

To Shop or Not

If you need something in the outdoor gear field, chances are REI has it. It’s a great company that continually makes a positive impact in the market, and has one of the best return policies in the business: Return an item one year after purchase for a full refund, no questions asked.

Well, they ask you why, but they’ll give you your money back no matter what you say. This used to be a lifetime return policy, but people kept bringing in hiking shoes from the ’60’s and demanding a full refund.
We use REI, and pretty much all backpackers use it at some point, whether for research or purchases.

 

Backcountry.com

 

Moving from one massive gear hub to the next, Backcountry.com is the largest online outdoor retailer in the market. It may not have the many-webbed branches of REI, nor the physical stores, but when it comes to number of brands and items Backcountry.com is a shining ray of light for the gear obsessed.
In many ways Backcountry.com is the online outdoor retailer that sets the bar for the rest.



Visually Appealing

The company is always on top of emerging visual trends, and the website reflects that. At the time of writing the style is large, professionally shot images overlaid with text, tiles for products, and a long scroll. Backcountry.com looks good, which makes you want to shop there forever.

Endless Choice

Backcountry.com’s main selling point is just how many items they have in stock, ready to order. Things do sell out, but when compared to other online outdoor retailers you’ll see just how much is searchable in one go. This typically includes models for the year, but because Backcountry.com has to stock so much material, it also has year-old models that sell for a lot cheaper.


The choice of gear extends to every corner of the outdoor world, too. You’ll find gear for backpacking, climbing, surfing, biking, skiing and snowboarding, physical fitness, traveling, and everything in between.

Active Community

One of Backcountry.com’s biggest draws is its massive collection of customer reviews. This highlights not only an immediate analysis for potential buyers, but shows how dedicated its users are.

Most customers create an account and update their profile, which allows them to comment on any piece of gear they have or buy from the site. You can add a picture to your profile, and every time you interact by leaving reviews, comments, pictures, or videos you earn points from Backcountry.com. There is a leaderboard for profiles that shows the most active community members.

The outdoor world is consistently built around community, and Backcountry.com has done this by valuing its customers in this unique way.

An Empire

While Backcountry.com doesn’t have the scope that REI does, the company owns a number of other sites, some of which are on this list. It’s all about gear for Backcountry.com, which you’ll see the moment you visit any of these sites.

To Shop or Not

Use Backcountry.com for its user reviews, the sheer number of product types and sizes available, and frequently discounted gear. If you need an item, they have it, and they’ll ship to you with minimal hassle and incredible customer support.

 

Moosejaw

 

Moosejaw is another massive online outdoor retailer. Much like the others (and many on this list) it has most major brands, both within the U.S. and internationally, a wide variety of outdoor sports, and consistently has sales that are compelling to all users.

As you’ll begin to see, a claim to fame for all of these online outdoor retailers is deals. Deals for holidays, deals for clearance, deals for seasons. Moosejaw is up there with the best of them.



That said, there are a couple key aspects that sets Moosejaw apart from its online outdoor brethren.

Moosejaw Rewards

Much like REI, Moosejaw Rewards shoppers money back on on full-priced items, except you don’t explicitly need to be a “member” or pay any member’s fee to get those rewards.

The money comes in the form of Moosejaw Reward Dollars (MJ$), and you’ll get 10% back for full-priced items, 2.5% back on any other items, and emails about special deals with up to 50% of your money back (though that rarely happens).

You can read about how the entire system works  on the website — there are a few wrinkles and complications — but for the most part this system is amazing. If you purchase with Moosejaw, you will get money back to use on more purchases at Moosejaw. The perfect cycle for a gear obsessed individual.

Sass

The next major difference in Moosejaw’s approach is their tone. This is something rarely talked about for online outdoor retailers, but the words we use to connect with customers are tailored in a certain way.

Moosejaw’s words are decidedly sassy, with plenty of parenthetical comments that highlight a sarcastic persona. If you’re the type of person that enjoys being talked to in a hilarious and sometimes mean way, you’ll love Moosejaw’s tone.

To Shop or Not

We love Moosejaw. It has a wide selection of gear and sells it to you straight. The main reason to shop here is if you’re planning to continue shopping here, because its rewards structure is based on you buying more products. This is a little limiting, because it means those rewards will die off if you go with another online outdoor retailer at some point.

Browse the site and see if it’s the one you want from here on out.

 

Sierra Trading Post

 

Sierra Trading Post is one of the more massive online outdoor retailers, specializing in insane discounts and a wide variety of gear. When you visit the site you’ll always see what sale is most prominent, and you’ll be greeted with an upbeat, enthusiastic brand.



Sierra Trading Post has physical stores, a robust online community, and has won awards for its customer service and development as an innovative company in the outdoor marketplace.

The Blog

While the site is primarily about discounted gear, Sierra Trading Post runs a venerable blog that addresses every aspect of the outdoor industry. It’s a hub for authors within and without the company to highlight tips, tricks, guides, hiking spots, recipes, interviews, and more.

It’s actually a little overwhelming. The blog certainly focuses on wilderness exploration, but it hits on lifestyle and more urban settings as well. This makes it accessible nearly anyone, and a great resource for those that love to read up on aspects of the industry.

The blog also features giveaways, which is a nice method of being awarded with some free gear.

DealFlyer

We don’t typically recommend signing up for an email marketing platform by a company, but Sierra Trading Post’s deals are so comprehensive and legit that it’s not a bad idea. It’s called “DealFlyer” and will alert you any time a sale is going on, including unique discounts because you’ve signed up with the service.

To Shop or Not

Absolutely. We consistently use Sierra Trading Post as the standard for online deals in the outdoor world. If you’ve found a piece of gear you must have, check Sierra Trading Post to see if it’s on sale. The site is easy to navigate, has lots of items in stock, and a wealth of information if you’re interested.
There are also nine physical stores across the U.S. — if you find yourself in one of these cities, they are worth checking out.

 

Backcountry Edge

 

Backcountry Edge is an online outdoor retailer that focuses on backpacking, camping, hiking, and trail running. They have a huge collection of gear in their store, but don’t have the breadth of sport categories that some of the larger retailers do — like surf or snowboarding gear.

The site offers gear deals, but they aren’t quite as competitive as some of the other online outdoor retailers on this list. Typically found in the 20-30% range, you can still get a solid piece of gear for less than retail cost.
What Backcountry Edge lacks in obscene deals it makes up for in a massive amount of information and an insider’s program.

High Quality Videos

It’s rare for an online outdoor retailer to provide high quality videos that provide knowledgable, hands-on information. Backcountry Edge does this for many of its products, and has a following on YouTube for their videos.

You’ll get to know the four personalities, called Gear Specialists, that host the videos. These are friendly folks with a lot of knowledge, which builds a bridge to authenticity for you, the customer.

Backcountry Edge also produces informational videos on individual brands, and hosts interviews with gear manufacturers. While many of the videos shot on a trip, and the videos are more about showing you the product than reviewing it, being able to see how gear looks and feels in the hand is incredibly important when you’re doing shopping online.

TINTA BACKPACKER

SOARING UPWARDS

Soaring Upwards 2016 - Badan Pengawas SK RTP Bukit Goh,Kuantan berkampung di penginapan Backpacker, Sungai Lembing dari 23-24 September 2016.

Aktiviti ini telah dijayakan oleh seramai 48 orang murid dengan 20 orang guru.

XPDC ke Air Terjun Balik Oi

BENGKEL MUTIARA PENDETA

(Dengan Kerjasama The Backpacker's & Perpustakaan Desa Sungai Lembing)

Pada 29-30 September 2016, The Backpacker's Village telah menerima kunjungan Badan Pengawas Pusat Sumber SK RTP Bukit Goh beraktiviti di sini. 

Aktiviti selama 2 hari 1 malam ini telah dijayakan oleh seramai 38 orang murid bersama 8 orang guru.

OGOS 2016

TINTA BACKPACKER

KELOLAAN:

DENGAN KERJASAMA:

JULAI 2016

ENGLISH EDITION

10 Useful Tips in Packing for Travel
 

Here are some useful tip I learned from the internet and want to share with you on how to pack for travel backpacking style. Most of these are excerpts from www.travelindependent.info. I used these personally together with my photographer when we travel. Lucky for me, I get to ride on his backpack. *oink* *oink*. Photo above is care of Colin Wright, a travel blogger who I admired very much. You can visit his website at www.exilelifestyle.com.

The famous saying goes, everything is essential, only some things more than others. You will have no idea of what you actually need and how little you use when you are away when sitting at home. Everyone says pack light, but the vast majority of backpackers don’t until they have learnt the hard way – ten reasons why you really should:

1 Your bag is your life. The smaller it is the less it sticks outs and the less vulnerable you feel. The closer you can stick to it and less cumbersome it is the happier you will be.

2 A large, bulky, full bag gives less room to fill with souvenirs, becomes a nightmare when using motorcycle-taxis/rickshaws and has to be checked in and waited for, when taking flights.

3 The thought of wearing the same thing day in, day out may seem terrible now, but it gets easy with the right clothes, and is always preferable to unpacking your entire bag. There is no need to take too many clothes as they can be easily washed and dried, normally overnight.

4 You will need to walk with your pack on freely (sometimes quickly avoiding touts), sometimes right across town or from hotel to hotel and it’s often very hot. When you do take transport, you can swing a small bag over your front and jump in a taxi/rickshaw with ease, quickly and without having to separate yourself from it. In addition, leaving your pack in lockers can be a problem if it is huge.

5 Carrying a large, heavy, bulky bag onto a bus may sound alright, but when it is crowded you cannot and are therefore normally separated from it (it goes on the roof, underneath or is left at the back next to god knows what). It is normally okay there, but this can make you a little paranoid about theft as it does happen.

6 When you do get on little buses that stop at the side of the road – the most common way of getting around in many countries – they are normally crowded and have no luggage holds so while you get on and off you whack everyone in the face with your pack as you go past and sometimes need to buy a seat for your bag.

7 If your pack is full it is difficult to get to things without pulling other stuff out, so you don’t use what’s at the bottom, it being easier to wear what you had on yesterday or what is at the top.

8 In some regions you may also have to pay a surcharge or buy an extra ticket for a large bag. The same can be said for some metro/underground/tram systems.

9 You will be uncomfortable moving from town to town (short hops) not being able to jump on and off small buses/taxis. Not to mention that a giant oversize bag does not exactly make you the most confident as you will always feel like you are sticking out.You will not believe what an advantage it is to be able to travel from A to C with a quick stop off to see a sight at B carrying your bag, rather than having to do it in a separate day trip, wasting time and money.

10 Quite simply you’ll spend a good deal of time on the road thinking, ‘if I had a huge pack or one like that girl/guy we saw at xyz I could not do this’ – of course you need some bulky items, but there is no need to have a 60 plus litre bag. Not unless you are camping and if so why?

But remember wherever you are and whatever you do in traveling at the end of the day it is something that will make you richer! *oinktastic!*

JUN 2016

ENGLISH EDITION

Backpacking is a form of low-cost, independent travel. It includes the use of a backpack that is easily carried for long distances or long periods of time; the use of public transport; inexpensive lodging such as youth hostels; often a longer duration of the trip when compared with conventional vacations; and often an interest in meeting locals as well as seeing sights.

Backpacking may include wilderness adventures, local travel and travel to nearby countries while working from the country in which they are based.

The definition of a backpacker has evolved as travellers from different cultures and regions participate. A 2007 paper said "backpackers constituted a heterogeneous group with respect to the diversity of rationales and meanings attached to their travel experiences. They also displayed a common commitment to a non-institutionalised form of travel, which was central to their self-identification as backpackers"

Backpacking as a lifestyle and as a business has grown considerably in the 2000s as a result of low-cost airlines and hostels or budget accommodations in many parts of the world.

Visa laws in many countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom enable backpackers with restricted visas to work and support themselves while they are in those countries.

HISTORY

Seventeenth-century Italian adventurer Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Careri has been suggested as one of the world's first backpackers.

While people have travelled for hundreds of years with their possessions on their backs, the modern concept of backpacking can be traced, at least partially, to the Hippie trail of the 1960s and '70s, which in turn followed sections of the old Silk Road. Some backpackers follow the same trail today.

Over the past few decades,^[when?] backpackers have descended on South East Asia in huge numbers^{[clarification needed]} with popular Thai islands and several previously sleepy towns in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos being transformed by the influx of travellers. Backpacking in Europe, South America, Central America, Australia and New Zealand has also become more popular and there are several well-trodden routes around the world that backpackers tend to stick to.

Technological developments and improvements have contributed to changes in backpacking. Traditionally, backpackers did not travel with expensive electronic equipment like laptop computers, digital cameras and PDAs because of concerns about theft, damage and additional luggage weight. However, the desire to stay connected, coupled with breakthroughs in lightweight electronics, has given rise to a trend that has been termed "flashpacking".

Backpackers have traditionally hauled their possessions in 30 litre to 60 litre backpacks, but roller-wheeled suitcases and some less-traditional carrying methods have become more common, and there has been a trend towards keeping pack weights under the 7kg carry-on limit of most airlines

CULTURE

Of importance to some backpackers is a sense of authenticity. Backpacking is perceived as being more than a holiday, but a means of education. Backpackers want to experience the "real" destination rather than the packaged version often associated with mass tourism, which has led to the assertion that backpackers are anti-tourist. For many young people in Northern Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Israel, backpacking is a rite of passage. In Canada, it is quite common for gap-year students to visit Europe.

Backpackers are less commonly from China, India, the United States, Japan and South Korea, particularly when taking into account their large populations, accounted for by visa restrictions. But it is also gradually becoming more popular among affluent people from those countries.

Backpacking trips were traditionally undertaken either in a "gap year" between high school and university, or between the latter and the commencement of work. However the average age of backpackers has gradually increased over time, and it is common for people in their 30s, 40s and older to backpack during an extended career break. Some retirees enjoy backpacking.


CRITICISM

Backpacking has been criticised, with some criticism dating back to travellers' behaviour along the Hippie Trail. For example, the host countries and other travellers may disagree with the actions of backpackers. However, the perception of backpackers seems to have improved as backpacking has become more mainstream.

Another criticism is that even though one of the primary aims of backpacking is to seek the "authentic," the majority of backpackers spend most of their time interacting with other backpackers, and interactions with locals are of "secondary importance."


PLANNING & RESEARCH

Planning and research can be an important part of backpacking, aided by such guides from companies like Lonely Planet and Rough Guides, books by travel authors such as Rick Steves, and various digital and online resources such as Wikivoyage.

Resources provide information about such topics as the language, culture, food and history, provide listings of accommodation and places to eat, together with maps of key locations. Digital format guidebooks are becoming more popular, especially since the advent of smart phones and lightweight netbooks and laptops.

TIP KEMBARA BACKPACKER

Persediaan Sebelum Mengembara
Oleh: Dien Backpacker

Banyak yang harus dipersiapkan saat kita mahu mengembara ke luar negeri ala "gembel" antaranya pakaian ganti, peralatan mandi, ubat-ubatan dan lain-lain yang dianggap penting.

Senarai di bawah ini bukan barang-barang yang mesti dibawa,tetapi  barang-barang tersebut tidak boleh ditinggalkan karena kalau tertinggal satu barang sahaja boleh menyebabkan pengembaraan akan menjadi hambar.

Berikut adalah senarai barang-barang keperluan yang harus dibawa mengembara:

Barang yang akan dipakai:

• T-shirt lengan pendek atau panjang 
• 4-6 pasang pakaian dalam
• 1-2 pasang seluar panjang atau pendek 
• Kemeja ringkas
• Selipar atau kasut

Gajet:

• Kamera poket atau DSLR
• Tidak perlu bawa radio besar, cukup bawa walkman dan fon telinga
• Pengecas dan adaptor  atau plug/soket tiga pin
• Laptop atau tablet 

Keperluan lain:

• Bawa ATM atau kad kredit
• Jika mahu berkelana ke beberapa negara,haruslah menyediakan wang secukupnya mengikut matawang negara yang terlibat
• Kacamata hitam
• Peralatan mandi
• Losyen anti nyamuk dan ubat nyamuk
• Peta
• Sediakan salinan fotostat pasport sebanyak mungkin untuk mengelak kesulitan imigresen

Apa yang selalu kita lupa?:

• Pen atau pensel
• Buku catatan
• Kain untuk solat atau digunakan sebagai selimut
• Sleeping Mat
• Penutup telinga dan topeng mulut

Kini kita sudah tahu keperluan yang harus dibawa sewaktu mengembara. Jangan terlalu banyak membawa barang terutama barang-barang yang tidak perlu kerana akan membebankan beg galas kita.Sebaik-baiknya beban barang yang dibawa haruslah di bawah 10kg.

Paling penting yang perlu anda tahu, jangan masukkan barang-barang tersebut ke dalam beg plastik atau beg bimbit. Masukkan barang-barang yang hendak dibawa dalam beg galas. Barang-barang tertentu yang lebih kecil saiznya seperti pen,pensel dan wang tunai memadai dimasukkan ke dalam sebuah beg kecil untuk memudahkan kita membongkarnya jika perlu.

Selamat mengembara!!!

TINTA BACKPACKER
13/6/2016

THE BACKPACKER'S sedang giat menyiapkan homestay THE BACKPACKER'S VILLAGE sekalipun Ramadan menjelang tiba. Kerja-kerja penyudah memerlukan sedikit masa lagi untuk disempurnakan. Sasaran awal pembukaan homestay tersebut dijangka selepas sambutan Hari Raya nanti..

2/6/2016

Kini, anda boleh melayari facebook rasmi kami di laman facebook Dien Juan. Selain blog ini, face book ini juga berfungsi sebagai lidah rasmi kami. Sokongan anda semua amat dihargai.



MEI 2016

ENGLISH EDITION

ADVENTURE TRAVEL

Adventure travel is a type of tourism, involving exploration or travel with perceived (and possibly actual) risk, and potentially requiring specialized skills and physical exertion. Adventure tourism has grown in recent decades, as tourists seek different kinds of vacations, but measurement of market size and growth is hampered by the lack of a clear operational definition. According to the U.S. based Adventure Travel Trade Association, adventure travel may be any tourist activity that includes the following three components: a physical activity, a cultural exchange and connection with nature.

Adventure tourists may be motivated to achieve mental states characterized as rush or flow, resulting from stepping outside of their comfort zone. This may be from experiencing culture shock or through the performance of acts, that require significant effort and involve some degree of risk (real or perceived) and/or physical danger (See extreme sports).

This may include activities such as mountaineering, trekking, bungee jumping, mountain biking, canoeing, rafting, kayaking, zip-lining, paragliding, sandboarding, caving and rock climbing. Some obscure forms of adventure travel include disaster and ghetto tourism.Other rising forms of adventure travel include social and jungle tourism.

Access to inexpensive consumer technology, with respect to Global Positioning Systems, flashpacking, social networking and photography, have increased the worldwide interest in adventure travel. The interest in independent adventure travel has also increased as more specialist travel websites emerge offering previously niche locations and sports.

TINTA BACKPACKER
23/5/16

THE BACKPACKER'S telah menjayakan satu XPDC ke Rainbow Waterfall melibatkan 5 orang peserta dari Shah Alam,Selangor.

XPDC tersebut telah dijalankan pada 22 Mei 2016 (Ahad) dengan kerjasama syarikat Moraz Travelling.

 Penyerahan rasmi sijil penyertaan daripada wakil THE BACKPACKER'S kepada salah seorang peserta XPDC Rainbow Waterfall

PERKHEMAHAN MEGA BACKPACKER
9/5/16

Satu perkhemahan mega BACKPACKER telah dianjurkan di Sg Mas, Sungai Lembing melibatkan seramai 130 orang pelajar & 70 orang guru. Perkhemahan tersebut membabitkan dua buah sekolah iaitu SK RTP Bukit Goh & SK Cherating, Kuantan.

Perkhemahan yang turut membabitkan lokasi Sungai Jin itu telah dilangsungkan dengan jayanya.

Sahabat Backpacker

APRIL 2016

MAC 2016

CORAT CORET BACKPACKER

Perkhemahan komuniti Backpacker telah diadakan di Sungai Jin, Sungai Lembing selama 2 hari satu malam.

 

FEBRUARI 2016

JANUARI 2016

DISEMBER 2015

NOVEMBER 2015

OKTOBER 2015

 

ENGLISH EDITION 

Sungai Lembing

Sungai Lembing is a tin mining town in Kuantan District, Pahang, Malaysia. Lembing is Malay for spear, and "sungai" means river. Per local legend, the local ruler saw a vision of a spear in the nearby river and thus named his town after this vision.

Until the 1860s, Sungai Lembing was a major producer of underground tin. Sungai Lembing town developed in the 1880s when the British set up the tin mining industry, although the history of mining in this area extends much further back. From 1891, the Pahang Consolidated Company Limited, (PCCL), which was under British control, had a 120 -year lease to mine the area. PCCL managed the mine from 1906 until its liquidation in 1986 when world tin prices collapsed.

The pit mines were closed in 1986 due to high operational costs and low yields, but during their heyday they were among the largest and deepest in the world. The total tunnel length is 322 km, with a depth of between 610 m and 700 m. A museum highlighting the tin mining industry was opened in 2003. The museum is housed in an old bungalow once used by the mine manager. The museum houses a collection of mining artifarts.

Today the town of Sg Lembing is in decline although it was once the ricest town in Pahang, known as El Dorado of the East. In the 1940s about 1400 people worked in the mine. Today many of the wooden shoplots are closed and people are moving away. The town straddles the river, and the main street on the right bank is split by an avenue of majestic trees. At the end, an old wooden building overlooks the padang where games of cricket and other social activities were held.