Backpacking the Americas

Yeah,

I did not tell my parents until about 3 weeks before I left and they worried a lot. I felt bad about that so I sent them a lot of postcards.

I looked through them just the other day.

I agree with above and toughen up your feet.
Also add, if you are going to take boots, make sure they
are well broken in.

When I left on my long trip way back when, I was walking and hiking miles a day so my feet were in good shape.

My buddy I was traveling with decided to buy some vasque hiking boots on the road. I tried to talk him out of it but he would not listen. He had about 5-10 blisters on his feet within 2 days and that killed a hike into the grand canyon
for both of us.

Well I will say, what you don't figure everything out before your trip, you will definitely figure it out on the road PDQ. A trip like you are taking is a life changing experience.

Plans for a great adventure!

More research will improve your chances of success. You might consider "flipping" your trip and going north-south, giving you good control over the timing in North America. You could fly into Vancouver from the UK and travel out from there. The most expensive and heaviest gear will be needed for the North and can be shed as you go south. You'll start in safer territory where you speak the language and you can see if you like the on-the-road lifestyle.

Self defense is a tricky subject. I agree that bringing a hatchet to a gunfight is not a good thing. Being robbed is a real possibility and they will have the element of surprise, so most self-defense scenarios fall apart, regardless of how well armed you may be. I too carry a "sacrificial" wallet with cash, credit card and traveler's checks stashed elsewhere. You may want to get your traveler's checks in US dollars– research that. There's no way I would carry all the money for the journey at one time– get re-supplied along the way.

I agree that dealing with the local police is a concern. Keep your appearance up and don't carry drugs– even a short stay in a third world prison would be more than you ever bargained for. Your may be in some places where bribery is a way of life.

If you are in Central/South America, your will find machetes everywhere, which is about as good as you'll get for light cheap wood chopping (and self defense). In North America I recommend a good quality folding knife with the blade 3.5" or shorter. One of the Victorinox Trekker knives would make a good tool for your journey. If you want a knife with no tools, the Benchmade Griptilian is an excellent choice. A folding saw is a better bet for wood cutting and weight. Again, the local police may not care for a backpacking young man with 2' of machete sticking out of his pack– backwoods stuff only. Use it and give it to a local when you head back to a town/city.

Do get fluent in Spanish– that will probably work into your university plans easily. Prepare for the shock that your university Castilian Spanish may be very different from the local dialect. Keep smiling.

For backwoods travel in North America, the UL gear lists you see here will serve you well. For Central/South America, you will be dealing with bugs, heat and rain. I don't have good referrals for resources there, but I'll bet there are some good travel journals where you can gain the experience of others who have gone before you. Google "backpacking Central America" and you'll get 185,000 hits :)

Do PM me when you go through Seattle!

Thanks for the advice Dale, and everyone else, it's a great help, I may post another thread in two years haha.

Having spent my fair share of time in South America, I would have to agree with the previous posts about needing to do more research. Most of the rainforest is now protected land by the government and you do not want to be caught on it without permission, and you will most likely not get that. Learning Spanish will help. IMO it would be in your best interest to travel on the west side of the Andes. This is where most of the cities and towns are located and you do not want to travel through the rainforest. Do not try to hike the Andes for this would be way too dangerous. West of the Andes and it is desert so what you need to bring will change depending on that. The coast would be your best bet. I would not advise you to travel alone. Always try to travel with others either by train or bus. I would not recommend trying to hike the whole way as this would take too long, and I would recommend staying in hostels and not camping out too much for safety reasons. It is really cheap to get around for the most part. Spend some solid time researching and then think about this again. I am not trying to discourage you, but I am just trying to impress upon you the magnitude that a trip like this is.

First of all, I Born and Live in Colombia all my life (yes Colombia the country of Pablo Escobar and FARC but also the country of the jungles, beaches and mountains 1º place in birds, orchids, etc, etc, etc).

you want to hunt in South America? bad idea, illegal in almost every tropical South American country, in Colombia you CAN'T hunt anything, if you plan to visit some National Park's hunting & fishing is forbidden too, machetes don't work for self defence (maybe pepper spray), it's better to stay out of trouble, keep a low profile and know your way.

1º: do more research and plan ahead.
2º: you don't have idea of the problems you can encounter in South American country.(a guy with a ak-47 in a middle of the nowhere)

Yes, all of the above it true…research more than you think you need to, have more money available than you need, and so on….but do it. Wow – I wish I had had the stones to tackle even part of such a journey when I was young.
I go to South America every couple of months…only place I've ever been afraid for my safety was Caracas. I'll be off to Bolivia and Ecuador in November, both new for me, but I don't anticipate any issues. In fact, I've always found people there to be very helpful, with warm hospitality, much more so than in the US even.
Set your course, adjust as you go, and enjoy.

I have little experience in most of what you are proposing to do. But given your plans I think you will find this article fascinating. I did.

The Book