Backpackers Guide 101: Health & Safety
Vaccines, Immunizations & Disease
Places that are least developed are most prone to disease, tropical areas have some nasty bugs carrying malaria and the world water supply isn’t always microbe-free. As a liability catch-all, certain areas in the world have been flagged by the U.S. as no-go health zones to detract Americans from traveling there, but DON’T freak out!
- To find out which vaccinations are required in any country, go to CDC.GOV. Yes you will need certain immunizations and take some added precautions if you are traveling to most developing countries but rest assured you will not die upon landing if you go to an area the U.S. says is a “no-go” health zone. Don’t leave places like Colombia and most of Africa out of your itinerary in fear of getting sick. Also, you can get a second opinion by visiting the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
- The sketchiness of water varies across the world. Your best bet is to drink bottled water and stay away from ice cubes in drinks. Beer and liquor is fine, which works out.
- You will be surprised how much better health care is in a lot of places in the world. Some things that pointlessly require prescriptions here will not abroad. There are areas where meds are hard to get to so coming prepared (with common travel antibiotics in hand) will do you well.
Travel Clinics
These are places where doctors specifically see patients who will be traveling. These clinics are more focused on getting you in good health before your trip and taking precautionary preventative measures before departure. Use this locator to find your local travel clinic and buddy up with the doctor about 8 weeks before your trip as some immunizations and meds take some time to kick in. If you have insurance, check to see what is covered. Also, going in and out of certain countries may require you to carry your immunizations records, make sure to bring them with you!
Now what?
The doc will have a lot of questions to ask you about your travels so try get at least some of your plans straightened out before you give him a visit. Focus on figuring out which countries you will hit and for how long (the length of your stay sometimes dictates your level of risk and changes the vaccines you may need). Read up on the immunizations suggested for your specific country here and make sure you let the doc know about all your current ailments. Once all your preventative measures are in order, talk to your doctor about getting antibiotics for the road. Fill all your current prescriptions with extras to cover the time you’re traveling (remember the liquid carry on limitations for things like saline solution and liquid meds). You may need to start some regimens (i.e malaria pills) a few days before you depart.
Check out our article, 10 Essential Medical Supplies for any Backpacking Trip
Food
As with water, food around the world contains different things that often go right through you. Diarrhea! Yes it’s an ugly thought but better to think about it than to have it. Put preventing it on the top of your list (not that we should give you reasons as to why its not good to have diarrhea but beside the obvious, prolonged diarrhea can cause dehydration, malnutrition and major discomfort). So lets get you in the clear:
- All things in small portions. Please treat yourself to authentic food joints. Just don’t feast on 6 course meals of things you’re unfamiliar with. Have a taste, acclimate, then after a few weeks (if you can afford 6 courses), go wild. Give your body some time to build up the necessary good microbes to digest the new things you’re throwing in there.
- If it smells or looks really funky, best bet is to stay away.
- Cheese (or other dairy products) and sun don’t mix (same goes for meat).
Travel Insurance
Insurance is something you buy based on risk; a protection for when the “what if” turn into reality. The issue with insurance is we never know when , and if, those risks will materialize. So what do you do? You know that traveling poses higher risks in all regards, health and safety being two risks that dominate the pool. Buying insurance can help ease your mind, if for example you need to be immediately evacuated back to the country for treatment, you will be covered. But what if nothing really happens when your trip comes to an end? No major health issues to cry about, nothing of value stolen or lost? This is something you must figure out for yourself.
For a travel insurance quote, use WorldNomad.com and check out Travelguard.com.
Women’s Health
Believe it or not, every country you visit will have women residing in it. For this reason, all women’s health supplies will be available (sorry boys: like tampons, pads, yeast infection meds, painkillers for cramps and pregnancy tests). Brands and prices of these items will vary across countries.
Lets talk about periods:
Traveling changes your daily routines and often amps them up a few notches. This, combined with new food, differing sleep cycles and varying altitudes may mess with your monthly cycles.
The pill:
If you are on oral contraceptives before departure and you plan to continue taking them throughout your trip, make sure your doctor prescribes enough for the entire length of the trip as finding the exact type of pill you are taking may be difficult abroad. You do not want to switch around as your body takes time to acclimate to a certain type of pill. Your best bet abroad is to use a condom either way (in combination with the pill or not).
UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections)
Normally, these are much more common in women than men (and that’s normally). On the road, people tend to get dehydrated from frequent movement and avoidance of contaminated water. Combine this with grimier conditions and you got yourself a grade A UTI. Point is: DRINK LOTS OF WATER. Use our suggested water treatment tablets, buy bottles and drink up. Then when you have to pee, don’t hold it. Pop a squat in a nearby bush if you must; holding it keeps bacteria trapped in your system and can lead to UTIs (and we don’t want that).
Safety
Every country has different levels of general safety (i.e. likelihood of you getting robbed or hurt) and that level is usually closely related to levels of poverty. So the higher the poverty levels, the most likely you will be robbed. As a backpacker you are a great target for petty theft. The things working against you:
- Your huge, necessary but obvious, backpack
- Petty criminals are well aware of the fact that backpackers will have more cash on them than most locals. One stereotype about Americans (among many others) abroad is that they’re rich.
- You will look (and will sometimes be) lost.
- You cannot properly communicate.
- You sleep in train stations, bus stops and beaches to save money or because you’re damn tired from recent travels.
- Americans drink to get drunk. When you’re drunk, you lose your belongings. Criminals know this.
- You see great things and you take pictures of those things. People want your camera.
Predators you wouldn’t think of: your hostelmates. Truth is, all types of people pass through hostels. As much fun as you will have with most of them and feel like you trust them, some people are just sketchy. Plus, given their sketchy nature, they also know you won’t be seeing each other too soon and can’t really locate each other for ass beatings. It’s the perfect environment for petty theft.
Check out our article, 9 Easy Techniques to Prevent and Defend Yourself Against Theft Abroad
Political Unrest/Civil War
Many countries are currently in civil war, are politically unstable and have regular violent protests. Being caught up in a politically fueled situation you are unfamiliar with can be dangerous. Read up on your knowledge of your destination’s political climate and decide if visiting it at the moment would be a good idea. Cross-reference these two sites to get a good picture of travel advisories around the world: The United Sates Travel Portal and Australia’s Travel Advisory.
The Police
Police doesn’t always equal safe around the world (just the opposite sometimes actually). Corruption within government agencies is not uncommon abroad. Sadly, their word is still more authoritative than yours. They also know you want to avoid trouble so cops can be (and expect to be) paid off. For most developed countries, the police should be approachable. Otherwise, try not to get too much of their attention.
Cab drivers/store clerks/street vendors
They play up on your difficulty to judge pricing correctly in a new country and inability to vocalize price discrepancies.
Gypsy Chicks with Kids
These petty criminals set up a pity trap. They look worn and hungry and usually have a small child with them. They hit you with a one-two punch. If you don’t willingly give up your cash because you feel sorry for them, they will distract you while their kid picks your pockets.
Lots of people (sometimes people that usually fall out of the realm of your suspicion) will try to take advantage of your vulnerabilities as a foreigner and a backpacker. You can keep yourself safe by being knowledgeable about safety issues and being alert. By the way, the paranoid look-around will get you in trouble so don’t overdo it.
- CIA Factbook. Sort info blurbs from the CIA about lots of places in the world
- Don’t fumble money, passports or glitzy things around in public. When you know where your stuff is, taking it out with no fumble should be pretty easy.
- Cuteness is a trap. A damn effective one.
- Drink to be social. Drinking to get wasted will get you robbed.
Common sense is the key to staying healthy and safe abroad. Up your knowledge by discussing experiences with others on our forum.
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