Episode 8: The Art of Affordable Wandering, or How to Explore Without Overspending

Edo: 0:01

To be honest, we've all been there. Anna and I have been there too. It's something we hear from a lot of our friends too. when we describe our adventures, The most common concern is always one version of how do I start When I need a bunch of gear? Won't it be ultra expensive? I mean, yeah, but it doesn't have to be. Let us share with you what we've learned over the course of a few years of adventuring. Stick with us till the end and we'll show you how simple and inexpensive it can be to go on your first adventure as simple as opening your front door and stepping out into the world.

Anna: 0:56

Hello travelers, and welcome back to another episode of Go Far, an adventure podcast. I'm your host, Anna, and today Edo and I would like to talk about something that's near and dear to our hearts. We'd like to go over what you need and what you don't need before you set off for an adventure, showing you how you can go on an epic adventure by spending very little.

Edo: 1:20

We've mentioned in the previous episode, the Camino provides. Go check it out, if you haven't already. How. one of our favorite things about the adventures we go on is the simplicity of things, how everything reverts to a very basic state in which you can forget about the complexities of modern life. After all, think about it. What did pilgrims in medieval times have? A walking stick, a pair of sandals and, if they were lucky, a hat and a bedroll. And yet, with such minimal gear, they could traverse immense distances.

Anna: 1:51

Now, obviously, we'd be incredibly irresponsible if we advocated for this sort of travel in our day and age, especially because we have a lot of technology available today that just didn't exist back then, so we don't see why we shouldn't make use of it. Let us make a very clear disclaimer here before we move on with the episode. It is always absolutely imperative to be as prepared as possible before you venture out into the wilderness. We want to make this clear so that we don't have any lost wanders on our conscience. Being prepared, though, doesn't directly translate into I have to spend a lot of money. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Edo: 2:34

I've made a point about relying too heavily on technology and not doing enough research in one of our previous episodes. No amount of fancy, expensive gear will save you, for example, if you've lost your way or your GPS battery dies and you can't read a paper map. So, keeping this in mind, let's see what we can do to set off on an adventure without breaking the bank.

Anna: 2:58

Let's start from the basics And by that I mean the actual basics Instead of starting from a list of things you'll need, since that might be quite hard to figure out. Start by weeding out those things that you absolutely will not need. Sit down and ask yourself what kind of adventure you'd like to go on. Will it be a spiritual trip in which you hope to find yourself in the silence of the woods And maybe you won't need your noise-canceling headphones? Will it be a simple bike ride of a day or two in which you won't need any camping equipment because you're not planning to sleep outside? It is well not bring my tent or sleeping bag then.

Anna: 3:38

Too often we get caught up in the net of social media. We see reels or tick-tocks of influencers, sometimes forgetting that those could be entirely fabricated, and we feel like we need all of those things we see. We need that ultralight sleeping setup. We need a bike with a carbon fork. We need fully waterproof gear. And what? if I want to take pictures or video, then I absolutely need a phone capable of capturing stunning shots. That will eat up a lot of battery, so I'm gonna need to bring a power bank with me. Those two things will be heavy, so I'll need to save some weight. Better buy a high quality backpack that shaves off a couple hundred grams. That in turn means that I have to bring this, which in turn requires that, which then begs me to bring something else, and then Alright, alright, we get it.

Edo: 4:27

Breathe. See, we're making fun of the situation now, but before I went on my very first multi-day trip, that was exactly my thought process. I was caught up in an endless storm of what-ifs and improbable scenarios. I felt like I had to plan for every single possible contingency, even like a sudden new Ice Age in the middle of August in Italy. Let me tell you a little secret It's absolutely impossible to plan for every outcome. Start small, focus on what you know will happen and leave yourself a little wiggle room. The most important thing to do is well research, ask yourself where you want to go, when you want to go there, and scour the internet searching for as much information as you like, and plan accordingly. But let's start with talking about gear and what you might need.

Anna: 5:19

The best gear for you is the one you already have. Go through your closet and see what's already available. Chances are you already have a sturdy, reliable backpack and a pair of sneakers or light hiking boots. Maybe you already have a bicycle too that you use to get around town. If you already have those things, congratulations. You can officially set off on a grand adventure. like an old Italian actor-comedian from the early 1900s used to say, if you're in good health and own a pair of good shoes, you can go around the world. Now, obviously, we're not suggesting you climb Mount Everest in the sneakers you wear when you go out for coffee on the Sunday morning or cycle the Pamir Highway on your grandma's old three-speed bike. But there is so much that you can do with what you already have that you'd be amazed by how far you can go on a budget of basically $0. We'll talk about some examples later in the episode, but in the meantime, we'd like to go over the details of the budget.

Edo: 6:22

We'll also talk about the budget and the budget for the next episode, but in the meantime, we'd like to go over a few more general tips on how to start out. Once again, allow us to remind you that both Ann and I or storytellers. we love to hear stories from other people and we love to pass them on. One of the stories I love to hear is how our parents used to go out for walks in the woods. Granted, my dad was a bit irresponsible as a teenager, but he did do some things right. And this is tip number one Bring your own food that you cooked at home.

Edo: 6:53

This might seem obvious, but, again, we sometimes get blinded by the efficiency promised by an ultra-sporty protein bar that costs upwards of five euros apiece. With that same amount of money, at least here where we are, you can probably buy the ingredients needed for two hearty and filling sandwiches. Bring an apple or two with you and you've got yourself a meal. Also, don't fall for the siren's call of fancy gear. A water bottle is a water bottle. Its main function is to carry water. Sure, maybe down the line you'll want to upgrade to a thermally insulated camelback bottle if you're hiking in the desert.

Anna: 7:30

Or in Italy in August.

Edo: 7:32

Yeah, but any old bottle will do, and as that drinks out of an old half gallon milk jug that was repurposed into carrying water, Another fascinating aspect of telling and hearing stories is the discovery of new information.

Anna: 7:48

While there are plenty of dazzling trails with their own websites and dedicated material that might seem like an enchanting and attractive destination, sometimes these options aren't always viable. For example, we live in a region that seems to be far removed from all of the glamorous destinations that are advertised online, like the pristine beaches of southern Italy or the alpine beauty of the Dolomites in the north. These places would be awesome to explore, but they often come with the added cost of transportation and accommodation. So what else can you do? Well, you can start by talking to people who live and breathe the territory you currently inhabit and ask them for information on where to go. You might be surprised by the beauty that lies hidden just beyond your doorstep.

Edo: 8:38

We did that recently by having a chat with our friend, Jan Klaus of Lazium Mirabile. Check out episode 4, Go Far but Stay Close, in which Jan tells us all about the wonderful things that can be found in your own backyard. Saving money on travel and accommodation opens up the door for allocating your budget in a different way. Maybe, if you don't have to spend hundreds of euros or dollars on trains and hotels, you can direct those towards buying something that you need but don't yet. Have To figure out what you actually need, though. You need to sit down and have an honest conversation with yourself. As we mentioned before, if you're only planning a day hike in the forest near you during the summer, then there really is no need to buy a fancy waterproof backpack. Right Then? accordingly, by starting with what you have, see where that stuff can take you and integrate with whatever else you might need, but do so in a smart way. How You might ask? Simple, by doing research.

Anna: 9:39

By now. you probably know we have a sort of love-hate relationship with the internet, but it's undeniable that we live in a time in which a whole world of information is available just at our fingertips. We can use all of this to plan ahead, find out what to expect and plan accordingly. Research the trail you want to walk or cycle by visiting dedicated websites or forums like Reddit, and get in touch with people who have already blazed that path. Download free weather apps to check the forecast, to find out what kind of if any weather gear you might need. Find all of the material you might need and print it out so you have some sort of redundancy should your phone or GPS fail. Let me give you an example.

Anna: 10:27

Approximately last fall, we brought Edo's cousins along for a day hike just outside of Rome. After having carefully planned and researched the route, considering the time of year, we decided that all that was needed was stuff that we already had Sneakers, since the terrain was easy, some sports clothing, light backpacks containing some food and a couple of water bottles. That's it. It might seem very simple, but we had a lovely day out and made a bunch of fun memories.

Edo: 10:57

And that was their very first hike, so naturally they weren't really inclined to spend any money if they weren't even sure they were going to like it. But just starting out gives you a clear view of what you might want or need in the future. Maybe the backpack you had was digging a little too much into your shoulders, so you might decide to invest in a more comfortable one meant to be worn for several hours at a time. Maybe your sneakers were comfortable but didn't have too much grip and you'd like to actually head into the trail. you saw that wound its way in the woods next time, so you might want to invest in a proper pair of hiking boots. Another great resource at our disposal is the possibility of buying used. Hop onto your favorite marketplace website and browse away, Or maybe talk to your adventuring friends and see if maybe they'd like to get rid of their old backpack or hiking sticks.

Anna: 11:47

Well, there are many sides to this in which you can save money. There are some that you really shouldn't skimp on. Let's go over a few of those. The one thing we'd recommend and to be honest, it's kind of ironic since we only recently started carrying one is to buy a fully stocked first aid kit. Hopefully you'll never need to use one, but it's better to have one and not need it rather than needing it and not having it. You can buy some pre-assembled ones online, or you can make your own out of whichever pouch you might have. For most cases, a few alcohol wipes, bandages and band-aid should be enough. You might also want some instant ice packs and let me tell you, i'm sure Eddo wished he had one when he fell by Lake Barma And maybe some pain relief cream and all-purpose ibuprofen.

Edo: 12:38

What I think is probably the most important thing you should never skimp on, in my opinion, is time. Take however long you need to research where you want to go and ask yourself the right questions. Take some time to learn how to read a paper map. Take the time to go over the route for the day and take the time to find out what you actually need and how to use it. Remember that the saying goes time is money and not money is time. If you take the time to research properly, then you might save some money, but you can't expect to throw money at a problem and have it go away. As mentioned before, the most expensive gear in the world won't save you if you're totally clueless in other regards, and spending money doesn't necessarily mean having more fun. Also, remember the concept of diminishing returns. Something that costs 10 euros might be 10 times better than something that costs 1 euro, but something that costs 100 euros isn't necessarily 10 times better than something that costs 10. Let us give you some examples of what we mean.

Anna: 13:40

For our very first trip, Edo and I cycled a huge section of the Via Francigena between Siena and Rome. Our first podcast episode talks about this adventure, so make sure you check it out. I didn't have a bike back then and I wasn't sure whether I even wanted a new one. The bike I already had would have been perfect for easier trips on paved roads, but we felt like trying something different. Because of this, I needed a bike that was capable of going off-road. As much as I love my vintage city bike, Marta, I just couldn't take her on this trip, So off I went searching for a new one, and I didn't have to look far. Edo's dad had an old mountain bike that was gathering dust in the basement which, ironically, was then transformed into the studio we're recording in now.

Edo: 14:28

Talk about being efficient.

Anna: 14:30

The funny story about this bike is that it already was repurposed. It was an old Mercedes-branded mountain bike that was given to his dad by some friends of his who worked at Mercedes, so it was basically free 20 years before and it was still free in 2017. Edo already had a bike. All he needed was a rack and a pair of bags, which he bought. Keep those in mind, they'll come up later. We already had sporty clothes and helmets, so we were basically all ready to go. We took the time to learn some basic bike maintenance skills, which proved to be useful and made us save some money later. on and off we went.

Edo: 15:09

During that trip, we also met a lot of other mindful travelers. The fact that the Via Francigena is considered a pilgrimage, in which you can sleep in monasteries and other religious structures for just cheap donations, actually attracts a lot of crafty travelers who plan to stay on the road for a few weeks at a time. We even met three guys our age who had a simple yet effective setup. They were cycling too, but instead of having a rack with dedicated panniers, they had a simple basket in which they stuffed their everyday backpack full to the brim with their belongings. Oddly maybe, but undeniably effective.

Anna: 15:44

This first trip was very educational, and I've learned a few things in terms of what I needed and what I didn't need. I realized that a full suspension mountain bike wasn't really something that I required, considering the suspension would absorb a lot of the power I put into pedaling and that the terrain wasn't really rugged enough to justify such a bike. Eddo's bike didn't even have any suspension, while I had front and back shock absorbers. What I did need, though, which the Mercedes didn't have, was the option to mount a rack and carry some luggage too. So off we went on Facebook Marketplace and we found a used mountain bike in perfect condition for just 90 euros. It was an amazing deal, since the bike was bought by a lady and her husband who decide to spend more time cycling, but then they changed their mind and bought an RV instead. They didn't know what to do with it, so they decided to give it away for peanuts.

Anna: 16:41

After a visit to our trusty mechanic, alio, and after equipping it with a simple rack, i was all ready to go. Remember the panniers Eddo bought for the Francigena? Well, i inherited those. After Eddo bought another pair of bags that were more appropriate for his bike. We needed some more storage space, and this upgrade just made sense. We saved some money by not buying super waterproof bags, for two reasons One, it almost never rains when we travel. And two, should it actually rain, we can just cover up our stuff with some very inexpensive heavy duty garbage bags.

Edo: 17:15

I actually inherited something from Anna too. She got new hiking sticks as a present from her family and she gifted me her old ones. It was such an amazing present and to this day it's an honor for me to use those sticks that I've been to Santiago. It's almost like using an old, venerable heirloom passed down from generation to generation. I won't lie, they're quite heavy. One could make the argument that lighter carbon sticks might be more comfortable to carry. But let's be honest here. I weigh a little over 90 kilos or 200 pounds. How much cents would it make to spend a bunch of money to just save a few grams in weight? And also, as I mentioned at the beginning, i think we sometimes get a little too hung up on what we should do and what is expected of us during an adventure We'll have a full episode about this soon and we forget what is actually feasible. Remember that old story about the bumblebee not physically being able to fly, but since it didn't know physics, it flew anyway. Well, let me tell you a similar story about this.

Edo: 18:17

A few years ago, i was in Emilia Romagna, a very flat region in the north of Italy. One day I was supposed to cycle from Ravenna to just outside Ferrara, where I would have joined my family for some Easter fun. 20 kilometers in, i stop at a little supermarket for supplies to keep me going for the remaining 60, and I notice a bunch of old, rusted city bikes parked outside. Emilia Romagna, being very flat, is home to many cyclists. The bicycle is still the preferred mode of transport of the elderly of the area, since it helps them to easily get from one little town to the next. Anyway, as I was loading up my provisions for the day and the bags strapped onto my Fuji bike, i see this old gentleman carrying I kid you not two shopping bags filled to the brim with pineapples. There must have been at least 20 pounds worth. Without skipping a beat, he puts one bag on each handlebar and trundles off on his single-speed bike with a rusty, creaky chain. That was really humbling for me.

Anna: 19:22

We saw something similar happen a few years later somewhere in Austria along the Danube River. It was getting quite late in the afternoon, the clouds were gathering and we still had a few miles to cycle before we reached our destination for the night. We were cycling along the Danube bike path between Passau and Budapest and we were used to seeing a lot of cyclists like us, but what we weren't expecting to see was a Japanese gentleman walking along the path. It really was a sight to behold A short man wearing a kasa, a traditional Japanese straw-pointed hat, a small canvas backpack flung over his shoulders, clutching a walking stick. His outfit was composed of a simple linen shirt and what looked to be like canvas pants, along with a pair of well-worn hiking boots. Pin to his backpack was a message in Japanese and English that said I'm walking across Europe. That's it.

Anna: 20:22

This gentleman, equipped with the simplest of gear, made uniquely of a simple backpack and a wooden stick, was walking across the whole length of Europe. We met him later that night at the same hostel we were staying at, but having noticed how reserved he was being, we decided not to bother him with questions. We observed him quietly have dinner with his few possessions and by the following morning he was already gone To us. He's a living example of the quintessential adventure. All he had and needed was some simple gear his knowledge, his health and a good pair of shoes. We often wonder about him, but we have no doubts in our mind that he has certainly gone far.

Edo: 21:17

Thank you for having traveled with us on this journey on how to get started in the wonderful world of getting out there. We hope this episode was entertaining and informative. If you liked it, make sure to drop us a follow on your podcasting platform of choice and get the word out there. Tell your friends, your family, your pets and get them inspired to go on an adventure. We'll be back with another episode soon. We have a few interesting trips planned for the summer, which we hope to transform into as many episodes, along with another special on the importance of blazing your own path and walking your own way. Make sure you don't miss any of those. Thank you for being with us and, as always, go far.