1	43 Countries: Lessons Learned Douglas & Stephanie Hackney www.hackneys.com/travel
2	Bona Fides 43 Countries Travel by foot, auto, motorcycle, overland expedition vehicle, train, bus, plane Full-time, overland living from 6/2007 to present Lessons learned from our experiences and other overlanders
3	Who, What, When, Why, Etc. Who? – Couple only, kids are grown. What? – Global travel, developing countries. When? – Now, while we’re healthy. Why? – To learn, to grow, to experience, to know the reality first hand. How? – Worked hard and saved our money, made this the priority. Model? – Sold primary assets, donated the rest. Funding? – Self-funded, no sponsorships. Modes? – All the graphics below.
4	The 3 Ms Money Murder Me
5	Money It costs less to overland full time in developing countries than to live in the U.S. or western Europe Costs vary widely Most overlanders live on $500 to $2,000 per month
6	Murder The world is a very warm and welcoming place The world is, generally, safer and less violent than the U.S.
7	Me Yes, you can do this Overseas overlanding is generally pretty easy, in some places, very easy
8	Basics Water – Bottled water available everywhere on the planet; filter or sterilize the rest Food – Available everywhere Communications – Cell available in populated areas, bring sat phone for remote regions Internet – Available in cities and market towns Fuel – Diesel available everywhere, gasoline can be challenging, propane – see website Insurance – Get travelers, medical and liability. Comprehensive is limited and cost prohibitive.
9	More Basics Campgrounds –As you know them, don’t exist outside NA & Europe Trash – Available everywhere Sewage – Cassette or macerator pump Repairs – Non-electronic anywhere Electricity – 220VAC/50Hz is world standard, 110VAC/60Hz in NA, CA, Columbia, Ecuador, Japan
10	Even More Basics Laundry – Available everywhere Money – ATMs in cities & market towns Finances – Online Bill Payment - Online Mail – Box and forwarding service Spare Parts – Electronic and model specific Pack Lists – See our web site
11	And Even More Basics Roads – Inter-city mostly paved, market town roads dirt to paved, chicken bus roads typically dirt Local Language – Learn basics (thank you, please, etc.), otherwise smile a lot and draw in the dirt Danger / Safety – The world is a very welcoming and safe place, generally much more so than the U.S. & Europe
12	Safety & Security Basics Trust Your Gut – No exceptions Dress and Behavior – Don’t stand out Firearms – No viable overseas scenarios, don’t even consider it Civil Unrest & Natural Disasters – Register with U.S. State Dept. Keep things locked – Vehicle, storage compartments, etc.
13	Health Care Basics Health Insurance – Care will typically be covered as out of network Medical Evacuation – Travel policy including air evacuation is highly recommended Vaccinations – Required, see a travel doctor Prescriptions – Bring a supply for the term of your trip or period between trips back to U.S. Meds – See our web site Allergies – Bring EpiPens for severe cases Health Care – Available, quality varies, usually free to very nominal cost
14	Required Paperwork Basics Passports Vaccination record International Driver’s License(s) Vehicle title Vehicle registration Vehicle insurance Health insurance / medivac Birth certificate Key emergency contact information Copies of credit cards
15	Paperwork Basics If you can make the room, bring an all-in-one scanner/printer Never present original docs unless you are returning to the U.S. / Europe Carry a color copy of the photo page of your passport in cities Keep color copies of all vehicle docs ready for presentation Create multiple color copies of all important documents; leave one set in the U.S.
16	Money Basics Businesses do not accept credit cards outside cities and major market towns ATMs are in cities and market towns almost everywhere in the world For remote areas with no ATMs, stockpile cash in cities / market towns Always have more than one card that you can draw cash on Cover multiple ATM networks, e.g., Plus, Cirrus
17	Data Basics Backup your data often You will generate terabytes of data – high resolution photography, digital video, etc. Get a copy of the data off your vehicle – ship a copy home Never have only one copy of the data Overseas retail drive capacity lags the U.S. by several to many years; stock up on capacity before you leave and when you visit
18	Crossing Borders Basics First time can be intimidating Have all documentation in order Have plenty of color copies of all documents Bring a language dictionary - know the key words in the local language (license plate, VIN #, driver’s license, passport) Understand the basic flow of border crossings (see our web site) Ensure you get entry and exit stamps
19	Vehicle Dimensions Basics Turning radius is the most important day-to-day dimension Track width is very important; world standard is HiLux (Tacoma) Large & heavy vehicles are self-limited to market town roads - use local vehicles or animals to get to the out of the way places U.S. camper width vehicles are OK for Africa, NA, SA, and Australia, problematic elsewhere – Sprinter cab width is OK everywhere
20	Charity Basics You must come to terms with poverty Big logo charity doesn’t work “We know what these people need” doesn’t work Handouts of cash don’t work Locally initiated and sustained programs work
21	The Important Stuff You will learn the basics in the first few weeks The important stuff takes longer to learn and is much more valuable You learn the important stuff from Your experiences The experiences of others – ask other overlanders! Read the Overlander Interview threads on ExPo
22	Begin With The End The ship will come ashore You will have changed Everyone else will have changed The world did not stop turning while you were gone – everyone and everything moved on Others are not all that interested in you, your experiences, your perspectives, your insights, etc.; they are more interested in TV. Others may resent your experiences
23	Getting From A to O It doesn’t happen in one big step Start small – local, short duration Test methods / styles / platforms – solo vs. group, rigidly scheduled vs. no schedule, small vs. large, etc. Consider rental or group trip for initial overseas experience
24	Misplaced Prep Priorities It’s not about the truck / bike It’s not about the stuff It’s about the experiences
25	Planning "No plan survives first contact with the enemy." - Helmuth von Moltke the Elder (1800-1891) Much of what you bring you won’t need or use Most of what you think will happen won’t
26	The Big Mistakes Seeing a lot and experiencing very little Checklist travel Wearing cultural goggles No permission to change (mission, self, destinations, interests, etc.) Never disconnecting / unplugging from home
27	The Big Challenges Understanding the differences between tourism, travel and overland living Removing your cultural goggles The reality of poverty The corruption and failure of big logo charities Understanding that your culture’s and country’s way is not the way, it is only one way among many possible ways
28	Cultural Goggles Other societies have different norms, customs, practices and standards Some are diametrically opposed to yours You cannot fully learn about others unless you can set aside those differences and look at them without the filter of your cultural goggles
29	U.S. View of the World
30	Reality
31	The Reality Rule The world is very different, almost exactly opposite, of what you have been led to believe. The differences between what you expect and what you actually experience will be initially disconcerting.
32	Being an American “Everyone hates us.” is the biggest lie ever perpetrated on the American public. The people of the world have a tremendous reservoir of affection for the American people. The people of the world understand the difference between a country’s people and their government, much more than we do here.
33	The Director of Dotting Borders, ports, airports, etc. Their only domain - their only power That “ i ” must be, and will be, dotted Be patient, be friendly, keep smiling
34	Beware the Mission Western travelers, especially Americans, tend to overland within the context of a mission Commercial / Sponsorship / Marketing Personal Growth / Fulfillment / Adventure First / Fastest / Most / Least Service / Charity / Philanthropic Media / Video / Photography / Writing Research / Science
35	The Mission / Purpose Why are we doing this? Revisit this question regularly Start at 40,000 feet and work down from there Don’t be afraid of changing the answer
36	Ride Your Own Ride Do not become a guidebook zombie Others will seek to shape your experience Please yourself first Do what you want as you want to do it
37	Overlanding Realities Tourism is not Travel is not Overland Living Full time overlanding is full time living Overlanding is a market town road experience – not a Rubicon Trail experience Overlanding is about experiences with people and places, not about experiences with your vehicle
38	Vehicle Realities International overlanding is about using market town roads to get from one interesting place to another. You can see at least 90% of the interesting places in the world with a VW Westfalia. You will adapt your lifestyle to your vehicle.
39	More Vehicle Realities
40	Experience Realities If you unplug, there are consequences Identity Disassociation Tribelessness If you don’t unplug, there are consequences Missed opportunities Cocooned experience
41	Time Realities By far the most precious commodity The most important variable Will shape your experience more than any other factor Time is dangerous – drives compromises to safety, limits, goals, etc.
42	The Three Golden Rules of Travel Don't #&%@ with the locals. Always remember you are a guest - act accordingly. Don't be stupid.
43	How To Do This Must be the #1 Priority – top life goal Test modes / methods / platforms Clear the decks Prioritize destinations Remain flexible
44	Prerequisites Understand and accept the realities of international overlanding Establish exit gating factors, e.g., health of parents, grandchildren, financial limits, etc. All parties must be on board and comfortable with all known risk factors, e.g., financial, health, career
45	The Good News After you make this the #1 Priority, everything else is easy The rewards far outweigh the sacrifices What you learn and witness is only available for those who are out there
46	Learn More Details on the lessons in this presentation and more are available at: www.hackneys.com/travel
47	43 Countries: Lessons Learned Douglas & Stephanie Hackney www.hackneys.com/travel