How to Organize Your Travel

Traveling is the best option to get away from the hectic schedule for a while and make some time to enjoy life with your loved ones. People go traveling during their vacation, mostly. Traveling is not only for relaxation but also for adding knowledge about different cultures and traditions. To enjoy traveling at its best, try something new. Go to different places and add different experiences to your life timeline.

But before all that it is better to make a traveling plan before packing your bags. Let's see how you will make out a perfect travel plan.

• Destination
  
  
  
  This is the most hard-to-decide aspect in every traveling situation. Before deciding where to travel, you have to reconsider some features regarding that location:
  • The weather/climate
  • Location surroundings
  • Current events
  • Best time to visit
  • Route
  • Whether it is feasible withing the current budget etc.
  
  
• Budget
  
  
  
  'Money' is the most vital resource in every travel plan. In fact, every plan depends on Money. So, in order to accomplish your plan, first check whether it is feasible within the budget that is available. And accordingly, make the plan.
  
  
• Reserve Accommodations
  
  
  
  Check out for the hotels that reside around your destination. But, if it is a two-day or several-day trip you'll have to rest the nights in several hotels before reaching the destination. So, it is up to you to plan. And book the hotels immediately after choosing them.
  
  
• Visiting Spots
  
  
  
  Take a paper and a pencil and make a list of all visiting places that you are hoping to visit according to your time and budget. You can ask your friends who has visited that place earlier for further information, or you can google it. Or else, consult a guide to take you to that place, as he knows every interesting place to visit around that area.
  In addition, it is better to take somebody who has visited the place earlier with your group.
  
  
• Try New Food
  
  
  
  Enjoy different food of different places. Even if the y are not that much tasty, it's all about doing new things! Remember? Chances are you might end up been addicted to some delicious cousins. Enjoy the flavor of different cultures. Trust me, that will be awesome!
  
  
• Enjoy Each Moment
  
  
  
  As we stated earlier, try to do something new in each vacation. Do some cultural shopping and do participate in cultural events. You can go beach and surf, camp or hike as you wish. Try not to use GPS to track your spot. Use the old dusty but trusty maps to point out the correct way. This will also add some experience to you. (Visit How to Read Topographic Maps for further guidance)
  Just add some adventure in to your life. It makes you enjoy living.
  
  
• Memories
  
  
  • Souvenirs
    
    
    Every destination makes so many uncountable memories. If you see any souvenir shop dash to them and buy things that will remind you of the moments spent.
    
    
  • Scrapbook
    
    
    It is obvious that every traveler has got their camera in their backpack to snap each moment spent during the travel. After coming home you can make a scrapbook pasting all the photos and making comments for each.
    (Visit How to travel log for more assistance)

How to Travel Log

Logging refers to collecting data in to one document, simply. Traveling places adds different experiences in to one's life. So, it is a must to keep a travel log for a traveler. When you are traveling some where, and you want to tell others what you did and all, there comes travel logging. In case if you forget your memories it is better to write all the good and bad stuff you dealt with.

So here we are to give you a guide through Travel logging.

• Blogging
  
  
  
  Blogging is the logging version which is computerized. You can create a blog for yourself. There are various blogging sites for you (Blogger, WordPress etc.)
  
  • Internet Facilities
    
    
    
    To do everything you must first need internet service available throughout the trip, in order to blog. If you are staying at hotels, make sure to book a hotel which supplies WiFi. And it is more practical to use your phone's data capabilities.
    
    
  • Blogging about the trip
    
    
    • Describe how you made your travel plan (Visit How to Organize Your Travel to receive assistance)
    • Document what you did everyday
    • Upload picture snaps
    • Upload Video clips of random events 
  
  
• Micro-Blogging
  
  
  
  There are merely uncountable social network sites available in the internet for you, such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. It is another method to keep in touch with the friends out there while you are going on a trip. You can share photos that you clicked for your friends to see and enjoy the comments.
  
  
• V-logging
  
  
  
  V-logging refers to Video logging. The most famous site happening in the cyberspace for v-logging is, YouTube. You can create an account in YouTube and upload video clips which contains what you did throughout the trip.
  
  
  
• Book method
  
  
  • Get a sketchbook.
  • Keep it in your backpack always.
  • Update it everyday, explaining what you did and saw each day.
  • If you prefer, you can paste pictures, receipts, brochures, leaflets etc. and all the things you got through the trip. It'll be much alike a scrap book.

How to Read Topographic Maps

Topographic maps are quite unlike the regular maps which illustrates only highways and roads. Topographic maps shows maps in a more realistic view.

Assume that you are lost in some urban area and you want to get to the right track. Yet your GPS is gone nuts and it displays none. You just need to pull your dusty map out! Reading a topographic map is not that hard as it may seem.

Here, we'll show you how you're gonna find your way.

• Getting familiar
  
  • Map's Orientation
    
    
    
    Most maps have its orientation showed by the directions. Some maps denotes the orientation by the North direction and some by the compass rose.
    But if there is no orientation mentioned, assume it is North at the top.
    
    
  • Map's scale
    
    
    
    A map scale shows the ratio between map distance and life-sized distance. As this varies from map to map, you should consider this too.
    The following scales stated can be taken into consideration.
    • 1:25,000 - for walking (large, in-detail)
    • 1:190,000 - for driving
    • 1:24,000,000 - for world traveling
    
    
  • Latitude and Longitude
    
    
    
    This is in case if you are sailing, flying or touring long distances. These are useful to locate you when there's no landmarks in your way.
    • Latitude - how far north or south you are, relative to the equator.
      
    • Longitude - how far east or west you are, relative to the Greenwich Meridian.
    • Each degree is equivalent to 60 nautical miles (1.852 km) 
  
  
  •  Features in a Topographic Map
    • Boundaries
    • Contours
    • Lakes, streams, ditches
    • Land grids
    • Vegetation
    • Toponymy (names of the above features) etc.  
    
    

• Look for the Legend
  
  
  
  This is the key to the symbols of the map itself. Examine it to get familiar with map data.
  • Vegetation - green areas
  • Water - blue areas
  • Built up sites - grey/red
  • Houses - small black squares
  • Big buildings - their actual shape
  • Roads - lines in various colors (red/yellow/black)
  • Contour lines - brown lines
  
  
• Reading Contour lines
  
  These are considered to be the greatest dignifying features of a topographic map. Contour lines are lines connecting points of equal elevation. To be more simple, if you walk through a contour line, the elevation seems to be constant.
  
  
  
  
  
  • Contour Intervals
    If your map is using 10 feet contour intervals, you'll see lines for every 10 feet (at 10, 20, 30,... so on). Different maps use different intervals. This is to keep things not complex.
    
  • Index Contour
    To make it easier for you to read, every 5th contour line is drawn bold. They are labeled with the elevation even.
  • Steep Slope
    If the contour lines are close together, that means the gradient is steep.
    
  • Flat Slope
    If the contour lines are wide in between, then the gradient is flatter.
    
    
• Hiking, Camping
  
  
  
  As being stated before, topographic maps play a major role for hikers and campers. By getting used to topographic maps will decrease the urge to get in to unexpected circumstances.
  
  
  
  • Planning
    
    
    
    It's always safer to plan your hike in advance. Once you have chosen the location, buy yourself a topographic map or download one through internet. Keep an eye on the scale and calculate the distance you are up to hike. This way you can predict how much supplies you will need in your backpack.
    
    
  • Help of Contour Lines
    
    
    
    If contour lines are close together, you'll have a steep climb ahead of you. On the contrary, if lines are far apart, elevation becomes flatter. The peak of your hike will be denoted by a circle in the center of the contour lines.
    
    
  • Water and Shelter
    
    
    
    Your map will guide you in order to find water as well as how to stay around the timberline for the need of shade.
    
    

How to Care for Your Shoes

For a soccer player, this post makes big sense. But not only for them, even if you are an indoor player or a jogger, taking care of your shoes, is preferable.

Maybe after a full-day practice, you put your cleats inside your bag, go home, and take them out in the following week after then. To get the very best from your shoes, you must clean and dry your shoes.

Here goes an useful guide to keep your shoes in tip-top shape.

• Before putting inside the bag
  
  
  
  After a game, whatever happens just remember to clean any rubbish off your shoes before throwing them to your bag. Bang the shoes together and remove the grass or dirt that are lodged on the sole.
  If possible, get a cloth and wipe off the dirt.
  
  
• Shoe bag
  
  
  
  Keep a separate bag for putting your shoe. This gives plenty of room for your shoes to breath. And it is far better to use a plastic bag for keeping your shoes away from other stuff.
  
  
•  Cleaning your Shoes
  
  
  
  Take off your shoes from the bag once you get home. And make it a habit to keep some time to clean your shoes. But, not the day before the next session of practice.
  If your shoe color is light, it is very important to make that color sharp. Use a wet rag or a sponge to wipe the dirt off and an old tooth brush to scrub the rubber of the shoe. For better results, use a shoe shampoo.
  
  
• Drying
  
  
  • Roll up old newspapers inside the shoes
    
    
    
    Put newspapers or else small rice bags in the shoes. They keep the dryness and absorb the moisture.
    
    
  • Air-drying
    
    
    
    Keep your cleats outside the house in a sunny day. But avoid the direct sunlight. Because, it may crack the leather of your shoes.
  
  
• Storing
  
  
  
  After your shoes are cleaned and dried as well, it is time for storing them for the next day. Before that you can do some leather polish if it seems good.
  
  Taking good care of your shoes will lengthen the durability of them. Just sacrifice a little time for your running shoes. It will save money for buying another pair.
  
  WARNING!
  
  • Use saddle soap only for leather shoes but not for soccer cleats, golf shoes, training shoes etc.
  • Don't use your washing machine to wash your shoes.
  • Reduce using dryers or any other devices to dry out shoes.
  
  ADVICE!
  
  • To reduce shoe odor
    
    
    
    • Remove the insole of the shoe
    • Wash them the same way
    • Put them back inside after drying them totally
      OR
    • Replace your shoe insoles (Buy one from your shoe store)