Backpack Digital

Backpack Digital

By Hayden LeeSociety & CulturePlaces & Travel
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Backpack Digital episodes

  • HTJ001: Queensland Gold Mining (Hayden's Travel Journal)

    In a more adventurous and intimate turn, Hayden starts to read straight from his travel journal in the beginning of his Hayden’s Travel Journal series. As Hayden is a notorious journalist, the details and the personality really come through, following him and his journals from gold-mining, to island romances, to biking through Vietnam, and even further beyond. He almost died twice, but lived to tell the tale, here in these podcasts. Hayden is the type to go off-script (or, off-journal, as it were), but he figured, why not share his stories with the world? And this one starts in Melbourne, when he gets a call from his friend in Queensland, who was going into gold-mining full-time. Join Hayden as he tries to avoid a venomous demise from a redback spider, encounters a pig truck that makes it easy to be a vegetarian, and recounts one of the most horrific anecdotes he believes he has ever recounted. 

    Get in Touch with Hayden on Instagram: @backpackdigital

    6 min
  • S2E5: Jeromy Slaby - 'A Failed Search'

    Have you ever realized that someone walking past you in the street has a life of their own? A passerby glances at you, and you realize - they have loved, they have lost, and they have a wild life of their own, just like you. Jeromy Slaby, a Chicago resident and the co-founder of Sonderers Magazine, named his online travel magazine after exactly that phenomenon. He has a goal - to bring humanity back together, one step at a time. Jeromy shows up to discuss the definition of “sonder”, the smell of his childhood (and how that led him to some truly great gelato), and why millennials travel the most out of any generation, nowadays. Jeromy’s feature is his travel anecdote about his adventure to the jungles of Panama in the summer of 2014, when he volunteered to build a sustainable community with the Outdoor Recreation Program. The story is titled by him as “A Failed Search,” and he recounts trying to find the Mother Tree, making a choice when you come to a fork in the road, learning to trust another person, fighting a giant tarantula mound, and learning to trust yourself. Jeromy offers advice on experiencing travel, the emotional impact of being in the middle of nowhere, and properly executing your travel plans. He helps you to make the realistic decision to travel, and teaches you what to prioritize. Join Jeromy and Hayden as they discover the further reaches of Panama and learn what it means to truly trust a stranger. 

    • 3:45 - What is the definition of “sonder”, the inspiration for Jeromy’s travel magazine, Sonderers ? 
    • 6:30 - What does your childhood smell like, as smell is one of those things that is so linked to memory? 
    • 7:30 - Jeromy shares an anecdote about getting lost, his childhood smells. and Nutella gelato. 
    • 8:50 - Why is it that millennials travel the most out of any generation? The world is becoming more international - is it a major cultural shift, or is it something else? 
    • 14:16 - Jeromy Slaby starts to recount his story of Panama, self-titled as “A Failed Search”, and detailing Jeromy’s time volunteering in the jungles of Panama in the summer of 2014, hiking, and learning to trust yourself. The primary goal of his expedition was to find the Mother Tree, but he ended up learning what it means to make a choice when you come to a fork in the road. What allows you to go out on a limb and trust another person - a stranger, even? 
    • 25:45 - Jeromy answers the question: ‘Does being a writer change how you experience travel?’ 
    • 26:51 - What is the impact of the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere? Most importantly, what is there to this experience that makes it so special and freeing? 

      • Get in Touch with Hayden on Instagram: @backpackdigital

      38 min
    • 5 Travel Tips to Avoid Theft and Scams (Hayden's Travel Tips 008)

      Everyone has a healthy dose of paranoia when traveling - it can be a very good thing to have, because it means you tend to keep yourself safe. But it can be hard to know how, exactly, to keep your belongings safe from theft and scams. Hayden wants to make sure you stay safe, and that your money and your important stuff stays safe, too. He offers you five travel tips here for avoiding theft and scams while you travel, sharing personal stories and anecdotes and speaking from experience as he does. Your travel stories should never have to be cut short due to an unexpected mugging, scam, theft, stolen identity, wallet grab, or, God forbid, all of the above. Take advantage of these five travel tips to ensure your absolute freedom and peace of mind while adventuring. Tips like how to use a money belt, what fake items to carry with you, and popular scams that you might have otherwise fallen victim to can help you more than you know while you travel. If you take Hayden’s tips into account while traveling, and if you are prepared against travel scams, then you will absolutely enjoy your travels more, because you will not be nervous the whole time. His advice can give you peace of mind and a much better time traveling. 

      • 2:58 - Tip #1 - Use a money belt. If you have a wallet in your back pocket, it’s gonna get swiped fast, so you better start hiding that money belt under your t-shirt. Hayden even offers some bonus suggestions on the best ones to own and how to make sure you don’t lose them. 
      • 4:44 - Tip #2 - Carry a fake wallet. When you get mugged, you can just give them the fake one with five bucks and a library card in it, then a third fake wallet, then a fourth - you could go on forever. 
      • 5:52 - Tip #3 - Don’t carry too much cash. You up the risks when you carry a wad of cash, so Hayden offers some advice on how much cash to carry, and where to keep it when you have to carry it. 
      • 6:55 - Tip #4 - Scan your passports, documents, important stuff. Sometimes, people want stuff other than your money, and if you lose your important documents, you might end up up the creek without a paddle. Hayden offers tips on what to do to keep your documents safe and backed up. 
      • 8:11 - Tip #5 - Learn the popular scams, especially of the place that you’re going to. If you’re aware of these things that could happen, then you’ll be prepared when it happens. Things like a broken taximeter, some free bracelets, or a flirty woman could mean the end of your trip if you’re not careful. 

        • Get in Touch with Hayden on Instagram: @backpackdigital

        14 min
      • S2E4: Jen Montague - 'Big Moments in Little China'

        “No matter what our differences are, or what our backgrounds are, there is always going to be a way for us to cooperate and communicate with each other, which I think is really beautiful, and an amazing part of travel.” Though cultural variations can make it seem like every human has a great deal of differences from another, when it comes right down to it, there is so much everyone has in common. In our world, people actually have a great deal of similarities, and traveling to faraway places and getting to know the area you have traveled to can help bring that out during your own personal adventures. 

        Our guest for this week, Jen Montague, is a travel photographer and a writer - though she considers herself, first and foremost, to be an adventurer. She takes photos when she travels because she enjoys capturing the day-to-day moments of far-away places, and then sharing what she sees with those around her. She also writes articles, and would love to write more, if anyone would be interested in working with her. She loves traveling and learning from other cultures around the world. She believes that, “wherever you go in the world, there’s so many things that we actually have in common.” It is hard to travel to a culture and a country that you are unfamiliar with and that is not your own, but Jen talks about how you have more in common with distant strangers than you might think. In a truly inspiring tale about a visit to China, Jen discusses how drastically different Beijing could be, while also revealing just how close humanity is at their core. Thanks to globalization and a natural human curiosity, the world is a lot smaller than ever before. That makes travel that much more fun and exciting - you have so much in common with the people you share your world with. Join Hayden and Jen as they discuss the worth of a photograph, a secret section of the Great Wall of China, an unexpected Chinese culture, and how playing games with children can break any language barrier in minutes. 

        • 3:07 - Jen starts out with a personal discussion of what she believes it means to be truly lost. 
        • 10:40 - Jen starts her story about traveling to China, aptly named “Big Moments in Little China”. While in China, Jen learned that - while it can be drastically different in terms of culture, and it can be very crowded, very hot, with a lack of personal space - the people there are closer to her own culture than she ever could have expected. Jen is amazed by old temples and structures made by hand, and so she traveled to and climbed the unkempt Wild Wall section of the Great Wall of China. 
        • 21:00 - Jen and Hayden start discussing her thoughts and experiences concerning Chinese culture, and just how completely unexpected she found it to be. Jen recommends familiarizing yourself with an unfamiliar culture and being aware of their way of life, but also keeping an open mind. Can blending in give you a better experience abroad? 
        • 27:04 - Hayden recounts a time when he learned that the language barrier might not be as much of a problem anymore with the younger generations, thanks to natural human curiosity. Jen leaves us with a bit of optimistic advice for all of your future travels and experiences with new cultures. 

          • Get in Touch with Hayden on Instagram: @backpackdigital

          34 min
        • 6 Tips on Travel Planning (Hayden's Travel Tips 007)

          Have you ever decided to take a trip and just taken off? Or are you more the type to sit down and plan out every second of your journey before you set foot in an airport? Hayden Lee brings back guest Guy Earnshaw, our pigeon-fearing friend from our last episode, to help him count down six travel tips concerning planning during traveling. The two of them offer unique perspectives - Hayden likes to be able to do things on a whim and have minimal planning, while Guy likes to sit down with a map and make out a plan and a schedule and a list of things to do, but be open to spontaneous experiences. If you have decided you want to travel, regardless of whether you plan your adventures by the second or if you enjoy the freedom of backpacking and couchsurfing without a plan, Hayden and Guy will give you six helpful travel tips before you head out on your journey. 

          • 0:20 - Guy Earnshaw, from the last episode, joins Hayden to help give travel tips Hayden, on one hand, likes to be able to do things on a whim and have minimal planning Guy, on the other hand, likes to sit down with a map and make out a plan and a schedule and a list of things to do, but he thinks it is truly important to be open to spontaneous experiences 
          • 1:17 - Hayden’s Travel Tips on Planning During Traveling 
          • Tip #1 - Never be married to your plan Guy once had one of his best nights out ever when he had a spontaneous night with people he had never met before When Hayden went to North and South Vietnam, he would travel on his motorbike first, then mark where he traveled on the map, rather than the other way around 
          • Tip #2 - Have a physical map Your physical map can bring you into an adventure mindset that makes you a “traveler” - second only to your traveler’s hat! 
          • Tip #3 - Get a handle on your money Guy has a relatable anecdote about the first time he went to a casino while he was in Perth 
          • Tip #4 - Check for last-minute deals Hayden’s continued anecdote about when he had to get a last-minute flight out of New York using SkyScanner to get a good, cheap flight 
          • Tip #5 - Use @travelstoriesuk on Twitter (https://www.couchsurfing.com/) If you want to contact Guy Earnshaw, go through Hayden on Twitter or through email and he will relay the message for you!

            • Get in Touch with Hayden on Instagram: @backpackdigital
            17 min
          • S2E3: Guy Earnshaw - 'A Cairns Adventure, A Coward's Surprise'

            Nobody is born with enough experience to fight off the last living dinosaurs - or even a pigeon, for that matter. That experience can only come with age, but even age can not guarantee that a spider won’t make you scream as much as a saltwater crocodile will. Experience and wisdom come with time, but your mindset can make up for a lack of it all. Keeping a positive mindset while you are travelling and while you are snug at home means everything to how you influence your own experience of your world. Both your home world and your travel world can be your real world, with the right mindset. 

            Our guest for this episode, Guy Earnshaw, brings to the table a couple of fun stories where he is confronted with a beast in the wild and did little more than shriek and run away. Guy and Hayden also talk to us about taking your travel mindset home with you and inspire yourself to stay positive, even when your boots are not on the ground somewhere far from home. Plus, Guy’s northern accent helps you pronounce “Cairns”, and he dictates his fear of specific birds. Enjoy listening to Guy wax poetic about the Cairns rainforest, wax fearful about cassowaries, and join Hayden in advising on how to keep your positive travel mindset going year-round. 

            • 1:30 - Guy talks about the appeal of traveling to different locations People have tricked themselves into thinking that traveling is the only good time, but they can actually have a good time in between travels There are benefits to both “real worlds” - the travel world, and the home world Guy advises to keep a positive mentality, to bring a positive mindset to your home world, to be more open, talk to strangers, get lost, don’t go the same way to work every time, and to try to see the fun in the day-to-day Mindset matters more than anything when it comes to your outlook and your experience Travel Tips Episode #3, Having A Good Mindset Whilst Traveling Travel Tips Episode #5, Experiencing Travel 
            • 7:25 - Guy starts talking about his young life and how he started travelling Guy will be travelling around just California in August for three weeks, and he invites listeners to come and see him while he’s there! 
            • 13:00 - A Cairns Adventure, A Coward’s Surprise - Guy starts telling a story from when he, his Uncle Martin, and his Uncle Martin’s nine-year-old grandson travelled in Cairns, a rainforest wonderland in Australia Guy proves (through a couple of amusing stories in which he shrieks, grabs his second cousin, and hides) that you’re not always what you’d expect you’d be when you’re adventuring, and you never know how you’ll react to a situation until it happens 
            • 24:20 - Travel Tip - Keep on top of safety in any city you’re in, don’t get scared and go over the actions so you don’t freeze up 
            • 25:38 - Guy advises listeners not to let being at home be the end of your enjoyment and your experience; take your travel mindset home with you and apply it to your hometown life - look for the beautiful things in your life at home

              • Get in Touch with Hayden on Instagram: @backpackdigital

              32 min
            • 7 Tips for Flying (Hayden's Travel Tips 006)

              It’s Travel Tips time again! Today, Hayden gives seven tips on flying. Included among these tips are items like how you really ought to bring a sarong everywhere you go, a special place to sleep underneath Bangkok Airport, and how the person next to you on a flight can really be the best part of the journey. Hayden is also long since over his fear of flying, and knows that different people handle flying and traveling differently, so his tips are as universal as can be. Hayden wants to make sure you know to be the last one on the plane, how to avoid jet lag, and what kind of headphones would be best for you while you fly. So let’s dive in for some helpful travel tips on flying, so you can optimize your next adventure. 

              ● 1:06 - Seven Tips on Flying 

              ○ 1:19 - Tip #1 - Sync your sleep to avoid jet lag. 

              ■ Of course you can sync your sleep, but what else can you get into rhythm before flying? 

              ○ 2:54 - Tip #2 - Be the last one on the plane. 

              ○ 4:20 - Tip #3 - Bring a sarong, or, ‘a multi-purpose Swiss-Army-material’. 

              ○ 5:26 - Tip #4 - Sleep in the airport. 

              ○ 7:23 - Tip #5 - Use closed-back headphones. 

              ○ 8:18 - Tip #6 - Walk around during the flight. 

              ■ Hayden shows how this actually made him realize he’d missed a flight. 

              ○ 9:25 - Tip #7 - Talk to the person next to you. 

              ■ He could have appeared in the hit film ‘The Pianist’. 

              Get in Touch with Hayden on Instagram: @backpackdigital

              14 min
            • S2E2: Deepak Shukla - 'Moonlight Running'

              What's it like to run 20 Iron Man competitions? What about living in and traveling to different countries around the world? Can you remember the last time someone was truly selfless, with nothing in it for them? We know that people like this exist, people that do things out of the kindness of their heart for their fellow man, but how often do we meet them? They often seem to arise in times of need. Those times when we're down to our last dollar, our last meal, our last step, and they swoop in and show their genuine generosity. 

              Our guest for this episode is Deepak Shukla, a podcasting buddy of mine and host of the Life, Love and Entrepreneurship podcast. This was one of those episodes where everything he said was pure gold, so nothing got cut and we're running a little longer than usual. In this episode, we talk about: - Running ultra-marathons, iron man competitions and being a badass. - Living in a different country as opposed to traveling through it. - What it's really like to live in Rio De Janeiro. - Relationships, both during travel and in general- is intensity worth more than duration? - Deepak's podcast: Life, Love and Entrepreneurship - Taking necessary irrational leaps to start you on your journey, travel or otherwise. - ... And much more. 

              As always, he is accompanied by original music that really allows the story to come to life and take us along the journey with Deepak. 

              DEEPAK ON TWITTER: @deepakpshukla1

              Get in Touch with Hayden on Instagram: @backpackdigital

              34 min
            • 7 Tips on Experiencing Travel (Hayden's Travel Tips 005)

              Today's 'Hayden's Travel Tips' takes on the topic of 'Experiencing Travel'. Now I know what you're thinking. How hard is it? You get a flight, you book in at a place and you go out and see what's going on. Right- and that's cool, everyone's got their own way of doing things- but I'm talking adventure. I'm talking wildest dreams. I'm talking "I have to email Hayden because he won't believe this travel story". I hope you guys enjoy these 7 tips on experiencing travel- Put at least one into use and let me know how it goes! 

              Get in Touch with Hayden on Instagram: @backpackdigital

              15 min
            • S2E1: Shane Dallas - 'A Warm Welcome in a Harsh Land'

              You know when you get to a country with all your preconceived ideas and it's nothing like you thought it was going to be? Maybe you saw some things in the news, maybe your Aunt knows someone who's cousin went there and they had a tough time, or maybe you just have a bad feeling about it. Then you get there, and the people are the nicest you've ever met and you have the greatest time. Boy, does that happen often. 

              Our guest for this episode is Shane Dallas, otherwise known as the Travel Camel, who loves going to these sorts of places. He's been to almost 100 countries, including all over the middle east, Afghanistan, India and many others. His experience in these countries is a first hand account of how things can be if you go into traveling with an open mind and clear of preconceptions. 

              As always, he is accompanied by original music that really allows the story to come to life and take us along the journey with Shane. 

              SHANE EVERYWHERE: TheTravelCamel 

              TTC ONLINE: www.thetravelcamel.com 

              The Road Less Traveled Twitter Hashtag: #TRLT

              Get in Touch with Hayden on Instagram: @backpackdigital

              32 min

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            You're here because you love travel. You know what, man? I get it. Maybe you're mid-travel right now on a bus in Vietnam or maybe you've just come back from Argentina and you miss the freedom? Either…