In this article, I describe an interesting afternoon that I spent with an Ethiopian scammer that I met while wandering around Addis Ababa. Throughout the day, he attempted various scams on me and explained some of the cons that he pulled on tourists to make his living. He was a full time, professional scammer. Throughout …
Zachary Friedman
When I first started bicycle touring, I knew that I needed to travel with my laptop but wasn’t sure how best to go about packing it. It’s an expensive, bulky, and relatively fragile piece of equipment, after all. I ended up experimenting with a few different methods to find the best solution. I either carry …
Planning a trip from Cairo to Cape Town can be overwhelming. You must consider visas, your route, your budget, transportation, safaris, security, and more. It is a massive undertaking. This guide is designed to give you an overview of what to expect and an outline to follow for planning your own Cairo to Cape Town …
In this guide, I explain how to visit the tribes of the Omo Valley of Ethiopia independently on a budget of about $300. Before my trip to Ethiopia, I researched the trip extensively online. There was not much information available and everyone I spoke to just wanted to sell me an expensive $1000+ tour from …
I bought the Kelty Cosmic 20 degree down sleeping bag on Amazon to use for hiking, travel, and bicycle touring. I needed a bag that was light enough for backpacking, warm enough for 3 season use, and, most importantly, affordable. After extensive research, I settled on the Kelty Cosmic 20. In my opinion, this is …
In this guide, I explain how to visit Mexico City on a budget of less than $20 per day. I outline a budget for accommodation, food, activities, airfare, and everything you need to explore Mexico’s beautiful capital city on a budget. I’ll also share some money-saving tips to help you stay within budget. I ended …
While traveling long term, you’ll find yourself in need of a haircut every month or so. When your hair starts looking a little scraggly, you have two options: You can visit a barbershop or you can cut your own hair. In this guide, I’ll share some tips to help you get a decent, consistent, and …
Whether you’re setting off on an overnighter or a 5-year expedition around the world, you need to pack some tools and spares while bicycle touring or bikepacking. Exactly what you need to pack depends on where in the world you’re touring, for how long, and what type of bike you ride. In this guide, I …
I’ve always been frugal. In this guide, I explain how to travel on an ultra-low budget of less than $10 per day so you can travel longer, further, and see more with less money. You may find some of these methods a bit hardcore. Some may be unethical. Some may even be illegal in certain …
Last season, I began experimenting with different camping shelter options. In the past, I had always been a tent camper. Now, I’m giving tarps a try. In this article, I list the pros and cons of using a tarp vs tent for camping. I’ll also outline the different types of tarps available including materials, shape, …










