My trip to Rome (on foot).

[Japhir]

Hey guys,

In less than a month I'm going to travel to Rome on foot from where I live! .
It's going to take about 4 months to get there, if i walk 25km a day, 6 days a week. I'm going by myself, with backpack and a tent, and see where it goes.
So any thoughts on good routes to take? I haven't figured it out entirely yet.
And if you happen to be on the route from the Netherlands to Rome (Italy ) and don't mind me shamelessly sleeping over(I'm a cheap bastard)/coming by for a beer or something give me a shout!

Anyways, I'm really looking forward to it, and I'll post a link to the blog i'll be keeping here when I have it set up.

Am I crazy or what? :lol:

[Maph]

Bloody insane, that's what you are! Good luck though.

Let me know if Gent is on your route. Lot's 'O great bars around here.

[[*AP*]Twin]

Wow that sounds like an awesome experience. I would love to do something like that, however i would have no way to pay my mortgage

[Lamont]

Go for it mang!! Chances to do things like this don't come up often.

[Blenderhead]

You nutcase! :P Get ready for some serious blisters! 0_0

Be back for Dominance War!

[Fenixy]

omg, good luck! Don't forget to visit me

[mr_ace]

holy crap! 25km a day is gunna b really tough to maintain. walking on roads really messes up ur feet, especially with a big ass rucksack. at school, we went on a hiking trip walking 20km a day, for 5 days, and we had our tent and stuff split amongst about 6 of us. if i were u, i'd try and convince someone to go with u! but best of luck, and i'm sure it'll be really fun! fun but tough lol

[Genz]

ahahahah you are insaneeeeeeeeeeeee
I'd love to be in rome and meet up with you for a beer but too bad i didn't apply for a visa like i do every year
Anyway have fun and post alot of pictures! Dont go missing BTW!
I guess we won't see you on the forums for months,also that means you are not going to partecipate in the next dom war.
Ehhh i really envy you!! Have fun.

[MRico]

I dunno man, I saw "Hostel"...what you're doing has bad news written all over it, lol...I'm just kidding, have fun dude and don't get lost!

[Japhir]

thanks for the support guys .
I know I'm crazy, I prefer calling it chronically positive though.
here's a picture of my equipment:

I don't think i'll bring the bird though... .

I still need to buy me a decent lightweight camera though, so any advice on that would be great!

[Aftermath]

Reminds me of that guy who did a piece on Alexander the greats march, he walked the same trails as Alexander the greats army did. Some of those spots where places even camels of donkeys couldnt walk and he took a whole army through them. If i could do something like this i would too, this will be a awesome experience to have done in a lifetime.

The things you will see are going to be breath taking and even having a camera isnt going to do the trick. I ENVY YOU!

[divi]

You nutcase! :P Get ready for some serious blisters! 0_0

don't forget blister pads. seriously. they are lifesavers.

[Absorber]

Wow man, big idea you got. Love to do it on myself sometimes, but I think I buy a car for such trips.

Still, very cool. But remember the world and people changes, they get crazy and kill people in tents :O Like the old couple in France/Italy?! Still dont wanna scare you, just take your phone with you :P

But arent you on school than? Since ur 18 I guess your not finished up yet.
If I hadnt got school, maybe ill joined you (A)

Mazzel

btw: whats that red thing in that huge bag? Your carying that aswell??

[mr_ace]

@ mittmac: a sleeping bag

my advice to u wud be to make sure uve got the f**king best boots u can get, cus its ur feet that'l take the damage. lots of spare pairs of socks, LOTS of blister plasters and stuff, its good to put talcum powder on ur feet in the morning, stops ur skin going all gross and blistery. a first aid kit. plenty of emergency food, like energy bars etc. plenty of water carrying equipment, without it being too bulky, i'd get one of those camel back things, cus theyre small when empty, but holdlots of water. if you've got a bunch of big plastic water bottles, they'll take up room in your bag when empty.

are u walking through the countryside? if so, i wud get a better compass, (this kind of one http://www.eylerz.net/science/scienc...pass-parts.jpg) so you can find where ur going according to a map.

other than that, make sure ur rucksack is set up properly, and comfortable with a lot of weight in it. i'd also mayb look into ur phone coverage. if ur walking places there won't b coverage, u may wanna buy/borrow a satelite phone

[Disco Stu]

One more lifesaving thing is... a train ticket!!!! ^^

You should have phone coverage tho... were talking modern days europe here not some desert.

Are u doing the trip all by your own? that would be some loong time.
Getting thru germany will most likely be boring but once you enter france or so people should start talking to you and inviting you to dinner.
If lucky youll also find such people in germany but mentality wise itll rather happen in france ^^

Ive got one question tho... why rome??? why italy??

If its something religious i understand but other than that i dont really know whats that attractive about that part of europe.

You should rather travel down france untill you hit the spanish border near biaritz. Its beautifull down there and you dont walk thousands of kilometers just to end in an overcrowded partially dirty city^^+

@mr.ace: ur shure thats a sleepimg bag and not the yellow thing under it. for a sleeping bag this would be fking hughe

[Japhir]

thanks for the support guys .

Mittmac: I've got a first aid kit and some blister thingies. I'm done with my school (got my VWO-NG last year). then i took a year off to earn money for this, after all of this i'm going to study Biology in Utrecht.

Mr_Ace: I still need to think of how to bring water. tomorrow i'm going to the "bever" shop again, to buy the last equipment pieces (good clothes etc.) and i'll look for it then.

Disco Stu: Yeah i'm going by myself, so i can meet new people easier. (and because none of my friends are as crazy as i am). I don't really know why it's become rome... I'm not "religious" as in christian or jew or whatever. My physics' teacher told us about his trip to Santiago de compostella once in class, and it really inspired me. I didn't want to go there though, because it's not that original.

Oh, the red thing is my sleeping bag, but it's in a large bag now because i'm not using it. otherwise it won't come back into the big shape when folded open. (so it's just for storage). The orange thing is a lightweight mattress-thingie and the yellow thing is one of those ugly "look at me! i'm shiny" vests.*

*that my mom wants me to take with me.

[Disco Stu]

I see i see the whole travel to santiago de compostella thing is kinda trendy at the moment. even my mom did some of the way :think:

weird thing that you study biology i thought this 3d thingy was what youre into ^^ biology is very interesting tho i must admit.

whatever... if i ever see some backpacker with a shiny look at me vest out of the car ill turn them windows down and shout yoooo japhiir!!:uhh:

[TrooperDon]

Take some replacement inserts for your boots. A couple pair. A few 'blister thingies' isn't going to cut it, look for some stuff called moleskin. It comes in small sheets that you can cut to fit the blistered area. It's crazy sticky and thick - and a total lifesaver. For water, invest in a filtration system. Also take some iodine, it's a good cleanser if you get hurt, and a few drops will make water safer in a pinch. Makes it taste nasty, but it'll be safer. Have an exit plan, my Dad started the Appalachian Trail once and it fell through - but he had his exit plan so it was no big deal. Bus Ticket, Eurail Pass, whatever - cover yourself and you'll be a lot more relaxed and willing to endure hardships because you know it's more in your control.

Most of all - enjoy!

[LittleKnownDude]

Don't forget to take some heave duty thread and some needles, some duck tape, and some super glue. Ya never know when somethings going to break or get messed up and needs some patching up.

Oh and don't go Bear Grills on us!

Have Fun!
LKD

[Shadownami92]

Make sure to make sketches or take pictures of anything interesting (statues, architecture, etc...)

If your going on a trip might as well make it artistically productive too you know?