One of the best travel buddies you could ever go backpacking with is someone who attended boarding school at some point in their lives. A former boarder (or “hostelite” as they’re informally known in some parts of the world) carries a wealth of experience in making the most of the little you can take on a backpacking trip, with their years spent living without the comforts of home coming in very handy in what would be a similar setup on the road. Some of the advantages that come with backpacking along with someone who went to boarding school are very easy to take for granted because it all comes so naturally to your former-boarder friend that you may think it’s just a normal part of backpacking you’ve not yet personally been exposed to yourself.
There’s always a plan
One of the skills honed at boarding school which almost always comes in handy during a backpacking trip is the former-boarder’s ability to come up with a working solution for just about any domestic situation which may arise. Not having had the luxury of running to mommy to ask for help at the drop of a hat means that if it’s raining outside for example, and you have some wet washing you need to dry for some of your adventures to come, you ex-boarder friend may leave you in awe with some indoor clothes-drying tricks which will have your clothes dry in no time. One such trick entails first using a towel to wrap the wet washing in and then wringing the towel has tightly as possible until it twists like a dried-up earthworm. The next step entails pulling it as straight as it can get, but that’s only half the job done, although whatever garment was being wrung in the towel should now be much drier than it was before. The final step then involves the two of you holding the now damp garment out as you would a sheet, blanket or duvet you were laying on your bed. You’ll spend the next 20-30 minutes literally shaking it dry and it’s good to go.
Packing like a pro
Not only do boarding school-branded kids know exactly what to pack for the various activities and scenarios you’re likely to encounter on your backpacking adventure, they can also fit a whole lot more into what may seem like very limited luggage space. Enlist their help physically and you’ll find that you can take a whole lot more of your favourite Tshirts along.
You’ll never go hungry
Boarding school babies have this amazing ability to make a good meal out of very limited resources, so you’ll never go hungry backpacking with one. From stashing snacks to fill up on between meals to charming the kitchen back-staff to sneak them some leftovers, you’ll be amazed at how much money you can save on your backpacking trip if you leave the food sourcing to your boarding school-bred fellow backpacker. They even know how to keep drinks cool enough if there’s no refrigerator available.