How to Prepare for Adventure Travel Tours

A few decades ago, “adventure travel” conjured up images of backcountry skiers, rock climbers, mountaineers, and people kayaking past icebergs. The definition has expanded as the category has exploded though. Far more regular vacationers are getting into nature. This kind of trip is not as simple as lounging at a beach resort though, so you need to pack differently and take different steps to prepare for adventure travel tours.

How much effort you need to put into this is closely tied to what you spend for the tour in some cases. If you take an epic bucket list trip to Antarctica, the cruise company will supply boots and an insulated jumpsuit and a doctor will be with you at all times. If you’re striking out on your own on the Salkantay Trek in Peru without a guide though, you’ll need to put a lot more thought into what you’re packing and how you’ll get help if it’s needed.

Here are the main categories for what to consider when you’re planning an adventure travel tour of some kind in Mexico, Central America, or South America. This will at least cover the bases and get you started, though pay close attention to whatever the tour company sends you as well. The companies all complain that clients don’t read the prep materials and half of the problems they encounter on site stem from that.

Robust Travel Insurance for Adventurers

All travel insurance is not created equal and what you purchase for a resort vacation or a cruise is probably not going to cut it for most outdoor adventure activities. What’s included for free in your credit card benefits is even less likely to help.

The more hard-core the adventure, the more specialized and robust your insurance needs to be. This is not a time to skip the fine print and say, “Oh, I’m sure it will be fine.”

If you’re doing serious hiking, biking, white-water rafting, or paragliding, you don’t want to skimp on the policy and just hope things will turn out okay. Sure, odds are they will, but when you can get extreme sports travel insurance for just a few dollars a day more than a routine policy, then you know you’re covered in situations where accidents are more likely.

What’s the difference? Well, standard policies exclude injuries from activities they consider dangerous, which can be anything from renting a scooter to going skiing to paddling around in a kayak. A standard policy will seldom cover transportation to a big hospital in the country you’re visiting, much less get you to a better one in a capital city — or your home country even. With a basic policy, you may have to choose between your health and your savings if you get injured in a rural location.

You want the kind of travel insurance that includes, not excludes, and will cover the “what if” situations you could encounter while hiking in Patagonia or exploring the Amazon jungle.

Getting Geared Up When Packing

People have written entire articles on what to pack for a hiking trip, cycling trip, or other types of adventure travel tours, so go search around for those if you want to see every possible inclusion to consider. Once you get beyond the specialty clothing and gear you may need for that particular activity, however, most items fall into several categories. You’ll want to think about threat prevention, protecting parts of your body from the elements, and being prepared for what surprises can arise.

For apparel, consider what’s needed for the activity itself, how that will change throughout the day, and what you’ll need at night in between. Sun protection is a huge consideration in any normal circumstances in nature. But you have to be extra careful on the water, when there’s snow, or when you’re at high altitude. In some spots you could be facing all three. So you want a sun hat that won’t blow off, polarized sunglasses, clothing that blocks UV rays, and plenty of sunscreen for what’s still exposed.

If there will be lots of bugs, there are clothing options treated with permethrin that provide an extra layer of protection. When combined with DEET, this clothing will stop most of the insect bite risk. Unfortunately, one company that used to sell a lot of these items turned into an underwear brand and then Craghoppers’ U.S. distributor went bankrupt, leaving a big hole in the American market (for the second time this decade).

You can still buy direct from Insect Shield though and Columbia Sportswear sells clothing treated with permethrin. The items generally last for 50 – 70 washes, more than most people launder their travel clothing.

If you’re going on a hiking trip, there are two items that are well worth the splurge: good hiking shoes and good hiking socks. In some ways the latter are the most important if your shoes are broken in and fit well because they’ll provide additional cushioning and prevent blisters. Pack blister prevention products or even pack toe socks if you are extra worried. I’m a big fan of Darn Tough Vermont socks that are guaranteed for life, but buy good quality name-brand ones meant for hiking regardless, preferably with some merino wool in the blend, and you should be okay.

For most adventure travel tours, you’ll be moving around a lot and there probably won’t be many opportunities to get laundry done. So you’ll want to pack a lot of quick-dry synthetics and merino wool items. Besides now UK-only Craghoppers, I’ve had good long-lasting experiences with KUHL, Patagonia, Columbia, and prAna. With a smattering of Outdoor Research, Mountain Hardwear, and Sierra Designs. If you check sites like Backcountry.com, you’ll often see last year’s colors/models marked down a lot, especially if it’s between seasons.

First Aid and Being Found

If you’re booking a trip with a luxury adventure tour company like we cover often here, or you’re going to be based in an adventure lodge like the ones from Explora or in the jungle regions, then you don’t need to worry much about first aid and medical issues. They’ll have that covered. Any guide leading you through the woods or paddling a canoe will have a well-stocked first-aid kit at the ready. And some kind of walkie-talkie or signaling device for when there’s no cell phone coverage.

If you’re striking out on your own though, that responsibility is all yours. You’ll need a first aid kit that covers any pertinent local threat, from snakebites to ankle sprains to cuts. You’ll need a compass and a map. You’ll need some way of calling for help and providing your location for anyone to find you. Plus a water purifier to turn any local source into hydration that won’t get you sick.

Always ask the question, “What if there’s no cell service?” Way too often these days, people assume they’ll be able to look up anything and send a text from wherever they are, but without satellite service and unlimited power, that’s not a given in the wilderness. So “What if my phone dies completely?” is the other question to be able to answer.

You do need to have everything you could possibly need for backup on your phone and in the cloud, however, in case you do end up in a hospital or dealing with a government office. Passport, driver’s license, insurance docs, travel confirmations, banking, family contacts — consider the worst case and be ready for it.

Last, being in a hurry and cutting things close can increase the chances of something going wrong. Build in a buffer, roll with the punches, and don’t set an itinerary so tight that one small delay can set off a chain reaction of problems. The possibilities of bad weather, road closures, and local disturbances all need to be factored into the plans.

Hey, as the editor of Luxury Latin America and a travel writer for decades, I’ve been on dozens of adventure tours in a variety of countries, with four hiking trips in Peru alone, plus white-water rafting, biking, hang gliding, and kayaking in many other nations. I’ve never had a trip get derailed or ended up in a hospital. With a “better safe than sorry” attitude though, I’ve been prepared instead of scared and would have been ready if my luck turned.