People have explored pretty much every corner of the world, and where you can travel, you can backpack. There is almost no stone unturned, it’s true, but there are still some places that fewer backpackers have ventured as they are off the main travellers’ routes.

Japan is a case in point, and even more so, the government constructed hiking trails that run up and down the Japanese countryside.

So, if you happen to have Japan on your round the world itinerary, make sure you get out of Tokyo and go off and explore some of the beautiful Japanese countryside while you can. Flying to Japan direct is usually something people rarely do, unless they’re going on business. If you’re there as part of a bigger trip, you should make the most of it, as you may not ever get to visit this beautiful country again.

The Nature Trails are really popular with the Japanese people, but few tourists have ever heard of them. Nine trails cover a distance of 26,000km combined. Established in the 1970s by a government who wanted to encourage exercise and better fitness amongst its people, the trails are today maintained by individual prefectures. You can break the distances up into day trek sections and it’s easy to reach the trails using public transport.

You can also find places to camp within striking distance of the Nature Trails. However, you may not always be well placed to find a shop easily where there are tents for sale, so it’s best to bring all your camping equipment with you. As well as a tent and sleeping bag, you’ll also need good quality clothing that is comfortable for hiking in.

Whatever season you’re travelling through Japan in, womens or mens waterproof jackets are essential items. You definitely don’t want to get caught out in the rain – as drying your clothes out in a tent is no fun at all!

Bon Echo is a provincial park located by highway 41. We reserved two lots at the Sawmil  campsite, to the left of the park entrance. We were a 5-10mins walk to the closest beach (North Beach) and a 15mins walk to the main beach. The main beach is stretched lengthwise, with just enough sand for people to lay down and play beach volleyball.

When camping or visiting Bon Echo, one will quickly realize how “the rock” will gain a lot of importance. So on the cloudy day, our group decided to take a ferry (~$3,00) across to the rock and embark on a 1 km hike. You can choose to canoe over to the rock or take the ferry. The hike up is relatively easy and accessible for both adults and kids. It provides hikers with a nice view of the lake. Definitely worth it if it’s a cloudy day.

Camping Fire 101

• To start a fire, you need kindle wood and regular wood. The best way is to create a tippie with your wood, where the kindle wood is in the inside and the bigger pieces of wood on the outside. The trick is to light the kindle wood first (using a small piece of wood or paper) so that it then lights up the bigger pieces.
• Kindle wood in simply smaller pieces of the bigger logs. The goal of adding the kindle wood is so that it picks up the fire quicker and then transfer the fire over to the bigger logs.
• When fire is decreasing or not burning properly, take a plate and air it. The oxygen will boost the fire.

Roasting Marshmallows

Going camping without marshmallow is a no-no! I’m personally not a fan of smores but I found my own coup de Coeur this weekend!

• Find a stick in the woods and clean the tip of it using a knife. Then put your stick close to the coals in the fire to disinfect your stick.
• Place a marshmallow at the tip of your stick and put it in the fire. The trick is not to place your marshmallow directly on the fire but at the bottom of the coals. Make sure not to place it too close because it will start to burn after a few seconds.
• Once your marshmallow is ready, place a macaroon (coconut chocolate) inside your melting marshmallow and enjoy!!!!

When most people hear the word “camping”, they think about mosquitoes, lack of bathrooms, dirt, etc. That would probably be a good description for rustic camping but provincial parks in Canada are well equipped. So the camping we’re referring to is with nearby bathroom facilities, electricity and water. I’ll save the rustic camping occasions when I’m backpacking somewhere exotic. With only a few days away from leaving on a camping trip, I need to think of items to pack.

1. Tent, sleeping bags, mattresses and tarp: These are pretty much the basic necessities for camping. Putting up the tent will be an interesting task of its own but we should be able to put it up without too much difficulty. Tarp is always useful when it rains. I normally put one over the tent and keep an extra one in the car to put over the table if it rains.
2. Hammer, machete knife, flashlight and lantern: These items will also come in very useful. We’ll need a hammer to put up the tent. The knife is always useful, either to cut food or difficult items to cut with a regular knife. The flashlight and lanterns will be handy once it’s dark.
3. Camping/portable stove and grill for campfire: The portable stove is not a necessary item because you can easily cook using the fire and a grill. But, since I mentioned that I’m going on a slightly more luxurious camping trip, the portable stove is coming with up. I plan to make the eggs or boil water or tea or even make some coffee.
4. Plastic plates, garbage bags, cloths, dish soap and pan: While trying to use plastic plates and utensils to eat, we’ll still need to bring a pan for whatever we need to cook on the stove. It’s always to have a back-up plan. For example, I normally cook eggs in the pan but if it’s windy one night and we’re having trouble keeping the fire going, at least I can cook the food in a pan. Which then needs to be washed in dried so we need to make sure to bring cloths and dish soap. Garbage bags always come in handy for your garbage, of course.
5. Food and cooler: The best part of it all is the food of course! To keep things simple, I normally bring burgers, brochettes, corn on the cob and vegetables. They are simple to cook and so tasty when cooked on a fire. I can’t forget to bring other necessities such as spices and oils to marinate the food. The cooler should be filled with ice to keep meats and dairy products cold at all time.
6. Personal items: This is where you personal items comes in such as clothes, bathing suit, mosquito repellant, sun screen, soap, shampoo, towels. Most camping grounds do have showers that you can enjoy. If not, you can always stay stinky for a few days. Do avoid bringing perfume based products because it will attract the mosquitoes!

All in all, camping is fun and relaxing! To ensure a good trip, do be sure to leave your food in the car at night and tie your garbage back high up to avoid unexpected surprises at night. Enjoy!

As most of you know, Nara and I met 5 years ago while backpacking in Portugal. While she lives in Toronto and I live in Montreal, we still managed to stay friends throughout the years. While the blog keeps us close, we’re not always physically in the same location! But last week-end was a different story… Since the both of us are adventurous, we decided to meet halfway to spend a week-end camping with our friends!

My friends and I leaving from Montreal and Nara friends  and her driving from Toronto, we met  in the Shabot National Park in Ontario. While we were both in the same Park, we were on different campsites.  Our first day camping started out as any other day on a campsite. After our arrival, we set up our tent. Considering that we were 4 females prepping the site, I am proud to announce we did everything all by ourselves! From setting up the tent, to cooking using a propane stove, to starting and maintaining a fire, we did it! After setting everything up, we went to play some volleyball at the beach. Everything until now was going just fine… until.. until after dinner. So after eating, us 4 girls headed over to Nara’s campground for some bonding near the fire. They were 7 people on the site so plus us 4 equals…. 11!

For those of you who have already camped in National Parks, I’m sure you already know that they don’t tolerate noise and rowdiness. But what do you think happened when 11 people were on one campsite drinking. Yeah…  So after several warnings, the party ended relatively early because of a few visits from the rangers. To our surprise, the rangers came back to the site on the following morning to let the group of 7 friends know that they were being evicted from the Park! We couldn’t believe it! They had to leave the campground area by 1pm and they were banned by all National Parks in Canada for 72 hours. After much bargaining, the rangers allowed them to spend the rest of the day at the beach.So after a great day at the beach playing some more beach volleyball, frisbee and soccer, we had to say our goodbyes.

As most of us all met that weekend, our encounter was short and sweet. Too bad it ended pre-maturely. But all this to say that the one night we all spent together was awesome! And we’ll just have to plan another weekend full of adventure!

Coachella – California

Two days of sunshine, amazing sound, and living in your tent! The hippie chic festival is all about rock, style, and having a blast. This festival is April 16-18 near Palm Springs. So far the line up of performers are Jay-Z, David Guetta, Gossip, The dead Weather Phoenix, Gorilaz, and Vampire Weekend.

Rock in RIO – Lisbon

This festival goes between RIO to Madrid and now to Lisbon. It is held in Lisbon’s Bela Vista Park with many different stages throughout the park. There will be stages of electronic sounds, rock, and jam sessions. Plus the expected people to be there will be Miley Cyrus, and John Mayer. This festival is between May 21-27.

Glastonbury – United Kingdom

One of the most fashionable, and star- struck festivals to attend, this is one place to be this summer! Many stars such as Kate Moss, Lily Allen, and Jay-Z are regulars to this festival. However, you need to be ready for the rain and mud, since every year it seems to rain lots during this festival. This festival is taking place between June 23 – 27 and a few performers will be U2, Stevie Wonder, and Jack Johnson.

Roskilde – Denmark

During July 1-4 the Nordic Festival is a non-profit organization that will have all profits go to a great cause and free camping is included in the ticket. Plus the well know thing about this festival are the food stands. Suppose to be amazing. This festival is only 35 km outside of Copenhagen and so far Jack Johnson and Muse will be performering.

Benicassim – Spain

Between the most party cities of Barcelona and Valencia the pristine beaches turn into a major dance floors of Spain’s largest party festival of the year. So all day you soak up the sun, swim in the sea and party all night, so who wouldn’t want to attend this festival?