backpacking

[prendi]

Hi ,my 22 yr old daughter is thinking of going backpacking to Las Vegas,then on to New Zealand.We are really worried about 2 girls going out on their own,has anybody else been thru this as we are not very keen on the idea but she is determined to go while she is young.Are we being over cautious or spoilsports as we read such horror stories in the press.Thanks.

[atalanta]

Tell the girls to get black belts in Judo before you'll let them go. And then they should take at least one more girl. It is very much more difficult to grab, kidnap or attack three girls than two. One can usually get free and raise the alarm if necessary.

[SeaJayPea]

There are hundreds of thousands of youngsters of all nationalities doing this at any one time. You only hear of the bad times. She'll be fine. Just trust her, she'll be OK.

[jno]

22? Sounds fine to me. I'd be slightly hesitant about travelling alone - bad things can happen anywhere, even LV and NZ, but they're slightly more likely to happen to young women on their own who aren't very wise in the ways of the world; but two together ought be as safe as you'll get.

(Backpacking is fine but I'd be wary of hitch-hiking anywhere these days.)

[prendi]

thanks seajay and jno i am slowly coming round to the idea,still a bit worried tho !

[rsvp]

Every parent's nightmare but the best thing you can do is see they are well prepared - there are courses run by ex-soldiers that cover many, many aspects and problems they may encounter - a lot is based on how to avoid getting in a tight spot to begin with. I don't know the exact name of a company but am sure you'll find it via google. Also make sure they have a good mobile and keep credit on it.

[DTCwordfan]

Ok Prendi, can understand your concern.

Does your daughter have a godfather? My godaughter did something similar for her Gap Year though she headed to Brazil, Uruquay, Argentina, Chile and Peru before the Galapagos, NZ, Oz, Fiji and back through the States.

What I did was to put her on my Amex so that she had a genuine emergency card. Her Dad agreed to cover any spend, but the thing was that she respected my card far more than if it had been her Dad's - i.e. she wasn't going to use it for that discount Prada handbag in Buenos Aries.....

We didn't need it and it worked very well.......and you have to give them some rope to "grow" - even though B was only 18, she was very good at texting back just two liners, though we all had a huge sigh of relief as she cleared Lima for the Galpagos. Today she is a practising lawyer in the City (though, as I type, she is in NZ stalking Jonny Wilkinson).

[piggynose]

kiwi experience back packers bus would be an idea for new zealand

[rockyracoon]

I would be worried if my kids wanted to do this but I know I'd also be glad they had the guts to do something that I was scared of doing, remember bad things happen over here to, date rape etc. With plenty of common sense they will have the trip of a lifetime, the world isn't such a big place anymore. DT's idea is an excellent one.

[gingejbee]

I'd not bother with Las Vegas - there are so many more interesting places in nearby California. LV is the one place in the States that I don't want to see again!

[snags]

I've done a fair bit of 'backpacking' in the past and met many women travelling either singly or as a pair/trio who never had any trouble. Common sense and a bit of forward planning go along way to minimising any potential dangers...