2009 gave birth to i Backpack Canada. I’m honestly quite surprised that I’ve still got my feet planted and am able to continue to write new content for this travel website. Looking back now on 2009, I managed to get a lot of work done with what little time I had. Some of the posts I wrote were first hand experiences, some of them were purely research. The beautiful thing about it all is that I learned so much during 2009 about my country. Canada’s backpacker scene is a tottler compared to those in Australia, New Zealand, and South East Asia. But I think in 2009 I not only proved to myself, but I proved to others that backpacking across Canada can be done. So below is a round-up of the posts I feel most important from 2009.
Best Surf Locations in Canada – This post is the closest thing I wrote that almost went viral. It continues to get quite a few readers. It’s a great example of Canadian’s tolerance to cold water, and love for a sport.
10 Things to do in the Rocky Mountains – Another popular post of mine, this one was actually featured in a couple blog carnivals, including Nomadic Matts. Anyone planning on staying a while in the Rockies needs to take a poke through this one.
10 Must try Beers from Canada – The title says it all. Just a round-up post on some of Canada’s best beer. Narrowing it down to 10 is pretty subjective I know, but for anyone out there who doesn’t know where to start, this post should be able to help. I think in 2010 I’ll try and update this list as I’ve come across a few other brews I feel need a mention.
Backpacking Canada in Style: Fashion Faux Pas to Avoid – A slight poke at myself and backpackers in general. Hygiene and beauty tend to take a backseat if you’ve been on the road. This is my attempt at reminding backpackers that sex appeal doesn’t have to go out the window as soon as you put your backpack.
Best Ski Resorts in the Canadian Rockies – I’ve been seeing several of these posts as of lately, especially now that it’s getting winter. I worked on this post for literally like a month and a half. I was working on this one during work hours, trying to scrounge up information on the heights and size of mountains. I finally managed to get this one posted, but it was tough. The videos are just the cherry on top.
Beginner Backpacker Mistakes – Kind of a common topic but if you’re new to the backpacker scene, poke through here and take what you can out of it.
How to make a Poutine – Read this! Why? Because poutines the best.
Busk-A-Move: My Guide to Busking – I actually wrote this one for Matador Travel at one point, then through my own confusion and stupidity, I sent them this post in the wrong filetype, which resulted in me never getting around to sending them the right filetype. Which in turn lead me to posting this on my own website when I couldn’t come up with anything to write about. Sorry Matador Travel, my bad.
7 Tips for sleeping through hostel snoring – Sleep is good. Snoring is bad. A few tips to make it through the night in a dorm with a lawn-mower.
5 Best Places to Bungee Jump in Canada – Written for the adrenaline seekers. I was surprised to find Canada even had this many bungee jumping locations.
10 Ways to Die in Canada – A list of 10 possible dangers to avoid while traveling Canada.
10 Winter Activities you shouldn’t miss – If you’re cursed with bad weather, turn it into a good thing and get active. Another big list that hopefully will spark an idea or two for you while you’re traveling Canada.
How to Buy a Car to Travel Canada with – Despite the long title, it should give you a rough idea where to start if you’re planning on buying a car and hitting the road to see as much of Canada as possible.
Interviewing Canada’s Hostels – Officially my biggest series of posts, I’ve already been in contact with several hostels in British Columbia. I’m hoping to get as many hostels in Canada included in this series. Basically to give you guys, the readers, a sneak peek into hostel life in Canada.
**If you remember any other posts you really liked feel free to toss them up in the comments!