u/Gavkol87

Hello everyone,

Very quick question…. Anyone have any tips that worked for them on repairs a developing hole (almost exposing the plastic shoe shell) in the back of ur heel (inner shoe) (Saucony Peregrine 14 Trail Runners) (picture in the comments)

The exterior and tread are far too good to put the shoes in retirement due to this small flaw. I need them to last me at least 23 days through Central Asia with a few multi-day hikes in all terrain.

I am open to all advice and hacks, preferably inexpensive if possible, but would obviously rather fix it right than a new pair.

Thanks everyone!

Hi everyone,

I'm a Canadian citizen backpacking through Central Asia soon and want to make sure I follow the actual medication laws rather than relying on "I brought it through and nobody cared."

My itinerary is Kazakhstan → Kyrgyzstan → Tajikistan → Uzbekistan. I'm flying Amsterdam → Almaty (Kazakhstan) and eventually Tashkent (Uzbekistan) → Abu Dhabi. I may also take a regional flight between Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

I'll have a small personal medication kit with me containing multiple common over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and potentially some prescription medication. Everything is strictly for personal use and I'm not bringing anything recreational.

I'm particularly concerned about having several different medications in a small travel organizer rather than carrying large quantities/5+ original containers taking up space in my small backpack.

My main questions are:

1. What are the actual legal requirements for bringing personal medication into Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan? Are there specific quantity limits or restrictions on the number of different medications?
2. Do medications need to remain in their original packaging, or can common OTC pills legally be transferred into a labeled travel pill organizer? Do prescription medications have different requirements?
3. Which common medication are restricted or controlled in these countries? I'm especially wondering about things such as pseudoephedrine, dextromethorphan, sleep medications, strong antihistamines, etc.
4. Do the rules change when crossing between these countries? For example, if medication is legal to bring into Kazakhstan, could I have a separate issue when driving/flying Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan → Tajikistan?
5. What documentation or customs procedures are actually required? For example, prescription, doctor's letter, medication list, original packaging, or declaring certain medications at customs. If possible, I'd really appreciate links to the actual government/customs regulations rather than just personal experiences.

I'm mainly trying to avoid accidentally breaking a law because something is legal and commonly available in Canada but restricted in one of these countries.

Thanks for the help!

Hello everyone,

Myself and a buddy are going for a trip through Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan with layovers in Egypt and Turkey. The trip will be 23 days.

What is the ratio for using card versus cash in these places?

It sounds like USD is the currency to bring, but how much cash should I bring?

ATM and exchange rates are very high from my understanding once I get there, so would rather convert all my money at home, but am struggling to determine how much.

Thanks for the help!

https://preview.redd.it/h4f3ix01fohh1.png?width=423&format=png&auto=webp&s=d305dbf45b94ce2d64cf400f1eb85ec4e8e37773

Hello everyone!

I am looking to dye the hat in the attached image (North Face Badwaters Mullet Hat). It is made of two materials according to the tag, Shell A: Polyseter, Shell B: Nylon.

I really like this hat and use it for hiking (so I like the breathability, being able to stuff it with all my other clothes, quick drying, etc.). I do not like the colour of the hat (especially the contrast between the beige material and the white mesh. Ideal colours to dye it would be Navy Blue, Black, or Dark Grey (both the beige material and the mesh).

I want to do this properly so I can retain all of the above functions that I mentioned as I am more interested in the hats functions than the colour (but am willing to do this project/buy the correct stuff to make myself like the hat even more by changing the colour! As well, I cannot have this dye transfer to any other clothes, my head/hair during sweating/being in sun, or wash out during washing.

Please give me any advice on how to properly dye this hat, including what to buy, correct process, and any other recommendations. Thanks so much!

https://preview.redd.it/pme9v3hndohh1.png?width=350&format=png&auto=webp&s=8f0d994857c000586a2f4eba4740dbe274cd5046

Hello everyone!

I am looking to dye the hat in the attached image (North Face Badwaters Mullet Hat). It is made of two materials according to the tag, Shell A: Polyseter, Shell B: Nylon.

I really like this hat and use it for hiking (so I like the breathability, being able to stuff it with all my other clothes, quick drying, etc.). I do not like the colour of the hat (especially the contrast between the beige material and the white mesh. Ideal colours to dye it would be Navy Blue, Black, or Dark Grey (both the beige material and the mesh).

I want to do this properly so I can retain all of the above functions that I mentioned as I am more interested in the hats functions than the colour (but am willing to do this project/buy the correct stuff to make myself like the hat even more by changing the colour! As well, I cannot have this dye transfer to any other clothes, my head/hair during sweating/being in sun, or wash out during washing.

Please give me any advice on how to properly dye this hat, including what to buy, correct process, and any other recommendations. Thanks so much!

Hey everyone,

My buddy and I (both early 20s, from Detroit area) are trying to lock in a backpacking trip** **for 23 days starting in early September 2026 and would love some advice from people who have actually traveled this region.

Our travel style is pretty simple:

Backpacking (40L carry-on + personal item)
Hostels, guesthouses, street food
Budget around US$3,500 each max including flights
We’d rather spend money on great experiences than luxury things

We’re active and are looking for a trip that’s heavy on adventure and culture. We like meeting locals, wandering into random situations, and having those memories that “weren’t apart of the plan.”

Current countries we’re looking at are:

Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Uzbekistan
Tajikistan

We’re also considering a 1-day stopover in Doha if it works with flights, and maybe a 2–3 day stop somewhere in Europe on the way home if it doesn’t blow the budget. We like to get a glimpse and taste of a bunch of different places as we are less interested in spending days sitting in the same city and going to museums or just “hanging around,” we’d rather keep moving, see different landscapes, and experience the local culture.

Some things we’d love to do:

A legit 2–4 day mountain trek (not just a day hike)
Horse trekking with a yurt stay
Renting a 4x4 or jeep for a few days if there’s an area where it’s actually worth it (if this is recommended and good value)
Popular tourist spots are totally fine if they’re genuinely worth seeing, we don’t avoid them just because they’re popular

A few questions:

If you had about 3 weeks, would you do all 4 of the “-stans” or just focus on 3 and bounce out elsewhere? Even add in Afghanistan (super interested if realistic) and north Pakistan/India (this would replace the layovers/stopovers)
What order would you travel them in to make transportation as easy and cheap as possible?
Are there any amazing places that start closing or become difficult in mid/late September (mountain passes, yurt camps, trekking routes, etc.)? Should we plan to start in a certain country because of the season?
If you had to pick ONE unforgettable multi-day trek, which would it be?
For horse trekking/yurt experiences where did you do it and would you recommend it?
Is renting a car or 4x4 worth it anywhere, or are shared taxis/marshrutkas just the better experience?
Any hidden gems or “don’t miss this” experiences that don’t always show up on reddits/blogs?
If you had one thing you’d change about your Central Asia trip after the fact, what would it be?
Finally, if you were planning this trip from scratch today with our budget and timeframe, what itinerary would you build?

We genuinely appreciate any advice. We’ve done a lot of backpacking around Europe and South America, but this will be our first time in Central Asia and we want to build the best route possible while we have the chance and maximize our limited time!

(Please don’t hesitate to direct message me for a conversation).

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

My buddy and I (both early 20s, from Detroit area) are trying to lock in a backpacking trip** **for 23 days starting in early September 2026 and would love some advice from people who have actually traveled this region.

Our travel style is pretty simple:

Backpacking (40L carry-on + personal item)
Hostels, guesthouses, street food
Budget around US$3,500 each max including flights
We’d rather spend money on great experiences than luxury things

We’re active and are looking for a trip that’s heavy on adventure and culture. We like meeting locals, wandering into random situations, and having those memories that “weren’t apart of the plan.”

Current countries we’re looking at are:

Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Uzbekistan
Tajikistan

We’re also considering a 1-day stopover in Doha if it works with flights, and maybe a 2–3 day stop somewhere in Europe on the way home if it doesn’t blow the budget. We like to get a glimpse and taste of a bunch of different places as we are less interested in spending days sitting in the same city and going to museums or just “hanging around,” we’d rather keep moving, see different landscapes, and experience the local culture.

Some things we’d love to do:

A legit 2–4 day mountain trek (not just a day hike)
Horse trekking with a yurt stay
Renting a 4x4 or jeep for a few days if there’s an area where it’s actually worth it (if this is recommended and good value)
Popular tourist spots are totally fine if they’re genuinely worth seeing, we don’t avoid them just because they’re popular

A few questions:

If you had about 3 weeks, would you do all 4 of the “-stans” or just focus on 3 and bounce out elsewhere? Even add in Afghanistan (super interested if realistic) and north Pakistan/India (this would replace the layovers/stopovers)
What order would you travel them in to make transportation as easy and cheap as possible?
Are there any amazing places that start closing or become difficult in mid/late September (mountain passes, yurt camps, trekking routes, etc.)? Should we plan to start in a certain country because of the season?
If you had to pick ONE unforgettable multi-day trek, which would it be?
For horse trekking/yurt experiences where did you do it and would you recommend it?
Is renting a car or 4x4 worth it anywhere, or are shared taxis/marshrutkas just the better experience?
Any hidden gems or “don’t miss this” experiences that don’t always show up on reddits/blogs?
If you had one thing you’d change about your Central Asia trip after the fact, what would it be?
Finally, if you were planning this trip from scratch today with our budget and timeframe, what itinerary would you build?

We genuinely appreciate any advice. We’ve done a lot of backpacking around Europe and South America, but this will be our first time in Central Asia and we want to build the best route possible while we have the chance and maximize our limited time!

(Please don’t hesitate to direct message me for a conversation).

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

My buddy and I (both early 20s, from Detroit area) are trying to lock in a backpacking trip** **for 23 days starting in early September 2026 and would love some advice from people who have actually traveled this region.

Our travel style is pretty simple:

Backpacking (40L carry-on + personal item)
Hostels, guesthouses, street food
Budget around US$3,500 each max including flights
We’d rather spend money on great experiences than luxury things

We’re active and are looking for a trip that’s heavy on adventure and culture. We like meeting locals, wandering into random situations, and having those memories that “weren’t apart of the plan.”

Current countries we’re looking at are:

Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Uzbekistan
Tajikistan

We’re also considering a 1-day stopover in Doha if it works with flights, and maybe a 2–3 day stop somewhere in Europe on the way home if it doesn’t blow the budget. We like to get a glimpse and taste of a bunch of different places as we are less interested in spending days sitting in the same city and going to museums or just “hanging around,” we’d rather keep moving, see different landscapes, and experience the local culture.

Some things we’d love to do:

A legit 2–4 day mountain trek (not just a day hike)
Horse trekking with a yurt stay
Renting a 4x4 or jeep for a few days if there’s an area where it’s actually worth it (if this is recommended and good value)
Popular tourist spots are totally fine if they’re genuinely worth seeing, we don’t avoid them just because they’re popular

A few questions:

If you had about 3 weeks, would you do all 4 of the “-stans” or just focus on 3 and bounce out elsewhere? Even add in Afghanistan (super interested if realistic) and north Pakistan/India (this would replace the layovers/stopovers)
What order would you travel them in to make transportation as easy and cheap as possible?
Are there any amazing places that start closing or become difficult in mid/late September (mountain passes, yurt camps, trekking routes, etc.)? Should we plan to start in a certain country because of the season?
If you had to pick ONE unforgettable multi-day trek, which would it be?
For horse trekking/yurt experiences where did you do it and would you recommend it?
Is renting a car or 4x4 worth it anywhere, or are shared taxis/marshrutkas just the better experience?
Any hidden gems or “don’t miss this” experiences that don’t always show up on reddits/blogs?
If you had one thing you’d change about your Central Asia trip after the fact, what would it be?
Finally, if you were planning this trip from scratch today with our budget and timeframe, what itinerary would you build?

We genuinely appreciate any advice. We’ve done a lot of backpacking around Europe and South America, but this will be our first time in Central Asia and we want to build the best route possible while we have the chance and maximize our limited time!

(Please don’t hesitate to direct message me for a conversation).

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

My buddy and I (both early 20s, from Detroit area) are trying to lock in a backpacking trip** **for 23 days starting in early September 2026 and would love some advice from people who have actually traveled this region.

Our travel style is pretty simple:

Backpacking (40L carry-on + personal item)
Hostels, guesthouses, street food
Budget around US$3,500 each max including flights
We’d rather spend money on great experiences than luxury things

We’re active and are looking for a trip that’s heavy on adventure and culture. We like meeting locals, wandering into random situations, and having those memories that “weren’t apart of the plan.”

Current countries we’re looking at are:

Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Uzbekistan
Tajikistan

We’re also considering a 1-day stopover in Doha if it works with flights, and maybe a 2–3 day stop somewhere in Europe on the way home if it doesn’t blow the budget. We like to get a glimpse and taste of a bunch of different places as we are less interested in spending days sitting in the same city and going to museums or just “hanging around,” we’d rather keep moving, see different landscapes, and experience the local culture.

Some things we’d love to do:

A legit 2–4 day mountain trek (not just a day hike)
Horse trekking with a yurt stay
Renting a 4x4 or jeep for a few days if there’s an area where it’s actually worth it (if this is recommended and good value)
Popular tourist spots are totally fine if they’re genuinely worth seeing, we don’t avoid them just because they’re popular

A few questions:

If you had about 3 weeks, would you do all 4 of the “-stans” or just focus on 3 and bounce out elsewhere? Even add in Afghanistan (super interested if realistic) and north Pakistan/India (this would replace the layovers/stopovers).
What order would you travel them in to make transportation as easy and cheap as possible?
Are there any amazing places that start closing or become difficult in mid/late September (mountain passes, yurt camps, trekking routes, etc.)? Should we plan to start in a certain country because of the season?
If you had to pick ONE unforgettable multi-day trek, which would it be?
For horse trekking/yurt experiences where did you do it and would you recommend it?
Is renting a car or 4x4 worth it anywhere, or are shared taxis/marshrutkas just the better experience?
Any hidden gems or “don’t miss this” experiences that don’t always show up on reddits/blogs?
If you had one thing you’d change about your Central Asia trip after the fact, what would it be?
Finally, if you were planning this trip from scratch today with our budget and timeframe, what itinerary would you build?

We genuinely appreciate any advice. We’ve done a lot of backpacking around Europe and South America, but this will be our first time in Central Asia and we want to build the best route possible while we have the chance and maximize our limited time!

(Please don’t hesitate to direct message me for a conversation).

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I'm planning a Kilimanjaro climb with my buddy (both 22M) for September 2026 as part of a 16 day East Africa backpacking trip. Our goal is to keep the hike under about $1500 USD (or very close to), so I'm trying to figure out the most budget-friendly way to climb Kili without making unsafe or terrible decisions.

A few questions for people who have done it/currently researching:

• What is the absolute cheapest legitimate way to summit Kilimanjaro?
• Which route offers the best balance of cost and summit success?
• Is it significantly cheaper to book once I arrive in Tanzania versus booking online in advance? (Are there any reputable local operators that charge much less than the big international companies?). Is the risk worth it?
• What did your total cost end up being (including tips, gear rental, park fees, transport, etc.)?
• Are there any commonly overlooked expenses?
• Has anyone joined a group at the last minute to lower costs? Again, what is the actual risk?

We areexperienced hikers/backpackers and don't need luxury accommodations. We are mainly looking for the safest way to keep costs down while still having a realistic chance of reaching the summit.

Any advice, operators, routes, or budget strategies would be greatly appreciated. If you are more comfortable direct messaging me, that works perfectly too.

Cheers!

Hey everyone,

I'm planning a Kilimanjaro climb with my buddy (both 22M) for September 2026 as part of a 16 day East Africa backpacking trip. Our goal is to keep the hike under about $1500 USD (or very close to), so I'm trying to figure out the most budget-friendly way to climb Kili without making unsafe or terrible decisions.

A few questions for people who have done it/currently researching:

• What is the absolute cheapest legitimate way to summit Kilimanjaro?
• Which route offers the best balance of cost and summit success?
• Is it significantly cheaper to book once I arrive in Tanzania versus booking online in advance? (Are there any reputable local operators that charge much less than the big international companies?). Is the risk worth it?
• What did your total cost end up being (including tips, gear rental, park fees, transport, etc.)?
• Are there any commonly overlooked expenses?
• Has anyone joined a group at the last minute to lower costs? Again, what is the actual risk?

We areexperienced hikers/backpackers and don't need luxury accommodations. We are mainly looking for the safest way to keep costs down while still having a realistic chance of reaching the summit.

Any advice, operators, routes, or budget strategies would be greatly appreciated. If you are more comfortable direct messaging me, that works perfectly too.

Cheers!

Hey everyone,

I'm planning a Kilimanjaro climb with my buddy (both 22M) for September 2026 as part of a 16 day East Africa backpacking trip. Our goal is to keep the hike under about $1500 USD (or very close to), so I'm trying to figure out the most budget-friendly way to climb Kili without making unsafe or terrible decisions.

A few questions for people who have done it/currently researching:

• What is the absolute cheapest legitimate way to summit Kilimanjaro?
• Which route offers the best balance of cost and summit success?
• Is it significantly cheaper to book once I arrive in Tanzania versus booking online in advance? (Are there any reputable local operators that charge much less than the big international companies?). Is the risk worth it?
• What did your total cost end up being (including tips, gear rental, park fees, transport, etc.)?
• Are there any commonly overlooked expenses?
• Has anyone joined a group at the last minute to lower costs? Again, what is the actual risk?

We areexperienced hikers/backpackers and don't need luxury accommodations. We are mainly looking for the safest way to keep costs down while still having a realistic chance of reaching the summit.

Any advice, operators, routes, or budget strategies would be greatly appreciated. If you are more comfortable direct messaging me, that works perfectly too.

Cheers!