backpacker life contest

Suppose you could go anywhere in the world for a week to experience the backpacker lifestyle. Where would you go?

You can experience my traveling life for a week by entering the Live The Backpacker Life Contest with your best travel video guide before October 5th, 2010. I want to give you the chance to travel as I do – flexible, with a variety of choices, and on a budget – so I’ve set aside money for airfare and 6 nights of hostel accommodations for a taste of the backpacker life, where you want to.

travel videoHow To Enter

Put yourself in the position of travel blogger, Anthony Bourdain, or anthropologist and create a 3-5 minute video guide about a specific aspect of a given city that I haven’t yet written about. (You can check this list of the places I’ve covered or email me if you have any questions.)

  1. In addition to your video, you’ll need to submit a 400-600 word summary to be posted with it.
  2. Email your video and summary to anil(@)foxnomad.com with the subject line “Video Contest”.

Make sure the video is specific – it can be about a particular aspect of the local culture, a restaurant, or a guide of the best free attractions. Be creative but also specific.

plane taking offWhat You’ll Win

Ultimately, I want to get you to the destination you’ve been dying to see.


  • Airfare to most any destination up to $1,000. I’ll let you choose 3 cities based on your region and will send you there with the available budget.
  • Hostel accommodations for 6 nights.

You might be taking multi-city flights and will be staying in hostel dorms not because I’m cheap – but because it’s the way I travel and to give you a chance to experience it as well.

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string on finger reminderRequirements And Important Dates

  • The deadline to enter is 0100 GMT October 5th, 2010 (that’s 5am US EST).
  • Finalist videos will be posted the week of October 12, 2010 and the public vote taken October 19-23, 2010.
  • The winner will be announced on foXnoMad Tuesday October 26, 2010.
  • You must be in the video, at least long enough to be recognizable.
  • By entering you’re giving me permission to post your video on foXnoMad, my YouTube page, and potentially my other travel blogs.
  • Incomplete entries (i.e. without summaries) or those not meeting the requirements won’t be accepted.

How The Winner Will Be Chosen

I’ll narrow down the entries to my 6 favorite and start posting finalists on Tuesday October 12, 2010.

  • The winner will be determined by 5 total votes – one by me, 3 other travel bloggers, and a public vote.
  • The public vote will be open from October 19-23, 2010.

The judges will remain anonymous until after the winner is announced on Tuesday October 26, 2010.

london libraryContest Details

Some more about the contest specifics.

  • Trip reservations must be made by Wednesday December 1, 2010 and are final. Winners must take their trip before April 15, 2011.
  • The winner can choose 3 destinations, in order of preference. One must be in-continent and I’ll do my best to get your first choice; flights will be booked on Star Alliance or oneworld airlines only.
  • Airfare is up to $1,000 and hostel accommodations up to $200 for 6 nights. You’ll get 3 hostels to choose from depending on the destination. All other costs (e.g. food) are your responsibility.
  • Travel costs are airfare only – any bus, taxi, or local transportation is the responsibility of the winner. Also, winners do not keep any money left over from the airfare or hostel budget.
  • You must be 18, have a valid passport, and take care of any visa requirements yourself.
  • Finally, you must have travel insurance for the duration of your trip.
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Citizens of any nation may enter – good luck!

Why The Backpacker Life?

You’ve got a wide range of places to go to and visit as a budget traveler – whether you’ve done it before or want to try something new. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to explore the heights of Quito, see Istanbul’s Hippodrome, or just find out what a hostel is really like – now here’s your chance. I’m very fortunate to be able to travel full-time by blogging; so let’s reverse roles. Come up with your best travel video guide and earn yourself a backpacker trip with much of the world at your fingertips.

[photos by: ToddMorris (backpacker life contest), Aaron | Dan (travel video), Rainer Ebert (plane taking off), Deannster (string on finger reminder)]