David de Rothschild: Voyage of the Plastiki Five Tips For Young (at Heart) Adventurers

1) Aim big.
Don’t be afraid to aim for the thing you really want the most. In other words, follow your dreams.

2) Find a good team.
It’s essential to have a strong support network of people around you who can help throughout the expedition from the planning stages through to the actual journey itself.

3) Always test your equipment thoroughly before you go.
You don’t want to end up getting out into the field and realizing your boots are too small or your backpack is rubbing your shoulders.

4) Make sure that you document everything from the moment you start planning, all the way through the expedition.
Create as much content as possible in and around your expedition–the one thing you will regret is missing photographs and footage. As a sub note, I would definitely recommend keeping a diary so that when you get back, you can match up all your film and photographs with dates and locations.

5) Last, and by no means least, have fun.
There will always be highs and lows to any adventure. It’s important to embrace and learn from them both. It’s not the end of the world if things go wrong, so don’t panic. Roll with it and enjoy every moment.

Read de Rothschild’s dispatches >>

David de Rothschild, a National Geographic Visiting Fellow and founder of Adventure Ecology, will depart in March 2009 on a 7,500-mile voyage from San Francisco to Sydney (see the route map) in a boat made of plastic bottles. Find out more about the expedition in a feature article by Contributing Editor Paul Kvinta ("Voyage of the Plastiki," October 2008 issue of ADVENTURE). Check in here for de Rothschild’s dispatches.

Photograph by Gregg Segal