The Perfect Busse for a Short Walk Across Algeria...

Josh, I have a little bit of experience of that part of the world ... and whilst I applaud your "can do" attitude ... and you are a Brit and so am I ... some of what you are planning is unlikely to be doable.

The beginning of your journey is OK ... you don't need a visa to get into Tunisia for less than a three month stay with a British Passport ... so flying into Tunis is possible but bear in mind that a few Contractors who wanted to work in Libiya were going into Tunis and then trying to get across the border with Libiya not that long ago ... so flying in with a knife in a rucksack with a load of camping gear may lead to the possibility of confiscation of the knife at the airport and a load of other gear or you enter the grey zone of how much it might take to pay to keep it ... where diplomatic questions like "can't I pay a fine" and keep it as I need it ?" might sort you out ... but keep the knife sterile so there are no Busse labels on it ... otherwise a quick bit of "google-fu" and the "fine" you might have been offered will be a lot more or it will be kept altogether ...

So consider travelling with a disposable suit case ... so all the gear is in it and seperately packed ( i.e. don't just put a packed rucksack into the suit case as even there they have X rays ) ... and try and seem as "package holiday" as possible ...

However having said that ... whilst the border is open with Algeria from Tunisia ... you won't get into Algeria without a visa which you need to acquire in the UK prior to setting off ... and it is doubtful that the Algerians will grant a visa for this when you tell them where you are going ...

Here are some issues ... check out the site below ...

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and...e-by-country/middle-east-north-africa/algeria

Kidnap is a serious problem ... particularly the closer you get to Mali ... see the plight of the spanish and italian workers in the refugee camps ...

Then there is the crossing into Mali to get to Timbuktu ... Mali is so dangerous that the British Foreign Office has withdrawn it's embassy in Mali ... visa permits cannot be obtained ... you can seek help from other EU countries such as the French ... but I would'nt think they will be more help either ...

So I am thinking you might be trying to cross the border from Tunisia without a visa ... don't ! Prisons in Algeria are HIV death traps ... male rape is common ...

Kidnap and ransom insurance is unlikely to be offered to you ... even if you had the Visa ... but you can PM me for details on this if you want to try ...

In your situation I would consider altering my route ... and trying for some sort of charitable "walk" status ... or some form of backing which had an organisation to try and look after you ... not that this will radically help ... the refugee camp workers had this and they are still missing ... and in 2009 the kidnap victim was killed ...

All told ... I think it is a bit too high on the risk front ... and I am not risk averse ... :D

Why not consider walking across Algeria by a coastal route ? The nearer you are to the northern coast line the safer it is ... if you try this then the advice needed mellows to common sense things like don't go into Algeirs at night ... approach all cities where you have to walk through the suburbs by day ... ideally early morning ... both in and out ...

Consider being able to afford a satellite phone too ... a coastal walk is likely to be insurable for K&R ... if you have a policy and keep track of where you are if anything kicks off ... you are able to make an emergency call and have some back up which would be effective ...

Down in the south of Algeria ... it is much harder to get any help ... whereas near the coast ... some nice gentlemen can drop in and help out if need be ... and probably for that very reason ... it is less likely to happen ... :thumbup:
 
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Thanks Peter, I realise that my route will have to be quite flexible and alterable nearer the time given the political considerations. I've PM'd you about some of your points -- a lifesaver for me, but not knife forum topics :)
 
joshiecole said:
In fact, if I get back one piece, I will hopefully be writing a book about the region (I'm an LSE political economist) because frankly I think our understanding of North Africa and the Middle East is too simplistic
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I lived in the Middle East for many years and spent time in most of the countries there. Also having lived in Africa, Europe and the USA I completely agree that our understanding of that region is very simplistic and stereotypical. But that should not be a surprise. The region is very hard to understand because it is very, very complicated due to its very long history, the confluence of so many religions, ethnicities, tribal vs regional and national influences and of course vast differences in economic and other socio-political aspects even in geographically close groups.

When I first arrived there I learned very quickly that trying to extrapolate our frame of reference and thinking to that of the people of that region does not work at all. Their cultureS are just too different. And I say cultureS with a capital because there are so many of them.

So while I admire your intent of writing a book on the region, I can tell you that you will need to spend a very long time there to gain even a moderate understanding of the region and you will have to visit a lot of different places not mentioned in your first post if you want to write about the Middle East. Also, if you want to gain a real understanding you will need to gain the trust of the locals there and that often means you will have to learn the language (or shall I say even the dialect) in the region and spend enough time there to gain their trust and friendship in order for them to truly open up and share their views.

Anyways, you probably know all this already and maybe more but I just wanted to share some of the concerns mentioned by others in terms of your safety and also the magnitude of the undertaking of writing a book on the region.

Best of luck to you in whatever you decide to do.
 
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To be honest... you should carefully consider the warning comments made in this thread, especially those from PeterPHWS and I2lku2. I am living in Saudi Arabia for 5 years now. During this time I had some unforgettable adventures here in Saudi Arabia, in Jemen, Sudan and Lybia - all extreme hot spots. I was always traveling alone and conciously exposed myself to all related risks. Would I advise anybody to do this? No. Would I do it again? Not since I got married and have a beautiful daughter - but I would not want to miss the memories either.
 
Wow that is going to be quite the adventure! Good luck! Make sure you come back to Blade Forums and tell us everything! :thumbup:
 
Al-Sheikh said:
To be honest... you should carefully consider the warning comments made in this thread, especially those from PeterPHWS and I2lku2.
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I agree 100%

Josh, Peter and Tim have given you excellent advice and you should consider carefully the tone of their posts. At the risk of offending you mate you really should reconsider this trip. You have no idea what you are getting into and the consequences of such action.

You are a young man with a great future ahead and this could be a very negative life altering trip.

Consider your decision carefully and also the effects of such a decision on your parents and other loved ones.

We want you here posting on the Busse forum for many years to come. And I fear that if you undertake this trip you may not be...........

If I have offended you I apologize.........but I feel that it had to be said.

Steven
 
Haha, Steven, thankyou for your sensitivity, but you'd have to try harder than that to offend me! :)

To all those who who seem concerned (which is clearly quite a few). I have utmost respect for your knowledge/experience of these things, which is I readily ackowledge considerably greater than mine.

My proposed itinerary was in some senses speculative, and much of it is flexible. For example the Mali part is very unlikely to happen.

However, I will still be going on a long walk, hopefully with the intinerary amended to something as sensible as possible.

As for my parents, they are fully supportive of my idea.

I certainly am under no illusion that I 'know it all', I just know that this is something I have to do.

Again, thankyou all for your opinions, much appreciated and useful for helping me calibrate my ideas.


Cheers,
Josh
 
I would recommend an AK bayonet and make sure the AK is attached. Seriously I think a mid size Busse like a nmsnfo or fsh would suit the heavy chopping and still be a useful EDC.
 
Josh

I,m glad to hear the knife made it there ok and you like it . If I would be doing the same trip , I would like something long thin and light . Try adding a B11 or B10 to you pack . I keep a B11 in mine and you don't even know its in there . Check out youtube videos on it , great chopper and no weight . They used one on a TV show over here , Daul Survivor , google it . Have fun on your trip and post lots of pics .
 
Thanks Steve,

Really pleased with it so far! Just a beautiful piece of kit. You really have got to hold a Busse in your hand to 'get it'! I get what all the fuss is about now.
 
I was just in Algeria

Avoid the Trans-Saharan gas pipeline because we have had alot of rebel activity around those areas lately.

I personally don't go to that hell hole with nothing less then the Algerian Airforce helicopters watching my back.


Why in the heck are you going there? Why is it "something you have to do"?

That is like saying I have to rub beef gravy on my junk and kick a rabid pitbull.

I usually highly advise against westerners going anywhere near Africa or the Middle east mainly because westerners often get themselves into bad situations because they think they are untouchable on a subconscience level.



Come to Dubai instead....... Ill give you the 5 cent tour.
 
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Thanks very much Mr Slash-5! I do love my coffee... sadly I will be undertaking a different desert challenge now, which won't involve North Africa. I will hopefully revisit the this plan at a later stage.

Looking back, I think this thread was my first ever Busse Forum post... in hindsight it seems like a slightly ludicrous entrance to forum life!! No regrets
 
Yeah, I've taken Busse's on expeditions in Central America and SE Asia. I think the only time they came out of the sheath was to cut cheese at camp. For tropical/jungle environments, machetes and a folder are the only way to go.

I'm planning an expedition to East Africa this summer and am contemplating taking the 1311...but I'm afraid even that is too heavy. We'll see.

Also be advised against taking any knife you're not prepared to loose. You will get shaken down at border crossing so showing up with an expensive, fancy knife strapped to your hip is asking for trouble.
 
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