UPDATE. Hello everybody! We just wanted to tell you that, unfortunately, we experienced some problems with our emails due to a server upgrade. In light of this, we ask each of you that have sent us a story for the contest to resend it on our facebook messenger. Also, the deadline for the submissions has been extended to February 25th. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to hear from you all!

We, too, love to explore new places and we’re into unusual backpacking stories. And when your lifestyle involves a lot of travel, you’re bound to have some weird experiences along the way. Why not share them with your fellow travelers, maybe they can be of help if they encounter a similar situation. Or perhaps they just need to read a good story.

So how about unleashing the storyteller in you and get the chance to win a $400 Amazon eGift Card!

To take part in our contest, all participants must send us a message on our Facebook page with their original story and original picture. Please note that we reserve the right to decline publishing stories that do not comply with the contest rules or the nature of our website.

Each approved participant will receive a confirmation email with the link to the page where their story has been published and can be voted starting February 22nd, 2019, 00:00 PST. Participants are strongly encouraged to share the link with friends and family to increase their chances of winning.

First Stage of the Contest

Each participant must submit a 200-800 words creepy backpacking story and send it on our Facebook page along with an original picture that best fits their story. Don’t forget to mention “contest submission” in your email subject.

Only one entry per person is permitted.

STORY SUBMISSION STARTING DATE: February 1st, 2019 00:00 PST

STORY SUBMISSION ENDING DATE: February 21st, 2019 00:00 PST

Second Stage of the Contest

The public can vote their favorite story starting February 22nd, 2019, 00:00 PST. Voting ends March 24th, 2019, 00:00 PST. Voting will take place via a poll system where readers can choose their favorite story. Only one vote per person will be allowed in order to offer our participants the best of chances.

VOTING STARTING DATE: February 22nd, 2019 00:00 PST

VOTING ENDING DATE: March 24th, 2019 00:00 PST

*Our secret tip
(Optional) Participants can also attach a link to their social media account or their personal blog in their submission.
(Optional) Share the link with your travel buddies, friends, family, dog, cat, you name it! The more people vote for your story, the greater the chances of winning!

The prize winner will be announced on March 25th, 2019, on our website and social media pages. They will be selected based on the entry that earned the most votes through our public voting system.

The winner will be notified via email within 15 days of the announcement. If the winner cannot be contacted or fails to respond to our email within 20 days, the prize will be transferred to the first runner-up. The first runner-up will also be notified via email, which they must respond to within 20 days from receiving it. If the first runner-up cannot be contacted or fails to respond to our email, the prize will be transferred to the second runner-up. If they, too, cannot be contacted or fail to respond to our email, the prize will remain un-awarded.

Winner Obligations

• While everyone can use an alias when sending their stories, the winner must agree to provide their full name upon winning. The name will be inscribed in the $400 Amazon gift card. For transparency reasons, it will also be displayed on our website and social media accounts.
• The winner must also provide a valid email address where we can send the voucher.
• For transparency reasons, the winner must also agree to take a picture or a screenshot of their prize. We will post the picture on our website and social media platforms.

• The contest is open to anyone over the age of 18 at the time of entry, regardless of their country of residence.
• All entry materials must be written in English. We reserve the right to edit the text if we spot any grammatical issues before publishing on the website.
• All entries must be authentic, originally written or adapted. Stories that have been published on other websites in the exact same form will not be accepted.
• All participants must provide a name or alias to accompany the story.
• All participants must submit an original picture that best fits their story (taken during the time of the event) or a picture of themselves on their travels.
• Entries should fall between 200 and 800 words.
• Entries must not defame or libel anyone and should not discriminate based on race, sexual orientation, religion, etc.
• Only one entry per participant is allowed.
• By participating in this contest, entrants agree that all written entries along with related intellectual property rights become the property of RestlessBackpacker.com and can be used or redistributed for any purpose and in any way on an unrestricted basis by us.
• The prize is nontransferable.
• The use of bots, macros, scripts or any other software in order to gain more entries or votes is forbidden. Restless Backpacker reserves the right to disqualify any participant that attempts to tamper with the entry or voting process.

*For any inquiries or to receive a copy of these Official Rules, please send an email to contactus@restlessbackpacker.com