I'm hardly qualified to comment here - but I wanted to add how I have gone about it, and how I would go about it where I planning a very long rtw type venture.

I'd appraise my assets to begin with and see how much actual realisable capital I have tied up in houses, cars, consumer goods etc.

Then I would appraise my professional skills and see if there is any one area that I can maximise my earning potential; education, skills training, writing, photography etc.

Then I would look at fraternities, communities and internet groups like this one and read as much as I can. Don't be put off by the luxury tourers with their GS's and fancy pants electronics and mastercards etc. They are usually a bit older and wiser and have (usually) given up good well paid professional jobs to go and live their dreams. The rest of us will obviously have to make do with less, but you will be amazed how much more less can be.

A well off traveller might look at a Garmin Zumo 550 and might find a good used one for $300 on ebay or the like. A less well off traveller might forgoo GPS entirely or look at a HP Ipaq PDA with a bluetooth device of some sort (card or external) and hit bittorrent to pilfer a copy of Tom Tom Europe etc. Heck even a free on contract smart phone can run Tom Tom these days.

Me personally I was amazed how much 'cash' I had lying around the place, and other people's places that I could quickly access via ebay! I have ebayed almost £2000 of consumer items, spares, bits etc. I notice that Ted did the same! Half of that was my own stuff and the rest was stuff other people, friends and family etc donated to my 'fund'. Its amazing .. sure PayPal and Ebay are a total rip off with their fees but strewth, its still the easiest way to make cash quick in my experience. I paid off the bike in one go and got top insurance etc. Bought all my kit and gadets, health insurance blah blah blah and have £500 left for gas. All good!

Next up is skills, if you can write, illustrate, take good photos, speak a handful of languages, have engineering, bar/social/hospitality, educational/academic, medical skills etc you will never be stuck for work; especially in the developing world. It might not be glamarous but working to eat and fill the gas tank is seriously do-able.

The rest? Dunno. Not qualified to comment on the 'serious' RTW stuff of course. I'm only going a few thousand miles myself - but I am not worried about money. I have £500 for petrol and the rest is in my head and hands and heart. Of course I am taking a cheap small capacity motorcycle that can run on alchohol if it has too. That helps!

I appreciate I am a relatively young chap (30) with no emotional ties to the UK and no health issues or any reason to miss being here. I don't need to worry about kids or loved ones, pets, career etc. So take me with a pinch of salt.

- Harry