Travel
What do you need to succeed at Red Bull Can You Make It?
Could you successfully cross Europe in seven days using only cans of Red Bull as currency? We asked three teams from the 2018 edition of Red Bull Can You Make for their tried-and-tested tips.
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01
Practice your pitch
Across the week, you’ll probably lose count of how many times you have to explain what you’re doing and what you need. But Morgan Savill of Toon Army says that this is one thing you can plan in advance.
“Have a think about your pitch, because you’re going to end up repeating it again and again,” he says. “Then, as you go along, figure out what’s working and what’s not, and adapt.”
02
Dress for success
You’re going to want comfortable clothing for all kinds of weather, but don’t forget that how you dress also makes an impression.
Savill recommends fancy dress – that is, costumes. The funny items worn by his team were great icebreakers and also helped disguise the effects of going for days without much chance to clean up.
Team GIT often wore T-shirts and Viking hats, but to help in securing stays at four-star and five-star hotels, they changed into button-up shirts. “We used them to look more sophisticated than we really were!” says team-mate Gustav Seidel.
Mara Buntariu of The Fearless stresses the importance of bringing comfortable shoes and – maybe – some extra pants. “I laughed so much with my team that I peed myself on two separate occasions,” she says with a smile.
Team GIT's Viking helmets were great conversation starters
© Mauro Puccini / Red Bull Content Pool
03
Share your whole story
During the event, sharing your journey on social media is one of the ways to show the world your adventures, and you earn points by uploading to the official website. So don’t hold back. (Even though teams won’t have their personal phones, they’ll be using Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Series smartphones to capture all their experiences across Europe, which will be featured on the site.)
“We filmed what we thought was a lot, and we filmed all the good things,” says Savill. “But when we came home we realised that everyone felt they’d missed out on half the story, because we never filmed when we were feeling down. Our friends were like, 'It looks like such a cool experience, but we wanted to see so much more.'”
04
Make friends with other teams
Team GIT’s Isac Ottosson says that getting to know other teams is fun, and those connections can come in handy: “It turned out that one night, when we couldn’t find a place to sleep, there was another team we knew who got a big hotel room. And they said, ‘Hey guys, we’ll share it with you.’”
Similarly, when Team GIT scored a hefty breakfast haul one morning, they shared it with several teams.
As The Fearless discovered, why carry cans in your arms…
© Alan Sahin / Red Bull Content Pool
...when you can stuff them in your pockets?
© Alan Sahin / Red Bull Content Pool
05
Pack in the challenges
To earn points, teams take on challenges. Some are harder than others, but all can provide a mental boost.
“Try and plan as many challenges as you can each day, because there will be days when you’re probably down or struggling to get yourself going," says Savill. "Completing some of the easy challenges is the lift and motivation you need to move on.”
Team GIT have fun with a Checkpoint Challenge in Munich
© Kevin Koch / Red Bull Content Pool
06
Put yourself out there
Without your own digital devices, approaching people directly is your only option for getting food, transportation and accommodation.
“Don’t be scared to approach locals," says Paula Mazilu from The Fearless. "The worst thing they can do is just say no.”
Tobias Andersson from Team GIT elaborates: “Push yourself out of your comfort one and talk to everyone, everywhere, all the time – even if you might not know why. On a train, we would talk to everybody on board to see if we could discover something that might help us.”
07
Last but not least: enjoy the adventure
While you scramble for transport and take on challenges, remember to savour the experiences and friendships you're making. The 2018 teams say you'll be glad you did.
"I've been to over 50 countries, and Red Bull Can You Make It? is still one of the highlights of all my travel experiences," says Savill, whose adventure inspired him to start posting about travel online. "It's something that I will tell my friends and family about throughout my life, and it's even on my CV!"
“I can honestly say that Red Bull Can You Make It? changed my life," says The Fearless team member Iris Gamulescu. "It taught me to appreciate the truly important things like living in the present moment, the beauty of the world we live in and, of course, the people around me. We met amazing human beings, but we also consolidated our own friendship, and I know we are going to be friends for a lifetime.”
“It was incredible," says Mazilu. "We learned so much about ourselves, and the three of us got even closer. This experience was a core memory that we’ll remember even fifty years from now.”
You can learn more about Red Bull Can You Make It? and follow the adventure across Europe right here.
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