Choosing travel insurance can be a difficult and complex decision, even more so if you are an extreme sports or hobbies lover. For you, finding the right travel insurance can be complicated because you may be regarded as “high-risk”. The good news is that even those in high-risk categories can usually get travel insurance.

Although most extreme sports and hobbies are relatively safe, there is an element of risk involved. That risk is what attracts most people to the sport, since it provides a thrill, and is what may put you in a high-risk category. You are putting yourself in a potentially dangerous situation and the insurance company wants to be adequately compensated for the gamble that they are taking by covering your participation in these activities.

Included in this category may be solo backpacking travellers. Backpacking across a county or a region by yourself sets you up for many risks that are not present for those staying in one location or travelling with a group of people. For this reason, those choosing to travel this way may be required to pay an additional fee for travel insurance coverage, especially if you are going with a bare-bones discount rate company. If you do plan on backpacking solo, "Backpacking Overseas - Advice for the Independent Traveller" provided by the Australian government has some helpful tips.

What rates you receive and what fee you will be required to pay will vary by travel insurance company. For example, some lower priced companies may require you to pay an additional fee if you plan on participating in an extreme sport or hobby, while larger policies may already have many of these activities included in the price. You will need to check with each company to determine a total cost for their policy, and then compare these figures against each other to discover which company has the best protection and value for your money.