Travel Insurance

I've never really traveled with traveler's insurance before.  In the past, I've been able to take advantage of having some travel insurance benefits through my regular health insurance or my AAA membership.  But for our South America trip, not only did purchasing travel insurance seem especially prudent, but it is in fact required for access to the Inca Trail.  I followed in the footsteps of many lonely planet readers and went with WorldNomads.com.  

From what little I read about choosing a travel insurance provider, most world-wide services provide similar coverage.  Claims are usually made after the fact and companies reimburse in the case of a medical emergency, trip interruption, or the loss / theft of a bag, etc.  The PITFALL in choosing a provider is making sure that all of your "adventure activities" are going to be covered.  This seems to give World Nomads a clear advantage because they have an extremely long and detailed list of all the crazy things you can do under their standard or explorer coverage.  Standard coverage even covers up to "the Running of the Bulls" - so that will cover our little hike.  The extended coverage pretty much lets you engage in an insane activity imaginable - up to and including, base jumping, cave diving, and mountaineering on the North Pole.  Yes!  We're on our way~