Do American credit cards work just fine in Israel or should I bring a pocketful of travelers checks and then convert them over there? Or does American currency work well anywhere along the trail? If so, what's the value of the US dollar these days...going far or has it lost much of its purchasing power as of January 2009? And finally, what would you estimate as an average budget for a thru-hike? $100 per week (my needs are minimal)?

Having never done this before...would I use my Visa credit card to make cash withdrawals from a machine or from a bank? Or should I use traveler's checks? Does a machine automatically make the conversion from USD to NIS? Walking around with hundreds of dollars in my pocket at any given time doesn't seem like such a good idea. I sure hope the guidebook goes into detail for stuff like this! Otherwise I'll be a sitting duck for people who want to take advantage of my ignorance.