Enjoy this guest post by Roxana on the essentials you must pack for any backpacking trip, and make sure to follow her online (links at the end of this post)!
Ultimate Backpacker Packing musts
The hardest and probably the most frustrating part of travelling has to be the packing. You are always somehow in a hurry, and super anxious about forgetting something. You start off by packing just the right amount of stuff and then decide that you should probably put enough clothes for an entire army who will stay there for 6 months.
Besides the fact that this makes your travelling very tiresome, you instantly become a bigger target for thieves, since you can’t possibly track all those bags at the same time.
I came to an idea to create this universal and concise packing list which will help you orientate and keep track of your gear. Take notes!
Travel accessories
Ok, you have to feel comfortable during your travel, right? Here is a list of stuff to help achieve just that. First, find yourself a nice, big backpack with a bunch of partitions so you can organise your stuff easy and neat.
After that, get yourself a water bottle and some vacuum food boxes to store your food and prevent it from spoiling.
The rest of the essentials are earplugs and an eye mask (if you are having trouble with sleeping somewhere other than your home); headphones, Swiss-army knife (let’s hope you won’t need it, but it is good to have it) and important documents; plastic travel utensils (just in case), collapsible umbrella, key chain flashlight (it takes zero space and it can be very useful in a bunch of situations, from dangerous ones all the way to simple ones like coming to your hotel dorm late and not wanting to wake your roommates by turning the lights on) and maybe some cards if it’s a long travel.
And don’t forget a sleeping bag if you are planning long hikes in the nature or camping.
Clothing
This is the area where people are making the most mistakes. First of all, there is one thing called: mix and match, have you heard about it? You don’t have to wear a totally different outfit every day, that’s a Paris Hilton thing.
Let’s start with the underwear, the number of underwear pairs is directly proportional to the number of days you are staying – 5 days, 5 pairs of underwear, not less and definitely not more.
As for the shoes, yes they can be bulky and heavy, but this is the item you have to pay special attention to. Take some light and simple gym shoes for your everyday walks - besides the fact that they are light, they are also super comfortable.
If you are travelling on rainy days, bring some hiking shoes with you. Yes, they are bulky, but they will protect your feet. Definitely take your flip-flops with you, you will be needing them for walks through the hotel and for the showers, too.
Bring one or two sweaters for cool nights, three or four T-shirts, two or three pairs of pants - the best would be to use dark ones since they can look completely casual and match everything.
Always bring a swimsuit (you never know, trust me, and it takes up zero room) and 2-3 pairs of shorts. As for the jacket, it is optional and really depends on where you are going and when.
Toiletries
Unless you are going on the top of the mountain with no phone reception, stores or any living creature except wood beasts, toiletries are the least important items people are freaking out about when packing.
Don’t bring your entire bathroom with you. Even if you forget something, you can simply go to the store and buy it.
The main things you should bring are a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo and body wash, deodorant and one perfume (the smaller the bottle - the better).
Also, don’t forget wet wipes, a towel (if you are not staying in a hotel where you will get all the towels you need), comb, mosquito repellent and sunscreen (for summer trips).
Girls should also bring foundation, mascara, and lipstick (you are on a vacation you don’t need to carry an entire makeup set); while guys shouldn’t forget the hair gel and shaving stuff.
The rest is up to you and up to how much space you have in your backpack.
Electronics for Travel
Some people refuse to drag all those electronics with them and their phone is simply enough, while others enjoy it.
If you have to have electronics with you, the essentials are a digital camera (with charger, of course) and an extra memory card just in case, your laptop or IPad and your mobile phone.
If you are going somewhere where the outlets are different, you should definitely bring some outlet plug adapters with you.
First Aid Items
If you have to use prescription drugs, make sure that they are in a bottle/box since some countries will check your medicine. It is important that you have enough of them to cover your entire trip. Bring some pain medicine too, just in case.
Also remember to bring bandaids, pepto tablets, motion sickness pills and some diarrhea medicine (but I hope that you won’t be needing it).
Before going, make sure that you check the weight of your backpack.
Carry it around for twenty minutes, and if you can’t manage it because it weighs too much, you might want to consider repacking it.
About the Author:
Roxana is a travel enthusiast and lifestyle consultant from Sydney and she loves to write about her adventures. She is all about the healthy lifestyle, loves to run with her husband and dogs and has fun cooking exotic meals for her family. Being a typical Aussie, she often hits the waves and loves beaches and sunshine! You can find out more about her writing following her on twitter and facebook. She is also one of the editors at Higstylife Magazine.