OK so you’ve got your trip planned out, airplane tickets are bought, accommodation is booked and activities have been organised. You’re almost ready to go, but you still need to pack.
If you’ve never been away for an extended period of time before, it may be a bit daunting to know exactly what to take and what to leave behind.
Check out my top tips on packing for your backpacking trip or round the world adventure.
1. Don’t Take Too Much
Rule number one and perhaps the most important of them all. There’s nothing worse than taking an oversized bag travelling that you can hardly carry. Be reasonable and remember however long you’re going for you only need to pack about one or two weeks’ worth of clothes.
2. Make Sure Your Bag is Practical and Comfortable
You’ll be carrying your bag around a lot, so make sure that it’s good quality and fits comfortably on your back. Suitcases are just not practical to wheel around many city streets, so you’re better off with a backpack.
3. Remember to Pack a First Aid Kit
This is really important to remember to pack, especially if you’re going to be travelling to destinations off the beaten track, you never know when it might come in handy. Have a look at our What should be in backpacker’s first aid kit article for tips.
4. Pack Personal Hygiene Items
Sometimes personal hygiene items can be hard to get hold of in certain countries; it’s surprising what you can’t find easily abroad. Make sure you bring things with you such as deodorants, female essentials and anything else which you may personally use on a daily basis.
5. Pack for the Weather
Mosquitoes are problem in many countries, especially in the evening and at night, so make sure you bring lightweight items of clothing which cover you up, so that even if it’s still hot, you will be protected.
Bring some warm clothes – Even in hot countries in can get chilly during the rainy season, in the evenings or in the mountains, so make sure you pack a couple of jumpers with you, especially if you don’t know where you’ll be ending up.
6. Don’t Bring Extra Packaging
Remove any item from its plastic or other packaging before packing it. In many countries rubbish is hard to dispose of as there are no recycling or rubbish collection services. Most rubbish is burned in people’s back gardens, so don’t add to the problem by bringing unnecessary packaging into the country.
7. Don’t Pack Anything Sentimental or Too Expensive
There is no point bringing anything that is valuable both in terms of money and of personal value. With all that moving around and unpredictability things always get lost, left behind or stolen.
8. Always Pack Something for Entertainment Purposes
When it comes to travelling there is inevitably a lot of waiting around so you need to make sure you have something to do, so as not to go stir crazy on those long bus or plane journeys. A phone, tablet, laptop or even a traditional note book and pens are always handy, as are reading material and audio-books.
An indispensible item, an e-reader enables a traveller to carry up to thousands of books at a time without the extra weight. Books are must have travel item and any traveller knows that hours waiting around in airports or on long bus journeys goes quicker with a good book. Backpackers can even download chapters from their favourite guide books onto their e-readers.
9. Solar Powered Charger
One of the most useful travel gifts around are these brilliant solar powered chargers, a great gadget for those volunteering or backpacking in remote locations perhaps without electricity. Just attach them to your backpack during the day or leave them out in the sun and they can charge a range of equipment including mobile phones and cameras. Check out the range available at Power Traveller.
10. Leave Space for Souvenirs
You will find some great and unique souvenirs and handicrafts on your travels, which you won’t want to forego because you don’t have enough space to pack them. It’s better to leave some space than pack twenty t-shirts. Remember things like t-shirts can be bought almost anywhere, but unique pieces of artwork or jewellery cannot.
Lastly, remember to purchase travel insurance. If you lose any of your belongings or get robbed, you will potentially be able to get the money back. You might also like to read my guides how to find cheap flights, how to travel on a budget and also what are the best gap year destinations.
