Gear Me Up Gang!

What should I be putting in my backpack?

It’s my first time travelling and I haven’t got a clue what to take with me. I’ve bought my backpack, a nicely sized 65L hiking pack (the standard backpackers carrying device). Now I just need to know how I’m going to fill it up. What do I do?

It’s a pretty standard worry before you go travelling. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your first time abroad or whether you’ve been travelling all your life, it’s natural to think about what you need to take with you to make sure you’re comfortable and have enough clothes for every occasion. Here are a few little tips that I have picked up along my travels that may just help when it comes to packing.

 

1. Toilet paper: You’d be amazed how many times this little item has saved me when it comes to airports, train stations etc. Especially when you are travelling to a country that is not first world.

2. Clothing: Pretty important really, unless you’re heading to a nudist colony in Jacumba. However, you will accumulate a lot of clothes along the way so remember not to go overboard with what you take with you. A couple of everything is fine and remember, if you run out of underwear, it’s not illegal to go commando. In fact, it’s actually quite liberating!

3. Toiletries: You do not need them! They will probably be cheaper wherever you are going anyway (unless you’re travelling to NZ / Australia). All they do is take up valuable space and weight in your bag that you can use for something else. Just take enough for your travel time (flights etc) and maybe a couple of days after.

4. Camping gear: Loads of travellers have the wonderful idea, and it is fantastic fun, that they want to camp everywhere and not stay in hostels. The reality is that sometimes you will get to your destination and not spend a single night in a tent. Think about where you are going and be realistic about how much camping you are planning on doing. A sleeping bag is usually useful however, tents, pots and pans, large cooking equipment etc usually gets left in the bottom of your bag or given away to someone else.

5. Memorabilia: There is going to be a time when you get homesick. Having something from home that reminds you of your friends or family is often a good way of making you feel better and getting you back on the road. Just don’t go overboard, obviously a picture of friends / family is going to be a lot easier to carry than a 6ft teddy bear.

There’s hundreds of other things you could think about when it comes to the subject of packing however, just remember that it doesn’t matter where you go, the people at your destination are surviving with what they have. So you can rock up with pretty much nothing and buy what you need along the way. If you do decide to go down this route of travelling, make sure you take soap, otherwise you are going to smell baaaaadddddd!

Happy travelling boys and girls!
The Avid HBH Travelling Crew

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