If you’re planning a backpacking adventure for an extended period of time, the question of what to pack can dominate much of your planning in the weeks leading up to leaving! After all, how do you pack everything you’ll need for a trip that might well span Sydney hostels, London pubs and Canadian ski-fields all in one (relatively) little backpack? To try and help you out with the decisions, we’ve created a list of five of the most useful things you can pack for an extended backpacking adventure. It might not help with the culling, but as long as you have these things, you shouldn’t go too far wrong!
Comfortable Walking Shoes - If you realise you’ve packed a bunch of entirely inappropriate clothes, it’s easy enough to pick up some cheap threads at a local market, but good shoes are much more difficult (and expensive) to find if you realise the pair you brought are wrong. Make sure you pack a pair of shoes you know you can walk in for extended periods of time—it’s worth investing in a really good pair if it means they’ll prevent injuries or blisters!
Travel Towel—Big Size - If you’ve never heard of a travel towel, you’re in for a lesson! Travel towels are made of incredibly absorbent, quick-drying material (kind of like a chamois for your car windscreen) and are perfect for backpacking. However, to save on space, many people choose travel towels that are only about the size of a chamois, thinking that they’re being awfully clever. While these work perfectly well to dry you off, many hostels have bathrooms located a fair walk away from the bedrooms, so unless you want to bring all of your clothes into the (often wet) bathrooms with you, you’ll have to make the dash wrapped in whatever towel you’ve packed. Needless to say, your newfound roommates might find it highly amusing to watch you dash from your room to the bathrooms and back again wearing little more than a handkerchief! Invest in a travel towel for the fast-drying element—but make sure it’s one that covers your bits!
Repeat Prescriptions of Medication - If you’re on any form of medication, be it the birth-control pill or asthma medication or even antihistamines, bring backups. You might not be able to readily access it in some countries, so it is always better to be prepared!
A Smaller Rucksack — That Connects to Your Big One - A lot of backpacks these days come with smaller, detachable rucksacks or day-packs that connect to the front of them. Buy one of these, if possible. A day-pack is almost always necessary when you’re backpacking, but you don’t want to have to lug around two bags when going from place to place, which is why one that connects to your backpack is perfect.
Travel Insurance - One of the most important things you can take is your travel insurance policy. Buy a good one and then keep it close, having (of course) made copies of all your important policy numbers and contact numbers.
Thanks to Sachin an also to OpenGalleries.org for the photos from Alvor and Albufeira, two Portuguese locations perfect for backpacking adventures - warm weather, nice people and fantastic beaches ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment