General Travel Tips for Backpacking

Home | General Tips | Backpacking

Read and/or post general travel tips for backpacking including packing, cheap travel, transportation and more.

Packing:

1. The most important thing to remember while you're packing is to be comfortable. Sure, jeans are bulky and take ages to dry, but are you really going to feel like yourself in those zip-off shorts? Be realistic, though. Bringing mascara, eyeliner, and blush won't weigh down your pack, but your entire drawer full of make up will. You'll certainly have to cut down a bit, but bringing things that make you happy makes for a much more pleasant travel experience.

2. Neck pillow. A blow up U-shaped pillow is the savior of a good night's sleep when trying to snooze sitting up.

3. Travel towel. These really work! A tiny one performs just as well as a bulky regular towel and will dry much faster.

By Maggie

Toiletries:

1. If you have a travel partner, share toiletries. One of you take the shampoo and conditioner, and the other one take the lotion and sunscreen. More room for souvenirs!

2. Pack products that do more than one thing. A tinted lotion with SPF 15 will save you toiletry space, and could your PJ shorts double as a beach cover-up? More ideas: skip the shaving cream and lather up with lotion, use shampoo to wash clothes up as nicely as laundry detergent, use baby wipes as hand sanitizers, makeup removers, or even a quick sponge bath, and a sarong is great as a sheet, pillow, towel, skirt…

3. Leave-in conditioner. Way easier to deal with than the rinse-out stuff when you have to take cold showers and better than the 2-in-1s that don't do the trick!

By Maggie

Clothes and Shoes:

1. Light colored clothes are magnets for grease, red wine, mud, and ink, and you will have to wash them more often with less satisfactory results. Black pants are always in style and easy to care for.

2. Your shoes will be with you through thick and thin, wet and dry, city and dusty country bus stop. Don't be cheap-o about them, but also don't bring shoes you won't use. If you'll be spending most of your time in a hot climate walking around cities, do you really need to bring hiking boots or will a sturdy sandal do the job?

3. Always plan for the best and buy your way out of the worst. "Just in case" is never a good justification for bringing something, as it is almost always possible to buy anything might you need or want. Ask yourself, "Will I use this most days of my trip?" If the answer is no, leave it at home.

By Maggie

Makeup:

So you wear full makeup and straighten your hair every day? Once you get used to it, you may come to love your face with just a touch of blush and your hair air-dried. Your luggage will thank you.

By Maggie

Gadgets:

1. Think twice before bringing too many expensive gadgets. If you really need your laptop to keep up with work, then fine. If you just think you might like it to write the occasional email, visit the myriad of internet cafes everywhere in the world and leave the laptop and your constant worrying about its safety at home. Same goes for grandma's wedding ring and your favorite Tiffany necklace.

2. Just because you're doing something new does not mean that you need every gadget a salesman recommends. Often what you have now will be just fine, or you might not need it at all. A fancy travel clothesline is great, but piece of twine and some safety pins work just as well. And do you really need that new purse, just because it has a passport pocket and "theft deterrent webbing" (whatever that means)

By Maggie

Medicine:

Pepto tablets work wonders on minor stomach discomfort (or at least tide you over till the next bus stop!), and even those with iron stomachs will want some Dramamine for winding bus rides.

By Maggie

If Rain:

If you pull out your cute red umbrella every time it rains at home, why are you taking that huge, high tech rain suit traveling? Your umbrella will work just fine unless you're doing some major trekking, and you'll be more comfortable with it. Remember, if you don't use it at home there's no reason to think that you'll automatically use it on the road.

By Maggie

Student ID:

Bring you student ID for discounts. A lot of places will only accept your student ID if it has an expiration date, so if your ID doesn't’t have one, you might consider getting and ISIC card.

By Nikki and Leon