11 Things you DEFINITELY need to pack for a successful stress-free backpacking trip!

I have been backpacking around the world on and off for the past 5 years. I want to share some tips and tricks I’ve learned (mostly the hard way) and guide you on what you need to pack for your backpacking trip.

It can be a real struggle deciding what to pack for your first backpacking trip. I’ve been there thinking I need all the gadgets and gizmos that I’m told I must bring with me. But after doing it for myself, less is definitely more.

I’ve been that guy hauling a 75L backpack full of useless stuff around Bangkok in 35-degree heat and trust me it’s not fun. For me travelling light is the way to go, trust me it will make your experience so much better. You can start to resent the “travelling” part of travelling when you’re lugging a huge pack around. Don’t be that person!

I should mention that packing varies greatly depending on your chosen destination and the climate at the time you will be there, but I will go through that later on in the post!

11 Things you DEFINITELY need to pack for a successful stress-free backpacking trip.

A Backpack!

I know pretty obvious…..But this is going to basically be your home for the next however long, so when picking a backpack choose carefully! For me when I’m travelling in warm climates 40-50 Litres is more than enough (and no I’m not a smelly backpacker.) I can pack enough clothes to change my t-shirt daily, have jeans, a jumper, and only do laundry once every 5 days.

As I said before I was lugging a huge backpack around Asia for 8 months and it was ridiculous. I couldn’t take flights without paying to check my baggage, and I was constantly knocking people with my bag. It can be pretty awkward trying to get off a busy train with a bag the size of a child!

The backpack I currently use and love is the Osprey Farpoint 40. It’s really a great backpack and I couldn’t recommend it enough! Its carry-on size (with most airlines) has a dedicated laptop pocket and lots of additional storage for all your bits and pieces! I talk about this further in my guide on how to save money on flights.

Remember though if you are travelling in colder climates you will need more space so take this into consideration when choosing your backpack.

Packing Cubes.

Following on from the backpack, packing cubes are really a godsend for a backpacker! If you’re like me and like your things to be organized inside your backpack you should really invest in some packing cubes.

In my pack, I have a cube for underwear and socks, one for my t-shirts and one for my other items of clothing (jumper, shorts, etc.)  bear in mind here that I am talking about travelling in warm climates where I would be wearing shorts every day and would just take one pair of jeans/trousers and one jumper.

Fellow travellers always comment on my packing cubes as they empty their bag onto the hostel floor looking for a clean pair of socks they may or may not have. Get the cubes, save yourself the hassle and maybe strike up a conversation and make friends in the hostel!

As a side note I don’t want to make a section about clothes because it’s obvious you need clothes, but try and bring clothes that are all dark colours, 1. because you don’t want to be doing two loads of washing (unless you don’t mind turning your white clothes different colours) and 2. because 95% of hostels in Europe charge you to use the washing machine. Be smart just take the darks!

A Portable Charger.

Now in regards to portable chargers, you may not even use them, but for the vast majority of travellers, this is an essential bit of kit. We all rely on our phones so much these days, imagine you’ve just got off a bus at 2 am and you’re trying to find your hostel to check-in. Oh no! Your battery is dead.

You can try and find a 24hr McDonalds to get some juice but why put yourself through it? Just carry a portable charger for those types of situations. Trust me, I’ve been there and it’s really not ideal walking around a city centre asking drunk people where your hostel could be getting pointed in different directions by every person!

A Day Pack.

Yeah it is different to a backpack! You’re gonna have to take two backpacks with you on your trips.

You’re going to be going on day trips and excursions while you’re on the road and you’re not going to want to take all your gear with you so leave your bag in the hostel and take your small pack! Read about safety in hostels here. I strongly recommend taking a lightweight backpack with you in your main backpack for when you want to go out and explore the city or go on an adventure.

Usually, I take a small foldable backpack with me. I can pull it out and unfold it put my water, my wallet, and all my essentials in there, go out for the day and leave my backpack at the hostel.

It’s also useful for bus journeys; you will more than likely be leaving your main pack in the hold and can keep your valuables and documents (and snacks) with you on the bus. Read this review if you’re planning a trip with Flixbus!

A Microfibre Towel

Now, these really are an amazing invention. I always carry a Microfibre towel with me. Some hostels do provide towels, usually with a charge or deposit but some don’t. I would say 80% do and 20% do not. However in Asia, most places do not provide towels and where they do, there will almost certainly be a charge. It’s also pretty weird to ask a stranger to borrow their towel as a side note. 

Microfibre towels are very small and lightweight and dry unbelievably fast. They are just a must-pack for me and most other travellers I’ve met. Plus they can also double as a little blanket for the long journeys!

Ear Plugs

You would not believe how loud some people snore! I will never travel without earplugs. They are essential for me.

Unless you can sleep with the noise of a jet engine firing up next to you I would definitely recommend investing in some good earplugs, I really like the silicone variety, you shape them with your fingers and they create a seal around your ear, I don’t notice them being there and I sleep like a baby with them in. Again also really useful for long journeys when you wanna catch up on some sleep or just pass the time!

Ear / Headphones

A decent pair of ear or headphones are really a must-pack! If your anything like me listening to music is one of my favourite things to do when I’m on a long journey, especially when I’m travelling solo! 

Personally, I would recommend earphones rather than headphones because they are more lightweight and easier to carry around, but it’s really a personal preference, ideally, you would want to invest in the noise-cancelling variety but mine are just regular in-ear earphones and work very well.

Also a quick tip: take some spare buds! I was frantically running around a Bulgarian bus station looking for a shop that sold the rubber earbuds for headphones as I was about to go on a 7 hr bus journey with a missing bud, luckily I found a guy with a Tupperware box under the counter that sold me a mismatched pair for around €1 but take them just in case!

A Basic First Aid Kit.

It’s a really good idea to take a basic first aid kit with you along with some essential medication. If you wake up with a banging headache you don’t really want to be walking off to the pharmacy to get paracetamol just save yourself the bother and bring it.

I carry paracetamol, ibuprofen, Imodium (Loperamide), and antihistamine pills (for bites, I also bring a cream) a selection of plasters/band-aids, antiseptic cream, and possibly some sleeping pills. Obviously, if you need any medication normally you should take this as well.

Sunscreen!

Now a lot of people just think they will get sunscreen when they arrive wherever they are going, but you need to be careful because if you are going to SE Asia for example 90% of the population there will not use sunscreen, therefore it will be marketed as a luxury item for western tourists so you will pay an extremely high premium. If you are travelling in Europe this is less of a problem but it’s better to have some on your person so you don’t get caught without it.

A Travel Pillow.

This again is personal preference, but for me, an inflatable travel pillow is a no-brainer, I’m not talking about the pillows filled with beads you see at the airport, an inflatable one is just fine. It takes up no room in your bag and it’s there for when you need it. 

When I first flew to Bangkok my flight was delayed by 7 hours, I tried to sleep on a bench but the cold metal wasn’t really cutting it for me. I grabbed my pillow and blew it up laid back down on the bench…..bliss. Well not really. But I did manage to get some sleep and I didn’t wake up with my face smelling like an old coin.

Inflatable Travel pillows can be bought so cheaply and are just a little bit of extra comfort for those times we inevitably find ourselves in uncomfortable situations. I just realized I didn’t use the towel as a blanket! What an idiot!

Toiletries

Now obviously you can pick up toiletries on the road but most hostels do not provide you with toiletries (shampoo, toothpaste, etc.) so it’s best to have your own from the off. Don’t worry if you don’t have something though people staying in the hostels will almost definitely let you use theirs if you have forgotten something! If you’ve never stayed in a hostel read my guide here!

I hope that this list of what to pack for a backpacking trip has provided you with some good ideas of what to pack! I will also be writing a list of things you definitely do not need to pack! Just remember less is more and if you buy a big rucksack you’re inevitably going to fill it. That’s just human nature!

Thanks for reading this post and for some more tips check out this HostelWorld post!