10 Essential Items For A Backpacking Travel Adventure

Backpacking is an exciting and challenging experience that will leave you with some incredible memories for the rest of your life. However, you want those memories to be good ones, right?

That’s why you need to ensure that you have all the best essentials for your adventure. Packing for a backpacking trip can be quite overwhelming since you don’t have much space to work with.

Regardless of where you’re going, duration and budget, you’ll need to pack light. After all you will be carrying all your gear on your back for the entire trip.

You might not need the same gear for every trip, so take time to determine which items are unnecessary, and which will best suit your itinerary.

Related Article: If you’re traveling by air to get to your destination, you won’t want to miss these 5 Tips For Air Travel While On A Backpacking Vacation.

#1 Your Backpack

The obvious first and most important item on your list should be your backpack. You can’t go backpacking without a backpack, right? You will need a backpack that is proportionate to your body size and able to fit enough gear for the duration of your trip.

If comfort is at the top of your priority list, you’ll want to go for a pack that has sufficient padding. A pack with multiple compartments is also a great idea to keep your gear organized and easy to quickly find what you’re looking for.

#2 Backpack Add-ons

Adding a small day bag to your pack is a great idea if you plan to do some sightseeing in a local town where you won’t need to lug your full pack along.

A small, foldable and light bag that can easily fit into you pack taking up as little space as possible is an absolute must! Additionally, you want to add a dry bag that you can keep any electronics in to protect them from getting water damage.

#3 Water Bottle

A water bottle is an essential item no matter where you are traveling or for how long. Besides saving money, it is also an eco-friendly option.

Find a travel bottle that is lightweight but tough and can hold hot or cold beverages and maintain their temperatures, making them perfect for hot and cold climates. You might also want to take along some water purification tablets to ensure your water is safe to drink.

#4 Clothing

Since clothes can be bulky and will take up the most space in your pack, you’ll want to be very selective as to what you pack. You want to aim for comfortable and quality clothes that will see you through the entirety of your trip.

Pack according to the weather in that region. Pack plenty of underwear, thick hiking socks as well as cotton shirts. You can get away with a single pair of shorts, pair of jeans, a set of pajamas, swimwear, a cotton jacket and a rain jacket. Don’t forget your hat and sunglasses.

Keep your clothes organized in your pack with packing cubes that can be easily compressed. Additionally, a mesh laundry back can be very useful for storing dirty clothes without them getting too smelly.

As well as the relevant clothing, you also need to consider what type of accessories might come in useful. If you’re backpacking in a hot and sunny climate you need to stay well protected from potentially harmful UV rays. Pack a sun hat and prescription sunglasses that are suited to your needs. These additional items shouldn’t take up too much room in your backpack and they will protect you from sunburn and sunstroke when you’re out in the midday sun.

#5 Shoes

Comfortable shoes are another very important item. Depending on your trip you can simply take a pair of good walking shoes. If the trip involves walking and hiking, then a pair of durable and supportive hiking shoes are a must.

Don’t forget to wear in new shoes before your trip to avoid painful blisters. You might also want to add a pair of flip flops for communal showers and a pair of comfortable shoes for low-intensity days.

#6 Toiletries

This list may look different for everyone based on your preferences but try and sift out the items that really aren’t necessary.

Your toiletry bag should include your toothbrush and toothpaste, a multipurpose shower gel (you can use it as a shampoo too), deodorant, a broad-spectrum sunscreen and after sun gel, tissues, cotton buds, condoms, earplugs, shaving gel and a razor.

Get yourself a quick-dry, micro-fiber towel designed especially for backpacking. It will not only be lighter than a regular towel but more efficient too.

#7 Medical Pack

A well-stocked medical kit is an absolute must to have just in case. Always have a pre-packed first-aid kit with all of the basics like bandages, safety pins, scissors, tweezers, cold compress, emergency blanket and CPR face mask.

Then add medicines like pain killers, antihistamines, anti-diarrhea tablets, throat lozenges, disinfectant wipes or spray, mosquito repellent and malaria pills if required. In addition, don’t forget your own personal daily medications.

#8 Camping Gear

If you are camping you will obviously need a tent, sleeping bag and air mattress or hammock. Additionally, the following items will be extremely useful too: a headlamp, Swiss army knife or multitool, sewing kit (you never know when your pants might tear), cup, spork and a compactable stainless-steel pot.

#9 Tech Gadgets

In the tech world that we currently live in, you obviously need to pack a few tech gadgets that you deem necessary. These can include a power bank, a camera or GoPro, a lightweight laptop (for the digital nomad entrepreneurs). Charging cables for all your gadgets and don’t forget a universal travel adapter.

#10 Security

Wherever you are headed you need to think about the security of your valuables, and especially your passport and travel documents. Padlocks are a must-have, particularly if you plan to stay in a hostel where you need to lock your bags in a locker.

You can also use them to lock your bag to ensure your possessions are safe in a crowd or if you need to be separated from your bag for a period. Use the padlocks that have a code combination lock, so you don’t need to worry about losing keys.

Additionally, you might also want to invest in a security belt that you can hide cash inside for safe-keeping, discreetly on your body.

Get, Set, Go!

Packing for a backpacking trip doesn’t have to be too overwhelming. In fact, it can be pretty simple if you narrow down the items you think you’ll need to the items that you know you can’t travel without. Try to stick to lightweight items and don’t pack unnecessarily based on your itinerary.

Have you ever been on a backpacking adventure? Let us know if you have any other travel essentials that we should add to this list.

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