Chances are that if you’re travelling long term, all of your stuff will be carried in a backpack. This is a part of your preparation you don’t want to screw up. Get a decent pack and learn how to pack it with things that are useful, multi-purpose and suitable for the environments in which you’ll be travelling.
The Right Travel Backpack
Choosing the right backpack is one of the most important things you’ll do before you head off on a backpacking adventure. For me, suitcases or ‘wheelie bags’ as I call them, are completely out of the picture for travelling. Why? Try comfortably rolling a suitcase over uneven cobbles in an ancient European town. Try lugging a bulky suitcase up seven flights of stairs to your little loft apartment where you’ll be staying for a few nights. Enjoy the wheels getting clogged up with gravel and mud as you attempt to visit a beautiful mountain or desert. Suitcases are heavy, cumbersome and just plain useless if you’re travelling seriously. Granted, they have their uses, such as for short business trips (hence, suitcase), boring hotel-to-hotel travel or for moving house, but other than that, I don’t use them at all.
When it comes to backpacks, there is so much variety these days that making a choice can seem daunting at first. Internal vs. external frame, canvas vs. synthetic, top-loading vs. front-loading, levels of hip-belt padding, levels of waterproofness, back size, capacity in litres, colour, the list goes on. The reality is that most internal frame backpacks on the market today are designed to be super comfortable for most people, most of the time. As time goes on there are actually fewer large points of variance in backpack styles as the ‘optimum’ design for the market is reached at a given point in time.
Right now, most backpackers will have an internal frame backpack, sometimes with an optional day pack (this is a smaller bag) attachment, a chest strap, a padded hip belt, a waterproof cover and about 40 to 70 litres of space inside. That’ll do for 90% of travellers in my experience. Any reputable outdoor equipment brand will produce a high-quality pack. I personally like Kelty, Gregory, Deuter, Macpac and Osprey packs the most, but it’s all good. As long as you don’t get a cheap knock-off from eBay that’ll fall apart in a few months, you should be fine. I usually find that a 35 to 50L pack with a collapsible day pack or satchel is big enough for me. I’ve even met folks who only travel with a day pack.
If you’re looking to do some serious backcountry activities such as wild camping, thru-hiking, mountain climbing or other adventurous stuff, the field of potential packs is narrowed somewhat. Comfort, fit, weight, durability and technical features come into play a lot more here, and I’d recommend checking out online resources such as Outdoor Gear Lab before making a decision on a pack. Note that if you are participating in any technical outdoor activities and have some cash to burn, going ‘ultralight’ is also an option. Excellent ultralight backpack manufacturers include Hyperlite Mountain Gear, ZPacks, Mountain Laurel Designs, Gossamer Gear and Superior Wilderness Designs.
Second-hand packs are also a great idea. Putting on your mum or dad’s old backpack that has already been around the world is a great way to continue a travelling legacy. Just be aware that old packs are sometimes heavier than modern designs and if you aren’t of similar height, the back length may not be a good fit. Always try on a fully packed second-hand pack before heading off into the wide world with one.
Travel Packing List
Everyone will pack their backpack differently when they are heading off on a travel adventure. Potential weather conditions, modes of transport and your own personal travel style will influence this greatly. If I’m on a long hiking trip I’ll pack lighter to leave room for food, a stove, a tent etc. If I’m mostly in cities, I might not have a tent, for example, but I may have more casual clothing. Always pack what works for you, but keep in mind that the lighter you pack, the easier it will be to get around, and the more enjoyable your journey will be. In addition, to efficiently pack your bag to save weight, space and time, always:
- Roll your clothes. Don’t fold! Folded clothes crease easier and take up more space.
- Separate footwear from other clothing. Shoes can have mud and other dirty stuff on their souls that can get on your clothes. Either put them on the outside of your pack in a tote bag, or in a separate compartment if your backpack has one.
- Use compression/stuff sacks and drybags. Put all your clothes in a stuff sack for additional waterproofing and protection, and squeeze the air out to compress the bag to save space. Also have spare sack handy for dirty laundry. If you’re on a super long hike and are counting every gram, then you may avoid stuff sacks to save even more weight, or use ultralight drybags.
- Use leakproof bottles for toiletries. To avoid soaking the inside of your pack in shampoos or liquid soaps if you have any, transfer any relevant toiletries into lightweight leakproof bottles, or just don’t bother carrying liquid toiletries at all.
Below is an exhaustive list of everything I could possibly pack, but I’d never have this much in my pack at once; the list changes depending on the season and the region. I’ve also added a provision for female travelers at the end of the list. Note that I pack pretty light. If you’re a photographer, artist or are particularly fond of not smelling like a typical backpacker, then you’ll probably have more stuff in your bag.
I only pack one of everything unless otherwise stated.
Travel Clothing
- 3 t-shirts
- 5 pairs underwear
- 4 pairs socks
- trousers/jeans
- swimming shorts/bathers^
- cap or hat
- sweater or fleece
- warm hooded jacket
- scarf
- warm gloves
- beanie
- thermal top
- thermal bottoms
- buff/shemagh/keffiyeh
- hiking boots or shoes
- flip flops or lightweight sandals
Travel Toiletries
- toothbrush
- toothpaste
- soap
- tweezers
- nail clippers
- scissors
- shaving equipment
- toilet paper
Travel Electronics
- mobile phone
- Kindle or e-reader
- small camera and case
- memory cards
- charging cables
- universal power adapter
- USB flash drive
- headphones
Travel Essentials
- 2 reusable water bottles
- money belt
- passports/documents in waterproof folder or dry bag
- earplugs
- 2 stuff sacks, one for dirty laundry
- quick-drying microfiber travel towel
- waterproof backpack cover
- combination padlock
- notepad and pen
- headlamp
Additional hiking and camping gear
If I’m planning on hiking and camping a lot, especially wild camping, I’ll make sure I take the following:
- convertible hiking trousers
- waterproof jacket
- tent, tarp, hammock or bivouac
- sleeping bag with liner
- Swiss army knife
- compass
- stove, pot and fuel
- spork
- carabiners
- first-aid kit
- inflatable trekking pillow
- sleeping mat*
Travel Female-specific Items
- hygiene products (tampons, pads, menstrual cup)
- makeup and remover
- dresses and skirts, if you prefer them over trousers and shorts
Quick note: Most females who I travel with and have been on the road for a while eventually eschew things like makeup, nail polish and hair dryers and embrace their innermost ‘unwashed backpacker’. However, keeping hold of a couple of small ‘luxury’ items can also help you to maintain a positive frame of mind.
OK, so that list looks pretty huge, but as I stated before, it is an exhaustive list of all the things that I could potentially pack if I was totally lost in the wilderness in freezing cold one day, and then in a huge, hot city the next. This isn’t usually the case, so I’ll pack a modification of the list above. Despite the seemingly large amount of stuff on the list, my pack typically weighs around 9kg (20lbs) in summer and 12kg (26lbs) in winter. Of course, if you’re a keen photographer or can’t live without a laptop, books, makeup case, etc, then yours will be heavier.
If I’m planning a long hike, I’ll aim to reduce my total weight and just carry one change of clothes. There’s not much worse than hiking with a massive, overloaded pack. I’ll allow for more weight if my hike doesn’t pass any services and I have to carry my own water, food and cooking equipment, of course. Even then, I always aim to stay below 10 to 12kg, or less than 6kg before accounting for food and water.
Either way, use the above list as a guide for packing your backpack, and tick off the items as you go. It all looks and feels surprisingly small when you stuff it in a backpack.
