Everything You'll Need On Your Backpacking Trip!

If you search online you’ll find other lists but they have things I’ve never needed, like a sewing kit. It helps to get your mind thinking but, yeah, I’m not bringing that..

Here is everything I bring!

The obvious things

Suitcase
I personally use this Osprey Travel Backpack.  The ease of carrying all my things on my back is nice. Plus, it comes with a zip off day pack which is great!

Most of the time I get away with it being a carry on which is a huge plus as I’m changing cities pretty frequently and can save of checked bag fees.

​​Clothes
​The hardest part is knowing how much to bring. It comes down to how much you think you’ll need and I always go over.

For my 30 day trip to Asia I packed over 10+ shirts, socks, underwear and 2 pairs of shorts and pants. Then two swim suit, 2 pairs of basketball shorts, and a long sleeve shirt. Admittedly, that may be a little excessive but I also don’t want to have to be doing my laundry every couple of days when time can be so limited. Plus, I prefer options, what if some fancy socialite invites me to a classy establishment! ​

Shoes 
​Two pairs seems to work for me, a pair for walking and then a pair that can look a little more classy. When I went to Asia it was rainy season so I also brought a pair of water proof shoes, so that made three. I do enjoy options for shoes but I still only found myself wear two pairs and sent one home early.

Stylish water proof shoes can be hard to find, but I got the crocs listed below but here are more options. 

Toiletries
​You’ll obvious want a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. You know all the things you need to bring to smell and look fresh. 

Cash
I like to get cash ahead of time. I try to use card as much as I can but some stores, cities, or countries make it difficult. They also have ATMs but it’s nice to have that straight cash homie. Is that Randy Moss reference to old? 

Passport
Especially if it’s international.. this is the obvious section. 

Not As Obvious Stuff

Outlet Adapter
I have a universal one that can handle any country I go to and would recommend this one. This isn't the one I have but is the one I bought my dad before his international trip. It works in every country and I like the 4 usb ports. This comes in handy when you have phones, wireless headphones, a gopro, an Ipad, an external battery, or anything else to charge. ​

Charging cables
I prefer to bring two just incase something happens to one. ​

​External Battery
Because I use my phone for everything (maps, pictures, videos, podcasts, etc) through out the day if I’m out and about and the battery is running low it’s nice to not have to head back to charge up. Same goes for using the gopro. 

Watch
​I like to wear a watch because with all the changing time zones it’s nice to know what time it is. Harper, my dog, chewed the band on my last watch so this time around I got a cheap Casio one that worked fine.

​Cheap Sunglasses
​I’m not going to tell you how to live your life but I left a decently priced pair of sunglasses on an overnight train heading to Krakow, Poland. I just bring cheap ones now..

​Headphones
I bring my wireless and normal plug in headphones just in case the battery dies.

​Swimsuit
I usually travel in the summer so this feels more necessary. Probably wouldn’t bring it to Norway in the winter. But, maybe there is a hot tub to hit up. ​ 

Quick dry towel
I interchange Air bnbs and hostels during my stays and hostels don’t usually have towels, or you have to rent them. I just bring a microfiber quick dry towel. They are small and easy to pack and do a decent enough job drying you. 

Also, if you wanted to bring shower sandals that isn't an awful idea either.

Lock
I bring two locks. One for my day pack and one for the locker or my bag at the hostel. No one has ever tried to pick pocket me, I’m still waiting, but when they try they’ll be in for a surprise. Safety first! 

Light rain jacket
​I have one of those  jacket that like folds into its own pocket. It’s easy to pack, comes in handy for light rain, and helps if I need an extra layer. It’s pretty useless in a big down pour though. 

Hat 
Most of the time I’m walking around like 10 miles a day so I get a lot of sun exposure. A hat can just be a good idea or a conversational starter. On my last trip I had a couple people come up and talk to me simply because I was wearing a hat with the name of my former college on it.​ But if you care more about sun coverage you can always get something like this..

​Not So Obvious Things

​Travel Visa
Certain countries require a tourism Visa (I needed them in China, Vietnam, and Cambodia). Super pro tip - Even if you fly back to an original country, like Vietnam, for only a few hours to catch a returning trip home you'll need another visa!

Travel Insurance
​If you are interested in getting travel insurance I recommend TravelInsurance.com. They are considered one of best in the industry, you can easily compare coverages and get the right one for you.

Tide Packets
Tide sells single load packets for laundry and I bring these for laundry. They also have kits for doing laundry in the sink. One thing to keep in mind is that in some more humid place it may take a bit for it to air dry. 

I made this mistake in Thailand and was blow drying clothes before catching my plane.

Download These Apps 

1. Google translate
   This can be used more so as a resource to communicate when you need. They have an option for writing, speaking, or conversation. I've never used it for conversation as I don't know if you'd need wifi but I have used the writing portion to pass back and forth when I'm in a bind. This comes in handy when looking at a menu. You just have to make sure to download the dictionary for offline use.
   
   
2. ​Google Maps
   This is in italicized because if I had the option for only one app it would be this one. Without this I'd effectively be useless. It helps me to be able to navigate easily without using wifi.  There are other apps, like Maps.me, but they don't cover every city I go. Plus google is already spying on me. Here is how I use it.
   
   
3. Air Bnb
   I'll stay in Air bnbs while I'm out so this is handy and you can get check in instructions for offline use also.
   
   
4. Hostel world
   I'm mostly in hostels when I travel and this is the app I use to see reviews and book places. I find it extremely easy to use! There are other cheap options for places to stay like couchsurfing.com but that seems extremely for me. 
   
   
5. Currency exchange
   It's important for me to know the exchange rate when I'm paying for things or exchanging money.  I use the xe currency one and it refreshes frequently to give me the most update to date information.
   
   
6. Ticket services
   Whether you have booked through Get Your Guide, Viator, Booking, Klook, etc. I prefer to have the voucher on my phone and it  makes life easier.
   
   
7. WhatsApp
   With an iPhone I'm able to send iMessages to anyone with an iPhone so that part is easy. But for people with androids I communicate with them using WhatsApp. Tour companies sometimes have WhatsApp so I can call or text with them also which has come in handy more than once.  
   
   
8. Facebook Messenger
   This is another way to communicate with people wherever I am or even back home.
   
   
9. Subway/metro map 
   I mostly use public transportation and most cities will have an app dedicated to their subway. If they don't I will take a picture when I'm at a station to reference back to it later. Once you have that part figured out you just have to know what station you are at and what direction you need to get on and go and you can get anywhere you want.
   
   
10. Weather app
    Most phones already have them but I like to know what they day will look like weatherwise for things like rain jackets, pants, etc.
    
    
11. Video Streaming
    Most services have the option of downloading content for offline use so that comes in handy with all the planes, trains, and buses I'm on. You'll also find that in other countries services like Netflix have access to more content than in the US.
    
    
12. Podcasts/Audio books
    I like to be able to listen to different things as I'm walking around or traveling so I have a mix of music, audio books, and podcasts. 
    
    
13. VPN (Virtual Private Network)
    A VPN basically tricks your phone into thinking it's in whatever country you want it be. On my last trip I was in China and they don't have Google. If I wanted to check my gmail or get my maps up and running I had to use a VPN to say I was in the US. Later that trip I used it again because I put my 3rd property, Harper's House, under contract before I left for Asia and wasn't able to to access some of the mortgage documents because I was in Thailand. Again, super unique situations. 
14. Grab
    Grab was the uber/lyft of Thailand and came in handy but this is a general post to look into some of the more local apps of where you are going.

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Copy of your passport
I make a copy of my passport and keep it in a different place than my actual passport. Just in case anything happens. 

Copies or screenshots of all reservations
I started taking pictures or putting them on my google drive account to have quick access. But if I lost my phone that’d be kind of useless so paper copies aren’t always bad. I'll shred them once I've used it.

More than one form of payment
I bring a couple credit cards or debit cards but only carry one with me at a time. If I lost my wallet or something happens I still have back up options. 

SIM card
A sim card is a cheap option to be able to get phone services in other countries. You'll get a local number and everything! I've never done this because then no one can get a hold of me using my normal number and I'm using not in a country long enough to have it make sense.

Ear plugs
Whether you are in a hostel with roommates, in San Miguel, Mexico with fireworks shooting off at all points in the night, or Hanoi, Vietnam with roosters crowing at 4:30am ear plugs are never a bad idea. 

Water bottle
I bring a stainless steel water bottle with me so that I don't have to stop to get one. It's easy to fill up before you leave or at restaurants. This is also a habit from living in Phoenix. 

Know When Flight Check In Ends
This is good to know because in Asia they close the check in counter 45 minutes before a flight for domestic or an hour before international. Just be aware of things like this. 

Multi vitamin
When I was in Europe I was sick, you know sore throat and runny nose stuff, every week or two. When I went to Australia I brought vitamins and in Asia I added a non refrigerated probiotic and that helped. I’m not saying it’s a simple cause and effect just an observation. I think it helps because on these trips I'm drinking more alcohol, eating more weird stuff, and sleeping differently and being sick overseas is not ideal.

Memory cards
If you have a camera or gopro you’ll want extra in case you need the space. 

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This sounds like a lot of stuff but it all fits I promise!