It's that time again! Time to pack my bag and hit the road.
I'm doing a practice pack as I get ready to head to Latin America for the next year. I thought it would be helpful to give some tips on how to pack. When I was a newbie backpacker, no one ever told me what to pack. I'll save you some headache.
Packing is old hat to me. From my very 1st trip to today, I've come a long way!
I learned to pack more efficiently from my own experience, but also from fellow travelers.
For my last trip (which lasted 9 months), I lugged around a cumbersome 85 liter backpack. No wonder why my back hurt :(
For this trip, where I'll be gone even longer, I'm taking a 65 liter pack. Much better. Pretty proud of myself for the downsize.
For backpacking GIRLS, it's a whole lot easier if you're NOT high maintenance. To tell you the truth, I've never met a high maintenance girl backpacking for an extended amount of time. I don't think it appeals to them :)
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| Oh Paris, you could never be a backpacker..... Photo courtesy of www.upscalehype.com |
I DO bring a travel blow dryer and straightener, some people tease me about that, but those are my luxuries. I need my sanity... and to look half-way decent in my pictures.
So.... the nitty gritty.... what the heck am I packing?!
Fleece coat
Rain coat
Flip flops
Sandals
Running shoes
Wet suit (for surfing!)
9 pairs of shorts (includes pj's and work out wear)
2 pairs pants (1 light weight, 1 jean)
2 leggings
12 shirts (tank tops, t-shirts and pj's)
5 dresses
3 pairs of socks
5 sport bras
5 pairs of undies
2 bikinis
Sarong
Sunglasses
Ear plugs
Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, shampoo/conditioner, brush, deodorant, soap, makeup, razor, band aids, diva cup, coconut oil, small scissors, q-tips)
Sunscreen
Shower cap
Vitamins
Eye shades
Padlock
Flashlight
2 cameras with chargers
SD cards
Cell phone with charger
Galaxy tablet
Hat
Passport
Blanket
Books
Quick dry towel
Day pack
4 packing cubes (3 large, 1 extra small)
A word on packing cubes... they're genius! They are one of the most fascinating inventions of all mankind and should be a quintessential item on your packing list. They make a world of a difference. They are super lightweight bags, you roll your clothes up and shove them in. Wah-la! It saves you at least twice the space in your backpack.
I was first introduced to them in Laos, where my friend Ember was using them. I wondered why we had the same amount of clothes, but my pack was significantly larger. Then she told me her secret (packing cubes) and I've been spreading the aloha ever since!
Here's an example on how much space these little miracles will save you:
I fit 12 shirts and 9 pairs of shorts in this 14" x 9" bag!
For this trip, I focused on buying very light weight clothing. In the past, I would bring heavy fabric dresses and shirts. Light weight is the way to go. It keeps you cool too!! Dry fit shirts are great, but they aren't the most stylish choice. Packing for a hot weather trip is awesome, much less weight.
Also, you definitely want to have a small quick dry towel. Mine is the size of a large washcloth. Yes, I use this to dry my body off after a shower. It REALLY makes me appreciate that big fluffy towel when I get home!
When you backpack, you sacrifice a lot of creature comforts. But I think it makes me tougher.
You should try to bring only 2 pairs of shoes, a pair of sandals and a pair of closed toed shoes. However, I'm bringing 3 pairs of shoes :( I couldn't weed 1 pair out.
You read right, I'm bringing only 5 pairs of undies. Like I've said before, backpacking is a dirty business. I try to stay as clean as possible on my trips, but I do admit that I have to wash my underwear in the sink quite a bit. It's OK, a lot of backpackers do it. If it means I can travel cheap and see all these amazing places, I'll do it!
I would say I wash all my clothes about once every month. Sometimes it's in a washing machine, sometimes it's all by hand. In India, a lady once washed all my clothes in the Ganges river, which has dead bodies floating in it. Saweeeeet!
I hope this gave you some insight on what I pack for these crazy long vacations I take.
If I had room to pack all my friends and family, I would!!!
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