So you are going traveling, you have bought your ticket organised EVERYTHING and now all you have left to do is pack. Sounds easy but not really when you are used to having all your home luxuries and you can only just fit your makeup bag in your back pack.
I know exactly how you feel, its a nightmare the first time you have to pack that all important back pack. Here are a few top tips for you.
Tip 1.
Buy a back pack which unzips all the way down the side, something similar to this one here:
This back pack from Osprey is perfect for the following reasons:
1. You can unzip it all the way down both sides (so you aren't struggling to get that dress out of the bottom you need to wear tonight without unpacking the whole bag).
2. You have three different handles on it to help you carry it in different situations (on your back, at the top to pull along or up some stairs, on the side to sling into the bottom of a coach).
3. You can attach your day pack to your main back pack - this avoids you looking stupid with a back pack on your front and your back (you will see this a lot).
4. The little tabs all over mean you can hang things like bottles, trainers and towels on the outside. These are things which take up and enormous amount of room inside your pack, so by tying them to the outside you are saving yourself a lot of stress and making extra room for a pair of luxury hair straighteners.
5. You can zip away your straps - this is so valuable sometimes, especially when you are staying settled in one place for a while. They can be a death trap especially when drunk stumbling back into your hostel.
Tip 2.
Get a hanging wash bag, like this:
You will be able to hang this bag up when you get to each hostel or in the bathroom. It also means if you over load it or cant fit it into your back pack one way, you can mold it into many different shapes and sizes and make it fit.
Tip 3.
Your first aid kit will be your life saver, dont just assume that you have everything in the standard issue travelers first aid kit, you won't and even if you do - you will run out pretty quickly and that's the worst thing that can happen to you if you are somewhere that doesn't have a pharmacy on every corner.
Checklist:
- Plasters
- Anti Septic
- Immodium
- Painkillers (Parecetemol + Ibubrofen)
- Saftey Pins
- Sissors
- Tweasors
- Anti Septic Cream
- Bite Cream
Tip 4.
Footwear, bring with you some closed in trainers, some flip flops and some sandals. This is already too many pairs of shoes but you will need them all at some point during your journey.
These are a popular choice with travelers - might want to wait until you get there to purchase a pair though, as here they cost a bomb.
As for trainers, these little guys here wouldn't be a bad buy:
Bringing another pair of flip flops that you are really comfortable in is another brilliant choice. You dont want to be hobbling around with blisters for the first two weeks of your travels.
Tip 5.
Roll your clothes. Roll each piece of clothing individually, this avoids creases and means you can fit each piece into small little gaps. It also means that you are able to grab one thing from your pack without unpacking four tops.
Tip 6.
If you are struggling to fit everything in still then see if you can take anything out. If not then pack everything in your bag, rolling as tightly as you can and do your bag up once you have fitted everything in you think your bag could possibly hold.
Stand your back pack up and shake, banging the bottom of the pack on the floor. Don't worry about being gentle, it wont break. You will find that you have a lot of space at the top of you back pack now, so undo and keep upright, pushing in the rest of your items as you go.
Tip 7.
Put everything that you are going to need first, when you reach your next hostel/destination, into your day pack and attach it to the front of you back pack LAST.
Tip 8.
Getting your back pack on your back. Put it on a seat somewhere as high as possible and perch your bum on the edge. Pull the back pack on, but dont do up the clips which will sit on your hips. Ones the main straps are on your shoulders, give them a little wriggle and make sure you are comfy and then do up the hip straps.
Once you have got used to carrying your pack on your back you wont need to do this any more, you will have built up enough strength to just swing your bag onto your back. You will also find your own ways of doing things by then which you prefer.
Tip 9.
Jumpers, they can take up a lot of room, so go grab yourself a Skiing fleece, they are lightweight and are designed to keep you warm. Make sure you dont make my mistake and buy a white one though, they dont stay that colour for very long.
Tip 10.
Safety bag, the one that slips on under your clothes. Best invention ever, I loved mine - more because it was an easy way to store all of my belongings that were most valuable in one place and tuck under my pillow and clothes. I recommend investing in one of these.
Check back later for more travel tips and a packing checklist.
