It seemed fitting that as I (Rachel), love going on solo trips around the world; just me, myself and my rucksack, that I would write a post to share what I pack in my trusty rucksack.
This will include all the necessities that you might not initially think of that I would recommend you pack, I haven’t included all the obvious things such as passport, clothes, suncream etc however writing this post has inspired me to write some additional separate posts about clothes to pack and one about toiletries to pack – so watch this space!
- Firstly I will start with the actual rucksack. Basically my motto is the smaller the better. The smaller the rucksack means you don’t overpack, and it also means the less you have to lug around. You have to do a lot of walking with your life on your shoulders so you don’t want to have your kitchen sink in there! You may be walking from the train station to your hostel, or the trek from one gate at the airport to another. When I went to Australia I borrowed my brothers Osprey Talon 33 rucksack. For my trip to SE Asia I decided I needed my own rucksack. After lots of research, I decided I wanted to stick with a 33 litre rucksack so went with this beautiful Lowe Alpine 33 litre. It can expand to 40 litres if need be. I suggest going out only packing to the 33 litres and then using the extra 7 litres to bring bits back!
- Earplugs and eye mask are then my first priority I always make sure I have packed. Make sure you find ear plugs that are suitable for you, there are so many different varieties. Amazon have plenty to choose from! Same goes with the eye mask, you need to make sure its a comfy one as you have to sleep with it on. I like this Go Travel one 🙂
- Neck pillow is the next essential, especially if you plan on taking long journeys from place to place. The neck pillow is ideal to help you sleep on the long plane journey but also perfect for long bus or train journeys. I opted for a memory foam pillow and it was SO comfy. Again I opted for a Go Travel one.
- People tend to overpack when it comes to clothes, the only thing I would say to overpack with is underwear. Of course you can wash your clothes whilst travelling but you need to ensure you have enough underpants. I would recommend buying some 100% cotton underwear, especially if you are going to a hot and humid country.
- Comfy shoes are a necessity for sure. Some trips you may be required to bring walking boots with you, in this case you can be the typically traveller and tie them around your rucksack!! I always ensure I have a comfy pair of trainers with me for all the walking you have to. When visiting a new town or city you want to be able to walk around and explore it all.
- The long journeys can often be super boring, so make sure you have something to do on the journey. Make sure you have lots of songs on your iPhone or iPod to listen to. I also have an iPad and download some movies and tv shows to watch on long journeys. However my favourite pass time is a colouring book. I have a small pencil case with different colouring pencils in it and usually buy a new colouring book for a trip.
- If you are travelling solo, then I would recommend you buy yourself a selfie stick. If there is no one around that you can ask to take your photo then the trusty selfie stick is your new best friend! I think its important to take pictures to remember your amazing trip, gotta have that pic in front of the Opera House or Taj Mahal to show the grand kids!
- If I had all the money in the world then my Go Pro would also feature on this list, but I don’t have one (yet!). It seems everyone I meet travelling has a Go Pro except me. However I have a really good Panasonic Lumix camera and also found an underwater digital camera for £5 in a charity shop. One day I will treat myself to a Go Pro!
- Security is key when travelling so make sure you have a padlock packed. Many places have lockers for the guests to use that require you to use your own padlock on, then you can ensure all your valuables are safe!
- Speaking of security I also ensure I pack a bum bag, I find these super handy to wear when travelling as it means I can keep my valuables close to me. You can often get ones you can put under your clothes so that they cannot be seen!
What would your travelling/backpacking necessities be? Where are you planning your next adventure to, we would love to know!!