Can’t decide what to pack? This feeling almost always arises the first time someone prepares for a long trip abroad.
After all, if you’re used to a week’s vacation, you’re used to packing one outfit or two a day and all the toiletries you can put in your suitcase.
If you’re a woman, you may also need to bring a hairdryer and a small shoe store. You may even have some stylish sets that will need to iron.
Throw all those notions out the window and start from scratch. Remember: you won’t have your own car (unless you can put it in your suitcase), there will rarely bebell-boysbuttons, and don’t expect many flat, open surfaces for a wheeled suitcase.
Unless you can afford to use taxis everywhere, you’ll have to walk and deal with local transportation, which means using a backpack. If you carry a backpack, anything extra is literally a burden.
Here are some general truths we want to share. Almost all travelers have made big mistakes when packing the first time, so take advantage of others’ advice and get more prepared.
Everything has to fit together
This is the obvious fundamental principle. If something doesn’t fit, it has to go.
Many also carry a small backpack for books, a camera, etc. That way they can board a bus or take a walk around the city with something small. For the main backpack, it’s actually better to have a smaller one than a larger one, as you won’t be tempted to fill it with as much as you can. Which leads to the next point…
Golden rule: go light
A backpack can quickly become heavy.
When the occasion comes and you have to walk along a dusty, hot road with a backpack strapped to your back, you won’t want to carry 25 kilograms. Consider everything you pack in terms of weight.
Make sure you really value heavy items. Volume also creates weight. Wearing a pair of jeans instead of five pairs will lighten your load considerably.
You can do your laundry
You don’t really need clothes for two weeks. You need enough to last you from a few days to a week. Bring some detergent so you can wash by hand in the sink.
Wear plenty of light underwear and socks, but keep pants and shorts to a minimum.
You can buy new clothes
For a trip around the world, you can consider leaving home with nearly empty backpacks. Then you can go shopping when you arrive at one of your budget destinations and buy a completely new minimalist wardrobe for little money.
When these clothes are spent, buy more somewhere else. Buy things you don’t fall in love with and don’t mind throwing them away later.
You can also buy most other things
Some people go crazy stocking up on toiletries and gadgets at home, and then find the same things for half the price abroad.
There are a few things you can’t find where you go (100% DEET spray, certain prescription drugs, that favorite brand of shampoo or deodorant in China), but most cities these days have the rest, even in highly protective markets like India.
Don’t overdo it with books, batteries and cosmetics. They will weigh you and you will spend more than necessary.
As for books, consider it a wonderful invention: the Kindle.
Good attire can pay dividends
Some people go to extremes when it comes to packing very light. As a result, they end up looking like vagrants.
It’s a topic of much debate, but according to various blogs and traveler experiences, the wheels of bureaucracy spin much faster for someone who doesn’t seem to be in ruins.
Having a light, wrinkle-free outfit that looks somewhat elegant can work wonders.
It’s also useful for walking around first-class hotels without being questioned, which is good if you want to take advantage of deals or get some free snacks at the hotel bar happy hour. It’s also helpful if a job interview suddenly appears, which isn’t as uncommon as you might think.
Some items are worth their weight in gold
Many first-time travelers overdo it by buying all the cool travel devices they have in sight. But it’s worth carrying some who will “pay for your ticket.”
This list isn’t even meant to be exhaustive and everyone will have different items and gadgets to add to this. But it can serve as a guide.
- Swiss army knife
- Water purifier the size of a cup or wand
- Elastic rubber clothesline
- Flat sink plug
- Belt with zippered purse on the back.
- Water bottle holders that you can hang on your shoulder
- Nylon laundry bag
- Small plastic tripod
- Small flashlight
Have you traveled and don’t see any essentials in the list above? Leave a comment!
