Photo: Bec Brown / unsplash.com
Ready to be Bill Bryson and rough it for months at a time? For experienced adventure travelers, getting their pack together can be easy, quick, and automatic. But for first-timers, it can be difficult to choose which few items you’ll need. Here are some basic tips on what to take for a long-term trip that involves a lot of different locations.
–Try to keep it to one big backpack and one day-bag: The day-bag should be about the size of a high-schooler’s backpack. When going on tours for multiple days, you’ll be happy to take the smaller bag only. You can leave your extra things in the larger bag back at the hostel and you’re back will thank you.
–Pack enough clothes for only a week and a half: If you’re travelling for a long period of time, there’s no way that you’ll be able to go without re-wearing your clothes. Along the way, stop and get laundry done in larger cities if you can. If not, aim to hand-wash your clothes. After gathering all your clothes together, think again about what you would be able to go without. This will be on your back for months, and it’s better to have less, not more. But make sure that you pack a variety so you’ll be ready for different kinds of weather.
–Wool socks: If you’re planning on hiking or being in wet areas, wool socks can be a lifesaver. Wool is a better material for wet conditions because they retain warmth and dry faster.
–Ziploc or plastic bags: Ideally, it’d be great to have all your gear be waterproof, but not everyone has the right gear. Don’t forget to pack some Ziploc or plastic bags with you. To adjust your space better, try dividing your things into categories and use the bags to pack them. If everything is divided, it’ll be easier to grab what you need when you need it and you’ll always know that the bags are easily accessible
