The Only 15 Tips You'll Need For Your Next Backpacking Trip
What else do young people do with their summer vacations?
You can thank me later hippies
1. You will never need the "extra" anything. Don't pack it. Just don't.
2. If you stay in a hostel/hotel/motel where breakfast is included, eat a shit ton of food so you can skip lunch to save money. Swipe extra loaves of bread, croissants, ham, cheese etc. and make sandwiches if you happen to eat in a buffet style setting.
3. Leave your accessories and excessive makeup at home. One tube of mascara will suffice. You're backpacking, no one really gives a damn what you look like.
4. Buy snacks at supermarkets/markets not at rest stops, airports or train stations. They are always double the price.
5. Take a small ziploc bag of powdered laundry soap to wash your own underwear and other essentials. A little bit goes a long way and you won't need to pack as many clothes if you can hand-wash them yourself.
6. Avoid packing jeans. They are heavy and a pain to hand-wash. If absolutely necessary, pack one pair.
7. Be aware of the cultural do's and don'ts. Which might mean leaving your skinnys, jeggings, tights, bodycon dresses, short shorts/skirts etc. at home.
8. Sleep with passports, money, driver's licenses and other really important documents in your sleeping bag or under your pillow when staying in cheap hostels or home-stays.
9. When you don't have the luxury of a daily shower, wet wipes are God's gift to you when you start smelling like a sweaty sportsbra.
10. LADIES: A menstrual cup (like the Diva Cup) is your best friend. Especially in countries where you WILL NOT find the brand of sanitary care you like to use. The Diva Cup is reusable, easy to wash and is very light weight.
11. Make friends with everybody. Not all strangers are axe murderers. The more people you make friends with the less confined you feel to stick with one group or person.
12. It seems like an unnecessary, but a small rollable/inflatable pillow can make all the difference in the way you sleep while backpacking. When you sleep better, you also tend to be less miserable and irritated by small setbacks and annoyances.
13. Pack sample bags of pain killers, decongestants, antihistamines that you would normally use. You can also use an empty pill or vitamin jar and fill it with a mix of the over-the-counter pills you use in your life. Migraines, cramps, backaches and allergies are never fun especially when in a foreign country or on a trail.
14. Shoes weigh a ton so pack them sensibly.
15. Americans: slightly harsh but honest tip, sometimes your nationality is not an advantage when traveling to certain countries. Ultimately you have to be the judge of the people around you and how they feel towards your culture. Consider lying about where you come from. No one has a problem with Canadians.
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