When you’re planning a backpacking trip, it’s important to know what to pack a backpack and what to bring. Here are some essential items to bring on your next backpacking adventure.
I used to bring a huge suitcase everywhere I went, to have Everything with me “just in case”. Before I went on my first backpacking trip, I carried a huge suitcase everywhere I went.
The reason I couldn’t even imagine how some people can travel for months or even years with only a backpack’s worth of belongings is that I couldn’t even comprehend how they did it.
My three-month backpacking trip in South America presented me with a real challenge because of that. Watching YouTube videos from more experienced people helped me gain some insight into this subject.
My goal is to help others who find themselves in the same position as I did, so I have put together a list that I would have found useful while planning my own journey.
Backpack
The size is the first and most important thing that you should consider. You should bring a bag between 50-65L, which is the size I found to be most suitable for me. Having a 60 liter gave me the space and convenience I needed to carry all of my stuff. Neither it was too big nor was it impractical to carry.
You should always strive for the smallest bag you can fit into if you are more minimalist than me. Traveling will be easier if you have a lighter bag.
Clothes
Packing for a trip like this can be quite a challenge, especially if you have never done it before. If you travel, you should avoid overpacking, but be aware of the different situations and conditions you may encounter on the way.
The most important thing you need to remember, in my opinion, is that you can ALWAYS wash your clothes if you want to. I do not believe that it is necessary to pack a new T-shirt for every single day.
When you are packing for your trip to South America, you should think about what activities you want to do and what climate you can expect, especially if you are going there in the summer.
Whenever you are going to somewhere where the weather can change rapidly, you should pack many layers instead of one really warm one, so that no matter what the weather is like, you can always take it off or add more layers as needed.
Also, I suggest focusing on comfort and practicality – find clothes that are compact and light.
Electronics
When it comes to electronics, I believe the less you have, the better. A person will be more stressed if they have more technological objects.
During your travels, these items can get damaged by a number of things. One of the most common and worst is theft, which can happen anywhere.
Your neck will become a bigger target if you have a camera dangling. But even if you keep valuables in your backpack, you will be warier of trusting people around it; or you can just leave it at your hostel.
You can also lose them when you forget to plug them in at your hostel, or they can be wet during an unexpected storm or break when your bag is thrown in a bus trunk.
Conclusion
If you’re planning a hike or camping trip, there are a few things to keep in mind when packing a backpack. The first thing you should consider is what kind of activity you are going to be doing.
The amount of food and water you need to pack for a long hike will be different from if you are going for a day hike since you will be going for a longer hike.
Secondly, you need to consider the weather and the temperature at the time. If you’re hiking in the middle of summer versus the middle of winter, you’ll need to pack different clothing than if you’re hiking in the middle of winter.
As a third consideration, you should think about your safety and what you might need in case of an emergency.
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