Southeast Asia Packing List | Backpacking Essentials Asia

Backpacking Southeast Asia soon? In this guide, we’ll help you figure out what to pack for backpacking Southeast Asia.

We’ll divide our Southeast Asia packing list into different sections to help you pack everything you need.

When it comes to packing for Asia, it may be challenging at first – especially if this is your first backpacking trip to Southeast Asia!

Without further ado, let’s start with the basics. Then, we’ll cover all the backpacking essentials.

Medical Supplies And Travel Insurance

The first thing to pack for Southeast Asia is a few medical supplies and good travel insurance. If you’re planning on traveling long-term, I’d recommend Safetywing or Genki.

You can read our guide on the best long-term travel insurance to help you decide.

When in Southeast Asia, you should make sure to be careful with what you eat. After all, having a completely new diet could lead to digestion problems.

After being in Bali for so long everybody seems to know what a “Bali Belly” is.

We’ve all been there, struggling with a dodgy stomach and running for that toilet that suddenly appears to be super far!

Between the toilet marathon and the flu caused by a pretty powerful AC, there is a high chance that you’ll get sick at some point.

You shouldn’t have to tiptoe around what you eat because you have a big adventure planned for the day. Travelan helps you to enjoy all your experiences while traveling – including the food.

Travelan is a packing essential, especially while traveling in Southeast Asia, as you can avoid the expected and unexpected stomach issues that come with the territory.

You can take one capsule before your meal and let Travelan do the rest.

Make sure you bring a first aid kit that includes tablets for headaches and stomach troubles.

Of course, if you ask me, I’m not always prepared for the worst, but it can be pretty easy to find a pharmacy with the medical supplies you might need abroad.

If you’re about to board a plane or an overnight bus with a dodgy stomach, you might not have the time to run to the pharmacy!

I met many people who hurt themselves while they were abroad, and of course, you could be luckier than them or me! We can’t prevent everything, though!

What if you break your tooth, if you get a naughty bladder infection, or if you crash your scooter? It can be quite hard to avoid infections in Asia.

A minor cut can become pretty nasty quickly in Southeast Asia!

Best Travel Clothes For Backpacking Asia

Make sure to have comfortable clothes for traveling to Asia.

Think of tank tops, elephant pants, and fluffy clothing. In fact, they are pretty popular amongst backpackers!

Good news – you can always shop for a new travel wardrobe in Southeast Asia, knowing that many other people will also buy some of these trendy, comfy clothes.

You should also pack comfortable travel clothing prior to your trip!

Accessories To Survive The Tropical Weather In Southeast Asia

Grab your straw hat, your sarong, and your sunnies, and put a bit of sunscreen on, and you should be ready to hit the best beaches in Southeast Asia!

Let’s talk about what to pack for Southeast Asia.

You know you want to bring all the essential backpack supplies for your upcoming trip!

• Sunglasses
• Quick-dry towel
• Waterproof bag
• Day backpack
• Universal charger and adaptors (especially since most countries have different outlets!)
• Hat
• Flip flops
• Hiking shoes
• Sunscreen
• Aloe vera
• Mosquito repellant
• Afterbite
• Sarong
• Poncho
• Travel pillow

Camera Gear & Tech

Unless your phone takes pretty good pictures already, you could consider bringing a camera with you while you’re in Southeast Asia.

I, personally, always travel with my GoPro and with a few accessories such as a head mount, tripod, and underwater case.

If a GoPro is a bit out of your budget, you could also check out alternatives for underwater cameras.

You should also consider bringing a power bank to charge your phone and other gadgets, especially on a plane or a long bus ride.

If you work online or like to travel with a laptop, you can always find cheap and convenient travel laptops that won’t take up too much room in your backpack.

Read more on how to choose the best laptop.

Best Luggage For Southeast Asia Travels

There are a few things to consider when choosing a piece of luggage to travel to Southeast Asia.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you decide:

• Do you prefer to travel with a carry-on only?
• Are you on a budget?
• Do you have back pain?
• What do you feel more comfortable with? A suitcase or a backpack?

These questions are important because the answer can influence your choice.

For example, if you can pack light, having a carry-on can be a smart choice.

But, if you prefer to travel with large quantities of liquids, or if you have too much stuff to bring, you may want to bring a check-in luggage.

Then, if you are on a tight budget, you should know that some airlines in Asia charge for check-in luggage.

That said, the price can be much higher, so if you’re on a budget, traveling with a carry-on luggage will save you money.

Now, if you have back pain or if you don’t feel comfortable traveling with a backpack, you may want to pick a suitcase instead.

Otherwise, read our guide about the best backpacks for back pain.

Having a suitcase in Asia can be problematic if you travel by motorbike, but if you’re not planning on traveling with a scooter, the suitcase can work too.

For several years, I traveled with a carry-on backpack (33 litres), and it was perfect for my needs at the time.

Eventually, I changed my luggage and had a backpack with wheels which was the perfect mix between a backpack and a suitcase.

But now that I have more equipment for work and work out a lot, I need to bring more stuff with me when I travel.

I now travel with a check-in suitcase as well as a day backpack.

If you travel with a backpack, you can read about the best waterproof backpacks or the best backpacks with wheels.

Alternatively, you could pick a carry-on suitcase, like the one below.

Take a look at the different types of luggage available on Level8. You can also get 10% off using our coupon code: ABROKENBACKPACK10

SHOP NOW

Getting Ready For A Backpacking Trip To Southeast Asia

Here’s a quick Asia checklist of what you need to prepare before going to the next country in Southeast Asia:

• Do you need a visa? If so, do you need to apply at the embassy, or can you do it online on iVisa? (If you’re heading to Cambodia or Vietnam, I already wrote about their visas!)
• Do you know anything about the popular scams in this country? Better be safe than sorry!
• Do you need a flight out of the country as proof of onward travel?
• Do you want to purchase an Asia SIM card or an eSIM for Asia to have access to the Internet everywhere during your trip?

Final Thoughts On Backpacking Essentials For Asia

There you go, you have it – your complete backpacking Southeast Asia packing list.

By now, you should know exactly what to pack for your trip to Southeast Asia.

Remember, you don’t need to bring everything on this list. Take what you know that you will use and leave the rest at home.

Don’t get too bogged down by what you took with you, just take the essentials and enjoy your adventure!

Want more backpacking tips? Read one of the following blog posts:

• Easy backpacking meals
• Staying in a hostel
• Bali vs Thailand
• Cheapest Asian country to fly to