What to put in a backpack for travel? What’s an essential backpack item? What should you take?
If you’re planning your first backpacking trip, this guide we’ll help you find a backpack and decide on what to take with you.
Regarding packing, you sure want to limit yourself to the best travel items out there.
This guide is divided into different categories, including how to choose the perfect travel backpack (or suitcase), how to pack smarter, must-have travel items for the plane, for clothing, for adventure travel, and what electronics you should take with you.
By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly what to pack!
Let’s make your life easy together, and let’s take a look at the best travel items you should be packing for your first backpacking trip!
Travel Backpacks, Suitcases & Packing Accessories
When choosing between a backpack and a suitcase, you might have to think about the purpose of your trip.
When I go on a short holiday (one week or less), I find suitcases more useful. It’s easy to carry at the airport, it doesn’t take too much room, and it keeps everything tidy.
For a shorter holiday, you simply don’t need as much stuff (especially if you only pack the essential travel gear).
When I go on a longer trip, I just love how practical a backpack is. First, I can fit a lot more in a backpack, it’s more convenient to walk around, and I just find it more comfortable.
Carrying a suitcase around crazy roads (like in Asia) can be pretty complicated. On the other hand, traveling with a backpack on a motorbike is super easy!
Whether you prefer suitcases or backpacks, if you want to avoid paying to carry your luggage in places like Asia or Europe, I’d recommend you opt for a carry-on option.
In Europe, you can normally bring around 10 kilos and in Asia, it’s normally about 7 kilos. (Mine normally weighs 10 kilos and I never got any problems in Asia…but I like taking risks!)
Why spend money on luggage when you probably don’t need big baggage anyway?
That said, I’m now in my thirties, and I now prefer a suitcase because I don’t mind spending money to check a piece of luggage.
Since I travel slowly, it makes more sense to me.
Tips For Choosing A Backpack
- A 33 litres backpack is normally ideal for the carry-on size. Even when full, it shouldn’t weigh more than 10 kilos
- Make sure your backpack includes a waterproof cover for those rainy days
- Make sure your backpack has enough pockets or secret areas
Read our full guide on backpacking backpacks to compare different models.
Tips For Choosing A Suitcase
- If you decide to opt for a carry-on option, make sure it fits the requirements on the airline you’re going to use
- Make sure the material is durable
- Get a padlock to keep your valuables safe
Here’s the model I’m currently using: Samsonite soft side luggage with 4 wheels. The exact model I use is not available anymore, but I really love the quality of the suitcase. We recently bought the exact same one again.
Tips For Packing Smarter
Back in the day, packing cubes weren’t that popular! I used to travel with a big compressing pouch where I’d fit all my clothes in.
Nowadays, I do not even compress it anymore, but I use it to make sure my clothes don’t get mixed with the rest of my travel gear.
One great way to save space in your backpack or suitcase is to roll your clothes or use packing cubes.
What To Take In Your Backpack When Traveling
This section is divided by types of items. You’ll find essentials for the plane and essentials for the trip.
Travel Essential Items For The Plane
Being on a plane can be boring, painful, and long! I personally hate long flights (especially in low-cost airlines) because I can’t get comfortable.
These items make my life easy and make the journey a bit more fun!
- Travel Pillow: There are so many different and unique styles of travel pillows nowadays! I used Trtl Travel Pillow for quite a while, but there are many other options such as this extra supporting travel pillow, this twist memory foam travel pillow or the old fashion travel pillow that everybody knows!
- Ear Plugs: Earplugs are quite important for long flights or even for your traveling lifestyle. Nobody likes snorers in a dorm!
- Eye Mask for Sleeping: I love the eye mask for long flights as well as dorm life. I can’t sleep with light so it’s always useful to have one!
- Headphones: I always travel with two pairs of headphones because I have the weird habits to lose them or break them. Most airlines provide headphones for longer flights, but they aren’t always great quality.
- Kindle (or anything else to entertain yourself on the plane!): If you like reading e-books, you might as well travel with a kindle e-reader!
Kindly note that some airlines do provide these kinds of accessories, but it’s not always the case.
Travel Clothing Essentials
When it comes to picking the right travel clothing, I’m a sucker for comfortable clothes.
Here are some things you should pack:
- Poncho: If you’re heading to destinations where it can rain often, you should bring a poncho with you.
- Swimsuit: If you’re heading to a sunny destination, make sure to bring your swimsuit!
- Travel Clothing: Go for a little shopping session on Amazon!
- Travel Shoes: Make sure your shoes or flip-flops will bring you to your next destination!
Travel Beauty & Personal Care Essentials
Here are a few essentials for beauty and personal care! Of course, you can always find pharmacies abroad, so you can always get anything else you could need out there!
- Sunscreen: Keep your skin safe wherever you go!
- Mosquito Repellent: I HATE mosquitoes, so this is one of my favorite things to pack!
- Aloe Vera (After-Sun): If you forgot to protect your skin, this is a great plan B!
- Travel makeup & makeup bag: Ladies, get what you need! I’m only traveling with a black pen and mascara!
- Wet wipes: Always useful, especially if you’re going on a camping trip.
- Diva Cup & period panties: These items are a lot smaller and eco-friendly than traveling with pads or tampons.
Adventure Travel Essentials
Now, this section is probably the most important part! What do you need to make the most of your adventures overseas?
- Travel Sunglasses: bring sunglasses to protect your eyes.
- Dry Bag: Keep your valuables safe when you go around the water (or simply drive your scooter).
- First Aid Kit: This can always be super helpful! You won’t have to find the nearest pharmacy.
- Head Torch: I always carry a head torch with me because I never know when I’ll go on a camping trip!
- Bottle of Water: Stay eco-friendly abroad – many hostels offer free water refills.
- Fanny Pack: Stay safe on the road and keep your valuables to yourself!
- Day Backpack: I always travel with a smaller backpack for day trips.
- Quick Dry Towel: I like quick-dry towels, especially when I’m on the road long-term, as I don’t always have the time to let my towel dry, and also, it’s super compact!
- Waterproof Case: If you’re planning on going on a snorkel trip or near the water, having a waterproof case for your phone is pretty smart!
- Camping Gear: For those who are planning a camping trip on the way, you might want to travel with your own tent, mattress, or sleeping bag.
- Padlock: Keep your valuables safe and use that cute locker in the dorm.
Electronics Travel Essentials
This section comes in second to me! All my electronics are pretty essential when I’m abroad. Being a digital nomad and a travel blogger, I need to make sure I keep my valuables safe but also working!
- Portable Charger: If your phone battery isn’t always your best mate, make sure you have an extra battery or a portable charger.
- Universal Charger: Having a universal charger is super useful if you’re going to move around during your adventures abroad.
- Travel Laptop (or tablet): As I need my laptop to work, I might as well have a lighter one. Well, that’d be great, right? Right now, my laptop is the heaviest thing in my backpack, so do not make the same mistake!
- GoPro & Accessories: My favorite camera gear for my travels is my GoPro. It’s easy to understand why it’s the smallest camera out there so it doesn’t take any of the precious space in my backpack. I currently have the GoPro 7. GoPro has small accessories to help you level up your photography skills. Currently, I use three of those accessories. The tripod selfie-stick, the waterproof one, and I just started using Spivo, a selfie stick that includes a spinning mount. In the past, I also used to travel with the head mount and the chest one. As the space in my backpack was getting limited, I had to make some decisions and decided to get rid of some of them. You can read about the best GoPro sticks here.
- DSLR Camera: If you’d rather make more room for a decent camera, why not take a look at the DSLR cameras available on Amazon.
- Drone: Am I the only one who LOVES drone shots?
- Portable Wifi: Traveling with decent internet is not always possible. Skyroam makes your life easy when their portable devices.
- USB cable: I always manage to damage or lose my USB cables, so I always travel with a spare one.
- Mobile Phone: You probably already own a mobile phone, but make sure it is unlocked to insert a SIM card that comes from another country. That said, nowadays I use eSIMs when I travel. Learn more on esimroamers.com.
Travel Insurance
Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel. You can read more about long-term travel insurance here. You can get free quote by visiting the following website:
Final Thoughts On Essential Travel Items For Backpackers
As you can see, it’s pretty easy to pack as long as you remember you can always buy things you’ll need abroad too.
There are obviously some exceptions – for example, if you are picky with your tampons, you may want to get enough for the length of your trip.
That said, if you’re not too picky, you’ll find alternatives abroad too.
