The Necessities and the Unnecessary

Packing your backpack for your trip can be one of the more difficult parts of preparing for your travels. One of the main reasons being that while you need to make sure that you take everything with you that’s necessary, you also can’t afford to drag along the things that aren’t essential, and that will only weigh you down along the way. That’s why, in this blog entry, I’ll be giving information on what’s essential to bring, what not to bring, and what should be in the medical kit that you should always carry with you.

To start off, we’ll go with what you need to carry in your pack:

• Clothing: for this you should try to bring with you the bare minimum, and make sure that you don’t bring any expensive or special outfits. For what you should bring, it’s advisable that you carry: 
    -Only 3 shirts, with at least one being a long sleeved.
    -2 pair of pants, at least one of them jeans.
    -While it is advised against bringing shorts with you because it makes you look like a tourist,it is a good idea to bring a pair of swimwear for those few chances.
     -Bring at least one sweater made out of fleece, and about 5 pairs of socks and underwear.
     -Lastly make sure to bring a pair of sturdy sandals and trainers. Only bring hiking boots if necessary because of weight and space.
•  Other essentials include:
     -A good sleeping bag.
     -A waterproof jacket, and head coverings.
     -Always have a couple of water bottles with you.
     -Always carry a swizz army knife and a first aid kit with you at all times.
     -Finally: bring 2 towels, a washing line, mosquito repellent, and a plastic bowl with a knife, spoon, and fork.

Secondly, there are plenty of items you shouldn’t bring because of theft or lost luggage. These include: valuables, such as a laptop, hair dryers or any other electric hair appliances, guide books because they take up too much room, and finally, don’t bring anything that you don’t normally use at home.

Third are the essentials that you should always carry in your first aid kit. Remember that you never know what could happen, so always be prepared for the worst case scenario. These items include:

• Any medication for pain, bites, burns, stings, allergies, rashes, and inflammation.
• Two kinds of scissors, one normal and one curved.
• Band aids, bandages, and gauze.
• Snake bite kit.
• Sun Screen.
• Adhesive and duct tape.
• Cold packs.

Finally, no matter where you are and what you’re doing, make sure that you always carry a cell phone with you that’s fully charged at all times.

Well that’s all for this time so one last comment before I say goodbye for now is that while it may be tiring sometimes, I love packing for any kind of trip that I take, even if it’s only for a couple of days, because I always imagine that it’s me packing for when I go backpacking through Europe. Besides that, I always get excited about travelling somewhere that’s outside my normal everyday travel zone. It’s fun getting to see new things or to see how much things have changed since I was last there.       

Comments

[Michelle Mcconnell]

This is so exiting because its exactly like my post! haha, its like we share a mind! It's good to know im not the only only who plans to go backpacking across the world after college! This is great advice when it comes to your backpack, and essentially what i found everywhere, is pack light!