Backpacking packing list
Travel backpack, padlock, travel towel and a second bank card: the list for weeks or months with everything on your back, from hostel to hostel.
Backpacking
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Combine it with a second list
A trip is often more than one list. Add a second one: matching sections are folded together and nothing appears twice.
A backpack you can actually carry
When backpacking you carry everything yourself, often up stairs, through bus stations and along dusty roads. So the weight shapes the whole trip. Lay out everything on the list in one pile first, then take a third of it out again. Whatever you have not touched in the first two weeks, send home or leave at a hostel for someone else.
Packing cubes or dry bags keep the backpack in order: one for clothes, one for laundry, one for electronics. Heavy things go close to your back, the rain cover within easy reach at the top. With the day pack on your front and the travel backpack behind, both hands stay free.
Hostels, dorms and laundry
In a dorm, earplugs and a sleep mask help more than anything else, because someone always comes in late or gets up early. A padlock secures your locker, and a head torch finds the way at night without waking everyone. A sleeping bag liner is useful when the bedding does not seem clean enough or there is none.
Laundry is easiest to do yourself on the road: a little travel laundry wash, a washing line and a travel towel that dries quickly. A shampoo bar saves weight and cannot leak in your backpack.
Money, papers and health
Spread money and cards across several places: one card in your wallet, the second in a money belt, some cash in reserve in your backpack. If one card stops working, you are not left without money. Save copies of your passport, visa and insurance digitally and carry them on paper too. Some countries ask for passport photos for a visa on arrival.
Which vaccinations, visas and entry papers your route needs differs from country to country and changes over time. Get travel health advice a few weeks before you leave, and check your government’s travel advice for every country along the way.
What people often forget when backpacking
Often missing are small things that save a lot of trouble: duct tape for a torn backpack, cable ties, an adapter for the next country’s sockets, rehydration salts for your stomach after the first street food. A filter water bottle is easy to forget too, yet it saves a lot of plastic bottles on the road.
If the trip takes you far away, combine backpacking with the long-haul trip template, and for days in the mountains with the hiking holiday. Matching sections are folded together and nothing appears twice.
Frequently asked questions
What size backpack do I need for backpacking?
There is no one size for everyone. Many people manage with a medium-sized travel backpack that holds clothes for about a week, since you wash along the way anyway. More important than the volume is the fit: the hip belt and back length should suit you, so the weight rests on your hips. Try it on in the shop with some weight inside before you buy.
How many clothes do I need for backpacking?
Hardly more than for a week, even if the trip lasts months. Choose clothes that dry quickly and go together, and wash regularly along the way, in a sink or at a laundry. Zip-off trousers replace both shorts and long trousers, while a fleece and a rain jacket cover cool evenings and showers. Whatever is missing, you can usually buy locally.
What should go in my hand luggage when backpacking?
Everything you cannot afford to lose or need straight away: passport, cards, cash, phone, charger, medication and copies of your key documents. Your big backpack is usually checked in when you fly, while the day pack stays with you. Pocket knives, liquids and power banks follow their own rules. Check with your airline before you fly what goes where.
Do I need a padlock in a hostel?
Many hostels have lockers in the dorms, but you often bring the lock yourself or buy one at reception. A small padlock keeps your passport, cards and money safe while you sleep or are out. A combination lock is handy because there is no key to lose. On your backpack, it also keeps curious hands away on bus and train journeys.
How it works
“Start with this list” opens the template – once you have signed in with your email address.
Add more templates, such as “Before leaving” for the water, the heating and the plants. Nothing appears twice.
Create the list, tick it off, archive it after the trip – and pack it again next time.
Good to know
- Can I change the list?
- Yes. Your list is yours: add, rename, move and delete items. The template stays as it is.
- Does it cost anything?
- No. No subscription, no ads. All you need is an email address, no password.