What I really needed in my backpack

I was pulling my hair out wondering how much of this neat pile to take (or not to take).

In the end I took it all because:

a) It fit 

b) It only weighed 11kgs

c) I was tired of trying to decide between taking all 3 pairs of leggings or just 2...

So (in)decisive.

What I had in my bag that actually benefited me on our 6 month trip:

1 x trainers (Nike Free 5.0)

1 x back strapped sandals

1 x comfortable flat dressy shoes

5 x pairs of socks (1 x pop, 2 x ankle, 2 x calf high)

8 x underwear

2 x sports bras

3 x bras (debatable, see below)

3 x swimwear

3 x vest tops

5 x t-shirts

2 x long sleeved casual shirts

2 x blouses

2 x lightweight dresses

2 x shorts

3 x leggings

1 x jeans

3 x travel pants (I don't know what they're called, yoga pants? Indian trousers ha?) 

1 x cargo trousers

1 x travel towel

1 x make up kit

1 x first aid kit

1 x toiletries bag + toiletries

1 x fanny pack (is this really what it’s called?)

1 x day-to-day backpack

1 x travel journal

1 x universal adaptor

1 x car adaptor

1 x go pro + 2 accessorises

Chargers

2 x memory cards

1 x big foldable handbag

1 x waterproof poncho

+ some light jewellery (including my wedding / travel band) 

Does that look like a lot? Sometimes it didn't feel like a lot, but sometimes it did.

Here are some helpful things I noted down along the way:

Underwear - Take underwear you don’t mind getting rid of along the way – sometimes this is going to be quicker, cheaper and less tiring than having to wash them so regularly / have no boxer days (self explanatory really). Also, sports bras are the best - trust me. If I never see a normal bra again while in a moving vehicle / in the heat, I'd be happy. Except maybe for when I wear a strappy top and need discreet straps (twice in 6 months).

Passport holders - beautiful gift, but not practical at all so I gave it a miss. A travel wallet is so helpful; take pens for those visa / entry forms, and keep passports + boarding passes etc in there together so you don't have to look for it all separately in your bag.

Selfie stick - Not for me. A tripod was much better if and when I wanted to try take a photo with me in it.

Local Insect repellent - $13 very very well spent after a couple of months using bad inexpensive smelly ones and hating every itchy bite that wasn't prevented. I’ve also heard that the insect bite pen is amazing, but I didn’t have time for all that jazz. If you're going to Australia, sorry but nothing can help when it comes to Sandfly bites. That is pain I never want to feel again... 

 

Sun protection cream / spray - SPF 50+ all the way. We only really spent two days lounging in the sun yet I am more tanned than I've ever been in my life because of all of the actual living in the sun.

Packing bags - the budget version of packing cubes. Each bag contains a different type of clothing so I don't need to fold everything again just because I want to find my basic black t-shirt or my last pair of clean socks.

Learning how to wear a backpack - Check your bag has a hip strap and a chest strap to take the weight off the shoulders correctly.

Battery pack - preferably a solar panelled one if you're in hot climates and outdoors more than indoors.
Head bands - best things ever. Keeps my baby hairs out of my eyes in the cool breeze, as well as adding a bit of colour to a messy bun which stops my hair feeling heavy and hot on my neck in the heat.

Cheap sunglasses - I've broken two pairs and Min has broken one. Accidentally, of course. Thankfully they were only a couple of pounds each.
Free Wifi - airports, restaurants, hotels, homestays & hostels, big city main streets, national buildings etc will all mostly have free Wifi for customers / the public. So far, I've never struggled to get access to the internet from my phone whenever we've needed it for google maps / booking our next hostel stay. In Dubai, India and Australia we used local sims to help keep costs down as we were travelling in remote areas for long periods of time.
Mini scissors - so many handy uses.
Superglue - to fix those sunglasses ha. And to glue back my flip flops so they lasted just a little bit longer. JK, I bought this from a local shop.
Vitamin tablets - I tried to find some to boost my iron levels in Thailand and accidentally bought prenatal ones instead... Woops. (keep calm Mum, read the whole sentence).

Headphones / earphones - not only for music / Netflix guilty pleasures but also to block out the screeching bloody cockerels in Koh Phangan who show no mercy after the Full Moon party...

Body spray / deodorant - unlike most toiletries that are easy to stock up on everywhere, there are only really Nivea and Dove deodorants sold in Asia so if you rely on something else it's better to take a big bottle of it from home.

Big toothpaste - it's more economical to take one massive one than keep buying travel sized ones every few days.

Photos – I took 2 memory cards and also signed up to unlimited Dropbox, although I only really remembered to back up photos twice. It is a good idea though if you enjoy taking photos as memories and are worried about losing anything / running out of memory.

Phone – if you’re not going to rely only on Wifi or a data-package from your currently provider, your phone will need to be unlocked so your phone accepts a local SIM. This often invalidates your warranty though so check before-hand.

Money - We used Revolut for the majority of our trip, and WeSwap once (out of principle, because I had taken it with me); they don't have all the currencies that we have needed so in those locations we converted cash or used a credit card and paid the small fee, if any.

That's all I can think of for now! 

All packed and ready to go!

If could go back in time I would tell myself not to spend too long packing – I could buy anything I wanted out there if I wanted it badly enough 😏 

For anyone else wondering about what to pack, I hope this helps! 

Priya 

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