So, as promised, this time I’ll be sharing my tips for packing. As my travelling style is generally more on-a-shoestring-style, I don’t use or even own a suitcase. I want to be able to walk with my things on me and jump to a bus or a train without the hassle of carrying a huge roadblock with me. So, this also means, that my items in the backpack are mostly meant for everyday-use, not for super-fancy 5 star restaurants and so on. If you’re plan is to go with a lot of money and splurge, then this might not be the list for you.
So, starting with the backpack: I own a McKinley Grand Canyon 40w (made for women/children), which has the capacity of 40+10l and adjustable back piece. This has been the perfect size for me, since it can expand really much but it’s really nice and compact when I don’t need that much space. The general rule is, that really use some money for a comfortable backpack which doesn’t break down at the first possible situation. My own as a rip-stop fabric, and it keeps water pretty well out. Some backpacks have their own rain covers (mine unfortunately doesn’t so I had to buy one) which is super-handy when you check-in your bag to the plain (keeps it from getting dirty, protects a bit from rips and other damage, AND you can get the straps and stuff inside it so, that the bag doesn’t get stuck in some machine gaps etc.) If you don’t have the rain cover, some people use big plastic bags for this, and if you don’t have that either, just tie all the straps as well as you can that they don’t hang loose.
This is a bigger one (75l) but also with adjustable back.
The second bag that you need (and I promise, you need one for the day trips and so on) is good to be a shoulderbag (f.ex. a laptop-type bag, but wider if you have a bigger camera etc.) Here you can keep your maps, water, snack and other stuff that you will need to keep close to your hands. Most important thing with this bag is that it has a zipper, and preferably a cover that goes over the bag (look at the picture).
A couple of things to remember when choosing your bag: It has to have a nice, wide strap which will not be easy for culprits to cut and steal, it has pockets for you to organize your stuff, it can hold some rain and the bottom of the bag is also so strong, that it can’t be sliced through easy. Some people travel with backpack and rucksack, but I don’t feel this very useful as you would need to keep the rucksack in front of you when going with all of your things, thus limiting your movement and use of your hands, and when travelling with only the rucksack (day trips etc) normally you keep it at your back, exposing it to anyone behind you.
One good idea to take with you is a money belt, which you can hide under your clothes. There you can keep your passport, money and other important documents. I myself don’t generally carry this when I’m travelling short trips but if you’re planning for example to go around India for a month, you’ll most surely will want one of these. Just don’t put too much stuff there: for example, keep your flight tickets and such in your shoulder bag AND have a copy of all the important documents (including your passport and insurance papers) in your e-mail or somewhere else in the internet what you can access easily in case of need.
Next time I’ll be talking about the contents of these bags. If you have any other ideas or comments, please do tell me. It’s better to share the knowledge so all of us can have happy and safe travels. 🙂
-Pia
piuge 