Backpacking can be hard sometimes but trust us, it is totally worth it. Once you convince yourself for a lighter as well as smarter travel backpacking, your trip will become much easier. Backpacking is like an adventure which is a mixture of creativity as well as arrangement. It will immensely help you to extend your horizons beyond the campground for enjoying a beautiful and immersive travel experience.
Once you are done with your travel backpacking, you will feel like a free bird who is free to go anywhere with no burden in the head and explore with the fullest potential.
If you are a beginner who is packing all the travel essential for the very first time and doesn’t have any experience related to backpacking then one thing you have to keep in your mind that you need to feel comfortable during your trip. Not only this but you also have to be more mobile.
Many people will give you multiple advice related to backpacking but think twice before carrying the travel essentials that whether the particular thing will be required during your trip. Not all the people are born to be travel savvy, you will gain experience with multiple on road trips. Yes, of course, you will make some mistakes in the beginning but there is nothing to worry as experience says it all.
You will make a couple of mistake from foolish behaviours, missed buses, uncountable tiny errors and cultural unawareness. But one day, you will travel seamlessly without making any such mistakes no matter wherever you are travelling.
So in this article, we are going to help you up which is going to speed up your learning process without even making any sort of mistakes. This is because here we have listed 21 important backpacking tips for travellers.
This list will cover each and everything from the starting from the journey until you reach home with your full potential. So without any further ado let’s get started.
Important travel backpacking Tips for Travellers
The following tips will help you to save extra bucks, sleep better and great travel experience. Here are the 21 tips that you need to follow.
1. Make sure to pack a towel
Taking a towel is the most important and much-needed travel essential during a trip. This is because you are unfamiliar with the weather of that particular place and you never know when you are going to need it.
Whether it is a hilly region or a beach or a dry place, you have to keep a towel with you. Many guest houses, hotels and lodges provide towels but for safety, you have to carry it.
Moreover, it doesn’t add much weight to your suitcase. We will recommend you to carry a microfiber towel as they dry very quickly and are extremely lightweight.
2. Choose the right bag or suitcase
For an easy trip, we will always recommend you to go for a small backpack around 35-40 kg. This will help you to pack light and avoid carrying unnecessary stuff. We people have a tendency to fill the empty space.
So, if you pack light and have extra space in the bag, then you will end up filling that space too and after heading over to the destination, you will be regretting.
Also Read: Travel Accessories For Men / Travel Accessories For Woman
3. Always pack light
Well, this point is generally ignored by many backpackers. As mentioned above they think to fill up the room and end up carrying useless things in the bag which are not even necessary during the trip.
That extra item is not even heavy but when you mix up all the light items altogether, it will add extra weight. One of the best options in terms of examples we would like to give that prefer reading kindle edition of the book instead of the hard copy while you are travelling.
While packing ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” If you answer is no, then don’t take that particular stuff. Quick check your bag before heading over to the journey.
4. Carry all the First Aid Kit and medicines with you
Travelling can be fun but if you are suffering from any health ailment and you forget to take the medicine then your entire journey can be disastrous. That’s why it is very important to take all the first aid kit and medicines.
There are also sometimes that some of us have a tendency to vomit while we are travelling in a mountainous region, thus take all the basic medications such as fever, cough, vomiting, etc.
Also make sure you have packed all the equipment like antiseptic cream, bandages, wound closure strips, etc in your first aid kit.
5. Lightweight Clothing work best
There is no need to carry lots of special clothes for each day of your trip. Simply go for the colourful, yet simple lightweight clothes which are made of quick-drying fabrics such as polyester and nylon.
If you are going for an adventurous trip then avoid cotton clothes as they take too long to dry. This can lead to hypothermia. For a better travel experience go for comfortable pants and tees.
If you are going for all the lightweight clothes, the weight of your bag will be way lighter. Also if you go for dark coloured clothes, it will not show any sort of stains and you can easily pair up with your shoes.
6. Feel free to use a map
When you are in a new city, all your data will be stored online in the e-map. There is nothing to be afraid of even if you are not connected to the internet or Wifi.
This is because the app will display all the roads and directions. You can easily reach the destination with any sort of hassles.
It can also be a kind of adventure as you are experiencing a life-changing activity. Earlier people used to face lots of difficulties while searching for directions but now you can experience this peacefully through Google Maps.
7. Take your bank credit card with you
Go cashless now!. Yes, you heard it right. It’s always safer to go cashless instead of carrying cash as you never know when you will get robbed.
We don’t want you to stuck in an unknown place without access to your funds. Carry a credit or debit card with you and withdraw the money from the nearest ATM whenever you need. This can make your journey safer.
8. Prefer to visit the local tourism office
Whenever you decide to go for a trip, we would highly advice don’t book the ticket for the city tour in advance. Always make sure to visit the local tourism office.
This is because they know everything about the city such as what’s going on. Not only this but they can also guide you to enjoy to the fullest.
Sometimes they also provide special offers and discounts on particular transportation as well as attractions. Having said that most of the travellers often ignore this tip as they prefer going for expensive city tour package online.
But you will be getting the same service here and that too at an affordable cost.
9. Be Confident while travelling
Not all the places are safe for travellers. You never know when you will be the victim of pickpocketing. As for the thieves, tourists are the easiest targets, they can easily spot the travellers by seeing their expressions.
That’s why you need to be very confident and have to fit with the local people. For instance, always prefer using e-maps instead of a paper map. Don’t carry a giant bag with you rather use the small one and prefer hiding it.
Don’t ask for directions from the unknown people as you don’t know their intention. Be confident enough and enjoy your trip while you are in a new city or a country.
10. Hotels with free breakfast are the best options
The services of the hotels vary from place to place. But there are actually some hotels which offer delicious free breakfasts.
So to all the new backpackers who are travelling for the very first time, we would advise you to book the hotel rooms that offer free breakfast. Some hotels even provide free heavy breakfast which is enough till lunch.
Free hotel breakfasts may include bread and egg toast, muesli and milk or a plate of pancakes, eggs as well as a cup of coffee.
So basically you only have to pay for the two other meals a day. This backpacker tip for traveller will help you to save extra bucks.
Also Read: Important Travel Accessories for Travelers
11. Plan your backpacking food accordingly
It is always the best option to pack dried snacks when it comes to backpacking food. These foods are lightest and at the same time the easiest option. You can save a lot of money by avoiding going to the grocery shops.
Having said that make sure to avoid canned food which is too heavy as they have excessive calorie counts. Prefer taking all in one meal like packaged noodles which can satisfy your cravings.
For snacks, you can carry dry fruits and nuts which are rich in protein and calcium that you need during your trip for getting energy.
12. Carry plastic bags with you
You never know the weather of the destination and if you find rain there, the worst part that you will be experiencing is unable to dry the wet towel and underwear.
Now, where will you store those wet clothes? There should be a separate place to store those wet clothes and this is why carrying some plastic bags are much needed during your trip.
These bags will cover almost zero space and you can easily fit those wet clothes in your bag pack. Isn’t it so handy and helpful?
13. Entertainment makes journey wonderful
Whether you are travelling by flight or you are on a road trip, after some point of your journey towards the destination, you are going to get bored.
Even the shortest trip can make you feel low as you don’t have any activity to do which can occupy your mind. So how can you make your journey interesting? If you are a movie buff, then you can carry a tablet or a laptop with you which is already loaded with your favourite movies.
If you are a bookworm, you can carry your favourite book or purchase a new one. You can also download some mobile games in advance and play when you are on your trip.
So all these things can instantly make your journey interesting and you can reach your destination in no time.
14. A water bottle is a must during travel
No matter wherever you are travelling a bottle full of water is extremely essential. This is so far the most important tip that you should never ignore. Yes, you can purchase packed drinking water from a nearby store but if you carry a reusable water bottle with you then you can save a lot of money.
When it comes to budget, it is completely a waste of money to buy one litre packed drinking water. Not only this but the plastic is extremely bad for our mother nature.
Being a backpacker you can take a step forward by carrying a reusable water bottle with you and don’t worry about the refill as there so many refill centres available in the tourist spots where you can fill your water bottle.
15. Travel in a group
This point may hurt some solo travellers but to be very honest there are some places in the world which are way too expensive when it comes to travelling alone.
For instance, solo travelling in countries like Europe, America or Australia is cost consuming which most of us cannot afford. So if you want to go for a budget trip to these countries then travelling in a group is always the best option.
This would help you to split the bills of hotels, restaurants, car rentals and lots more. Not only this group travelling is the safest option when you are planning a trip abroad because you are unfamiliar with the condition of the city that you are going.
16. Have street food
Now many foodies will agree to this. Isn’t it so? Tasting new delicacies is a part of tourism and being a travel lover you must try out the local delicacies.
And you can get the tastiest foods from the street side vendors.
The biggest benefit of the local food trucks or stalls is their cost is cheapest and at the same time, they are finger-licking that you will feel like hopping in. But that doesn’t mean that you will try almost all the street side food, you have to make sure whether the place is hygienic enough as you don’t want to get sick.
17. Pack a right camera gear
Cameras often consume lots of space in your bag and most of the travellers think that mobiles are the handy options when it comes to taking photographs but this concept is totally wrong. This is because after a few years you will regret by seeing the photographs which you have captured in mobiles because in terms of picture quality DLSR always wins. You can also go for an action camera if you want to shoot vlog videos but that depends on your choice.
18. Keep a dry pair of socks in your bag
Always carry a minimum of two pairs of socks with you so that when one of your socks is wet you can wear the dry one. A wet pair of socks in your feet will ruin your entire day.
And make sure to keep the dry pair of socks close to your hand so that you can wear it anytime you want.
This is because you obviously don’t want to waste your precious time in unpacking and then repacking your backpack. So always keep a dry pair in a front pocket of your bag. By this way, you can save a lot of your time and make your journey easier.
19. Travelling offseason is the best
If you are planning for a foreign trip then go during the offseason. The biggest advantage of this travel backpacking tip is that the ticket prices become reasonable.
Not only this but you can also enjoy visiting the tourist spots as there will be no gatherings during the low seasons.
Starting from the hotel prices to local tour prices, everything is charged at a minimal rate.
20. Make sure your backpack has a rain cover and bring a rain jacket
You must bring a backpack with a rain cover as it serves several purposes. Also, carry a rain jacket with you as you don’t know the weather of the destination that you are travelling.
The rain cover of your backpack will protect your bag from getting torn and wet.
If you wear a rain jacket with you then you don’t have to put extra effort into carrying an umbrella as the rain jacket itself will serve the same purpose.
So there you have it! Our 20 simple backpacking tips for travellers.
Follow all the above-mentioned travel backpacking tips and you will become the best travel expert in no time.
All these tips are extremely simple and you don’t need to do any ninja technique for following these. Just a little awareness and smartness and you are all set for your trip.