Okay THE hardest decision, for mostly us women. What to pack! After many, long term trips I feel like i’m in the best position to give you ideas, tips and advice, so that you’re living your best lives…out of a backpack haha! I’m going to give you advice on what to pack for backpacking trips where the weather is mainly dry and warm. Such as South East Asia, Central America, Europe in the summer etc.
Please note that South East Asia is mainly islamic, so you will need to dress appropriately whilst visiting sacred and religious places. I highly recommend taking at least one longer skirt/dress for days like these as well as a sarong for shoulder/ hair coverage. I have added these to the list below, but just wanted to give you some background as to why.
Speaking of, I’m going to start with backpacks. Now please do not over think and stress about what brand you have, or size because ultimately nothing bad is going to happen to you because of what bag you took travelling. But as you travel more often you will know exactly what works best for what type of trip you’re going on
For example going on a 3 month backpacking trip to south east Asia a 40 litre backpack would be perfect, however if you’re going on a 3 month hiking trip to Nepal, you would need a much larger bag as warmer thicker clothes would be needed plus space for big hiking boots and gear. You get the gist. What I’m about to recommend to you is from experiences I’ve had over the course of the past 5 years as a solo female backpacker who loves her clothes and fashion and is absolutely not a minimalist. Take from that what you will.
Backpacks
3-4 Months (weather mainly dry/warm)
I recommend a 40 litre backpack along with a daypack upto 30 liters is a good size.
4-6 Months (weather mainly dry/warm)
I recommend 50-55 litres, along with a daypack. At this size backpack you can get really good backpacks that zip together the main backpack and 30 litre daypack.
6+ Months (weather mainly dry/warm)
I recommend a minimum of 60 liters plus your daypack that you can wear on the front, and then your main backpack on your back.
TOP TIP!
This is a huge tip when it comes to buying your backpack, make sure it unzips all the way around and opens like a suitcase. Trust me. You don’t want to be putting your arm all the way down a small hole at the top of your bag trying to find something at the bottom.
I highly recommend the brand Osprey, yes you will have seen them everywhere when you start traveling and that comes with reason. Osprey are the kind of product you will invest in and it will last you for years. You can see above i used the Osprey 40L Fairview. They have seperate bags for male and female and this is because they design and build their backpacks specifically around the male and female body.
You will notice that for a women the bag has been designed to hold the weight around a woman’s hips, to not jeopardise the spine and back whilst carry a heavy load. Whereas the male body has a strong upper body composition, therefore can hold weight across the shoulders. Not to mention the quality on the padding in the straps, notice that they are wider, as to not cut into your shoulders when carrying your bag. Very good product!
Another good brand of backpack is Vango. I used their Global 60+20 for my 9 month trip across Central America and I was really pleased with the quality and endurance. It got thrown around chicken buses and is in very good nick. Vango is very high quality in their materials, less comfier than the Osprey backpacks, but a lot cheaper to buy. Overall a really good backpack.
There are many good brands out there, make sure you read the reviews before buying. And you want to make sure it’s the right size for your trip, it’s of good quality and won’t break, and it unzips all the way around like a suitcase. make a decision based on those things and you will have yourself a very good bag.
Inside the the bag
I’m going to base the below on a longterm backpacking trip, roughly 6 months plus. You can take inspiration from what I’ve put and just pack less of each if your trip is shorter. And swap things around dependent on your style.
For example if you don’t wear dresses that much, dramatically reduce my suggestion and add more of what you do like to wear. I love dresses so I take a lot. Some of the items that I personally use I have linked where I can, please be aware some links are affiliate links which means the company pay me a small commission, but please know I would never recommend anything I genuinely don’t like for a quick payday. Most of the things you need you probably already have and use at home, although I do like to treat myself to new clothes before a backpacking trip. And then I wear them all over and over for months straight until they get holes in them! So it’s safe to say I get my wear out of them.
Top tip!
One thing i SWEAR by…packing cubes! please please love your future backpacking self and get some packing cubes. To be brutally honest i have bought the cheapest ones possible and they have broke and ripped half way through my backpacking trip. So my advice would be get half decent ones. They are the biggest life saver, and so handy to keep your belongings organised when living on the road fulltime.
Toiletries / make up
I wouldn’t pack everything you normally would for a holiday, I would pack the basics, and then buy the rest out there, such as shampoo and conditioner. It’s usually cheaper, and lessens the weight in your backpack for the travel out. Although note that suncream is usually cheaper at home! I take quite expensive suncream, especially for my face, so I take this with me.
- Toothbrush & cover (nothing worse than hairs in your toothbrush!)
- Toothpaste
- Soap & holder (I forgot a soap holder and lets just say…it was messy)
- Tweezers
- Deodorant
- Face wash
- Tampons/pads (I usually take enough for 2 periods and then buy them out there and have enough put buy for one period)
- Razor
- Suncream
- Deet/ lavender essential oil works really well as a mosquito repellent
- Tiger balm ( buy this out there, its super cheap! And super helpful for bug bites
- I pack light in my makeup bag, usually because I get a nice tan on my face whilst traveling so less desire for foundation etc.
- Small eyeshadow palette, usually neutrals/browns etc
- Mascara waterproof
- Eyebrow tint
- Sharpeners
- Vaseline/ lip balm
- Bronzer
- Blush
- Lip liner
Shoes
- 1 x trainers
- 1 x slip on shoes, usually Birkenstocks, slides or crocs are perfect for traveling
Bottoms
- Skirt x 3 ( A mix between a wrap around, good for the beach, mini and midi skirt)
- Shorts x 3 ( 1 x denim, 1 x cotton, 1 x workout shorts)
- 1 x long pair, usually gym leggings for travel days where the air con is cold
Dresses
5 x dresses, a mixture of day dresses, maxi dress and going out dresses that you can dress down too
Tops
- 1 x shirt – one white beach shirt, light and breezy
- 1 x long sleeved for any chilly evenings
- 2 x Big baggy t-shirts
- 3 x Casual crop tops
- 2 x Sports bra
- 2 going out tops
- 1 x jumper/hoody
Swimwear
- 5 x bikinis
- 1 rashvest/longsleved swim suit
- 2 x swimsuit
Underwear
- 2 x comfy set
- 4 x bra
- 10 x knickers
- 6 x socks ( 3 x trainer socks, 3 x long socks)
Nightwear
1 x pyjamas/ shorts & t-shirt
Personally, I don’t take proper pyjamas with me backpacking. I usually wear shorts and a baggy T-shirt to bed, so I just accommodate in my list.
Accessories/ extras
- 1 x sarong (perfect for covering up whilst visiting temples and sacred places in Asia)
- 1 x bucket hat
- 1 x bumbag
- 1 x tote bag
- 2 x cheap sunglasses
- 1 x Claw clip
- 2 x scrunchies
- 1 x headband
- Travel journal
- Journal ( I have one for my mindset too, separate from travel)
- A couple of pens
- Filtered water bottle (I use LARQ)
- Crystals ( I never travel without mine, but not everyones cup of tea)
- Saint Christopher necklace ( a travel gift I never travel without either) I am
- Eyemask
- Earplugs
Electronics
- Headphones
- Phone
- Tripod (highly recommend for solo travelers)
- Global adapter
- Charging cables
- Laptop (please bear in mind I take this only for work, and don’t recommend if only traveling)
- Microphone, gimble, LED light (again I use for work only)
- Power bank
- Kindle
Important documents
- Passport
- Driving license, or one other form of identification
- International driving license (if you plan on driving)
- Travel insurance (no need to print a full thing out, just make sure you have it to hand, and you’ve sent copies to close relatives or friends)
- A copy of your passport and ID printed out
You can always leave out some things and treat yourself to shopping in a new country! There’s nothing better than getting submerged in a shopping experience in a new country where the clothes are different and vibrant.
I hope this has given you some inspiration on what to pack, and maybe jogged your memory and what you haven’t packed already. Now, GO LIVE YOUR BEST LIVES!
Disclaimer: some links on my website are affiliate links. This means that should you wish to make a purchase through one of my affiliate links, I could earn a commission at no extra cost to you what so ever.
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