Tips for packing your backpack- what to bring.

I had been told by many people to bring as little as possible and really only bring the essentials as you will be carrying it around and unpacking and repacking every few days. I knew I would struggle with this as I like to have options for every situation and am not a minimalist. At one stage I owned over 30 pairs of jeans so that will give you an idea…

Within the first week I met a friend who is a seasoned backpacker and had a 55L backpack for her 10 weeks around central America. She advised me to get ruthless and start binning/donating clothes. I packed a 85L backpack to the brim and a day pack which is 35L, also stuffed. At 5’6, a 18 kg backpack is not easily lugged around the world. I would suggest no more then 65L for a female and 75L for a male. No idea why backpacks are measured in litres.

Tips for packing

• Lay out the things you need to bring and pack your back pack. Unpack it, remove half of the clothes, repack and repeat this once more.
• Invest in a decent backpack. The Osprey backpacks are the dream backpacks. They open from the middle and they have a lifetime guarantee. I might treat myself in Panama and buy a 55L Osprey and send half my clothes home in a box. The Osprey backpacks also come in male and female versions and small, medium and large despite the literage. Just waiting on my Osprey sponsorship or my free bag now…
• Bring only what you need and don’t bring anything you would mind losing. Like that necklace your grandmother gave to you for your 21st. if it’s not relaceable, dont bring it.

Things to pack:

This is mainly a generic packing list but suited to girls as yo soy una mujers.This list will be for cold and warm weather.

• Money, passport, phone, rechargeable battery pack and at least two cards in case you lose one, the ATM eats it or one card doesn’t work. I found the ATMs can be temperamental over here and haven’t worked for a lot of people I’ve met. Travel cards like Monzo and Revolut are brilliant. I should be on commission for Revolut but basically, you can transfer money instantly to people with it, split bills, take out up to 200 euro without a charge, suspend the card if you think you’ve lost it and carry several different currencies on the card. Get out dollars before you leave. Nearly every country will accept it if you’re stuck and cash is king.
• one pair of jeans (not three like I stupidly did)
• two pairs of shorts
• one pair of work out/ gym shorts
• 5 t-shirt/ vest tops
• two long sleeved or thermal tops
• a maxi dress and a sun dress
• a sarong that also doubles up as a towel for the beach
• runners/hiking boots, sandals and flipflops
• two sports bras and two normal bras
• 10 underwear and socks, one of thing to be hiking socks
• two nicer/ going out tops or t-shirts
• a microfibre towel
• metal/bamboo straws to save to turtles
• a chilly bottle/ aluminium water bottle to keep water cold. I saw a girl had a bottle with a built in straw filter to it which means she could fill it up with river water and drink from it. That is a very good idea.
• 2 bikinis/ bathing suits
• bamboo cutlery
• mosquito net
• sleeping bag liner, bed bugs can’t bite through silk
• a head torch
• sunglasses and a cap. Bring two pair of glasses, you’ll inevitably sit on a pair or lose them.
• a hat, buff/ neck piece and gloves for cold weather and the buff for dusty hikes
• electronics- camera, GoPro, adaptor, chargers, laptop or tablet. I found having a mini iPad very handy for booking things, writing, researching and watching Netflix on long buses
• noise cancelling headphones, key for chicken buses
• Vaccination booklet and a copy of it. Some countries wont let you in without proof of yellow fever vaccine.
• Certified copy of your passport, a few
• Copy of your travel insurance, again, bring more than one
• a duck down gilet that rolls up into a bag. Patagonia if you’re premium or penny’s for a tenner if you’re like me.
• A long sleeved duck down jacket that rolls into a tiny bag
• A microfleece
• A poncho or light rain jacket that rolls up
• A tote bag for laundry, beach and shopping
• Drugs- paracetamol, neurofen, cold and flu tablets, immodium, malaria tablets, seasickness and altitude sickness tablets, throat lozenges, anti histamines, dioralyte, motilium, eye drops and any other tablets you think you may need.
• Mini first aid kit
• Toiletries- shampoo, conditioner, soap. If you can get bars of each of these they last so much longer and aren’t made of plastic so better for the environment too. Face cleaner, moisturiser, vaseline, sudocream, suncream and a cleaning mitt. Don’t use face wipes, carrying 9 months of face wipes around doesn’t make sense. Tampons, nearly impossible to find in Central America. Or buy a mooncup/ menstrual cup (sorry lads). Also environment, space and cost yano.
• Hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes for hikes.
• Dry bag for electronics
• waterproof cover for your backpack
• A day pack for day hikes or overnight trips and to carry valuables in on buses.
• Leggings for hiking/ keep warm on buses
• PJs
• An inflatable pillow
• A condensed version of your make up bag (if youre anything like me and had a drawer of the stuff at home).
• Combination padlock x2. I never trust myself not to lose the key.
• A bum bag or money belt
• A cross body bag or decent sized bum bag to take out at night.
• A spare unlocked phone. Anyone else lose phones like they’re going out of fashion or just me!?
• Mosquito replenent, 97% DEET and bite cream for after.
• Ear plugs and eye mask for sleeping in dorms and buses.

I have met so many people along the way saying they brought too much stuff out, they send boxes of stuff home or donated clothes. You can do laundry every few days and you never need as much as you think. I’m very jealous every time I see people throwing their 60L backpacks on their backs like its nothing while I look like I’m in a strong man competition carrying a car on my back. You can buy pretty much everything along the way if you need.