How to Start Backpacking

Five Quick Tips from a New Aussie Traveller To Get You Off on the Right Foot

Traveling can be both exhilarating and exhausting. While it’s a great way to gain new experiences, meet people, and see some of the wildest shit you’ve ever seen in your life, it also involves a lot of hard work, especially when it comes to getting from one place to another, you know, the travel part.

However, with the right approach and a little bit of know-how, you can make the most of your travels and have a fantastic time.

Recently, I took a two-week trip to Thailand, visiting Bangkok and Chiang Mai. I packed only the essentials in a carry-on backpack and learned a lot along the way. Here are three tips that I hope will help you in your own travels.

1. Pack light — it’s easier than you think

You’ve probably heard this advice many times before, but trust me, packing light is worth it. By bringing only what you need, you’ll make your life a lot easier. Here are some of the benefits of traveling light:

• It’s easier on your back when you’re on the move.
• You’ll have fewer things to keep track of.
• Getting through airports will be a breeze.
• You can hand-wash your clothes in a sink, which is a great way to save money.

So, what should you pack for a two-week trip? For my trip to Thailand, in the summer, just before the farmers started their rounds of burning old crops for the next season, I packed a wardrobe of simple, mix-and-match clothes that were easy to care for. When packing, make sure to consider the weather on your next destination to better plan your wardrobe. Here’s what I brought:

• 2 pairs of black Uniqlo ezy-ankle pants
• 1 pair of black shorts
• 3 t-shirts
• 1 button-up shirt
• 4 pairs of socks
• 5 sets of underwear
• One set of Uniqlo Heat Tech thermals for the cold places or long travels
• Sunglasses
• 1 pair of board shorts (just in case)
• 1 pair of good sneakers (for city exploration)

What I should have brought:

• A hat and a light jacket/windbreaker for cooler days and nights.
• A laptop (if I was traveling for a longer period or alone).
• A wool jumper and a heavier jacket (if I was traveling in cooler weather).

On a side note, try to be an environmentally conscious traveller. Make sure to use gear you already have on hand or buy second hand rather than brand new. It’s also a great Idea to check out your local adventure/camping stores like Patagonia, Anaconda or BCF to gauge how expensive new gear would be, before shopping around for bargains on the second-hand market.

2. Choose the right bags for you

Everyone has different needs so do some research on travel bags before blindly buying the first one you see. You’ll quickly notice a theme here with my system, I’m a slut for peak design gear. Adequate bags will not only make it easier to pack and organise your belongings, but help you keep your valuables safe. Consider bags with hidden pockets, secure and hard to reach zippers, accommodations for locking with TSA approved wire padlocks and dedicated sleeves for your laptop or tablet that are hard to access.

Primary luggage

1. Peak Design 45L Travel Backpack: This backpack is a beast! While it’s on the pricier side, I love its minimal “everyday backpack” design in black. It’s spacious enough to fit everything I needed, and it comes in a nice sage colorway which my partner picked up for herself. As an alternative, I’ve heard the Osprey Farpoint 40 is also a great buy?
2. Peak Design 6L sling: Great for quick access to your essentials while going through airport security, or as a day bag for your valuables (including enough space for a camera).
3. Optionally, look for an everyday backpack that can be folded up and stored in your travel bag, if you prefer more carrying capacity while out and about, something like this would be a great option.

Secondary packing accessories

1. Peak Design Wash Pouch (small): I don’t personally need a lot of products apart from the essential toiletries so this small but mighty bag does me well with enough space for some jewellery as well. There is also a larger option if you need it. I’ve also been tempted to pick up a waterproof soap bag like this guy to avoid carrying around gross snap lock bags
2. Packing cubes! There are a million guides out there for setting up a packing system with these bad boys but whatever you utilise, you’ll be grateful for using cubes. I personally used one small cube for underwear, socks, and thermals, one large cube for pants, and another large cube with a separator for tops and dirty clothes. Not only do they help you save space in your bag, but they also make it easy to separate clean and dirty clothes. I got my cubes from Muji, but Amazon also sells this basics set which are pretty reasonably priced.

Plan Your Trip, but Keep it Flexible

This seems obvious but hear me out. Most people will appreciate the planning and effort that goes into a water tight itinerary, though I personally think planning is most useful when you keep it somewhat loose.

Always knowing where you’ll be sleeping next is a wonderful feeling compared to sitting on the street frantically researching available accommodation. Though it can be disheartening to feel you need to stick to your plan when spontaneous activities or day trip opportunities arise that you didn’t account for.

If you’ve never been on an extended trip before don’t worry, it can be hard to gauge what level of planning is best for you until you’ve experienced it all at least once or twice.

Unless you’re buying a one way ticket, plan and book the following ahead of time:

1. Flights: use Trip.com or their app to find, book, and visualize your flights in a digestible timeline format.
2. Accommodation — take advantage of any bargain you can get for yourself, I used Airbnb in a pinch. My partner used the Chinese version of Trip.com’s app which seemed to help us get even cheaper prices on hotels. Alternatively, check out hostelworld.com.
3. Must-see activities: Book these ahead of time if possible, or figure out how to book them on location.
4. A list of things to do and see: Use TikTok and Instagram to research locations, and consider using Google’s “My Maps” feature to plot your destinations. You can also use an Excel spreadsheet or Notion page to organize your list by category, vibe, location, etc. I’ve put together a free template (linked below) to help get you started!

Travel Destinations Table

Final quick fire tips

Travel Insurance

A must-have for any journey, no matter how long or short it may be. It provides you with a sense of security and protection from those unforeseeable events like cancelled trips, medical emergencies, or lost luggage. Make sure to check with your current health insurance provider what options they have available, quite often discounts are handed out to existing customers.

Budgeting and money management

To ensure that you don’t overspend or run out of cash, it’s important to budget and manage your money wisely. Exchange currency in advance so that you have the local currency when you arrive at your destination. You can also exchange your own currency when you arrive but may not receive the same exchange rates everywhere. Be aware of foreign transaction fees and exchange rates when paying via credit or with a debit card. Lastly, make sure to carry enough cash, especially for small purchases and in case of emergency, while you can utilise local ATMs to withdraw cash, do so sparingly as additional charges will add up quickly with multiple uses.

Hope these helped and thanks for reading! Drop a follow if you found this useful. My name is Rhys, I write about travel, design, life and whatever else interests me at this current moment on this tiny little rock hurtling through an infinite space. Cya!