I love packing, specially when I need to zip up my backpack...did you know your backpack can be used as a chair?
[Please find the serious content below, boring but useful for some!]
I remember being a young girl going to music festivals and caring the equivalent of my weight on my backpack, I survived to that... but I promised to myself to never ever do it again!
Here is my attempt to become an almost minimalist traveler:
1) Choose your backpack
45L is the perfect size for my back, it can pass as "carry-on luggage"on airplanes, go next to me on the bus and it does allow me to walk reasonable distances without feeling extremely tired. Pick one waterproof, with a breathable back and with a zip around.
2) Organize your backpack in three/four compartments
- Electronics: I will need to get some work done during my trip so a tablet and smartphone options are not ideal to me. I bought a used surface pro 3, a perfect hybrid and not too heavy. I will bring as well headphones, a camera, my phone, all the chargers and a power plug adaptor.
- Books: I will carry only one lonely planet guide with me and a book, all the other books are eBooks.
- Clothes: I bought travel packs and compression bags, I found them very convenient to divide clothes by season, and to compact all the clothes. Also, it reduces the amount of time taken to find something in your backpack. Efficiency is all we need!
I packed in one case all the underwear and swimwear: 15 panties, 2/3 bras, 1 bikini, 8/10 socks (very light weight & warm, if you manage to find merino wool, fantastic).
The big travel pack contains: 8 t shirts/top, 1 long sleeve t shirt, 1 silk dress, 1 warm sweater (a total of 2 with the one I am wearing today), 4 lightweight pants (1 is waterproof and 1 pair of jeans) and finally a towel and - very important when it's a bit chilly or when you need to dress "properly"- a huge scarf.
The extra space was filled with my lightweight waterproof jacket and the warm uniqlo ultralight jacket.
-Shoes: I am wearing my heavy, old hiking shoes and in my backpack I have my running shoes and flip flops.
- Toiletries & pharmacy:
I packed all the liquids in a transparent zip case containing facial cream (~30ml), shampoo (100ml), air conditioner (50ml), insect repellent (one for clothes, 15ml and one for the skin, 50ml), sunscreen (50ml) and contact lenses liquid (60ml).
The rest, medication, some first aid kit items, soap (a small one for clothes and other for skin), toothbrush, menstrual cup/tampons, Q tips, a small hair brush/mirror, hair clips, tweezers and a lipstick are in a different case.
...and that's all for the big backpack! The important documents I keep next to me in a small pocket :).
PS: Not sure if essential but I like to have 1) a clothesline (I have a latex clothesline that I can use without clothespin, very practical), 2) a water bottle with a filtration system, 3) a self inflatable travel pillow and 4) a 6 pack of pocket-tissue ( I've seen "toilets" I don't like to describe)!