How to Backpack By Yourself
“How do I travel the world on my own?” or “How do I travel the world on a budget” are two questions a lot of people ask themselves. Social media is flooded with travel content, influencers standing on mountain tops on Instagram, dancing in rice fields on tiktok, or vlogging on the beach on YouTube. And we all ask ourselves “how can I do that?”
Backpacking 101
Day 1 of the Grand Adventure
Only bring what you can carry, the term backpacking refers to carrying all of your belongings with you and nothing else. You may have a favorite suitcase that you drag behind you on vacations but it will not hold up in the same way a backpack will.
So how do you find a good backpack then?
The first thing on your to do list should be visiting your local outdoor store such as REI and find one that is right for you. A trained staff member will help you pick out a bag that is relative to your size and strength (due to how much you plan to carry).
Can I order a backpack online?
Yes, I suggest researching different bags and brands online but going to pick it up in person. This will allow a staff member to help adjust all of the straps on the bag for you. If the straps are not set to the right lengths then the weight of the bag will be misplaced leading to additional strain on your back if carried for long durations of time. A mistake commonly made is that people adjust the bags so that the weight is being carried by their back and chest when it should be focused on your hips. So I recommend picking a backpack that has thick long straps that come out like claws at the bottom that wrap around the hip. If you don’t plan on carrying a ton of weight than you can get away with a smaller bag.
What bag does Jon use?
I travel with the Gregory Baltoro 75, which depending on size (S,M,L) carries between 72-78 cubic liters of space. Filled with clothes and a tripod the total weight of the bag can get up to 50lbs. I choose this bag due to the multiple pockets covering the bag, several entry ways to open, a wishbone strap (Hip belt), waterproof rain cover, and it’s cushioned straps. This bag is on the pricier side around $330 USD brand new, but typically the model from the year before will be significantly discounted online or at the store.
What should I bring if I’m Backpacking
Backpackers usually aren’t traveling on luxury vacations. Therefore you want to have gear that is multi-purposed. You don’t want to be in the situation where you don’t have the right equipment and get caught in a bind.
Footwear
Boots - A good pair of hiking boots are the most common shoe I see travelers in. They are valuable if you plan on hiking any sort of terrain, and most importantly they should be waterproof to some degree. If it rains, having wet feet sucks.
Shower Shoes - Crocs, sandals or water shoes are vital when it comes to showering. You may use these types of shoes on the beach but you want to protect your feet when in a public shower. Don’t risk picking up any kind of fungus.
Comfortable pair of Sneakers - Pick a pair of sneakers that you could walk for days in, don’t pick your favorite looking pair, the most comfortable pair is ideal. After walking around in boots you want a pair of shoes that your feet can rest in.
Clothes - Varies on climate of your destination. Research this in advance.
Raincoat - If it rains it will keep you dry, simple enough. Try to find one that has a stowaway pocket, which is a pocket that the jacket can fold up into.
Flannel & Warm Sweatshirt - It will be hard to carry around a winter coat if you are traveling to multiple climates, so pairing a warm sweatshirt with a raincoat will be easier. A flannel is perfect for temperatures that are too cold for a t-shirt but too warm for a sweatshirt.
Cargo Shorts/Pants - No they don’t look dumb mom, having the extra pocket space comes in handy while you are walking around.
Extra Socks & Underwear - You can get away with wearing a shirt or pair of pants several times but your skin will not approve of wearing socks or underwear too many times in a row.
Bathing Suit - Only applies in warm climates, but if you haven’t done laundry for a while, welcome to stretching out a few more days with the underwear-less bottoms.
Gear
1-2 Water Bottles - Traveling can be more exhausting than you imagine. If you are out for the day don’t be without water to drink.
Swiss Army Knife - Having a multi-tool comes in handy if you need to do last second handiwork.
Rubber bands - Having a pack of rubber bands can be useful, there are thousands of ways to use a rubber band, imagine all the times where you were trying to close something or hold something together. Bam! A rubber band is there to save the day.
Travel Wallet - Keep important documents, money, and your passport safe. Have a travel wallet that you can attach to yourself or hide in your bag.
Carabiner - These metal clips are perfect for attaching things to a bag that doesn’t have a pocket to place them in. These can also be used as a second set of security if someone tries to pull something out of an open pocket.
Hat - Baseball cap, beanie, or even a large straw hat. Having some form of sun protection and way to keep the sun out of your eyes can be helpful when navigating around. sunglasses are great but they can break if you are not careful.
Two Backpacks
Two Backpacks? Why would you go backpacking with two backpacks? It seems silly but there is a good explanation for it. If you are backpacking while traveling there are two truths to your situation. The first is that you are probably staying in hostels or bunks that are shared by multiple people traveling like yourself. The second is that you probably have valuables on you that you don’t want to leave unwatched in a public space. That is where having a second backpack comes into play.
In reality you may not want to bring your backpack with you everywhere since it may weigh upwards of 40, 50 or 60+ lbs. So you will be leaving it behind at hostels, and many hostels don’t have secure places to keep your bag. The second backpack is for carrying your valuables and day to day items on you while you are out exploring. As a photographer I would leave all of my clothes in my backpacking bag at the hostel during the day and then carry my computer and camera equipment in my smaller bag throughout the day.
Walking around the shire with my second backpack. Searching for second breakfast.
What if someone goes through my bag while I’m not there?
This is a reasonable fear of staying in hostels. Will someone steal your possessions? From my experience no, but as the world is you never know. The thing to remember is that the majority of people staying in hostels are in the same situation as you, travelers on a budget who want to explore the world. So most have the same thought and out of respect won’t go through your stuff. If you think about it they would have to be your exact size for them to steal your clothes. And imagine someone going through multiple bags and someone walks in on them. Are there bad apples in the world? Yes, so some simple things to remember are:
Don’t bring expensive clothes, shoes, or accessories with you
Don’t flash or brag about valuable items in front of other travelers
Try to place your bag out of sight
Have a set of small TSA locks that lock openings and carry the keys on you
If you follow those points and something still happens that is unfortunate. But just go to the local market and replace what you lost for a few dollars. It is not the end of the world if you lose a t-shirt or pair of pants. Everyone has lost something while traveling. I’ve left shirts while doing laundry, forgotten a pair of shoes I left out to dry overnight, tore a hole down the back of my pants, things just happen.
How far in advance should I plan my trip?
The earlier the better, but if you are backpacking on the fly my suggestion should be 3-4 weeks. This will allow you to book the attractions, tours, and events you want to see and give ample time to figure out transportation and accommodation in the area(s) that you are visiting. Advice I stand by is planning days to plan. That sounds confusing but if you are on a multi-week or multi-month long trip it can be hard to plan out everyday in advance. On my trip around Oceania I would plan out 7-10 action packed days and then have 1-2 days to rest, recover, and figure out the next leg of my trip.
Not Sponsored but save yourself part of the hassle and use apps to help plan for accommodation. Expedia, Kayak, Hostelworld are all useful for finding places to stay but I used Booking.com for the majority of my stays. They combine hostels and hotels while searching for places to stay so you might find a cheap hotel to splurge on for some privacy. My favorite features of the app was that it organized all of your stays for you after booking, as well as providing upgrades and deals after using the platform multiple times. I was able to stay at a hotel in Bali for 25% off the typical rate through an offer from Booking.com as a reward.
If I was in an area where I needed to rent my own vehicle to get around or fly to my next destination I used Expedia to compare companies against each other. My advice is to make sure you call the right Expedia number depending on what region of the world you are in. I accidentally called Expedia in Australia when I was back in the US and got a hefty phone bill because of it.
Why plan rest days? Lets just keep going!
Rest days are super important for travelers who are constantly on the move. Especially if you are traveling in an area that is little more out of your comfort zone than usual. You may have the energy to go nonstop at first but after a few red eye flights, long drives, sunrise volcano hikes your body will run out of juice at some point. So plan a day where the only activities on your agenda are sleeping in, planning ahead, and enjoying a cheat meal or two.