Packing for a backpacking trip can feel overwhelming. I’ve been there: staring at an empty bag wondering what on earth I actually need for weeks or even months on the road. After years of traveling through 40+ countries across South America, Southeast Asia, Europe, and beyond, and plenty of trial and error, I’ve finally figured out the optimal packing list. Whether I´m going hiking in the mountains of Patagonia or spending a few days lazing and snorkeling on the Gili Islands, this backpacking packing list contains everything I need on every trip I´ve taken so far.
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Table of Contents - The Ultimate Backpacking Packing List
- The backpack: Your home on the road
- Packing cubes or vacuum bags: The organization game changer
- Clothing: Pack light, wash often
- Quick-dry towel
- Toiletries: Keep it minimal
- Technology and accessories
- Comfort items: Small things that can make a big difference
- Documents and money: Keep it safe, keep it organized
- First aid and medications
- What NOT to bring: Learn from my mistakes
- Final thoughts on the ultimate backpacking packing list
- FAQ about a backpacking packing list
The backpack: Your home on the road
Let’s start with the obvious: you need a good backpack! I can’t stress this enough: invest in a quality backpack that fits you well. This is the one piece of gear where spending a bit more upfront will save you from back pain and frustration down the road. Especially when traveling through colder places, or lots of different landscapes and you need to take a bit more (= heavier backpack) it´s so important that the backpack fits you well and is comfortable.
Size matters: The 50-60L sweet spot
Look for something around the 50-60 liter range. That’s usually the sweet spot where you have enough space without being tempted to overpack (trust me, you will be tempted). I took a bigger backpack of 70L on my first trip and I found that I way overpacked. I left things I didn´t need behind along the way, but still. The fact that it was so big was getting annoying, even if it wasn´t full anymore. My 55L backpack is perfect for long trips going through all kinds of landscapes. It fits everything I need on trips that include everything from multiple day hiking trips in the mountains to island visits.
What to look for in a good backpacking backpack
There are a few features which are essential for a good backpack.
Firstly, I always make sure my backpack has padded shoulder straps. However light you intend to pack, your backpack will weigh a few kilos, so you want this weight to sit on your shoulders as softly as possible, with the weight well distributed over a broad strap. A hip belt is also non-negotiable. The majority of the weight of a backpack should actually be carried on your hips, not your shoulders.
Another must for my backpacks is that they are both top- and frontloaded. Avoid backpacks that can only be opened at the top. You´ll be forced to take everything out every time you need something from the middle or bottom of the backpack. A backpack that can be opened both in the front and on the top is much easier, especially when well organized.
I also look out for good back ventilation. A sweaty back is unavoidable after carrying a heavy backpack for a while, but the better the ventilation, the longer you´ll have a dry back.
Other features which are nice to have, but not essential for me are lockable zippers and a rain cover. If your backpack of choice doesn´t have them, don´t worry. You can use a padlock to close your zipper and buy a rain cover separately. Multiple pockets are also handy for packing, but this can also be resolved with packing cubes and/or vacuum bags. More on those later.
Daypack
Bring a small day pack that you can use for day trips while leaving your main backpack at your accommodation. This is perfect for city exploring, beach days, or day hikes.
Many backpacks come with a detachable day pack, which is super convenient, but if not, you can easily buy a separate one.
My backpack↗ is on the bigger side with 30L, since I travel with my camera, I find that I often need this space on flights and bus rides. But I also have a gymsack for city exploring. There is a smaller 20L version↗ of my backpack too, but unfortunately this one doesn´t have a hip belt, which I would miss on hikes.
Packing cubes or vacuum bags: The organization game changer
This is a game changer! Packing cubes or vacuum bags will revolutionize the way you pack. I resisted using them for way too long, thinking they were just an unnecessary extra. But I found myself searching through my whole bag looking for that one clear top, having to repack over and over again.
Packing cubes: Organizing your every day luggage
Packing cubes help you organize everything: one for tops, one for bottoms, one for underwear and socks. You’ll never have to dig through your entire bag looking for that one shirt again. Plus, they compress your clothes a bit, giving you more space. They are perfect for organizing the stuff you need every day.
Vacuum bags: Save space on multi-climate trips
Vacuum bags are great if you really need to save space, but remember they won’t save on weight! They’ll help you pack more in your backpack, but naturally your backpack will get heavier as you pack more.
Having said that, I find them super helpful for trips where I travel through different climates, so I can pack away what I don’t need. Take South America for example: when traveling along the beaches of Brazil’s Northeast, all my hiking gear for Patagonia was packed away in space-saving vacuum bags. Make sure to pick bags which you can roll and don’t require a vacuum cleaner or another tool to take the air out, like these bags from Decathlon. ↗
Clothing: Pack light, wash often
This one was the hardest one to learn for me. But now I believe that the key principle is to bring less than you think you need. In the beginning, I´d bring extra “just in case” clothes, or extra tops and t-shirts for when I wanted to wear “something different”. But in reality I always ended up wearing the same comfy clothes and those extra clothes just stayed in my bag, or I wore them just because I brought them but I wouldn´t have missed them if I didn´t have them.
I ended up doing laundry much more often than I expected, just because the opportunity was there, or because I ran out of my favorite clothes. And when you realize you´re missing something on the road, you can easily just buy something on the road. Socks are a great example. Wearing and washing them a lot, they wear out, but instead of packing half my bag with socks, I just buy them on the way if I need to.
Quick-Dry sports clothes: My answer to (almost) everything
Sports clothes are honestly the best travel clothes you can pack. They’re comfortable, lightweight, quick-drying, and versatile. I always bring a few tank tops and t-shirts, leggings and sporty shorts. They are perfect for every day-to-day activity: from hiking to exploring a city to long travel days. For beach days I normally pack a lightweight beach dress, but honestly, sporty clothes work fine too! Pack an extra top which is great for dinner and drinks out, think drinks on a nice rooftop, and you´re all set!
Shoes
There are two pairs of shoes I pack for every trip: running shoes and flipflops.
Running shoes are lightweight, comfy and super versatile. Pick a (mainly) black pair which combines with pretty much everything and doesn´t get dirty as easily as white.
As for flipflops, I don´t go anywhere without a pair of Havaiana flipflops. They are a little bit more expensive than your average ones at the general store, but trust me, they are worth the investment! I wear mine daily, both when I travel and at home. I use them in hostel showers, for beach days and have even spent whole days exploring cities on them and they last me for ages. When the soles of the cheaper ones get paper-thin and you feel every little stone already, Havaianas are still as good as new.
If you follow this blog, you already know that I love hiking, so I rarely find myself on a trip where I don´t bring my hiking shoes. I´m a big fan of the price-quality of Decathlon´s Quechua hiking shoes, but there are many excellent brands out there. Just make sure to pick shoes that are waterproof, and for me, ankle-high boots are a must as well. Higher boots have saved me from rolling an ankle on a rocky mountain trail more times than I can count!
Jacket
A jacket that protects against rain and wind is absolutely essential. Weather can be unpredictable, and you don’t want to be caught in a downpour without protection, or a sudden cold afternoon up in the mountains while it’s much warmer at the town you’re staying at a few hundred meters further down.
My go-to solution to pretty much everything is a 3-in-1 jacket. These jackets consist of an outer, rain- and windproof layer, with an inner fleece layer which can be zipped out. So in warmer climates, I only wear the outer layer, when it´s just a little chilly the fleece is enough, and when it´s cold, combine both layers.
When to Choose Alternatives:
If your trip is to the beaches of Southeast Asia, you might want to go for a breathable lightweight packable rain jacket instead. Some travelers swear by ponchos, but a good rain jacket is lighter, dries better and packs up easier. Ponchos are good if you’re traveling with a large backpack without a rain cover and want to cover both you and your pack.
Climate considerations
What clothes I pack exactly differs per trip. A trip to hot and humid Southeast Asia requires different clothes than a hiking trip to Patagonia, of course, but this list is my base to work off. For tropical destinations I pack more lightweight, breathable items, including long sleeves for sun/mosquito protection. For cooler/variable climates I make sure to have a good layering system (base layer, mid-layer, outer layer). When I plan to camp in the mountains, I also add thermal clothes.
Laundry Sheets: The secret weapon for light packing
I’ve mentioned it above already: Pack light and wash often. Many accommodations in Europe have washing machines available for use. But you don´t want to have to buy detergent every time you need to do a load and then leave it behind because the bottle is too big and heavy. This is where laundry sheets or strips come in. A single sheet is enough for a standard load of laundry, weighs next to nothing and doesn´t take up any space. I always travel with a pack. iHerb↗ has a huge section and for European readers, so does Big Green Smile↗.
In South America I bring them too, having a machine in your accommodation isn´t as common as in Europe, but you can find self service laundromats in cities. Traveling in Southeast Asia I don´t bother bringing them, since it´s most common to just get your laundry done in the hotel, or a laundry service.
Quick-Dry towel
Normal towels are massive, heavy and take forever to dry. A quick-dry microfiber towel is lightweight, small, and dries incredibly fast. I have a medium-size one that’s perfect for showers and beach days. It packs down to the size of a water bottle.
Toiletries: Keep it minimal
This is where smart decisions make the real difference. Pack small and buy more on the road when needed. Liquids add weight fast, but here are some tips to limit the weight and the liquids!
Switch to solid
You can pack smart by using a soap bar instead of liquid soap or foam. Shampoo bars are also great. They take up much less space, last way longer, and can be taken in your hand luggage without problems, unlike the liquid versions. There are conditioner bars too!
Big Green Smile has great environmentally friendly shampoo bars, which are also budget friendly! They ship to most European countries, so if you’re located in Europe, definitely check them out. Otherwise iHerb has a great selection↗ too and they ship worldwide.
Reef-Safe sunscreen
If you’re visiting coral reefs, you MUST use reef-safe sunscreen. Regular sunscreen contains chemicals that kill coral, and many marine protected areas have banned non-reef-safe products. But honestly, when you´ve made the change, you’ll use reef-safe sunscreen everywhere. Those chemicals are not only harmful to corals, but also to marine life in general and less chemicals is also better for your skin.
Tampons
Ladies, there is one exception to the rule here, and that is tampons. They aren’t always (easily) available in each country. So if you use them, you might want to bring enough for your trip, or at least an extra pack in case you can’t directly find them when you need them.
Technology and accessories
Universal travel adapter
Get a universal travel adapter that works in multiple countries. There’s nothing worse than arriving somewhere tired and realizing you can’t charge your phone. I used to travel with a bunch of separate adapters, which I bought in each country. Then I swopped to a universal one, but for European plugs only. So as I replaced electronics along the way and in different countries, I had to buy new adapters again. Until I found a fully universal one, which converts any plug to any outlet. They are a bit more expensive, but so worth the convenience! Some adapters even come with USB ports built in, which is super handy when you need to charge multiple devices.
Powerbank
I recommend a portable power bank for those long travel days when you can’t access an outlet. Or even for long hiking days, you don´t want to find yourself on a trail with a phone that´s about to die leaving you without a map.
There are huge ones, which can charge a phone several times. But a general one, which charges your average phone once, are fine in most cases and weigh a lot less.
Camera: To bring or not to bring?
For me this is a no-brainer, I don´t go on a trip without my camera. period. But I do really love photography and often travel to places with lots of wildlife. Especially when photographing wildlife, my phone can’t replace my 400mm zoom lens! And the camera is much more versatile and has better quality than the phone.
But it does add a lot of weight to my backpack, so if wildlife is not a major part of your trip and you don’t think you’ll use a camera much, better save the weight and space and stick to your phone. However, if you´re traveling to places like The Pantanal, the Amazon, or Borneo, a camera could be a worthy investment. When fellow travelers on the same trip compare their phone pictures with my 400mm zoom pictures, they´re often quite disappointed with theirs.
If you’re planning to do a lot of snorkeling or diving, you may want to invest in an action cam like a GoPro. They are small and light. Image quality isn’t the best though and serious underwater photographers might want to look at an underwater camera instead.
My Camera Setup:
- Canon camera body
- A wide angle lens and a super versatile 18-400 zoom lens.
- Extra battery
- 2 Memory cards (always bring a backup)
- Lens cloth
- Protective camera bag
Comfort items: Small things that can make a big difference
Headphones
Because you don´t want to find yourself on a long flight or bus ride without them! Airlines don´t provide them as often as they used to anymore, and many phones no longer have the audio jack for those headphones.
Neck pillow
I’ve gone back and forth on these. My first neck pillow wasn’t the most comfortable one, it was an inflatable one with a plastic rim that was just itchy and annoying. So I stopped using it and just took a folded jacket or sweater instead.
It’s not quite the same though, so I tried again and I now use a super comfy foam one which does really help against neck and back pain after overnight bus rides or long flights. It has a button to tie it with, meaning I can easily tie it to my backpack and it doesn’t need to take up any space inside my backpack.
Eye mask and earplugs for hostel stays
Hostels can be noisy and bright. Eye masks and earplugs are great for a little extra comfort. You don´t need anything fancy, you can buy them at any shop. They are great for long flights and/or bus rides too by the way! Just make sure you don´t get too comfy and miss your bus stop if it´s not the last one. 😉
Water bottle
Wherever I travel to, I always bring a water bottle of some kind with me. When I´m traveling somewhere with drinkable tap water, I bring a simple reusable bottle. When the water is not directly drinkable, but a filter can fix it, you can take the same bottle and purifying drops or tablets. But you can also invest in a filter bottle like Lifestraw.
If I travel to cooler places where I plan to hike a lot, I bring a thermal bottle alongside my water bladder. They are perfect for keeping water either cool or hot and I love a warm tea or maté during a hiking break! But a good one is much heavier than a simple bottle, so if you don´t think you´ll need hot or cool water, you can just opt for a lighter, simpler one.
Documents and money: Keep it safe, keep it organized
Passport and copies
Bring your passport (obviously!) and make copies of it. I keep physical copies in my bag separate from my passport, and digital copies in my email. In some countries like Argentina they often require to see your passport when paying by card, but a picture on your phone or physical copy is normally enough too. This way you don´t have to carry your valuable original with you everywhere you go. Even though my passport is safely packed away most of the time, I normally have a protective cover around it.
Bank cards & money
Bring at least two different bank cards in case one gets lost, stolen, or stops working. I learned this the hard way when my bank blocked my card after I used it at an ATM which was reported for skimming. It was a regular bank and they couldn´t unblock it anymore, so I was left with a debit card that wouldn´t work anymore and a credit card of which I didn´t remember the code. Luckily I could make it work with a little help from friends I made on the way and my flatmate, but it was very stressful and not fun.
Now I always travel with 2 bank cards of which at least 1 from an international online bank. They are a little more helpful for these kinds of situations than traditional ones.
My to-go-to bank is Wise. This is the most versatile one with separate bank details for various currencies and great exchange rates (real mid-market rate) and fees are minimal (normally up to 1%). My backup bank is Revolut, which also offers great exchange rates and allows you to hold several currencies despite not giving separate bank details for them.
The only downside of these online banks is that they don’t offer credit cards. This normally hasn’t been a problem for me, only once when renting a car in Chile they required a real credit card since they weren’t able to freeze an amount on my Wise card. With other rental companies or in other situations, it has never been a problem and my debit cards were always fine. Do note that the USA requires a credit card for many things like hotel reservations.
Besides bank cards I also always carry some cash in Euros or USD. USD is more widely accepted if you have the choice.
Make sure to keep your backup card separate from your regular one, and to keep the emergency cash in EUR or USD separate from your wallet.
Other documents
I always carry my vaccination booklet with me, and a medical insurance card. They go together with a copy of my passport in a separate pouch for important documents which I don´t access very often.
First aid and medications
A small first aid kit is important. You don’t need a full pharmacy, but basic items can save you time, money, and discomfort.
I always bring pain relievers (ibuprofen and/or paracetamol), bandages and tweezers wherever I go.
Depending on where I travel too, I´ll also bring anti-diarrhea medication, rehydration salts (for stomach issues mainly, but also great for very sweaty places), antiseptic swipes, blister plasters and insect repellant.
Other things to consider are motion sickness tablets and extras of any prescription medication you might take, ( including the pill).
You can get very convenient small first aid kits which have all the basics, or create your own with the things you need.
What NOT to bring: Learn from my mistakes
Over the years, I’ve learned what you can safely leave behind. Too many clothes is the biggest mistake. You’ll wear the same few outfits on rotation while everything else stays packed. Heavy books weigh you down (get an e-reader or exchange paperbacks in hostels). Excessive toiletries seem economical but you can buy everything locally and it´s not worth the extra weight.
All those “just in case” items, from multiple guidebooks to formal clothes, they add up fast without getting used. Like mosquito nets. I got talked into taking one twice and used it never. Most tourist accommodations where you need them already have them installed. They’re bulky and the repellent on treated ones has a limited lifespan. So go for insect repellent plus long sleeves instead. In the rare case you do find yourself in a situation where you need them, you can buy one locally.
The rule: if you’re unsure, don’t pack it. You can always buy it along the way if needed.
Final thoughts on the ultimate backpacking packing list
This list is a guide based on what works best for me across several destinations. Your actual packing list will depend on where you’re going, when you’re traveling, what you plan to do, and your personal preferences. Use it as a base to work off and adjust it to your own personal needs for your trip.
The most important lesson to take away is to pack light and if you´re going to invest a little extra in one thing, make it your backpack.
You can always buy things on the road if you really need them, but you can’t magically make your bag lighter if you’ve overpacked.
I’ve never met a traveler who regretted bringing less. When you miss something, you can always buy it. But I’ve met many people who regretted bringing too much, including myself in my early travel days!
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FAQ about a backpacking packing list
No, trekking poles must go in checked baggage because of their sharp points. If you’re doing carry-on only, it’s best to buy/rent poles at your destination. Some travelers use collapsible poles and mail them to themselves at their hiking destination to avoid checking bags.
Pack heavy items close to your back in the middle section – this keeps weight centered and prevents the pack from pulling you backwards. Put lighter, bulky items at the bottom. At the top, pack things you might need during travel or right away when you arrive at your accommodation.
In your daypack (carry-on), keep all valuables and electronics you might need on your trip. When traveling by plane, also keep one change of clothes with you, just in case your checked luggage gets lost or delayed.
Firstly, make sure to pack clothes that don´t wrinkle easily. Roll your clothes instead of folding them. This saves space and helps against wrinkles. Use packing cubes to compress rolled items further and keep categories organized so you don´t need to search through all of it every time and shove your clothes around. Got wrinkled clothes anyway? No problem, hang the clothes in the bathroom while you take a hot shower. The steam helps release creases.