WHAT TO CARRY ON THE BACKPACK

Before starting a long journey we always think about what we’ll need during our quotidian life on the road. Bad idea. We have to ask ourselves what will we need, how heavy is it and how much does it cost. I explain it.

In example, I’m preparing a trip for a month to another continent travelling solo with my backpack. And maybe I’ll need a road map book of that continent, but… Am I sure that it’s worth to carry on with more than a kilogram just in case I’ll have to check some road. Well think about it. I’m travelling solo, backpack and with public transportation. Surely I won’t need it or maybe just once or twice in the whole month. In every city I’ll visit I will be able to find tourist information and free maps whatever I’ll go. So road map book, dismissed.

So every single thing we put in the backpack (or suitcase) has to pass this interrogation.

The three kings of “don’t forget”. Passport, money, tickets. The only three things that you can’t travel without. Of course when I say passport I mean documents, money includes CC and tickets are for train, flight, bus…

Changes of clothes. If I’m travelling for a month I’ll need at least 20 or 30 changes, but we can’t carry all of them, so we need to wash them somewhere and somehow. I’m staying maximum three at the same place, so I don’t need to worry about wearing the same T-shirt every two or three days, nobody will notice. Also I will take those T-shirts that are a bit used and I will throw out. And probably I’ll buy new ones with the picture of Taj-Majal or the Alhambra.
So I’ll bring with me 3 t-shirts probably one of them to be substituted by a brand new touristy t-shirt.

This works too with shorts and underwear.

A pair of jeans will be enough if we bring another thin trouser to be used in those occasions when we are required to dress up. When the jeans are in the laundry, we can be more elegant just in front the washing machine.

In the event of cold weather, I always used the onion method. I take with me a thin sweatshirt and a plastic raincoat. Under the both, one or two t-shirts. It works. When travelling sometimes I was freezing and I had not enough clothes to wear. I’ll tell you a trick, put some sheets of a newspaper in between your textile onion layers and you will see.

Shoes. Don’t forget your sandals; showers out there are not always that clean!!! After that I’ll choose a pair of comfy sneakers that are not very colorful, to be joined to the dress up set. And that’s it. But remember wash your feet and used fresh socks everyday.

Towel. I normally take one of those tiny and super absorbent towels that are sold for swimming.  but you can also use this

Gadgets. I’m an amateur photographer so I’m always carrying a heavy load of photo material. But if I weren’t I would take a good compact camera and a cell phone with Wi-Fi.

Others good tips:

• Making a copy of your documents and a list of embassies and contact numbers. Put them in a different bag of the originals.
• A guide book or a part of it. Carrying the Europe Lonely Planet if you’re just visiting France, Spain and Portugal… mmm.
• Travel assurance.
• Music player (cell phone could do it).

Remember make your backpack light and compact.It’s better to regret one day of a missing stuff that regretting twenty nine days of a heavy one.

Well, now we’re ready to go. I wish I could make my backpack very soon, but until that I’ll enjoy the perfect weather of Granada now. It’s not hot like in August, but not so cold like in December. Come to visit us.