The Essentials

The truest answer is that it is impossible to know what to expect — that the best way to prepare is to jump in with both feet and know that you’ll float to the top. Still, it’s critical that you keen in on the following three ideas as you prepare for you backpacking trip:

(1) Pack Light — Know the climate that you’ll be traveling in, and pack your bag according. No matter where you are backpacking to, remember that there are always places to purchase clothes, sneakers, sandals, and toiletries. If you’ll be visiting a tropical climate (Southeast Asia, Central America, South America), t-shirts and shorts will get you almost everywhere you need to go. One pair of jeans or pants and a sweatshirt or two can’t hurt, but remember that every article of clothing means added weight on your back.

**Pro-tip: Places of worship commonly find their way into the daily lives of backpackers, be it in a church in Venice or a buddhist temple in Laos. Be respectful of local cultures. Both men and women should have their shoulders covered and pants that fall past the knee-cap.

(2) Plan to break your plan — Elliot and I (Derek) met in Bangkok. We were both solo-travelers (let’s have a page for solo travelers) with no return-ticket home. Separately, we landed in Thailand’s capital and made our way to the infamous Kao San Road. Elliot planned to head straight for Cambodia, while my goal was to move south towards the Koh Tao and the Thai Islands. Throughout those first few days, a hodgepodge of backpackers spent 3 memorable days together, and when it was all over each of us had thrown our plans to the wind as we headed north towards Chiang Mai. (Let’s write a short blog post here about Will, how the flat tire on the night bus led him to joining us when Lizzy wasn’t there, ultimately going to Australia after and meeting Caroline. It’s a helluva story for this type of idea)

This is not to say that you should not do you research prior to arriving to your destination. Having a plan creates peace-of-mind, and traveling with a purpose should never be looked upon as a negative. This is especially true if you have limited time abroad.

After traveling through northern Thailand and the upper portion of Laos together for about a month, Elliot and I chose to go our separate ways. He had always planned to see Vietnam, while Laos brought me in and wouldn’t let go.

The morale of the story? Let the journey unfold as organically as possible. But understand the goals of your trip and remember the main highlights that brought you there in the first place.

(3) Choose your temporary home wisely – This bullet point is specifically for backpackers visiting larger cities. Major megalopolises can be incredibly overwhelming, and even a lifetime in these urban centers would not be enough time to see and do everything. Instead, choose a neighborhood in your destination city and focus your attention in this specific area. By no means should you avoid visiting a museum or having dinner on the other side of town, but focusing most of your time and energy on a one-mile radius will help you to shrink the metropolis, learn your surrounding, and ultimately enhance your overall experience in the city.

Preparing for your backpacking journey can be summarized in three words. Less is more. Pack light, plan fewer stops, and slow down. Breathe. While you are out to see the world, remember that you must sometimes let the world see you.