10 Top Tips to Pack Your Backpack like a Professional ...

One of the best ways to pack a backpack is to limit how many items you are taking with you. It’s vital on a backpacking holiday to take as few items as necessary, so that you can travel easily without the hassle of having to take suitcases full of clothes with you. Of course, be prepared – you don’t want to be caught in the middle of the Sahara with an inadequately packed backpack, but similarly you don’t want unnecessary weight. There is absolutely no point in packing everyday items that you can pick up locally when you arrive on holiday!

You should always bear in mind when you pack a backpack to never take items that you would be upset if they were broken, lost or stolen. The very nature of the holiday is that you will be travelling with basics, so do not take expensive cameras and laptops; not only will they be a pain to carry around, but you will spend your whole time worrying that you might lose them. Buy a cheap camera to take with you, so that if you lose it you can replace it just as easily.

The Boy Scouts always teach that you should be prepared for every eventuality. Sadly, this doctrine is extremely unhelpful when you are looking for good ways to pack a backpack, especially if you are thinking about your first aid kit. A kit can be life-saving if you are going to a very secluded or exotic area, but you still won’t need every supply that you can possibly purchase from the drug store. A liquid bandage is much more convenient than using a pack of strips, and tweezers will always come in handy. If you are planning on eating locally on your holiday, then make sure that you have some diarrhea pills handy. Advil tablets and malaria tablets are a must and possibly vitamin supplements might also be useful.

Always make sure that you have packed enough prescription medication for as long as you are planning to stay on vacation, and perhaps even enough for a week longer than you plan to stay. You should not remove the medication from its original packaging, as it will cause more suspicion if you are travelling with unidentified drugs.

It may sound inconvenient, but a tip that most seasoned travellers give to those looking for helpful ways to pack a backpack is to stick to the ‘wash one, wear one’ rule. It simply means that you should only pack two sets of clothes – one to wear, and one that you will wash in a basin as soon as you can. A lot of inexperienced backpackers will make the mistake of taking lots of layers of clothes, which weigh down their backpacks.

If you are a guy, and going to an area where you may want to swim, then a pair of swimming shorts (not speedos!) that are plain colored can double as a pair of shorts to save on packing space. For the girls a well formed bikini top can also double as a bra.

One of the best ways to pack a backpack to keep it light is to leave those favorite jeans at home. It’s very rare that you will be travelling somewhere that wearing blue jeans will be helpful, so do yourself a favor and leave them in your wardrobe. They are heavy and dry very slowly, so are not recommended by experienced travelers. Also be very careful of the clothes you bring with political messages or swearing on them – offending the locals will not make your trip pleasant.

If you want to limit the amount of things you are carrying when you pack a backpack, leave any expensive jewelry at home. Wearing jewelry should be limited to essentials that you are not afraid of being stolen – a cheap watch and pair of earrings (if you cannot go without them) are all that’s really necessary.

There are some countries where females can feel threatened by local men if they are seen as single and vulnerable, especially if travelling alone. Some opt to include a fake wedding ring in their packing, so that they are seen as married and therefore not available for male advances.

It shouldn’t need to be said, but a way to pack a backpack lightly is to take small bottles of liquids rather than the large ones you would use at home. Also remember that all bottles should be plastic rather than glass, and have secure caps that can be fastened. If you are taking shampoos with you, ensure that they are unscented – unless you like being a magnet for insects that is!

Finding convenient ways to pack a backpack isn’t as hard as you may think it is. By following these tips, put together by seasoned backpackers, you will ensure that you have found ways to pack a backpack while still having all the essentials you need. Please leave comments if you have any suggestions for other tips – this list is not complete, and tips could be useful to others.

Top Image Source: pinterest.com