First Time Backpackers

How To Plan Your Trip

So, it’s your first time backpacking, you’re looking to get out into the world to explore new places and experience different cultures, or just get away from your own maybe!?

So what do you need to know? Where are you going to go? How long will your precious money last? And will your parents ever stop pestering you to come home and a get a job? No, no they won’t!

Backpacking is a lot of trial and error; I’m here to save you a few trials.

Now this article is for backpackers and travellers going on reasonably long trips, not those going on a holiday to a tropical paradise staying in a five-star hotel, no, this is for those travellers staying in hostels, taking the local bus, eating the cheapest food they can to survive… and what does a backpacker need most? No, not a shower, they need a backpack.

Backpacks & Sleeping Bags

This is first and foremost; I insist you invest in a good backpack. 

Don’t bring a suitcase! You want something that is comfortable and functional and you want to be able to get into every part of your bag without having to take all your other items out, one zip means a lot of packing and unpacking.

Make sure the backpack has support built in. You want the weight of the items in your bag to be evenly dispersed so that you don’t get back pain, a bad backpack for a week or two you might not notice, a few months and it’ll drive you insane. I should know.

I like getting one that has a zip off smaller backpack on the front, this will allow you to take it off for day trips, I highly recommend this. Your big backpack can stay at the hostel locked in a locker or a security room for the day while you’re out enjoying yourself. You’ll also want a separate bag for when taking buses and trains, you may have to be separate from them, best if you can hold your valuables on you - that’s where a smaller bag comes in handy.

Now do you need a sleeping bag? Sleeping bags are a must if you’re camping or staying in a humble abode but otherwise you might find that you don’t really use it that much. It is one more thing that you’ll have to carry, the less weight on your back the better, you’ll learn this quickly, you might even throw out some things you didn’t want to in the first few weeks.

So take a look at your itinerary and decide. Are you mostly staying in cities? What’s the use of a sleeping bag then? You’ll find that the majority of places have beds with pillows and sheets. Also what time of year are you travelling? 3 months in a summer destination? You’ll be sweltering in a sleeping bag anyhow; you’re not going to need it.

If your trip involves going on an irregular route winter destinations, definitely take one. One night in the freezing cold and the 100 days without using it before won’t matter.

Money & Budget

Now you’re going to need a budget before you leave and you’re going to need a way to access your money easily wherever you may be. You can of course go overseas without a budget and wing it. You probably won’t be over for as long as you’d like to be and you won’t do and see all the things you had in mind, I’m not the one who’s going to tell a free spirit to stop being a free spirit. But it takes hard work to save money to travel, so why waste that.

So budget, how do you determine a budget and how much do you need saved? Well, each continent means a totally different budget; the things on offer for $50 dollars in North America are drastically different to $50 dollars in Asia. Where you plan to go will decide how much you need saved.

You should firstly determine the big costs; flights, belongings that you’re going to take, travel insurance and any visas or tours. There could be other big costs that occur keep this in mind. It’s always good to have a little extra! deduct that from the total.

So the best way to find out your budget is by doing a breakdown of what you’d spend in one day. This will be accomodation first and foremost, food we all need to eat, transport getting from A to B and of course experiences. This one’s a bit harder to determine, but if you can break down your average daily cost, this will give you a very good outlook of how long you will be travelling for, how long you can travel for.

Take that number and times it by however many days you plan to travel for, this should give you a very accurate look.

For me, it is $100 dollars a day; let me be clear that is well above average and you can do it much cheaper, especially if you are travelling to developing countries, I just prefer less stress.

Now accessing your money overseas!

It’s important that you let your bank know that you are travelling and roughly the countries you plan to go to, update them if plans change. If you don’t update your bank, they may think it’s odd that your cards are being used overseas and they could cancel them on you, you don’t want to be stuck with no access to money. That’s a bad situation.

You’ll need to find a way to convert currencies. I suggest checking what travel cards your banks have to offer, this is an easy way to convert currencies and hold multiple currencies in one place, banks always want a little profit, so shop around!  You will be charged when withdrawing money and when exchanging currencies. It’s not usually too much, the price of a small coffee, it depends on how tight you are.

The more cash you get out the less you’re paying for conversion, but then that brings in the danger factor of carrying cash on you. It’s always good to have a little - but a lot and you’ll become a target for thieves. If you can go to the ATM go with a friend.

Best thing you can do is find a card with low fees and ATMs that don’t charge you too much.

You can send money ahead with certain currency exchange businesses; I’ve found this to be a hassle in itself but that option does exist.

The Trip

Get yourself some of these bad boys - Maps and Diaries! They really don’t take up much room in your bag and sometimes you don’t have internet, sometimes you don’t have a battery, the old school way can save you.

On my very first trip overseas, my brother and I got off the plane and both of our phones were dead!

If I didn’t have the address written down in one of these little diaries we would have been waiting for hours. I write down my spending in them too, but there’s no need for that. I’ve actually found these to be incredibly handy after my travels for things like security clearances. If you’re in a country for 3 months you may have to prove why you were there you may need to prove addresses, this is always good you’ll know exactly where you were on a date.

Maps, I like to have a map even if it’s just for a rough route of where I am going, even if it’s just marking the main cities and sights that I plan on hitting. You’ll want a rough route and a rough estimate of how long you’ll be travelling for so that you can budget accordingly, I say rough because you want it to be spontaneous still, I’ve had trips where I go where I want, when I want and I have had trips where the whole thing is planned without room to move. I can tell you which one was more enjoyable. I got really bored and couldn’t change things, it’s good to plan a week, or a week and a half or so in advance but I wouldn’t plan any further than that, you may find that you want to stay somewhere longer or not stay at all.

I’ve travelled enough that my track record can look odd to the untravelled eye, people will question your motives as to why you’re travelling for so long - especially border control and police, best to have as much proof as possible, some people just can’t fathom the idea of travelling for a long time. I was stopped at the US border for 2 hours once, I showed them my planned maps and diaries and that bit of evidence helped me.

Passport, Visas & Airports

Firstly Passports, get one otherwise you’re going nowhere, and make sure the expiry date on your passport has enough time left for the duration of your trip plus 6 months. Keep it in a good condition as damaged passports can cause problems. It’s best if you keep a few of the extra passport photos that you’re given with you in case your passport is lost or stolen.  Always scan a copy of the main pages too as this could be a life saver.

Now lots of countries require a Visa upon entry to the country, this depends on which country you are from and which country you are planning to go to. This is easy to find out, a simple search of their government embassy websites will tell you. This may be a physical hard copy or an electronic one, this depends on the Visa that you are applying for, how long you are planning to stay or which passport you are choosing to use.

You may even need a Transit Visa when passing through a country on a layover - always check.

It’s unlikely to be the case, but in some countries (due to ongoing conflicts) can have problems with other countries.  So even if you’ve been to the country that they dislike you may be in trouble.  Countries like Lebanon will not take kindly to you holding a passport that contains Visas or Stamps for Israel.  You can be denied entry and may even be subject to arrest, so a bit of research won’t go astray.

Airports! Well there are so many rules to airports I’m not going to waste time on this. But make sure to take all of your valuables onto the plane, you don’t want a lost bag with your most expensive gear in it lost. A bag lost with clothes is one thing but a bag lost with a computer and camera is another.

I’d say get to the airport on time or early, and I’m going to say this once, nobody else is going to tell you this, but I’m the realest - Go for a Poo! Go to the toilet before you depart, go for a poo if you have a layover, go for a poo when you arrive!  Just trust me on this one, poop, use that layover time to poop, freshen yourself up, have a sink bath.

Remember when you’re flying to a country they’ll want you to have a ticket out of there or they will question your reasons for being there. Its always good to have a cheap flight or train or bus ticket booked that you can change at a later date, or even just cancel, I book one for the duration that I’m allowed in the country and if you think this is just developed countries that want you to get out of, its all countries.

Importantly have copies of all your important documents. I cram a folder into a secret pocket, I never touch it, I’ve never needed too but it’s there.

Accommodation

Once you arrive off the plane or in any new place the first thing you’ll want is to know that your accomodation is all good, you’ll quickly want to rid yourself of your backpack and freshen up maybe even a nap - travelling is tiring.

I use three accommodation Apps when travelling; one for hostels, one for Airbnbs and one for hotels. I use them in that order too.

HostelWorld is great for the majority of destinations you visit; it gives you so many options and is so far spread but there are some places where there just aren’t any hostels - either tourists don’t visit or they are extremely expensive and that’s when you have to look to the alternatives or question going to the location at all.

Airbnb is so good if you’re travelling with others, the more the better, this can be super cheap if divided by a few people, a lot more homely too. Always look at the fees though, there can be cleaning fees on top which can set you back.

The last option, hotels. It’s always nice to stay in a hotel every once in a while if you’ve budgeted well but they are drastically more expensive and should be the last option, there are many websites out there that will offer cheap rooms; it’s just a matter of looking around. I found the US to be one place where hotels were the only option, not much of a backpacking culture there.

When booking a hostel what you should look for is:

• A bed with a light

• A power plug

• Curtains

• Lockers that can be locked

• Rooms that can be locked

• And a central city location

These are the best! the little luxuries will mean a lot when you’re out in the wild for a while.

And girls, I find a lot of girls who haven’t travelled think this, there are girls dorms, you can stay in a room with all girls, there tends to be that option. Mixed rooms tend to be cheaper but that option is there. Don’t be afraid to stay in hostels, you can have privacy it’s just a matter of looking.

Transport

Even as a grown man I try to make sure to arrive before it gets dark, I plan my trip from door to door, and it’s the safest thing to do. You don’t want to arrive in a strange place late at night. You don’t know the layout of the land and you don’t know the people, you’re not that tough buddy. You don’t want to be walking a back street with a fork up your sleeve just in case.

If it’s a long trip it’s better to leave early in the morning and arrive before dark, arriving at night is stressful for one other reason - closing time! Check your accomodations hours, if you think you’ll arrive late as there are no other options. Lots of hostels have 24 hour receptions so don’t stress.

Depending on the continent you are in Apps these days will save your life; you can book ahead quite easily. In Europe I use flixbus a lot for buses they get you directly where you want to go, if they’re not available look for tourist buses, they cost a little bit extra but they do tend to be safe.

Trains and Ferries can be a little more expensive but viable options, they themselves can be a bit of fun too, time to relax and of course cheap flights for those who like flying. When I get to a continent, I like to take the roads but there are so many cheap flight options usually better than the road alternative and cheaper.

If taking buses and trains you may be separated from your bags, keep in mind the small backpack to keep your valuables in.

I’d suggest getting an international drivers permit too, they’re cheap, even if you don’t use it it’s good to have another form of identification and you never know if you’ll want to drive.

Lastly hitchhiking! Such a great way to meet people… for the last time! Always take note of the license plate, send a message to yourself if you must, or bro just takes a bus, unless you want to be on the side of a milk carton.

Let someone know your movements. I will always send a message to my mum that just says, something like ‘off to Munich’ that way she knows I’m leaving that destination for a new one, if I never arrive that may help, who knows.

Clothing Checklist

So what do you need in your backpack?

You’re going to need clothes, unless your trip consists of hitting the hottest nude beaches.

Make sure you bring a bit of everything, especially if you are travelling for a long length of time that crosses seasons.

I like to have thermals in my bag as they’ll squish up into the corner of a backpack nicely, at least one jumper and pair of pants if travelling in the summer, and shorts for the winter. Who knows if you’ll be in the desert where the hot day quickly turns into a bitterly cold night or if you go for a skinny dip in an icy lake while in a winter wonderland, who is too know.

Stock up on your underwear - you can never have enough, you don’t want dirty underwear.  Same with socks, you will be wearing questionable clothes that you normally wouldn’t think twice about wearing back home.

Hostels can have laundry facilities; make sure to take advantage of this when you can. Get yourself a small zip up laundry bag for your dirty laundry, these bags are a heaven send they stretch out so they’ll take a week or more washing.

Don’t forget a nice outfit too.

Phone, Cameras & Electronics

You ready, this is how it’ll go, you’ll arrive at the hostel, you’ll see that your battery is low, you’ll take your cord out of the bag and you will go to plug it in the wall.

It. Won’t. Fit.

If you’re going to a different country you’ll need a universal adaptor, they can be pricey but there’s really no other choice.

Make sure you’ve downloaded all the Apps you need before you go, you’ll want the bases covered. When you head out it’s unlikely you’ll have reception or data so it’s important to have a few of these ready to go.

Apps

Now I’m not telling you which exact Apps because I ain’t getting paid yet! Alright, but here are the important ones.

• Government: It’s good to inform your government of where you are in case there is trouble, for Australia we have smart traveller, you can check lots of important must knows and be directed to important information, get this one early on it’ll give you great run downs and checklists of what you need.

• Accommodation: Set up your accomodation Apps before you leave, don’t think oh I can do it when I get there, you usually have to verify your account with a passport and other personal information beforehand, so don’t leave this too late. Also you will need to prebook accomodation before you leave the country.

• Money: Have banking Apps set up ready to go, you’ll need a way to convert currencies to a travel card and you’ll need a way to get cash. Make sure you let your bank know your movements.

• Currency conversion: Find a good currency conversion App to watch your spending.

• Transport: I suggest looking for universal Apps that give information on cheap flights, ferries, trains, buses, have all your bases covered. Some great ones are Skyscanner, busabout, Rome2Rio so many more.

• Storage: You’ll want to save your photos if something goes wrong like a lost phone or stolen camera. I have Dropbox, that’s where I upload all my photos for backup, you don’t want to lose your phone and lose your memories. I know so many travellers who risk this.

• Translation: Unless you’re blessed with a multilingual tongue, who knows what these foreigners are talking about. If you’re a quick learner that green bird could help. But otherwise a translation App is your best friend.

• Socials: Got to keep in touch with people you meet or you’ll lose them forever.

• Maps: You’ll need a map every time you head out, there are some Apps where you can download an image before you go out. Very important - before you leave the hostel, use the wifi to load a map, make sure not to close the App.

• Cameras: They’re expensive, I’m biased, take a good camera, but also don’t always take it - you’ve still got to have fun, know when to leave it. I really learnt and fell in love with photography by travelling so I insist taking one.

Security & Safety

Unless you’re a psychic, don’t travel without travel insurance! If you can’t afford travel insurance, then you can’t afford to travel. If there is a medical issue or even worse death, you don’t want the cost of that, you don’t want to burden your family with the cost of that. Read the documents to make sure you’re covered, especially in these times.

I hate to say this but you’ve got to be careful. Being in trouble in a far away country is scary; Mummy isn’t going to help you. The most dangerous thing on this earth isn’t being in a crash in another country or doing adventure activities, its human beings!

The best of my travel stories come from the worst of times but there wouldn’t be stories at all if I wasn’t alive.

Take the risk, risks are fun but make sure it’s a calculated risk.

There are a lot of security features you can buy, I know some people strap passports to their bellies, I’m not sure if you have to go that far. Just be conscious to the fact people may try to take advantage of you.

People will try to steal your stuff, it’s as simple and sad as that, so get a padlock - you’ll need this, for your bag and for your locker, have a good lock, this is so important.

It’s good if you can get a bed with a power point nearby to leave your phone and camera charging on, if it’s in your room it’s less likely someone will steal it, if you’re in a common room keep an eye on it.

If you’re a risk taker then do what you like, my words won’t stop you, this is only advice and I certainly don’t care about your personal safety.

I’ll be covering scams in another article so make sure to take a look.

Remember you’re not above the law and other countries can have seriously bad results.

If you’re going to do something illegal overseas I don’t know what to tell you, good luck I guess, I don’t associate with fools so I have no advice.

Food

Yes, if you’re on a short trip go out every night to a restaurant - but if you’re on an extended trip you’re going to want to be saving your cash to extend it even further, which means cooking your own food.  Hostels tend to have a kitchen and everyone needs to eat.

Unfortunately food poisoning is a part of life as a traveller.  Make sure to wash your food, watch how your food is being prepared and drink bottled water if you can.

It’s likely after doing all this you’ll still get sick at some point, just rest.

Mental Health & Health

Depending on where you are going you may need a number of vaccinations, it’s always good to have a health check up with your doctor a few weeks before you leave and they’ll tell you exactly what you need especially if you need medications. For some countries you are required to have vaccinations, and surprisingly vaccination passports aren’t anything new. Some countries won’t let you in if you can’t prove your vaccination status. Example you’ll need proof of a yellow fever vaccination if heading to South America, if you don’t have it, you may not be allowed in or allowed to leave.

There can be a toll to travelling sometimes, you can become isolated and secluded, if this is the case just go home, it’s not worth the toll to your mental health. I’ve had times where I have been in an odd country and felt very alone, maybe because of the language barrier, the lack of other travellers and any number of things, it can be a struggle.

Make sure to have a day off every once in a while to just relax.

I can’t stress this enough - make friends! Introverts love travelling just as much as extroverts.  Start a conversation with that person sitting alone in the common room; they want to make friends just as much as you do. Trust me. The best times I’ve had are with strangers from the other side of the globe who I didn’t know early that day.

I don’t like the addictive mess of social media but the people you meet will become the most important part of your trip, you’ll meet people who you want to keep in contact with. If it wasn’t for instagram I would have lost a lot of the people I met. I also wouldn’t have been able to catch up with them further down the track. Some will go some will stay.

If you’re struggling to make friends, I suggest walking tours and pub crawls, sometimes hostels offer activities to meet others, don’t miss out on these as you can’t go wrong.

Have fun! Some people will never do what you’re about to do, so enjoy it.

Make sure to wear a condom.

Take Care.

Daris Laurins.