Now while this may not seem like a lot, that bag will get real heavy real quick, so don’t jump into throwing in your whole wardrobe now. + This may seem an odd one, but a lot of hostels have baths or sinks but remove the plugs, and sometimes it can be real nice to take one with you. I found a collapsible cup from a dollar store to be perfect for this as the suction it formed around the plug hole worked perfectly. Onto the gadgets •
• • • • •
E-book – The most important item. You will have lots of periods of waiting or sitting for long stretches. While many, including myself, prefer paper books, they simply weigh too much. Mobile phone (obviously) Music player Camera Ear buds x 2 USB Stick
With modern technology you may be able to fit many or all of these items into one, but I personally wouldn’t suggest it, as most modern phones have a battery life span that is somewhere between that of a housefly and the amount of time it would take Usain Bolt to run 100m. If you are travelling in a group, then just one person can have a decent camera, allowing the other to have space for the chargers and maybe some portable speakers. So there we have all the things that you will need to travel competently. However, I am going to include one final list that I call my sanity preservers or personality keepers. I always leave a little section of my bag clear for those bits that will allow me to keep myself me while I travel. Now, I am a cross between a geek and a gym junkie, so my list reflects that. • • • • •
Playing Cards and box of mini dice Micro Board Games x 3 Ocarina Running Gear – shoes, tank top, trousers Climbing shoes
• • •
Resistance bands Headphone splitter Laptop
This is the section of your baggage where you can really let your personality shine through and take those things that you just can’t live without. It allows you to fill in any gaps you found in the lists above that just weren’t enough for you. An extra hat, dress, top, poi, hiking gear, juggling balls, etc. As well as my fitness things in there, I have various items (cards, games, musical instrument) that are social items and make it easier for you to make friends and pass time along the way. The headphone splitter makes listening to music on a bus a social thing or you can watch a movie, etc. The laptop is definitely an optional item here, guys. They can be very helpful but also very bulky. I will leave that one in your hands. So, there you have it: what I carry with me so that I can fit my life on my back. It may not sound like a lot but trust me it all adds up, so try to resist that urge to take more. That extra kilogram or two that you carry can make getting around just that bit harder and less pleasant. You can always buy something if you need it, and it’s nice to have a bit of space in your bag to pick up a memento or two. And on that note, I will put away my laptop and get back to trying to cram all my stuff into a bag.
Good luck and bon voyage! Will is a 28-year-old (soon to be 29) professional ski and snowboard instructor from the UK working in both the northern hemisphere (Japan) and southern (NZ). In between seasons he likes to take his bag and go explore somewhere for a month or three, usually somewhere hot. He has had the travel bug his entire life and is constantly going off on little adventures around the world. It is one of the main reasons that he loves his job; it allows him the freedom to travel for four months of the year.
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