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Every seasoned backpacker will tell you the same thing: travel light. Having a small, lightweight bag gives you freedom.

Traveling with as few items as possible has loads of benefits; squeezing your bag into tight spaces on public transport for instance, or being able to carry all your belongings with you as you explore a city after checking out of your hostel.

But there are some items that a backpacker should never be without. Here’s our list of the top five.

Headlamp

Whether it be finding your way back to your beach hut from the bar, rummaging through your bag for that all-important item during a power cut, or reading a book on a train at night, hands-free, portable lighting is one seriously useful item.

Sleeping Bag Liner

There’s no getting away from the fact that some hostels and modes of public transport are disgusting. A thin, durable and easy to wash sleeping bag liner provides great protection from bed bugs bites and smelly bedding. And in warmer climates, it’ll be a welcome sleeping bag substitute, too.

Earplugs

For every traveler on an extended journey, there comes a point where sleep is really essential. Sadly on those occasions, nobody around ever seems to care. Curses, loud voices, car engines, sirens and industrial air-conditioning units! Putting the world on mute is easy with earplugs (the cheap foam ones are the best – and if stored in small container can be used dozens of times over).

Small padlock (with key)

A small padlock is a backpacker’s best defense against opportunistic theft. Using a hostel locker, or simply locking zips together when placing a bag on a bus or in left luggage can deter many a thief. We advise using a padlock with a key. There is always the risk of losing the key, yes (if you’re traveling with someone, swap spare keys), but we’ve lost count of the stories we’ve heard of padlocks with number codes being cracked in their owner’s absence.

International plug adaptor

There are strong arguments for traveling without relatively expensive electrical devices like laptops, tablets, mp3 players and e-readers, not least the threat of having them stolen. Some people even say you shouldn’t take a camera. But let’s face it – we need our gadgets! None of these devices use disposable off the shelf batteries – they all need to be juiced up periodically. Make sure you’re not caught out by the vagaries of international power sockets without an adaptor.

Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…

(Image: JD | Photography)

About the author

Brett AckroydBrett hopes to one day reach the shores of far-flung Tristan da Cunha, the most remote of all the inhabited archipelagos on Earth…as to what he’ll do when he gets there, he hasn’t a clue. Over the last 10 years, London, New York, Cape Town and Pondicherry have all proudly been referred to as home. Now it’s Copenhagen’s turn, where he lends his travel expertise to momondo.com.

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