What do backpackers need

Out of all the things you could bring on your backpacking adventure, these are my 10 highest recommendations. This is the backpacking gear that I myself have been using for over a decade as I travel around the world.

The most important item on this backpacking gear list. I myself am a big fan of Osprey packs They are super comfortable, well designed, almost indestructible and come with a lifetime warranty… I suggest picking a backpack in the forty- to sixty-liter range. I myself have the Osprey Aether backpack read the full review here but there are lots of great options out there; check out my detailed post on how to choose the best daypack for travel. Picking the right travel backpack is very important; you are, after all, going to be pretty much living out of your pack.

The second most important thing on this backpacking gear list is a foldable day bag. Daypacks are pretty essential for urban and remote adventures alike. You can easily pack everything you need in this liter pack, including your water bottle, snacks, layers, and anything you might purchase while exploring a new city!

I love that Active Roots foldable daypack offers 7 easy-access pockets and pouches to organize your belongings. Use it for flights and bus rides, then pack it away. With each purchase, Active Roots donates to one of the several environmental charities they work with that help clean up our planet.

A daypack is a small investment that is often overlooked. A solid day bag can make the difference between a happy traveler and a pissed traveler. I recommend being a happy traveler. Regular towels are heavy, inefficient, and take up a ton of space.

Travel pros use micro-fiber dry towels. And I like micro-fiber towels so much, that I made my own brand! Active Roots micro-fiber towels are made by travelers for travelers. They are super light, and most importantly dry very quickly. To keep your money hidden on the road, I strongly recommend picking up one of these beauties — it has a hidden inner pocket in which you can hide up to twenty notes, or some marijuana….

Another Active Roots product, this belt is simple and gets the job done. Traveling with a money belt is a small investment that helps keep your money safe. Check it out here.

I used to frequently lose my room keys when staying in hostels, these days I just lock my room using a padlock, problem solved. First, you can lock your bag up when you need to. Connect the lock between the two zippers and BOOM! Your bag is safe from any intruders. This will help keep you at ease when you have to be apart from your bag. Padlocks are very handy when staying in hostels.

Most hostels provide some sort of lockers, but not all of them provide locks for those lockers or even worse — they charge for them! Travelers all hope for the same thing, that one day the world will unite, and all decide upon a universal size for power adapters…. There are currently 15 different types of power adapter sizes! The best way to ensure your beloved electronics get charged regardless of the country you are in is by using a universal adapter. When you travel the world you are going to have a ton of spare time.

Waiting for planes, waiting for buses, waiting for trains — lots of waiting! And that time waiting can be spent wisely reading life-changing literature. I always travel with an Amazon Kindle. They are durable, light, have WiFi, and most importantly — you can read and download an infinite amount of books! I only recommend bringing a laptop for a few reasons. One of the best investments I ever made was my MacBook Pro. Check out this post for a full breakdown of travel friendly laptops.

Hands down the easiest way to keep all your toiletries and meds in one place. Backpacking travel toiletry bags rock! The performance of action cameras has increased significantly, whilst the overall price has come down — making them more affordable. GoPro is the leading action cam brand for a reason: the image quality and stabilization technology of their cameras are unmatched. We try to reduce the amount of sunscreen we need by covering up long sleeves and pants , but a small travel container of sunscreen is critical.

So we always make sure to pack some lip balm with SPF. But before we prepare our food and after we go to the bathroom, a quick spritz of hand sanitizer goes a long way to cover our bases.

We budget of these wipes per day to clean off all the sweat and grime. This trowel is cheap, durable, light 3. There are a number of products designed with backpackers in mind that will help you cut down on the trash you have to pack out.

Technically, you could have one trash bag for everything, but I like to keep opening and closing my TP bag to a minimum, so I bring a separate one for storing my used food packaging. The light tilts, dims, and has a red light setting. You can get up to 40 hours of use on low out of a charge, so you will need a solar panel or battery bank with a micro-USB port to charge it on longer trips. You can make a DIY first aid kit, or buy a pre-packaged one like this.

In the event something happens to our water filter, we keep these Micropur tablets in our first aid kit. While we usually use a GPS app on our phones see below for navigation while hiking, we always bring paper maps. Maps are stored in a ziplock bag along with any required permits.

Your map and compass will only help you if you know how to use them, so you might want to check out a navigation class at your local REI. The premium version will set you back a few bucks but allows you to download maps before your backpacking trip so you can use them offline.

For cool mornings and cold nights, a warm insulated jacket is essential. The Patagonia Nano Puff is a classic or the Patagonia Down Sweater offers some more warmth without a ton of extra weight. Base layers can help you regulate your body temperature in camp and on the trail as the temperature fluctuates throughout the day. Avoid cotton as it holds onto moisture—opt for quick drying material instead.

Optional — when hiking at higher elevations and on exposed trails, I pack a UPF rated long sleeve shirt for additional sun protection. A lightweight rain jacket will be worth its weight in gold if you encounter rain on your backpacking trip! NB, these jackets were gifted to us.

The Prana Brion hiking pants are quick-drying, lightweight, and offer a bit of stretch for a good range of motion. These Vuori shorts are great because they are quick drying and breathable. We each pack pairs of breathable, quick-drying, moisture-wicking hiking underwear. Investing in some quality wool hiking socks will help keep your feet happy on multi-day hikes. Fits , Darn Tough , or SmartWool are all solid choices.

Footwear might be one of the most important pieces of backpacking gear! We recommend REI for this purchase because of their return policy. Michael has been hiking in Merrell Moab Ventilator hiking boots, which are lightweight, breathable, and supportive. I tend to prefer trail runners like the Vasque Mindbenders discontinued, unfortunately.

Bad situations get much, much worse without water. Humans can only go so long without it. In a survival situation, your water supply could run out quickly. Pack a lightweight, water-resistant or waterproof , preferably merino wool never cotton zip-up or pullover in the event of a sudden thundershower or blizzard. Because you just never know.

Buy your usual size and use it as a base layer, or size up and layer it over a closer-fitting T-shirt. The Merino wool is soft, lightweight, and dries quickly. Packing an extra pair of merino wool socks is always a smart move.

Plus, a reinforced heel and toe add durability for intense off-trail adventures. Every man should own a reliable multitool in his EDC kit. This is especially important in the backcountry where you never know when you might need to strike a fire, build a shelter, or fix your pants.

At the very least, a multitool should have a knife, pliers, scissors, and an awl. And a bottle opener — no self-respecting man should ever carry a multitool without a bottle opener. Some people organize their clothing into separate bags based on what its purpose is i. For example, I have a Ziploc bag for electronics where I keep things like a personal locator beacon , headlamp, and charger for my phone.

B - Balance: Try to have your pack evenly distributed on both the sides and front and back. Roll your things up tightly so that they take up as little space as possible, and consider using a compression or stuff sack for things like clothes and of course, your sleeping bag. Fleming recommends trash compactor bags —just open one up inside your backpack and then pack everything inside it as normal. Also, pack the heaviest items in the middle—it's a good way to keep your pack balanced and distribute the weight across your core and back.

And then place any leftover light items, or items you need quick access to, at the top. It takes a while to learn how to efficiently packing your pack and using your gear. Stop and move items around until it feels good. And then? Go have some fun.

SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. And make sure to consider the 11th essential according to me : hygiene. Save money on gear by borrowing, repurposing, or renting it. Decide what kind of experience you want beforehand—and then pack specifically for that. Strategically lay out your gear before you pack it.