What do you take with you on such a big journey? After all, you only live out of your backpack.
Basically, you should not take more on a long-term trip, as you would for a one-week vacation.
To be honest, I have always packed in a lot. It was much more for my one to two week package holidays than for this long backpacking trip. Most of the time, I was at the airport, and they checked the weight of my luggage. It was just barely below the allowed maximum weight. It was just unbelievable. Then in the end, I did not need 70 percent of the stuff.
This should not happen to you on a long-term journey, because it is exhausting to carry so much useless stuff around with you, all the time. The lighter the backpack, the better it is, and the more comfortable you will travel. I would say 12 - 15 kg should be the maximum weight of your backpack and its contents.
Of course, if you also bring a tent, a gas cooker, etc., you probably will not get below that. But I have also met people, who have traveled the world with a backpack that had a weight of only seven kilograms – which is only hand baggage. I always found that admirable. However, they have usually stayed only in warm climes and thus did not need to bring clothes for colder temperatures.
As a little help for packing, I would like to introduce my personal packing list below:
Storage:
The backpack is one of the most important backpacking utensils. After all, you wear it on your back almost every day. There are also travelers who prefer a suitcase. For me, that would not be an option. The only advantage of a suitcase is that you do not always have to wear it, as it usually has small rollers. However, these can easily break.
In addition, not all roads are paved – especially not in Africa. Also, I oftentimes walked around with all my baggage for hours. That would be unthinkable with a suitcase.
What is really important when buying a backpack?
Let yourself be advised in a specialist shop. The backpack should fit well on the back – there are even special models for women.
What is important is a good waist belt, because the weight should be mostly worn by the hips, and not by the shoulders. Anyone who has ever worn a heavy backpack for a long period of time on his back can certainly understand that well.
The next criterion is the compartments of a backpack. It is a great advantage if the backpack can not only be filled from above. This can be quite handy when packing, because you always just need to press in more stuff. But if you are looking for something that is at the bottom of your backpack, it is going to be a problem.
The solution for this is a backpack that can be opened further down with a zipper. In addition, several storage and separation spaces in the backpack make sense to keep order.
Another important detail is the rain cover. I have somehow managed to always arrive exactly in the rainy season in almost all of the countries I traveled. And there really is not much worse than when the whole backpack and its contents get wet.
The rain cover also has other advantages: For example, the backpack will not get so dirty – because I almost always had the cover on my backpack, and it can be easily washed –, and it protects against pickpockets in crowded buses, as it is not so easy for the thieves to get to the contents of the backpack.
Finally, you should think about the size of the backpack. Under no circumstances should you buy a backpack that is too big, because, believe me: you will always overstuff it completely, and you will regret every gram of additional weight later on.
I am more than satisfied with my Deuter 55 + 10 liter backpack and have been traveling around the world for two whole years. Since the material is also very robust, it still looks like new. Of course, the price is not the cheapest. But especially with the backpack, you should not look too much on the price tag.
On the subject of a daypack, I have to say that I prefer waterproof models, because I love trekking, and it is not fun when the entire contents of my daypack get wet. In addition, daypacks are well suited for beach trips or longer city walks. The model of Exped, I found to be perfect for me, because the backpack with 25 liter has a good capacity, but can still fold really small, and therefore it does not need too much space in the big backpack.
Clothing:
You should definitely pack light and comfortable, as well as, quick drying and easy to clean clothes. Also, it is better to avoid white clothes, because you might have to wash your clothes by hand. That is why I like earth tones very much.
In addition, it would be good if the different parts can be well combined in color. Also, remember that in Muslim countries like Tanzania or Kenya, you should always cover your shoulders and knees.
Cosmetics:
The cosmetic products represent – especially with women – a not to be underestimated weight factor. Therefore, it would be recommended that you try to buy small sample packs of these products or fill them into small plastic bottles.
Travel pharmacy:
Money and papers:
Electronic and digital:
Others:
If you are interested in the brands of products I bought for my trip, HERE you will find a list of links to the products in the Amazon online shop that I posted for you in my blog.
Before you leave for your big journey, you should absolutely try packing your backpack, so that you can see if there really is room for everything. When packing, keep in mind that things, that are often needed, are always at hand. In addition, heavy objects should be stored closer to the body and higher up.