Chasing Amy-Lou

As you ALL know, as I keep incessantly banging on about it, I’m off on my travels in September (woohoo!); I’m going to attempt to be a real backpacker which will no doubt end in me coming home after six months having blown all my cash on shampoo and suncream, wine and roadtrips. However, that aside, in an attempt to gain the most from my time away and help me and other like minded folk such as yourselves to “travel (as) light (as possible)”, I’ve got some lists for you to look at, ‘cos everyone loves a list or two.

First up, I asked a bunch of people what they thought were the five most important items to take on a lengthy travel stint. The responses were pretty good and there were a few things in there that I wouldn’t have originally considered myself, such as exfoliating gloves, because c’mon, after sharing a sweaty dorm with 15 other smelly vagrants, we’re all gonna need a good scrub. Zip-lock food bags also featured in one reply and are definitely something I’ll be taking with me, if only for storing bits of make-up, hair grips and items likely to leak.

The five that made the cut:

1. Medicine/First Aid Kit/Hand Sanitiser/Sunscreen – it goes without saying that you’re gonna need some form of protection from whatever nasties you come into contact with while you’re flitting across the globe, so be sensible and take the basics. Just for the record, condoms are also classed as protection…’cos let’s face it, you’re probably gonna end up having sex with someone at some point…

2. A towel – obviously this will be on your list already but try and aim for something that dries quickly and isn’t too bulky. We all love a huge, fluffy towel but be realistic, they take up a lot of space.

3. A good pair of shoes and/or flip flops – whether it’s a pair of walking boots or a sturdy pair of running shoes, these will be integral if you’re planning on doing lots of walking. Flip-flops are also a must when visiting hot countries.

4. Decent small rucksack (in addition to your main bag) – for use on day trips and to take with you instead of lugging your backpack around. Girls, you might also consider a small evening bag ‘cos taking a rucksack to a bar isn’t gonna end well, is it?

5. Playing cards/kindle/camera – any form of entertainment is good, especially on long train or bus rides; reading, downloading films or playing cards may just save your sanity and a camera will only capture and help retain your experiences. It might be worthwhile downloading Dropbox or OneDrive or taking multiple memory cards as back-up.

 

Secondly, I asked for a list of five must-take items from the perspective of a female. We all know boys travel lighter than girls and can easily cram their ‘grooming tools’ into a small washbag, and they’ll quite happily wear the same pair of boxers for three days straight, but for females it’s sometimes difficult to decide what to leave at home, especially if you’re used to using hairdryers, straighteners and spending five hours in the bathroom each morning. It’s probably worth noting at this point that nobody is going to look immaculate while travelling, and to be honest, when you’re out there, you probably won’t give a shit anyway.

Female Five:

1. Tampons/Sanitary products – Top of the list for most of the females who replied. Girls, we all know how important this is, no-one likes an embarrassing leak in the middle of a trek so take a fair amount, enough to last a couple of months at least.

2. Dry Shampoo – you may not always have access to a shower, or shampoo for that matter, especially if you’re out camping or spending lots of time on buses etc. It’s one thing being covered in sweat and stinking of five days worth of B.O. but adding greasy hair into the mix just makes things ten times worse.Talcum powder usually does the same trick.

3. Straighteners – ok, so most travellers would argue against this as they take up too much space and will never get used, but girls, listen, if you use them at home and really don’t think you could survive without them, just take them. They double-up as a great iron too – no more creased shirts, yay!

4. Make-Up – we all like to look our best and undoubtedly there’ll be a few nights where you’ll want to look less like a haggered witch and more like a natural surfer-chick. Now, I’m not suggesting for one minute you take the whole Maybelline make-up counter, that’d just be outrageous; the basics will do – a little mascara, some cover up and some blusher. You never know, shedding the scouse-brows and going sans-eyeliner may actually be a good idea…

5. One nice going out dress -you’re gonna want to look half-decent at some point on your travels, just make sure it’s something that can be worn with flats; something elaborate and couture won’t look quite right when you’re travelling through the less developed parts of South America.

 

The final question I asked and perhaps the most useful in terms of space-saving was concerning items that you should definitely leave at home. While some of the suggestions I didn’t agree with, most people were very straight to the point and blunt about the majority of items that should be on this list. Be brutal with your packing, especially if you’re going for more than six months. And more than anything, be sensible.

What not to take:

1. Heels (may also apply to boys, especially if you like to be called Susan on a weekend) – 99% of my travelling friends have said that taking heels was and is a big no-no. You won’t need them, you won’t wear them and in all honesty, you probably won’t even want to wear them. Just. Leave. Them. Behind.

2. Laptop – this threw up something of a conundrum for me. If I wasn’t considering blogging and writing while I was away then I would definitely be leaving my laptop behind. However, as it’s going to be pretty impossible to create posts such as this, write reviews and edit feature articles from my phone without wanting to launch it at the nearest brick wall, I’m resigned to lugging it about with me. If the thought of travelling with such an item doesn’t interest you then great, there’s no issue, but bear in mind that a tablet/ipad/kindle is a suitable substitute and will be handy if ever you feel the urge to Skype home.

3. Too many clothes -Be thrifty. If you simply must take six pairs of shorts, two denim jackets, seven vest tops, a tulip skirt, four hoodies, that midi-skirt that you wore to your mates 30th, five playsuits and two tie-die dresses then I suggest you rethink your packing strategy. Lay everything out on your bed and then halve it. Consider the climate you’re going to and consider the amount of time you’re gonna spend lugging your backpack about. You probably won’t need more than a few t-shirts, a couple of pairs of shorts, one jumper, one pair of jeans and a couple of skirts/dresses. An abundance of knickers/boxers are however, a good idea as you never know when you’ll next have access to washing facilities. One thing I would suggest you don’t leave behind is a decent waterproof jacket…just in case you happen to visit somewhere that has a climate not unlike Manchester. It could happen.

4. Sleeping bag – Bulky, inconvenient and hard to re-pack once you’ve wrenched it out of its minute holding bag. A lot of hostels won’t accept sleeping bags anyway as they tend to provide their own linen for guests. If you’re planning on doing a lot of outback camping or sleeping under the stars or taking night trains then yeah, go ahead, take one but to save carrying one around you could probably pick a cheap one up from somewhere along the way.

5. Jewellery – that Rolex watch you spent four years saving up for? Don’t even bother thinking about it. Those expensive Tiffany bracelets you got for Christmas? Nah, I wouldn’t if I were you. Not only will you be pissed if you lose or damage them but you’ll be even more annoyed if someone steals them, or worse, you get mugged. Just leave them at home and take cheap versions instead.

Hopefully this should give you some ideas on what to omit and what to include but please don’t take these lists as Gospel ‘must-follows’; they’re not exhaustive and at the end of the day it’s YOUR adventure so take what you think you’ll need, take what you feel comfortable with carrying and go out there and have a bloody good time!

 

Items that didn’t make it onto my final lists but are really worth thinking about taking if you’re planning on visiting a lot of countries, travelling to remote areas, or even camping (but not just limited to these) were: A Trangia (http://www.trangia.se/english); a good length of strong string for using as a washing line or for tying things together, obviously; a decent penknife because you never know when you’re gonna have to unleash that inner Bear Grylls; duct tape, erm, for taping things together…no seriously, this is something I would recommend EVERYONE take with them: if your rucksack falls apart you’re gonna be pissed off and duct tape will hold just about anything together, trust me! Finally, a travel scarf or sarong, or a piece of material that can be utilised as a skirt/shawl/head scarf/towel/light bed sheet – the possibilities are endless.

 

*Real traveller friends helped me to compile these lists which means they’re probably pretty damn useful. It also means that when it comes to my own journey I’ll probably choose to ignore most of the advice. So, for the ones who took the time to provide me with information, I thank you very kindly and I accept your teachings…but I’m still taking my hairdryer!