Packing for a gap year
Although it may seem obvious, backpacking across the world means you are carrying every belonging you own, for that period of time on your back. It will be the closest thing you’ll have to a home, so before you head off, slim down what you’re taking to the real essentials, and remember packing is about quality not quantity.
You don’t want a heavy load to lug around when you’re searching for a vacant guesthouse in the burning afternoon sun, so keep your bag as light as possible and accept that you will be wearing the same outfit most of the time and that clothes will be a luxury. Pack only what you can wear again and again and that are easy to wash. You’ll probably become every efficient at doing your laundry in a sink with a scrappy bar of soap, so make sure tops will dry quickly and made well enough to see you through months of travel. A few t-shirts should be more than enough and look at taking a long top too because even hot countries get very cold at night and there will be mosquitoes and other bugs swarming about.
Along with a warm long top, take a pair of trousers, which will also stop you from getting bitten. Covering up also shows respect, and some of the places you visit may be religious and have cultural faux-pas. It really isn’t a good idea to wonder about showing off your skin, especially if you’re popping into mosques and temples for a sight-see. When in doubt, cover up. With modesty in mind, take a bandana or scarf to wrap across shoulders and to put on your head in more religious locations. This will also keep you safe from sunstroke; a cold wet cloth across the brow will cool down your temperature dramatically.
This kind of cross-country travelling means that you’ll spend a great deal of time getting to locations, by trains and buses. There will be some journeys that can take days and nights that’ll drive you mad with boredom and it’s likely that you’ll be tired and on guard, sitting in carriages full of people who will probably be staring at you: the hot and bothered tourist. It’s not exactly an essential, but a pack of cards neatly fits into a bag, you can get a variety of games out of them and use up hours of endless train rides.
Getting the right travel insurance is just as important as packing correctly and should be top of your list of things to get. If you are thinking about heading out on a backpacking adventure, go and check out AATravel, who include a travel insurance package for exactly this kind of trip.