Long-term travel comes with its challenges. Fitting everything you need in your bag, or deciding what you even need in the first place, is a big one. With any challenge, the reward is hugely beneficial, and the outcomes bring positivity in many different ways. Here are a few things you need for travelling long-term in 2020.
Backpack
Let’s start this off with the most basic, but most essential part of your packing list, and that’s the backpack itself. When it comes to choosing your backpack there are countless options available but be mindful that not all of these are comparable. Say you are going to be hiking through your trip then you need something that is made for the challenge. You will find many hiking backpacks are top loading and built around an aluminium frame. Top-loading is fine when you don’t need to retrieve many items as you travel, but if you are required to get belongings out of your back regularly, then a hiking bag may not be the most suitable. Whatever your backpack choice, it needs to be rugged and be able to withstand the challenge that a year of travelling will bring.
Water Bottle
Staying hydrated is important when trekking, especially when visiting warmer climates. Relying on bottled water can be expensive and is also adding to the amount of plastic polluting our oceans. To avoid dehydration and furthering the environmental crisis ensure you have packed a refillable water bottle, and for extra benefit purchase a bottle with a built-in filter. If these are not available a Life Straw offers the same water purifying benefits, meaning no matter where you are, any water source is clean and safe to drink.
Clothes
Next up on this list of things you need for travelling long-term in 2020 is clothing. When it comes to packing enough clothes for a year of travelling you need to pack smart, rather than packing everything. Start with the essentials like socks and underwear, pack enough for a couple weeks but keep in mind you can easily wash these items along the way. It’s a good idea to take darker coloured underwear, that’s harder to discolour and less likely to show any stains. Your travel destinations will ultimately decide the kind of clothing you need to pack, but there are a few items which you can count on needing:
- Walking Boots
- Waterproofs
- Hooded Jacket
- Shorts
- T-Shirts
- Comfortable Attire
Many people fail to pack for comfort, although you will be spending your days adventuring it’s likely you will have down-time to recover, and times when you need to spend a day or two loungings, and for this loungewear is an absolute essential to have on your packing list. Consider adding a personalised hoodie or t-shirt to your packing list, these are great mementoes of your trip and you can wear them after and reminisce on the great times you had. You can find all your personalised clothing needs at Banana Moon Clothing!
Essentials
Last up on this list of things you need for travelling long-term in 2020 is all about the essentials. Make sure you save space for any prescription medication and a well-stocked first aid kit as you can never be too prepared for any eventuality. Travel comfort is also important, especially if you are booked onto a long-haul flight. Achieving comfort on a plane may sound like an impossible task but an inflatable pillow, eye mask and earplugs can make all the difference and any way to reduce fatigue and jetlag at the start of your trip will be a huge benefit!
