14 Tips to Pack Your Backpack for a Trip

As travelers, one thing that we need to have on point is our backpack. When we are away from home, that’s the only thing that contains all that we belong.

We want to reach out to the basic necessities and make sure that they’re placed right. On the contrary, we don’t want to overburden ourselves with too many things.

It is essential to know how to pack a backpack to carry the right amount of things. The following packing tips will help you pack your backpack and add the essential things to take for a trip:

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1. Choosing a backpack

You might be tempted to carry a big backpack, but that might make you add unnecessary things. People nowadays follow rules that gives you enough space to add the essential things to take for a trip.

Most backpacks allow you to place your electronics and necessities in the right way and you can make use of packing cubes for additional aid. Once you get yourself the right backpack, follow the next tips to know how to pack for a trip.

2. Go for a trail run

You might not believe, but you need the same amount of luggage for a couple of days at Budapest as you’d need for a long Euro tour. You just need to go for a trail run to believe this. Pack all that you think you need, and then unpack it, and then choose the most important ones and add them only. These should be about half of what you thought you needed. Just pick the ones you can’t do without and you’ll be a happier person.

Find some suitable travel gadgets

3. Roll your clothes

Make more space in your backpack by rolling up your clothes and layering them up. These don’t just help you avoid creases, but helps you add more things to take. Take bacteria detecting travel towel to stay bacteria-free and hygienic throughout the trip.

4. Carry plastic bags

One of the essentials things to put in your backpack must be plastic bags. These help you store the wet swimwear, leaky hair gel or dirty shoes. These help you stay super organized and also work like another layer of waterproof.

5. Place the electronics right

Electronic items are delicate and need care. For instance, you cannot keep them in the same place where you’d keep a bottle of water. You need to make sure that your backpack has an allotted space to store the electronic goods, and all the other items come thereafter. Laptops backpacks are ideal for such cases.

If you need more stuff for your trip, check this suitcase packing guide

6. Bring locks

You might know the best tips to travel the world cheap but you can’t care less about the things you already possess. To keep unwanted hands off your backpack, you must carry locks. The best ones are bike locks as you can attach your backpack to your bed when you stay back in a dorm or guesthouse.

7. Save weight

It is not just about the things to take for your journey but also how you manage them. Suppose you’re moving to a cold destination and you have a big jacket that takes up a lot of space. Consider wearing it most of the times or carrying it in your hand. You cut down on weight in your backpack and balance it out elsewhere.

8. Don’t pack too much

When you pack your backpack, focus on the essential things to take for a trip. Also focus on leaving out some space so that you can bring back gifts, souvenirs and so on. You don’t want to just squeeze in those little dolls from Russia, Chinese jade figurines, or Indian silk clothes, do you? They’re not gonna look as good as when you bought them.

Plan smart when it comes to carrying clothes and shoes.

For example, take a sarong that you can wear it in many ways or three t-shirts with one pair of jeans. Take one pair of boots in your backpack, while there’s a staple that you can wear at all times on the journey.

9. Know how to reach out

Pack your backpack in such a way that your gear is handy. For example, if you know that you are not going to fiddle around with the backpack till you reach a hotel at night, keep your loose tees and PJs on the top. This saves you from unpacking the entire backpack.

10. Share the load

If you are not traveling solo, you can share the packing tips with your friends. Tell them how to pack a backpack and check if you can share the load. Suppose you go camping with a group of four people, one can take care of the food, one can take care of camping essentials, one can carry everyone’s clothes, while the miscellaneous things can be taken care of by you.

11. Carry snacks

Use the pockets of your backpack to store snacks. These also help you pack toiletries and first aid. You can need snacks when you are on the way, and putting them inside the main chain can crush them all up.

12. Get a waterproof bag cover

It is smart to not expect the weather to go as forecasted. You can expect rainfall anywhere as long as it’s not absolutely deserted. Nomads must always carry waterproof covers for their backpack, as they keep changing their destination every now-and-then. Even if you are not a nomad, this is important to keep your gear safe.

13. Ease the strain

Pack your backpack in such a way that the entire load evens outs in different levels. This means you don’t have too much on the top or too much at the bottom. Carrying too much in either of the places can lead to neck strain or a backache, and so on. Ease the strain by packing in levels.

14. Get an insurance for your valuables

No matter how hard you try, things can go wrong. You must get insurance so that your valuables can be replaced if lost or stolen on the way.

These were some of the value packing tips that’ll help you get your backpack ready. Share it with your fellow travelers to let them know how to pack for a trip. You might be able to share their load and help each other pack. Plan your perfect trip here