In the last 10 year time of my part-time travel, I have made a lot of mistakes while packing, leading to a lot of problems and difficulties while on the way. I have tried to list the common mistakes that we all tend to make while packing for our travel and most importantly if we are going for a trip that’s more than 4-5 days. These are based on my personal experiences and have been useful for me. The more I am aware, the lighter my backpack will be, and makes my trek more fun.
- We pack more than we need because we believe that we can carry everything when we do some trial at home. When you start walking, everything will start to feel after a few hours unlike at your home. So, always pack light and essentials only because its going to feel way heavier than it’s now.
- We want to show our bag big enough for the photos and we feel that the bag should be full. Don’t do it, it’s not worth it.
- Your bag will be full slowly even if you don’t add anything on the way. Your bag wont be as organized as you have packed at your home. So leave some space so that you don’t have to spend a long time organizing your bag when you are super tired on your way.
- Keep things in the priority of your need. Heavy clothes, sleeping bags, etc. can go at the bottom, and immediate needs like food and first aid should be at the top and should be reachable easily.
- There are multiple pockets and use each pocket for a specific purpose rather than random packing. That way you can find what you are searching for immediately.
- One dry bag including one set of all the wearables like t-shirts, half pants, shocks, jackets, underwear, lighter, and winter cap. This will help you for survival even if everything you have is soaked due to various reasons like a heavy waterfall or you fell in a water/river.
- Waterproof pouch for your electronics like phone, charger, power bank, camera, or other digital devices.
- Pack beforehand and don’t plan to buy something on the road as you might forget it and it will create a rush in your itinerary and you need to open your bags again to fit those things.
- If you have any medical conditions like asthma, recent surgery, breathing difficulty, etc then it’s always a good idea to consult with your doctor before going on the trip. Also, pack your medicines according to your condition.
Make sure that your bag has enough breathing space after you are fully packed. My recommendation will always be to pack lighter and carry a bag that has good padding with a proper rain cover. But regardless of whatever you pack, you will always miss something or overpack something, but the only intention is to make our travel as easy as possible with minimal packing. Enjoy your trip. Cheers!
