How to Optimize Your Backpack Before a Trip?
Optimize your backpack: here are the things to put first.
- Optimizing your backpack is a priority. You need your papers, your first aid kit, something to sleep well in the great outdoors, protection against the sun and for your safety. In short, the list is long, very long. Here is the secret pouch to have against you on your chest under your clothes. A pocket that will be as flat as possible to store all of this:
- Passport with tourism or work visas
- Driving license
- Assistance insurance card
- International vaccination record
- European health insurance card
- Transport and accommodation reservations
- Emergency number from abroad
- International payment card (VISA, Mastercard…)
- Cash in foreign currencies
- Your smartphone
Optimize your backpack for your Pharmacy kit
- Then you need to find a place in a side pocket of the bag to store the first aid products:
- Your first aid and pharmacy kit
- Your important prescriptions
- Your blood group card
- Your vaccination card
Optimize your backpack for orientation
- Maps, road and hiking maps, smartphone and Google Maps.
- Old-fashioned compass.
Optimize your backpack for camping if necessary
- A mosquito net hammock with integrated pillow.
Optimize your backpack to stay clean
- Electric and classic toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Antibacterial gel in small bottles
- Neutral soap bar
- Detergent in tube
- Alum stone
- Moisturizing cream
- Nail clippers
- Monthly protection for women
- Forget makeup and accessories, girls, because you are in travel mode, not seduction mode.
Optimize your backpack to include the minimum amount of clothing
Depending on the climate zone, I recommend that you adapt. If it’s for a tropical climate, here’s what I suggest:
- 1 pair of all-terrain shoes.
- 1 pair of flip flops
- 1 Waterproof windbreaker or anti-tropical rain
- 3 t-shirts
- 3 pairs of socks
- 3 underwear
- 3 different “bottoms” (pants/shorts/skirts)
- 1 outfit for the night if you are cold but at night it is 25 degrees on average
- A pair of sunglasses
- A cap or hat
- A backpack for treks with integrated water bottle
- A Swiss knife or multi-pliers
- Survival kit
Buying a new backpack because yours died?
Alexandre Auger
French entrepreneur, expatriate since 2016. From radio to tech, from Bangkok to London via Hong Kong and Montreal. Founder of Komby (SaaS/AI). This blog tells the journey.