Packing for trips and vacations can be very bothersome for certain people, or really fun for others. One of the biggest complications of packing is deciding what to even bring! You either pack a bunch of items you never end up wearing or forget to pack things that would end up saving the day. Luckily for you, we have done both! Learn from our mistakes. 

We have been backpacking the world for the last 9 months and have become very knowledgeable about what is good to pack and what is better to leave at home. Knowing what is important or not is very crucial to making your trip go by smoothly. Here we will explain the dos and don’ts of packing for long vacations or travels. Buckle up, and let’s go!

And keep reading until the end for a FREE PACKING LIST!

Suitcase or Backpack?

Before, when we took trips and vacations, we always packed our clothes inside suitcases. It was big, easy to manage, and just normal. Once we decided to backpack in Latin America, we thought a backpack would be better and easier to carry around. Suitcases can be very useful and don’t hurt your body to carry around. However, they hold less clothing and are very difficult to carry on rough terrain or stairs. A backpack was the better option. Backpacks hold more, are easier to carry around and since they are typically lighter, you can add heavier stuff to them, while still respecting the weight limits of most airlines. The only con is that after a while, the bag does cut into your shoulders. It can be very painful or annoying. However, it is still the smarter choice. At least it was for us. 

Picking the Perfect Bag

There are many options to choose from for bags. Some are very expensive but very durable. So if you’re boujee, then great. Others are cheaper and can break easily. The backpacks we ended up with were given to us as a gift from our friend. They are 50l bags with support straps and lots of pockets. They were cheaper, so at first, we assumed they might break easily. We were wrong! We have stuffed them full and have been traveling for 9 months nonstop. They have yet to tear. The brand is Free Knight Adventure. You can find them on Amazon as well as other bag options. Sporting stores should have other options too! I would say that 50L is the perfect size. You have room to fit stuff while still being small enough to use as a carry-on for flights. At the end of the day, the choice is yours. So make sure you really think about what’s better for you.

Time to Pack

Clothes 

Now we have made it to the actual part of packing! (finally) First, I will cover what clothes to pack, before continuing to the extra items. Now keep in mind, we have been traveling for months and plan on continuing for many more, so you may not need as many items as we did. We had to keep in mind the weather and different seasons we would encounter during our journey. Another thing to keep in mind is necessity. Do you need it?  If not, just forget it. Here is a list of the items we brought:

• Tank tops and t-shirts: For your hotter days and also as pajamas
• Button or fancy shirts: Nice clothing for our nights out
• Long sleeve and sweatshirts: For comfort and when the days get chilly
• Underwear: Need I say more?
• Jewelry: For when you want to feel pretty.
• Jacket: for colder weather. Harry has a denim jacket, that also helps for fashion purposes. 
• Shorts: Some for comfort, pajamas, or swimming. 
• Pants: Some sweatpants, jeans, leggings, and fancy pants for all occasions!
• Sandals: For those beach days!
• Walking shoes: Try getting some cute and also comfortable shoes. Our shoes are comfortable but really ugly. For now, that’s fine but some days I really wished I packed shoes that are just as comfortable but a little cuter. Apparently, I thought that abroad I would stop caring about how I look. Spoiler: it never happened.
• Sarogon: Most people say microfiber towels. But they end up stinking like a middle school boy after gym class. These have the same features but they don’t smell, they don’t take up a lot of space and they’re cuter. 
• Raincoat: In many places that we expected to be sunny and warm it ended up raining quite quite a bit. This was a lifesaver, especially when we were seeing Iguazu Falls.
• Swimsuit: a couple of bikinis for the beach. Gotta have options!
• Beanie: A hat to keep your head and ears warm! But we have yet to need them in South America. 

For the bulky items, like jackets and shoes, you’ll only need one of each. For the other clothing, 3-5 is probably a good amount. Whatever fits. Obviously, we are not quite done just yet. 

Extras

While your clothes are important, other extras are just as important if you plan on packing your bags and leaving home. You need things for entertainment, work, security, and all that good stuff. Now it can vary based on the length of travel, and of course what best suits you. Here is a list of what we brought with us:

• Toiletries: this means toothbrushes, razors, and any other hygienic items you may need. For example, we brought a reusable ear-cleaning kit so we wouldn’t need to buy cotton swabs.
• Chargers + portable charger: Chargers to charge your electronics and a portable one for when you are on a plane or bus or walking and need that juice.
• Computer: A computer is a must for us. We teach English online to make money while we travel. Also, this blog is being written on the said computer!
• Headphones: These can be really useful to jam out to tunes, or watch stuff without disturbing others. Also if your travel buddy snores or is annoying you, you can pop them in, and voila!
• E-reader: Sometimes it is nice to take a break from shows, and pick up a book. Bringing a regular book isn’t sensible so an e-reader is the better choice. You can download multiple books, and read in the dark and the weight is almost nonexistent.
• Packing cubes: Packing cubes are these little bags that compress your clothing to make it easier to pack. These are a must! They make packing easy and functional.
• Paperwork: Having copies of your passport, and other documents like this can save you if you are ever in an emergency. 
• Books: Remember when I said books weren’t a smart choice? We know from experience. For some unknown reason, we brought journals, and other useless books like this.
• Extra bags: We have 4 bags between the two of us. They allow us to carry everything extra. This is a blessing and a curse.
• Photo Album: Harry brought a small photo album to carry pictures of his friends and family. Cheesy, right?

I believe that is everything we brought. I may be forgetting things, but who cares? More or less this is what we had in our bags for the last 9 months to aid us on our journey. 

What We Wish We Brought

Some things we picked up along the way

While we packed a whole bunch, there were items that we definitely forgot. Things we either bought along the way or just haven’t gotten. We make mistakes so you can learn from them. You are very welcome. Now first we will cover the things we ended up acquiring along the way:

• Blankets: We didn’t buy them, we just snagged them from our plane rides. Don’t worry, it’s 100% legal! Or at least I hope it is!
• Water bottle: We bought a thermal bottle to keep our drinks cold or hot. Depending on our mood. Also MATE! If you don’t know what that is, it is a stimulating beverage similar to tea popular in many parts of South America. You put your leaves in the appropriate cup and pour hot water on them, drink and repeat. We originally got the bottle just for mate (thats’s how much we liked it) but now we use it for all sorts of drinks.
• Scissors: For cutting hair, or opening things. Make sure they are small though. Or airport security will take them from you.
• Gloves: Keep those fingers warm. 
• Sunglasses: It doesn’t seem too important, but trust me –  you will need them. The sun in LATAM can be unforgiving. Get them or go blind!
• Medicine: When we were getting ready for this trip we didn’t think of bringing medicine with us, but in the past 9 months we have already gotten sick twice, the first time we tried to suck it up and not use any medicine, but the second time we couldn’t so we ended up having to buy it here. Bring it from home, it’s much easier to find the right medicine for you in your home country.

Some things we have yet to buy

These are a few things we picked up along the way. So consider bringing them to begin with. Now, there are things we wish we brought but have not gotten the chance to yet:

• Summer Dress: A dress would be very nice to have in these hot countries. Yet I failed to remember it. And it would also be a great option for a night out, since the other thing I forgot to pack is something nice.
• One Nice Outfit: Harry brought nice clothes with him because he is smarter than me. I did not. So most days I look like I crawled out of the catacombs.
• Rubber Sandals: These are more useful than Birkenstocks (that I decided to bring instead). Useful for the beach, public showers, and things like that.
• Dry Bag or Scrubba wash bag: I haven’t tried them personally but from what I understand they don’t only keep your stuff dry in any environment but they can also be used as a portable washing machine. Pretty dank if you ask me!
• Chords organizer: The chords can get tangled and ruin your life. This helps everything stay in order.

So that’s that. The things we should have packed are quite extensive. Can you blame us though? We were new to this and now we know better. Give me a break, okay? 

What We Wish We Forgot

Great, we are reaching the end. We just talked about what we wish we brought. Now are the things we regret bringing. Things that are unnecessary, useless, and stupid. Hey, that’s what my mom calls me! No, I’m joking. She has never said it out loud. Back on track, don’t distract me! Here are the items that you can afford to forget:

• Books: As mentioned twice before, books are great for reading and decorating your home. But leave them there. The books have taken up space and are heavy. A big L for us.
• Cool Bag: Harry thought it was a good idea to bring a leather bag for his extra bag. He wanted to feel like Indiana Jones. Well, that bag sucks and is falling apart. Stick to your school bags.
• Pins & Keychains: Another brilliant idea from Harry. He brought so many pins and keychains to decorate his bag. They keep falling out and really aren’t of any use. So, just don’t do it.

I am sure that there is more we could have avoided bringing. Cannot think of it now. So you’ll have to just deal with what we have. Whenever we return home, we will definitely be smarter about how we pack.

Thank you for reading until the end, here is your FREE PACKING LIST! Feel free to adjust it based on your personal needs and your destination.