packing a backpack - other items

Sleeping bags

Should you consider quality sleeping bags?

Strongly consider what kind of travelling you will be doing. If you will be going on a lot of hiking trips and staying in camp sites, then of course you will need a sleeping bag.  If you're staying in hostels, and only occasionally will be camping or hiking, then there may not be much use in bringing a sleeping bag.  It will take up extra space in your pack and you will regret bringing it. 

It is always possible to hire a sleeping bag if you do require it so you may not need it when packing a backpack. The places that you would consider going hiking or camping will have shops that hire sleeping bags (and other camping gear) for you. If not, you can set up a business right there and live in the wonderful surroundings!

Books

When you are packing a backpack, make sure you pack a good book or two. As a budget traveller or backpacker, you will have plenty of time waiting around whether it be at the airport, bus station or other form of transport.  If you are travelling by yourself, you'll inevitably have those times where you need to kill time by yourself. Maybe you haven't met anyone at the hostel yet or you are just looking to relax. A book will come in very handy.

There will also be many travellers or backpackers where you can exchange books with.  It is a talking point and you can meet someone just by looking to exchange a book.  Many hostels have book exchanges so you can keep on swapping books to keep yourself occupied. Make sure you think about bring a book or two when packing a backpack.

Ipods/Mp3 players

For all the reasons that a book is handy whilst travelling, you should carry your Ipod around as well.  It's great to pass the time whilst you are on a long bus, train or plane trip and keep you entertained.

You may think that carrying an Ipod does create a slight security concern as it creates attention and is appealing for someone to steal.  It is also an item which may be stolen when left in a bag at a hostel.  But the chances of this occurring are low as long as you are vigilant and not careless about it. The security concern isn't an issue.

In order to be able to listen to your Ipod, you obviously will need to charge it. Charging an Ipod can take its time.  It is quite easy to find a power point in a hostel so you should be able to charge it. But to fully charge your Ipod, you will have to leave it there for a substantial amount of time. It's fine to charge if you are around the area, but what if you want to head out? A good way to charge it is put it inside your backpack, lock your backpack and have the cord stretching out between the zips. Then you can lean your pack against the wall in a way that doesn't make it look obvious that you have an Ipod charging. However, there is nothing to stop someone from spending the time to try to squeeze the Ipod out of your bag. But if someone was wanting to take your Ipod, they would take your whole bag anyway.  From experience, your possessions being stolen are quite rare and you should be comfortable leaving your stuff around a hostel. As Ipods become more common, it will become less of an attraction.

Another time where you can charge your Ipod is when you are using a computer. Plug it into the USB drive when you are sending your emails and looking on the internet. You may not necessarily have the time to charge it completely, but it may give your Ipod enough power to last for an extra hour or two.

Digital cameras

Digital cameras are terrific for a backpacker. They allow you to be trigger happy and take as many photos as you please. With memory cards now cheaper compared to a few years ago, you can take a whole heap of photos before you run out of space. 

Charging your digital camera will be easier than charging your Ipod because you can remove the battery.  It is even more unlikely that someone will take your digital camera charger and battery. You still need to be cautious but not as cautious as compared to an Ipod.

If you do reach that stage of filling up your memory card, you should be able to find a computer (either at a hostel or internet café) that will allow you to download your photos onto a CD or DVD.  

However, a negative in having large memory cards and the ability to easily download your photos mean that you may have thousands of photos to sift through once you arrive back home from your trip.

Having an Ipod or MP3 player with you will also give you added storage space to store photos.

These are only some of the items you should consider bringing when packing a backpack.

Read about:

• why use a backpack?
• size and features of your backpack
• choose a backpack part 1
• choose a backpack part 2
• choosing quality sleeping bags
• carry on luggage restrictions

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