What I Wish I Knew About Backpacking Before I Started Traveling Abroad
Backpacking isn't all mid-afternoon mojitos and spectacular scenery. In fact, a life of travel often comes with baggage that's heavier than you can carry. Backpacking is no different and oftentimes equates to even more baggage - metaphorical and literal - because of the nature of this kind of travel. Similar to life, with travel, you can only prepare for some of it.
Me and my backpack in Thailand in 2013.
I left home in May 2016 and after five months in New York City, I've been backpacking since.
I am a nomad.
In total, I've traversed the globe with a bag on my back for around 10 months of my 24 years. Am I crazy? Possibly. But moving from place to place, interacting with a rainbow of different people in cultures different to my own with just a few worldly possessions strapped to my body, gets me glowing with happiness. And right now, I'm happily in the throes of a full-fledged travel addiction.
I choose to backpack because it's more economical and far more enjoyable than regular all-inclusive, pre-planned vacations. Everyone has a different idea of what backpacking entails (ZERO camping for me, thanks) but broadly, I'd define my backpacker lifestyle as consisting of some the following elements: economy flying, a backpack, hostel dorms, homestays, street food, public buses, local favourites, and minimal planning.
If you're thinking of backpacking instead of vacationing, I can assure you it won't always be free of challenges, but it will be memorable, exciting, enlightening, and totally worth it.
Saying that, here are a few things I wish I knew before I ever set out on the road.
Don't Travel With Someone For The Sake Of It
I like solo travel - a lot. I like the uninhibited freedom of being able to wake up in the morning to decide where to visit and at what time to get eat churros (anytime, FYI). I like making the call about where to stay and who to talk to. I like making mistakes safely with the knowledge that they can die with me on the road and no one else has to know. But when I first started travelling properly (Colombia), I found myself seeking out long-term travel buddies out of fear of being alone. This culminated in me travelling with a girl I didn't really get on with, in a group of three, for three whole weeks. The snapping and sniping came to a head when we both got drunk on the last night and had a huge row. By the next morning, my travel buddy upped and left without saying a word to me and all I had left were hundreds of pictures of us on my camera…
Travelling with friends in Guatepe, Colombia (no fights here)
Travel friendships are formed under pretty unnatural circumstances - fun, sun, and stress, to be exact - so it's no wonder they're often fleeting. Just be sure that you're aware of what you're getting yourself into before you commit to travelling with someone you barely know. Oftentimes, you'll grow more if you go it alone for the most part.
If It Ain't A Backpack, It Will Be The Bane Of Your Existence
The type of backpack you need to invest in
Any bag other than a backpack just isn't going to cut it.
In fact, the only thing my current bag has cut (a large Nike sports bag), is my right arm as I've struggled to lug it through the streets of Havana with its single side-strap recently. I left NYC completely unprepared and didn't invest in the type of backpack that I brought to Colombia and Asia a few years back.
And I regret it every time I have to change rooms, get a bus, or move more than a few steps.
A “70L" backpack, like the one I used to have at the left, is perfect for any trip longer than two weeks and should cost around $75-$110 - so invest!
Pack As If Nothing Is Replaceable
If you're anything like me, when prepping for a trip you probably throw all your things into your bag with carefree abandon because you just want to GET there, already. But with just a little more effort into your packing technique, you can reduce your risk of losing/breaking your stuff on the road (because finding a good sports bra or a decent iPhone charger in a rural Cuban village is a lot harder than it is in your home city, trust me).
Backpack on the beach
I wish I'd made a clothing checklist at the start of every backpacking trip so I could keep track of all my black tops among all the other millions of black items in hostels, before they disappeared. I also wish I triple wrapped all my hair products because SheaMoisture is worth its weight in gold when you're in a country that doesn't stock it.
I'm also currently travelling with a girl who uses vacuum-pack bags for her clothes which is my next travel packing essential because, in addition to protecting everything, she saves so much space. Oh, and I REALLY wish I got insurance on all my electricals too.
Read Your Insurance Policy Word For Word
Although Colombia is now a pretty safe country for tourists, my iPhone was pinched from my pocket in broad daylight in the capital city of Bogota back in 2015, which killed my vibe completely. I remember it happened at the end of my trip and that my misery was massaged, in part, by the distant memory of the travel insurance I'd purchased before leaving. Yes, I can claim it all back, I remember thinking. However, when I dug out my policy I was hella pissed to discover that cellphones were actually not covered in the insurance plan I'd chosen. Moral of the story? Read the smallest of the fineprint before you purchase any travel insurance. And don't keep your iPhone in your back-pocket either.
Save Space In Your Pack For Meds
Over the past few months, I've been hit with food poisoning, cystitis, heat rash, the flu, and I've had my eye swell up due to some random allergic reaction. But due to my blind optimism back in the UK (read: lack of planning), most of the time I didn't have meds to help. Getting sick thousands of miles from home, when you have to describe your symptoms in a foreign language, using Google translate, whilst doubled over in pain in a tiny hospital, is an experience you'd rather avoid, right?
Well, if you save space in your pack for re-hydration salts (for the inevitable food poisoning), antihistamines (for the allergies), generic painkillers (for the headaches and hangovers), a first aid-kit (for scratches and cuts), and anything else you know you will need, that inevitable sickness won't be quite as difficult to deal with when it hits.
Have you ever gone backpacking or thought about going backpacking? Share your stories with us below!
- 14 Things I Wish I Knew Before Hiking the Appalachian Trail ... ›
- 10 things I wish I'd known before backpacking southeast Asia and ... ›
- 9 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Backpacked for the First Time - Be ... ›
- The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Backpacking with Babies - part 3 ... ›
- 7 Things I Wish I Knew Before My First Thru-Hike - Therm-a-Rest Blog ›
- 5 Beginner Sewing Ultralight MYOG Tips I Wish I Knew - YouTube ›
- Backpacking Solo: The One Thing I Wish I'd Known Before Traveling ›
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Rihanna Talks Shedding Expectations And Finding Balance As A Mother
Since becoming a mother in 2022, Rihanna has defined parenthood by her terms and hopes to pass that sense of autonomy on to her children.
For Vogue China’s April cover story, Rihanna shared her perspective on raising her two sons with A$AP Rocky, and how she hopes to preserve her children’s uniqueness, devoid of societal expectations.
"The most beautiful thing...is that [children] come into the world with their own individuality and sincerity, without any logic or conformity,” she told the publication. “Which usually makes you feel that you must fit into a certain group."
The “Work” artist, known for her trendsetting style and captivating persona, expressed her desire to support children in fully embracing their individuality and encouraging them to be whoever they want to be. "It's really beautiful to see and I want to continue to help them navigate that and make sure that they know they can be whoever they want to be,” she says.
She continues, “They should embrace it completely, because it's beautiful, and it's unique. I love them just that way."
From shattering music charts to shaking up the beauty industry, Rihanna has forged a path that has since created the “dream” life we see today. One that she says has made her parents proud of.
“I’m living my dream,” she continued. “My parents were very proud of that because they just wanted me to be happy and successful. So, I think the key thing is to find some kind of balance. Yes, balance is important. Do this and you get the best of both worlds. You can write your own life the way you want, and it will be beautiful. Sometimes, you just need to let go of everyone’s expectations and start living your own story.”
Rihanna, who shares sons, RZA, 23 months, and Riot, 8 months, with rapper A$AP Rocky, recently shared her vision for expanding her family in the future in Interview Magazine.
When stylist Mel Ottenberg asked about the number of additional children she hoped to have, Rihanna replied, "As many as God wants me to have.”
"I don't know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl,” she adds. “But of course, if it's another boy, it's another boy."
Featured image by Neil MockfordWireImage