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Item Description
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Info
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| 3 or 4 T-Shirts. |
- I took 1 blue T-Shirt, 1 white T-Shirt (that had to
be constantly washed) and one smarter, dark T-Shirt
(good for going out in the evenings)
- I also took one pale, sleeveless T-Shirt for the
beaches.
- I had to replace 2 of the T-Shirts while travelling,
and the other 2 were in such bad condition by the end,
that I had to ditch them before returning home.
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| 2 Pairs of Shorts. |
- I bought two pairs of shorts from Cotswolds (a
camping & trekking store). One pale and one dark brown.
The colours meant they could be worn with any of my
T-Shirts
- Make sure your shorts have plenty of pockets, some
preferably with zips.
- These shorts were extremely durable. When I took
them home at the end of 8 months, they were still in
really good condition!
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| Fleece Jumper. |
- It's good to have at least one warm top. I took a
dark blue fleecy jumper which was light but very warm.
- The jumper was essential in the Western countries,
but I ended up sending it home in Asia because I was
never using it, and it was taking up valuable souvenir
room!
- Try and choose one that can be tumble-dried, or at
least dries quickly. Mine did neither, so washing it was
a real problem.
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| 2 pairs of trousers. |
- I took one pair of brown combat-style trousers.
Comfortable, durable, practical and plenty of pockets
- I also took a pair of trousers which has legs that
could be zipped off to turn it into a pair of shorts.
Really useful! I used them as shorts much more than as
trousers!
- Don't buy 'army camouflage' trousers. Do you really
want people thinking you're involved with the military?
It's creates way to many problems.
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| 1 smart shirt. |
- I carried around a smart, white shirt in case I ever
needed it for a formal occasion. I didn't use it once,
but it might have come in useful.
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| 3 pairs of boxer shorts. |
- When I say 3 pairs, most people go 'ewwwhhhhh'. But
trust me, this is the optimum number as many backpackers
and trekkers will tell you. Just rotate between them every
day, and wash them as often as you think is necessary.
- As my boxers got washed more often than any of my
other closes, they fell apart quite quickly and I needed
to replace them a couple of times during my gap year.
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| 3 pairs of socks. |
- Although I made use of them at the start of my trip,
I soon started wearing my sandals, so my socks became
defunct. They spent most of the trip hiding at the
bottom of my bag.
- Socks are only small, so take a couple of pairs just
in case.
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| 1 pair of walking socks. |
- I bought a pair of double-layered, anti-blister,
1000-mile socks, and I think they were a good
investment. I wore them on the few treks and mountain
walks that I did, and I didn't have any trouble with
sore feet or blisters.
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| Pair of Multi-purpose, cross-trainer shoes. |
- My friends took normal trainers, but I wanted
something a bit sturdier.
- Choosing a suitable pair of shoes can be difficult.
I wanted a pair of trainer style shoes that were
comfortable with a sturdy build, strong grip and with a
good all-round performance. After trying on dozens of
pairs, I eventually bought a pair of cross-trainers made
by Merrell.
- My shoes were superb. They served me faithfully for
my whole trip and I've still got them to this day.
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| Pair of Sandals (Teva style). |
- The most useful type of footwear for backpacking.
Trust me, you'll end up wearing them all the time.
- These type of sandals are strong, comfortable and
good for wearing at the beach, in the town and even on
light walks.
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| Cap/Hat |
- Useful for protecting your head and face from the
strong sun.
- Also good to cover messy hair when you're having a
bad-hair day!
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| Swimming Shorts |
- Essential for the beaches, waterfalls, water-parks,
swimming pools etc.
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| Rain Jacket |
- Good to have 'just in case'. It will probably rain a
few time during your travels. (A lot if you visit south
New Zealand of Asia).
- I bought a 'mac-in-a-sac' a great, light jacket that
packs up into a really small bag. Note that they're not
very good in heavy rain though!
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| Umbrella |
- Some people laugh when they see it, but an
Englishman never goes anywhere without his brolly. This
turned out to be one of the most useful items in my
rucksack.
- In Asia it's rainy and it's hot. If you wear a rain
jacket, you're going to get sweaty and sticky. Umbrellas
are perfect for this climate.
- A compact umbrella in your pocket can come in very
useful for those sudden rainstorms.
- Also, an umbrella is good to keep the sun off you if
you've had too much of that big, yellow, smiling face.
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| Sunglasses |
- Not just to look cool, they're essential to protect your
eyes from the strong sunlight and UV rays that you'll
encounter in many places.
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| Pair of Flip Flops |
- I bought a pair in Asia after I'd had to walk
barefoot into one too many a filthy shower.
- The Teva style sandals take too long to dry, but
cheap flip-flops are perfect for wearing in the shower. They
dry almost instantly.
- Also, flip-flops are small, light and fit in almost
anywhere, so they're no hassle to carry around.
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