Packing for a backpacking trip can feel overwhelming at times - but no matter how many days or hours before your trip, always remember... THERE WILL BE STORES WHERE YOU ARE GOING so no need to majorly stress.  However, while you plan, here's a quick list of should-brings!

Backpacking Packing List

Buff (Polyester/Spandex Neck Gator)

Whether you’re heading out on a day-long snorkel trip or hiking up a mountain in the wind, this tubular piece of fabric is going to be one thing you never knew you always wanted. These neck buffs can be as fancy (UV protection) or as inexpensive as you want.

A 99cent-made-in-China-buff was MVP of my 2 month Vietnam road trip. It protected me from rocks to the face, crazy amounts of dust, and a sun burnt nose. Fin uses hers to keep the sun off her nose on long adventures out on the water.

Here's the “brand name” one if you're in the market or any similar would be fine!

Carabiners

While it's totally fine to cheap out on a neck gator, you should spend a few bucks more and buy a real carabiner. Real as in, usable for rock climbing and rated to carry X amount of weight (or at least with a locking system like the ones listed here).

Now that I've used a decent carabiner, I won't be going back to those cheap ones that have a broken spring after 2 weeks. Carabiners are great for clipping sandals to a backpack on the beach, managing hotel and scooter keys, clipping up towels to dry, hanging up that travel hammock, the list goes on the more we travel.

Compression Cubes

Packing is chaos without these.  Better than packing cubes, compression cubes have an extra zipper that remove unwanted air giving you extra space in your pack.  We are so passionate about compression cubes that after a year of travel around the world we made our own.

Our Compression Packing Cubes come in multiple colors and multiple different set sizes and dimensions. Click the listing here to shop via Amazon or you can always learn about our high quality products without the luxury price tag at our website www.trippedtravelgear.com

Dryer Sheets

One of our favorite travel tips around! Dryer sheets are the PERFECT way to keep your clothes smelling fresh through multiple airplane cargo holds, a damp taxi trunk and full of dirty clothes. We didn’t realize how difficult these are to find outside of North America.

Tuck a few of these into a pocket in your luggage and you’ll be reminded of how travel savvy you are every time you open your suitcase.

GoToobs

Arg the pesky 3oz carry-on rule!  Since we only carry-on bags that severely limits our space for toiletries.  Most 3oz bottles are made of a hard plastic that is IMPOSSIBLE to use. Ever sat in the shower for 7 minutes trying to shake the conditioner bottle harder than a glass Heinz ketchup? Struggle no more with these squeezable tubes.  They come in various (smaller) sizes, but go for the full 3oz to maximize space.

These are the exact ones we carry. Then, when you're in a place for a long period of time, buy shampoo/conditioner/sunscreen from the local store... use the contents from that bottle, and put the leftovers in here to continue to carry with you! (So that you don't have to throw away and waste a big bottle to board a flight!)

Foldable Backpack

A backpack for $20? Count me in! Another product in our Tripped Travel Gear product line, these lightweight backpacks compress down into a small pouch to make them easy to throw in your luggage, RV or tiny storage space and pull out when you’re ready for your outdoor adventure!

Water resistant, fleece lined sunglasses pocket and two water bottle holders makes this a no-brainer for your next trip or to leave in the back of your car.

Earplugs

We brought these along expecting to use them on flights. We've ended up using them when we least expected however. Whether you mistakenly book the hotel next to the karaoke bar or have a 3 hour trip on scooters, earplugs will come in handy when you expect them the least.

SERIOUS NOTE- if you're heading to Philippines or Vietnam- the people LOVE karaoke there even more than any stereotype suggests.  Even if you're staying at a remote cottage next to a rice paddy, don't be surprised if the bamboo hut in the middle of the rice paddy is blasting karaoke until 2AM every night.

Dry Bag

Zeus came out to play when we were in Athens.  This Drybag fought the gods and won.

Even when you're not specifically going somewhere wet, drybags are so light these days that its terribly easy to let one ride in the bottom of your day bag. Our dry bag saved our camera more than a few times...along with our cellphones. A plastic grocery bag works as well in a pinch, but when you're protecting $500 electronics, why not be sure?The Sea to Summit bag (pictured) is not too expensive (around $20) considering being top-of-the-line.