Travel Packing Tips for Backpackers

First-time backpackers tend to stuff their rucksacks with enough clothes, travel gear and accessories to cater for every eventuality – but this can be back-breaking if you're planning to be carrying your bags a long way.

We've put together some top packing tips to help you get your travel kit organised, make the best use of space, and stay lightweight...

Choose the right rucksack and daysack

First on the list is investing in the right kind of pack, and a separate daysack as hand luggage and for day trips. Work out what capacity you need, and the most appropriate style. Travel rucksacks are side opening, for example, offering easy access and making it easier to organise your stuff. They also have removable daysacks, handy for sightseeing when you can leave your main rucksack back at your accommodation. Hiking rucksacks, on the other hand, are slimline, top-loading, and offer more stability for your back – far more suitable for backpacking trips where you're carrying your gear a lot.

Compile a list of everything you need to take

Write a list of everything you need to take, from your clothes and wash items to medication, first aid, outdoor or camping gear, and any essential travel accessories such as a travel washing line or plug converters. A quick Google search will return lots of 'standard' travel packing lists which you can adapt to suit your own travel plans.

Organise your belongings

Next up, it's time to categorise everything. Use packing bags to separate clothes into categories such as 'tops', 'trousers and shorts', and 'underwear'. Pack your wash stuff and first aid kit into dedicated bags or cases. Look at your pack and its pockets, and think about what you need to be able to access most easily.

Do a packing 'dummy run'

Have a dummy run at packing to find out whether everything fits. Place heavy items in the middle of your pack, making it more balanced and easier to carry. Clothes take up the majority of your pack space, so choose fabrics carefully (avoid slow-drying, heavy cotton or denim) and limit the amount you take – and pack some travel wash.

Remember airport restrictions on liquids in hand luggage: pack them in your checked luggage if possible, and if any must go in your hand luggage make sure they are in containers of no more than 100ml, inside a transparent, re-sealable plastic bag no larger than 20x20cm.

If you can't fit everything in your pack, or it's full to capacity, review your packing list, cross unnecessary items off, and remove them. If you pack is too full, you'll struggle to access the things you need and to repack your bag each time you move to new accommodation.

Find out whether you're within your baggage weight limits

If you're flying, check the baggage weight limits and the maximum number of items you're allowed, because these vary from one airline to the next. Hand-held digital weighing scales are a handy way to check you're within the limits and avoid excess baggage charges. If you're over the limit, now might be the time to invest in a few weight-saving devices – for example, you could leave heavy, bulky books at home if you buy an e-reader.