Source: ezinearticles.com
This travel packing list makes no pretense of being comprehensive. On the contrary - it has five must-take items, and five items only. But these five are things you can't possibly afford to leave behind if you're backpacking.
1. Door lock
Doors in hostels are flimsy things, often too easy to break into or pick, especially when you're inside. Chances are no one will break down your door but the last thing you need is to lose your backpack or precious possessions while you're asleep because someone picked your lock. When your head hits that pillow, it should be all starlight and angels. Finding a portable lock is easy, and most of them are light and easy to carry. Just make sure you test, packing light , it before you, packing light , go. Not all locks fit all doors, however, so just in case, I also travel with a simple backup plan: a rubber doorstop. Just push it into the crack under your door and ward off anyone with sneaky entry ideas.
2. Nail brush
You, packing light , may have one of these lying around - great for cleaning your nails, of course, but for much more too. Backpacking often means long walks through inhospitable terrain - and that in turn usually means mud on your shoes. Use the nail, packing light , brush to scrub your shoes or boots once the mud has dried. Backpackers travel light so you'll be washing clothes often:, packing light , there's nothing like a nail brush and a bit of soap to remove any stains and keep your clothes looking fresh: no more squeezing and rubbing, and goodbye dirt and mud (not to mention clean nails).
3. Universal sink plug
This one works the way it's supposed to - it simply plugs the sink. Hostels and cheap rooms usually have sinks with no plugs: either someone took it, or it wasn't there in the first place. A flat rubber universal plug is light to carry and fits over any sink. Just try to wash your clothes with the water swirling down the drain and you'll understand how important, packing light , this item really is. In fact - why not take two and barter the second one for a good, packing light , book?
4. Dental floss
Don't think of it as dental floss - think of it as string! It's so light you'll never notice you have it with you, and it has dozens of uses. The obvious one is as dental floss, but it's also great as, packing light , a line if you need to catch fish or hang up your wash. You can also use it as a shoelace if one of yours breaks, as sewing thread, to, packing light , do a few repairs or in a pinch (and if you're not squeamish) you can use it as suture. You can even use it to hang up your mosquito net! There are many other uses for it - just don't be caught without it on the road.
5, packing light , . Bandanna
On a recent trip to Panama, this was perhaps my most-used item. Sounds like a silly thing to take along, but, packing light , wait: what else do you have that is so versatile? It's an item of clothing - around your neck, as a headband, a belt, or as a head kerchief. It has plenty of practical uses - a face mask to ward off pollution or an eye mask to keep out the light, a washcloth, a handkerchief or even a small sling. My, packing light , best use for a bandanna is simply to keep cool: I wet it from my water bottle when I'm too hot and tie it around my neck - or mop my face with it. While everyone around me is melting in the tropical sun, I'm slowly cooling off.
Now, I know I promised you five items you should always include on your travel packing list if you're a backpacker - but I know of a sixth one and just can't resist sharing it with you.
A sarong! Or wrap, or longgyi...
You probably have one of these in your closet somewhere, a sarong or beach wrap you bought on a trip to Bali and haven't used since. Shake it out and pack it, because it's one of the most useful items you'll be stuffing into your backpack! It's a skirt, of course, so you can actually wear it out (in many countries, men wear them as much as women). It can also be a shawl, or a head covering if you need one. You can use it as a towel, as a sheet over, packing light , or under you in bed. It can even be a sling if you need it! Pretty good for your travel packing list - and, packing light , not bad for a single item that snuggles at the bottom of your backpack.
I have plenty of items that I consider essential when I backpack, but these are my 5 must-take items - I wouldn't leave home without them.
These five must-take items - all right, six - are just a start. For a complete travel packing list, visit Leyla Giray's website at http://www.women-on-the-road.com/travel-packing-list.html Leyla is a writer and development professional who has traveled solo around the world, including a three-year backpacking journey across Africa and Asia. She knows how to pack.
