How to backpack around the world

Have a few months and a healthy dose of wanderlust? This post is all about how you can make all your travel dreams a reality, hopefully without having anything go horribly wrong in the process.

All of this is from my own experience backpacking through Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, stopovers in Europe, Chile, Argentina, and Peru for six months in 2018. There may be some new tools or travel logistics that have changed (i.e. covid rules, travel apps, etc.), so of course be sure to do your own homework (probably why you’re here!). But for the most part, a lot of the same stuff still applies.

Here’s what I’ll cover:

The basics: what you should be thinking about, including what to pack

Helpful tools and resources

The Basics

In all honestly, backpacking around the world is probably the most meaningful experience I’ve ever had as a whole, and it’s certainly the greatest gift I could have given myself as a 22 year old. So for anyone even considering it, I strongly recommend going for it. That being said, there’s definitely some important logistics to consider beforehand, so here’s a list of what you should at least be thinking about as you plan:

1. Your motivations and travel goals
2. Itinerary
3. Packing list/gear
4. Cell phone plan
5. Money
6. Travel Insurance
7. Vaccines
8. Visas/Tourism policies
9. Talking to concerned family

Your motivations and travel goals

I put this first because I think it’s both the most important and the easiest to overlook. You will get SO much more out of traveling if you know why you’re going in the first place and what you hope to explore. Because I recommend not having too structured of an itinerary, knowing your goals will help guide what you choose to do on any given day. This can be anything from trying a bunch of new adventure sports to learning meditation, from partying with people from around the world to learning more about yourself. It doesn’t matter what it is that you want, just take time to think about it before you go. Answer for yourself: why do I want to travel? How will I know if I’ve been successful? What will make me feel like these next few months were worthwhile?

If you want to see how I thought about it, here’s what I originally wrote for myself before I traveled, and here’s how I reflected back on it after I returned home.

Itinerary

When it comes to planning an itinerary, I recommend outlining the amount of time you have and choosing a starting point. For example, I knew I had 6 months, and I booked my first flight from the US to Indonesia. You may want to choose an ending point as well, but that’s less important. You should have one flight planned and make sure you have the necessary documents/payment to get into that country upon arrival, but don’t try to over-plan your movements after that. I guarantee that it will save you the trouble of cancelling when your plans change for various reasons, and it’s very easy to book hostels on the fly.

Why did we start with travel goals and motivations? Because these will largely shape what you do and where you go. If you have something that you know you want to do, look into how pre-booking that works. For me, I knew I wanted to trek to Everest Base Camp and spend the entire month of October in Nepal, so I made sure I had a visa and booked that trek before I even booked flights out of the US. Having some big experiences planned can help structure your time, but it’s not a necessity. The main thing here is to not be disappointed if something you want to do can’t be arranged last minute (i.e. very popular campgrounds, guided tours, etc.).

Finally, keep a calendar! Nothing crazy, iCal or GoogleCal is totally fine, but make sure you put anything you’ve booked in it–flights/excursions/important life dates/etc.–because I promise time won’t feel the same when you’re on the move constantly. I made the mistake of booking flights for the absolute wrong day… twice… and a calendar can help you realize that 🙂

Packing List

Again, very dependent on where you are going, but here’s a quick list to help you think about it! I traversed VERY different climates, from hot & humid Southeast Asia during the monsoon season to frigid Everest Base Camp and pretty much everything in between, so this will at least be comprehensive. Obviously bring what you want & think you need, but here’s a list to compare against.

Essentials:

• Laptop + Chargers: for researching and writing and being my main mode of staying connected
• Passport, obviously
• Debit card and some emergency cash: I had a Charles Schwab account that waived all ATM fees, and about $400 of cash hidden in a few places in my luggage
• Phone + chargers: I bought local SIM cards in most of the countries I went to
• Sleeping bag: I had a Marmot bag with a temperature rating of 0 degrees F primarily for the time I spend trekking in Nepal and South America, but would work for anything
• Sleeping pad
• 75 L Pack: size is up to you, but I love my Osprey Ariel pack. It also had a top compartment (brain) that could detach and be used as a daypack, super helpful!
• 2 Notebooks, 2 Pens: for journaling! highly recommend, you’ll thank yourself someday
• A folder for important travel docs: I brought an old black folder that I’ve used for every math class since 7th grade
• 10+ passport photos for visas: seriously, never know when you’re going to need these so bring plenty of extras!
• Proof of whatever vaccines you have, you may need these to get into certain countries!
• Proof/contact info for your travel insurance
• GoPro + mounts and chargers: this was a personal preference, but I really loved all the cool photos and videos I was able to capture with it
• If you are planning on being fully off the grid at all and concerned for your safety in doing so, consider investing in a Garmin InReach. It’s a satellite beacon that can send emergency alerts and allow you to text from the middle of nowhere. I didn’t use it while traveling but have used it for a bunch of wilderness adventures in North America.

Clothes:

• Adventure pants! Some kind of athletic/hiking pants that can be used for many things
• 2 pairs leggings/base layer pants
• 1 pair of super light/loose harem pants, incredibly nice to have especially in hot climates or when visiting temples (women must cover knees/shoulders)
• 3 pairs athletic shorts
• Rain pants
• Rain coat
• Down jacket, VERY important for cold climates. A good down jacket can get you through almost anything and it packs super well
• Down vest
• Flannel, great for layering
• 2 base layer long-sleeve shirts
• 3 dry-wick t shirts
• 1 “nicer” day shirt
• 3 sport tanks
• 1 comfy pajama shirt/shorts
• 3 pairs of spandex, 4 pairs of underwear
• 4 pairs hiking socks, 2 pairs running socks
• 4 sports bras (recycled those a lot…)
• Baseball hat
• Warm stuff: winter hat, lightweight gloves, buff
• 1 bandana

Shoes:

• Hiking Boots
• Running shoes
• Chacos/some other kind of durable, waterproof sandal

Other Important Stuff:

• Backpack lock: I got this PacSafe one for use in hostels/public transit
• A pad lock or two, you’ll need these for locking stuff in pretty much any hostel you stay at
• Day pack and small shoulder bag/fanny pack
• Microfiber towel
• Headlamp
• Multitool, comes in handy but may be taken from you if you’re not checking a bag at the airport
• Camp stove (something like a Jetboil or a PocketRocket)
• Spork and camp bowl
• Resistance band (for those who want to do some basic lifting/exercise)
• Headphones
• Packing organizers: SO underrated, these were essential to packing my backpack and organizing my stuff
• Sunglasses
• Pepper spray, nice to have for safety
• Ear plugs/ eye mask
• A good book (one that you wouldn’t mind re-reading a few times or leaving behind to pick up another one)
• Basic toiletries
• Basic medications
• Small first aid kit
• a 5 hour energy, save it until you REALLY need it

Cell Phone Plan

The main thing that pleasantly surprised me while traveling was how easy (and cheap!) it was to purchase SIM cards for cell/data coverage while traveling. I had looked into changing phone plans for a more favorable international plan, but, in the end, nothing came close to the ease and efficiency of buying SIM cards in new locations. Yes, there are times when it’s tricky, like when you first arrive in a country or when you’re only there for a day or two, but I found that relying on wifi in those moments was totally fine, and SIM card stands were very easy to find (usually at airports (also most expensive there) or in tourist districts). I also made sure to always have my original Verizon SIM card on hand (taped inside my passport), so that if I was ever in an emergency, I could pop it in and spend the $10 daily international usage fee that day. So overall, make sure you know what your current cell phone plan’s international policy is so you know what your backup plan is, and then plan on buying local SIM cards throughout your travels.

Money

Of course, everyone’s travel budget will be different, but you should definitely have one. I’ve seen people travel one of three ways- 1) they work remotely or odd jobs at hostels throughout their travels, making money as they go; 2) they set a timeframe for traveling and an approximate budget, then track it as they go (what I did); 3) they set aside an exact budget, and just travel until that money runs out.

There’s no right way to do it, and maybe you do a combo of everything! But some key things to think about:

Budgeting: Depending on where you’re going, the cost of living may be much cheaper than you are used to. Money can go far. So in that case, it’s helpful to set a kind of daily budget (i.e. $30 a day) for accommodations, food, and experiences. Most of your big spending will be on flights and big excursions (tours, visa fees, etc.). I made an Excel sheet that set a goal budget per day based on where I was traveling (cheap in Southeast Asia, cheaper in Nepal, more expensive in Europe & South America). That gave me an idea of how much it would cost. Then I calculated approximate flight costs and an “adventure” budget for bigger experiences (Everest trek, Gibbon experience in Laos, Inca Trail in Peru). When you’re planning your budget, you can test it by estimating your costs. For example, (# of days in Southeast Asia * $25 a day) + (# of days in South America * $40 a day) + (estimated flight costs) + (adventure budget). For me, all in all, including purchasing gear and all flights, I spent about $9k in 6 months. I’d say I was on the frugal side but certainly spent big on the few planned excursions I did. Note that I spend much more than that living in the US in 6 months…

Carrying Money: Definitely have a few different modes of accessing cash. I had a credit card (that had no international fees, very important!), a debit card (that had no ATM fees, also very nice!), and some emergency cash that I tried not to dip into unless I had to. Of course, be safe about where you carry each of these. I had a little shoulder bag that I almost never took off, and a bland looking folder that had half of my emergency cash in it in my backpack. Split it up and keep your eyes on it.

Bribes: It’s true, there’s often instances of bribery while traveling internationally. This usually occurs either at land border crossings or by police at “checkpoints”. Make sure to have extra cash on hand in small denominations, so that you can offer it and claim you have nothing else on you. At border crossings and with police, you’ll just have to roll with it. But some taxi drivers/people may try to demand extra money from you for pointless things (i.e. forcefully carrying your bags for you then demanding $20). Don’t be afraid to stand your ground and they will back off, they are just used to confused tourists not knowing any better.

Travel Insurance

Definitely get this. Some places will require you to have it anyways, and I actually got reimbursed when my hiking boots were stolen on a train in Peru, so it paid off! I used World Nomads and found it incredibly fair and easy to purchase.

Vaccines

You can check which vaccines you may need for traveling to certain countries on the CDC website. There are also some travel clinics you can go to, but be cautious because they will recommend all the vaccines to you in addition to a service fee, and this gets expensive very quickly. Your best bet is to list all the vaccines that the CDC recommends for you, and do your research as to which ones you really think you need. For example, if you’re going to Vietnam, you may be recommended to take Malaria prevention pills and get a Japanese Encephalitis vaccine, yet depending on where you are actually going within the country, both of these are likely unnecessary. Most of these vaccines will be available at your local pharmacy, and you can schedule an appointment directly with them.

Visas/Tourism Policies

Don’t forget that some countries require advanced applications for visas, so be sure to always look ahead and understand what the border policies will be upon arrival. Usually there will be a government sponsored website where you can apply and pay a fee in advance.

Talking to concerned family/friends

Finally, some of your loved ones may be understandably concerned about you traveling, especially if you’re going alone (like me). I regret treating this so lightly when I talked to my mom about it, because I do think it’s a very important conversation to have. All I can say is that I personally never felt more unsafe while traveling than I do walking on the streets of NYC at night. Make good judgments, and be careful about drinking/doing any drugs while alone. I made a rule that I’d only drink a little if I was with people I really trusted. I also promised to check in every day and told my family in advance if I would be off the grid for more than a couple days. Also, I’d reassure any concerned people that the world is not as scary as it seems, and that even if you’re traveling alone, you will hardly ever be alone with the nature of hostels and public transportation. Basically all of my recommendations and travel plans were made through the advice of other travelers I met along the way, and in a paradoxical way, there’s an incredible community of solo travelers out there. So be smart, but have fun.

Helpful Tools and Resources

Travel Ideas

• Nomadic Matt: Gold standard of travel blogs
• Stingy Nomads: good recommendations and budget conscious
• Talk to people at hostels! You’ll get great recs from people who have just experienced new things

Navigation

• Personally, I love the Maps.me app. It’s all offline, so you download the section of the world you’re going to in advance and then have everything from cafes to remote trails mapped for you.
• For more advanced outdoors navigation and tracking, I’m a fan of using Gaia GPS.

Hostels

• Hostelworld: usually better in Asia, just as good in Europe
• Booking.com: usually better in South America, just as good in Europe

For Budgeting

• Trail Wallet: great for travel specific budgeting and tracking expenses
• SplitWise: great for group travel

When in doubt? Google it! So much incredible information out there. If you end up doing something and couldn’t find the information you wanted about it in advance, consider writing your own article about it! That’s what I did with this piece on hiking Chiang Dao in Thailand.

That’s all! Have any questions? Feel free to leave a comment or email me directly at elena.horton21@gmail.com. Happy travels!