Faced with the challenge of packing your whole life into a 60 litre backpack for the next 6 months? As a self proclaimed product queen I have everything from face oils to sea salt hair spray so when I was faced with the prospect of a 15kg weight limit it was definitely a challenge! To save you the pain I wanted to share my final packing list to help you prepare for your big adventure!
Top tip: Buy yourself some compression packing cubes – they are a life saver and give you twice as much space! If you roll up your items also it will help prevent creases.
MAIN BACKPACK
Clothing items
Rain Jacket
Jumpers (nice x2, 1 fleece)
Cardigan (thin)
Evening top & trousers
Comfortable travel trousers
Jeggings / light jeans
7 t-shirts
Demin shorts
Evening dresses x2
Day dresses/ skirts x3
Sport top light
Sports leggings
Sports shorts
Socks x 8
Bras x3
Sports bra x2
Underwear x14
Bikinis x3
Pjs
Sandels
Trainers
Flip flops
Walking shoes / trainers hybrid
Woolen hat
Suncap
Gloves
Products bag
Body wash
Face wash
Face moisturiser with spf
Shampoo & conditioner
Body moisturiser
Suncream
Cleanser
Toner
Face pads / cotton wool balls
Makeup wipes
Hairbrush
Small perfume
Dry shampoo
Toothpaste & toothbrush
Razor & spare head
Nail varnish x1
Antibacterial gel
Medication/pill if required
Insect repellent
Other items:
Refillable water bottle
Quick drying travel towel
First aid kit
Hair bobbles/ clips
Jewellery
Small day bag
Hair appliance (if there is room!)
HAND LUGGAGE
Essentials
Passport
Visas
1 x set of clothes & swimwear (if bag is misplaced)
1 x pair of compression socks for flight
Print out of itinerary
Phrasebook
Small bit of currency
Bank cards
Money belt
Sunglasses
Yellow fever certificate
Expired bank cards & an old phone for handbag for security (put actual bank cards in money belt)
Bag protector for flying
Padlock for backpack
Universal adapter
Electrical items
Laptop & charger
Camera
Adapter
Phone & charger
Flexible tripod / selfie stick
Headphones
Headtorch
Powerbank
Now you should be all packed and ready to go!
Enjoy your trip!
BEFORE YOU GO... ARE YOU PACKING FOR A TRIP TO LATIN AMERICA OR SPAIN and WANT TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK SPANISH WHILST OUT THERE?
Are you nervous about flying out to South America solo without being able to speak the language? Or left it to the last minute to learn some Spanish for your trip? Don’t worry! I have you covered!
Alongside this travel blog, I am also the founder of a company called Talking Tourist. It is designed to help you quickly become conversational in Spanish, giving you the confidence you need to speak Spanish whilst you are away, through focusing on practising practical conversational scenarios designed around your trip.
Its for you if…
- You have dabbled in Spanish using free apps like Duolingo or perhaps studied it in school a while back. You have a basic knowledge but haven’t yet braved speaking it. Or maybe you’ve tried speaking it before but struggled to remember what you learnt and put a sentence together.
- You have spoken a little Spanish before in class or maybe even whilst on holiday. They spoke back to you in English, you didn’t understand their response or they didn’t understand you. This knocked your confidence and you feel like its just too hard to get from knowing Spanish to actually speaking Spanish.
- You have managed to hold a conversation in traditional Spanish but the phrases you know can only take you so far. You are travelling to Latin America where the accents and vocab are different and you need to practise speaking it before you go.
Any of the above sound familiar? If they do, then take a look at the teachers I have available for Spain, Argentina and Mexico here. You can take an online lesson with native speakers from the comfort of your sofa and get trip ready in no time! Heading somewhere else Spanish speaking that isn’t Mexico, Spain or Argentina? ¡No te preocupes! (don’t worry!). Email me at hello@talkingtourist.com and ill find you a teacher in time for your trip!
How do I know this can help? I was between camps number one and two, having tried Duolingo, traditional classes and attempts at speaking Spanish on family holidays before to Spain, only to be spoken back to in English, eurgh. I had a solo trip coming up to Ecuador and really wanted to feel safe whilst I was out there and feel less vulnerable by knowing some of the language. Unfortunately I didn’t have a resource such as Talking Tourist before I went, it took me many mistakes and mishaps before I got to a point of being conversational. Because many locals in Ecuador didn’t speak ANY English, it forced me to practise and utilise the very little that I knew. Talking Tourist lessons simulate this process and help you to get the practise in and learn from mistakes BEFORE you go, saving you your blushes whilst you are there and giving you the amazing satisfaction of being understood and finally knowing what they are saying back to you.
