5 Useful Tips for Backpacking for the First Time

1) When backpacking, use good travel gear

You can find travel gear in all shapes and sizes and at a wide variety of prices. In our webshop, you'll find our favourites that we have been using for years and that have proved to be useful on the road. There is so much on the market that it is hard to see the tree for the woods.

For a first-time backpacker, you can't get all your gear at once. Then you'll likely spend all your travel budget on it at once. You should however consider buying basic travel equipment if you don't already have it in your budget. In our early days of traveling ourselves, we bought 1 or 2 new things on every trip after our backpack. And then good quality stuff.

These have been around for years now. It has often been said that cheap is expensive when it comes to travel equipment, but sometimes it's the same. Particularly if you're going backpacking for the first time and don't know if it's something for you yet. Although few people backpack after one trip,

2) Take a copy of your travel documents

Having a copy of your passport in case of theft is a great way to not always carry it with you. It's also a good idea to take a picture of your travel documents. One of our followers also told us to bring an unusable or fake bank or credit card with you. If you're attacked, just hand it over.

You carry your big money and important cards and documents in a money belt or a safe. Would you like to keep all your documents together while traveling?

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3) Get a good backpack

The volume you choose for your backpacking trip strongly depends on how long you go, whether you visit different climate zones and whether you take a lot or a little with you, but most backpackers use a backpack between 55 litres and 70 litres. It should also be comfortable to wear!

The first time you go backpacking, you can borrow a backpack from someone. After all, you don't know if you'll go back again. Yet a properly fitted backpack provides a lot of comfort. And do you stick to one time? You just resell it on Marktplaats, don't you? You do it for years. The perfect fit saves you a lot of back and shoulder pain

4) Don't show off with expensive items and bring a lock

Don't show off your expensive jewelry when you travel, and don't show off your expensive phone or camera. A good camera bag may be handy, but everyone knows what's inside. Readers told us that separate protection elements are also available that you can place in your ‘ordinary’ handbag to protect your camera in an unobtrusive way while still keeping it safe.

5) When traveling, use a VPN

Your trip will probably involve a lot of WiFi hotspots, and many of them aren't always (properly) secure. To ensure that your data is secure, a VPN service is useful. A VPN ensures that you always have a secure connection, even if the WiFi network itself is unsecured. Furthermore, you don't have to worry about anyone watching what you do on the internet. VPNs also offer additional advantages.

Use common sense and listen to your gut

If a situation feels unsafe, it usually is. Always listen to your gut and use common sense. Don't walk through that quiet street, look for a crowd again or take a taxi. You can have an adventure, but don't do stupid things. When something falls into the category of adventure or just plain stupid, you really know it.

If you've been exploring, go back to your hostel with other backpackers or take a taxi home with your fellow backpackers. If you're interested in booking a tour, check out the reviews and choose an organization with good equipment over the cheapest (and often dangerous) equipment. And trust your gut here as well.

Last but not least: Just go!

It's impossible not to travel! Travel enriches your life. The memories, encounters, and adventures, it transforms you. If you get the chance, travel alone once. There's nothing stronger than learning to trust yourself. It's normal for you to find it all a bit exciting the first time, but with these tips, we hope to convince you to go. And after you have, you'll tell everyone: "Just go!"