5 Things to Pack on Your Gap Year plus win a backpack!

5 Things to Pack on Your Gap Year plus win a backpack!

I find packing for long trips is so much harder than short trips. You don’t want to over pack because you have to carry this stuff for the whole time but equally you don’t want to forget something and have to buy it on the road. So today I’m sharing my top five things to pack on your gap year. Obviously I don’t mean the normal camera, laptop, passport, iPod kind of thing but these are equally as essential for a gap year.

5 Things to Pack on Your Gap Year plus win a backpack!

Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find out how you can win a gorgeous Trespass backpack to carry around all of your gap year essentials.

gap year in vietnam

A multi-country plug adaptor

When heading out on a gap year it can be hard to know exactly what countries you will be visiting and what plugs will work. Therefore to save buying an adaptor every time I enter a country I carry a multi-country adaptor in my rucksack. This covers most countries on the typical gap year route. I then also carry an extension lead from my home country so that I can use more than one of my plugs at once without needing multiple adaptors.

Microfibre towel

You never know where you will be staying and what activities you will be doing that will need a towel. However, a normal bath towel tends to be big and take up half of that precious luggage space. Therefore a microfibre towel is the perfect thing to pack as its small, light weight and even more of a bonus quick drying. Meaning you don’t have to pack a wet towel into your suitcase after being at the beach all day before jumping on the overnight bus.

gap year in Vietnam

Sarong or large scarf

This one is kinda for the girls but still pretty useful for the guys. (Guys if you are travelling with a girlfriend then get her to pack two). A sarong or large scarf is useful for many reason…

  • A blanket when you end up on the night bus, a cold aeroplane, or hostel in winter.
  • An extra layer when you end up in winter having planed to only visit hot summer counties.
  • And of course for girls when the inevitable happens and you haven’t done laundry and all your clothes are dirty, you can wear it as a dress.

A proper pair of shoes

When packing the first thing to come out because I’ve over packed is shoes, they tend to be heavy and take up lots of space. However, if you take out those proper shoes and then end up on an 18 mile day hike it’s going to result in having to buy or borrow a pair of shoes that will give you blisters. I now always a pair of comfy and sturdy shoes like doc martens. I’ve climbed mountains, picked oranges and avoid wet feet thanks to having these. And if you are struggling to fit them in your luggage just tie them to the outside of the bag.

gap year in australia

Playing Cards

I literally will not go on a trip without packing cards. They come in handy on almost any holiday or trip especially when you need to pass some time. On those nights when you end up camping with a bunch of new found friends and you’re all sitting around wondering what to do with yourselves, someone will ask who has some playing cards. I cannot count on two hands the amount of times this has happened during my years of travelling. Of course they aren’t just for passing the time, the most popular backpacker drinking games also involve playing cards.

And you’ll need somewhere to put all of these items during your travels so I have the perfect opportunity for those of you in the UK planning your gap year or upcoming travels. 

Win a Trespass Backpack

5 things to pack for your gap year plus with a backpack

In conjunction with Trespass I am giving away this gorgeous Trek 33 litre backpack which is perfect for packing all of the aforementioned items in for your gap year. Whenever I chose a backpack for travel I always go with a brand I know have a good reputation for creating quality products as well as a backpack which is comfy, stylish and suitable for the trip. This backpack certainly ticks all of these boxes!

To win the backpack all you need to do is sign up for my newsletter using the form in the side bar or clicking here.

If you are already signed up for my newsletter and want to enter just leave me a comment saying you are already signed up and I will enter you too.

The Backpack

  • 33 Litre
  • Padded straps and back support
  • Rain cover included
  • 64x42x30
  • Perfect for hiking, camping or backpacking

Terms and Conditions

Open to UK residents aged 18 and over only. No cash alternative is available to the prize. The final prize is dependent on the stock, sizing and colours available once the winner has been drawn (an equivalent prize may be offered in the unlikely scenario that the size is not in stock). The prize will be supplied directly from Trespass.

The competition will close on the 31st of July at 11:59pm with the winner announced on the 2nd of August. 

Jodie Signature

 

4 Comments

  1. 13th July 2016 / 1:11 pm

    Totally agree with all of these, especially the sturdy shoes. I always take my walking boots and hang them off my backpack. I was so gutted when mine finally broke in the Grand Canyon after 10+ years!

  2. 14th July 2016 / 7:43 am

    I’m already signed up!

  3. Jennifer Brown
    21st July 2016 / 10:36 am

    Signed up!

  4. 22nd July 2016 / 7:24 am

    I’m signed up 🙂 I totally agree on all of these – and especially the sarong / large scarf! So so useful, and I often get a little chilly in transport so it’s a lifesaver then.

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