5 International Backpacking Basics

...for the girly-girl backpacker :)

Me in Newcastle Upon Tyne in 2015 - I had to have my boots due to hiking we were doing, but I won't be bringing them to Spain. I had more than everything I needed for 5 weeks in the UK!

As I'm gearing up for our trip to Spain, I figured I'd share some of my travel necessities that fit in my lovely Ospry backpack. Her name is Daisy. This will be my second major trip with this backpack and I learned a ton from my last trip to Scotland - mainly that I packed too much! Yes, I packed too much in my 50L backpack in a cool climate and 5 weeks of travel. You never need as much as you think, but I DO need these items:


1. Backpack: This is Daisy - or rather, Daisy 2.0. My Daisy is two generations behind this one, but you get the point. So much fits in here! If you've never considered a backpack as your major luggage, I would highly recommend you give it a try. If you go to Europe, there are few elevators and escalators. Do you really want to drag a suitcase up and down narrow staircases and cobblestone streets? Didn't think so. At least with a backpack you can up and go in a flash and have everything you need! It's also a matter of safety in that on many European trans, you have to put your large luggage in a different area. Backpacks you can keep with you the whole time. I could go on and on about the advantages, but I'll do a separate post dedicated to just that later.

2. Carry-On Tote bag: I used a Longchamp in Scotland, but I plan to use my Kate Spade Francis in Spain. The carry-on tote is really helpful to put your essentials in for traveling. I keep my iPad, iPhone, snacks, sweater, etc. in the tote for easy access. I even keep my quart bag of toiletries in my tote when I fly just so I can pull it out easily for traversing the security line nightmare. After the initial travel needs, this bag doubles as a day bag for those quick day trips!

3.Travel Hair Tools: Your favorites, just smaller. I don't plan on bringing the blow dryer, but the curling iron and straight iron were used almost daily in Scotland. I plan on the same for Spain.

4. Chico Travel Bags: Chico Bags make an awesome travel set that includes three bags to meet all your needs. The large one is clear meets the TSA standard for quart size toiletry travel. The other two are great for storing charging cords, makeup,

5. Space Bags: These are a life saver! I saved the best and most needed for last. Aaron actually purchased these for us and they were the best thing about backpacking. They really shrink your clothes down to about 25% of the space they would normally take up. There are two ways to organize these in a file system in your backpack: by outfit or by clothes type. In Scotland I had all my dresses in one bag, then shirts, then jeans/pants in 3 medium bags. I also used two small bags for socks/tights and underwear/bras. I carried a large spare bag for my dirty clothes so they stayed separate. I can't tell you how amazing these bags are and how easy they make backpack travel.