10 Backpacking Items You Can’t Forget

1. Your backpack!
You want to get a good backpack that will last you through your travels. You can normally get these at stores like REI or Adventure 16 and other outdoor sporting stores. Make sure that you ask for a “travel pack” since these are specifically designed for traveling. They usually have a smaller backpack that is attached to the front that zips off that you can take around with you while you are site seeing. Don’t go cheap on this item, as it is your most important one. Usually a good backpack can cost $150 and upward. Make sure you try on the entire backpack and get it adjusted to fit your body. Also, you are not supposed to carry more than 30% of your weight in the backpack to avoid injury so keep that in mind when you pack!

2. A travel towel
When you are at the outdoor sporting store, look around for a micro fiber towel. These towels are very travel friendly and fold up into small squares. They are thin, and because they are micro fiber, they absorb liquid just as good as a giant thick towel and the best part of this towel is that it dries in a matter of an hour without any heating source. Don’t waste weight and space in your backpack on a big towel. Pick up one of these for anywhere between $10-$20.

3. A security device
You are going to want something to lock up your backpack and keep it safe if there are no lockers where you are staying. A great alternative to locking your stuff in a locker is a wire mesh netting that goes around your entire backpack. There is a single wire at the end that loops through the netting and then around a piece of furniture such as a bunk bed pole. If done correctly (they come with instructions), the only way someone can get into your belongings is with wire cutters, which no one carries around with them when they go backpacking. They are a bit on the heavy side, but well worth the piece of mind. Don’t forget a regular pad lock for your locker for when you do have one.

4. Travel sheets
No matter where you travel to, you will run across a hostel that does not meet your cleanliness standards. There have been many people who have had problems with bed bugs and other types of unwanted roommates while traveling and one way to avoid this annoyance is to get travel sheets. You can usually pick these up for about $20 (and even cheaper on Ebay) and you slip into them like a sleeping bag. There is a part at the top that goes around your pillow too so you can protect yourself from things that might make your trip unpleasant. They are usually made of silk and fold up to a very small size.

5. Rain Cover
If you are traveling in tropical areas or in the rainy season, it is good to be prepared with a rain cover that goes over and around your backpack. This will protect all of your important documents and belongings that can’t get wet, like your passport or camera. They are simple to use, and like everything else, are compacted into a small container that can be easily fit into a small section of your backpack.

6. Camera Accessories
If you have a nice big SLR camera that you cannot afford to lose, consider getting a more high-tech camera strap that has metal in the strap. There have been cases where someone going by on a scooter or bike steals a camera by cutting the camera strap off as they pass by. Although this isn’t very common, it may be worth the piece of mind for safekeeping of your expensive camera and your precious pictures. Another benefit of this is that it doesn’t have the brand of your camera draped down your neck. Some brands like Nikon are very popular and go for a nice price on the black market. Also, bring many memory cards with you or a way to store them on something else, like a laptop, since you will need to unload your camera several times throughout your trip.

7. Travel-size bottles
When you backpack, you are not going to want to bring your full-size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, toothpaste, etc with you in your backpack. Not only would it be heavy but it would also take up precious room. Also, you have to think about airport requirements with liquids. Most places in Europe have the same requirements that the United States has with liquids and these small bottles will enable you to have the hygienic items that you need worry free. Just be sure to bring enough of them with you to last you through your backpacking trip or plan to buy refills.

8. Sunscreen
Regardless of the season that you travel in, it is inevitable that you will be spending the majority of your time outside and you need to take the proper precautions and remember to wear your sunscreen. Most likely, you will be in new climate that will affect your body and your skin differently than from at home. The sun could be harsher, hotter, or last longer. Try to find a sunscreen with a moisturizer in it to combat the different ways that the change in climate can affect your body two-fold.

9. Flip flops
I do not recommend wearing flip-flops out in public unless you are going to a tropical place. They automatically scream to everyone around you that you are American, which in these days can often be a negative thing. They also do not protect your feet and you will find yourself with black feet after the first day. I do recommend bringing flip-flops with you to wear in the shower. You will find that nine times out of ten, the showers are cringe-worthy and you will wish that you had something on your feet to protect them from any kind of foot disease that may be rampant in that area.

10. Medicine of all kinds!
One common thing that people find themselves without is medicine. Hopefully you will never find yourself in a position where you need any, but if you do and you are not prepared, you will find yourself trying to decipher between medicines to buy that will do the trick in another language. Don’t find yourself in this position and in addition to a small first aid kit, bring medicine for allergies, upset stomach (as you will likely suffer from this with trying new foods), headaches, cramps, and cold remedy medicine. Often when people change climates, their body has a hard time adjusting and will fall ill. Be sure to get any shots for the countries that you are going to before you leave and start taking a multi-vitamin a month before your trip and continue to take it during your trip and a month after you return to avoid this issue.


If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of these items, you can send us a message at trotterbud.com and ask us. Mike Salas, Ale Garces, Heather Oechsner, or Scott Sykora are all experienced travelers that can help!

New Social Site for Travelers

As you plan your next travel adventure, it’s important to keep in mind who will be available to accompany you to your next destination. You quickly realize that none of your friends want to join you and you really don’t want to venture out alone.

You search the Internet, frantically looking for a Web site that will aid in finding other students and travelers who would like to travel with you, but nothing helps. www.Trotterbud.com is here to the rescue; this brand new Web site works to bring young travelers together no matter where their destination is.

Launched late in 2008, this site was created by a student, for other students who are on exchange programs or just world travelers. It is designed to work like other networking Web sites such as Facebook and MySpace, but aims at travelers and future adventures. The Web site allows you to link up with people who may be traveling to the same place at the same time as yourself.

The creator of the Web site, San Diego State University senior Mike Salas, came up with the idea after spending Spring semester of 2008 in Amiens, France. When he wasn’t studying, he took advantage of the close neighboring countries to do same traveling and exploring of his own.

“During my travels I would stay in hostels where I met different people who came from different parts of the world,” Salas said. “Some of them were backpacking alone, just like me.”

Through a series of coincidences of running into people in the states from his past travels abroad, Salas finally decided to turn his idea of connecting travelers into a reality. With the help of a designing and engineering company, his idea of a travel networking Web site was created.

The Web site was ultimately created to find traveling partners, but has evolved into much more. Users can sign up for an account that offers many options for personal data, such as travel calendars, journals of your traveling adventures, surveys of cities and pictures of your trips.

In addition to sharing experiences, you’ll also have access to reviews about different destinations and airlines that you may be considering.

“Trotterbud is a site for globetrotters alike to share their experiences from their travels through pictures, surveys, journals and much more,” Salas said.

A Web site such as www.trotterbud.com will open doors for travelers to find people to travel with, information and recommendations from travelers in the same age group and fully take advantage of all that is offered while abroad.

Knowing the insider tips of what to do and what not to do in certain cities can make the difference between an amazing and mediocre experience.

“It is a site designed to encourage today’s generation to explore where they have never been, see places they have never seen, have experiences they have never experienced and meet people they have never met,” Salas said.

In addition to the advantage of getting tips and ideas from someone who has already traveled to your planned destination, you also get to network with people from all kinds of places, learn about their culture and make new friends.

“My goal, essentially, is to encourage my peers and today’s generation to take on the world,” Salas said. “Because studying abroad, or just even traveling, is an experience that everybody deserves.”

Trotterbud is sure to become a great addition to the networking Web sites available today. Students will be able to facilitate their traveling arrangements and make friends with other students studying abroad, ultimately networking with people from all over the world who share the same passion for travel and adventure.