Doing so will turn this epic checklist into your perfectly tailored minimalist backpacking list. So keep this in mind as you peruse this list – only pack the gear that best fits your travel style and itinerary. Packing eco-friendly products is an extra bonus of course 😉 The less you pack, the less you can leave behind. One thing that everyone should prioritize though is respecting mother nature and not leaving anything behind. Others will rightly prioritise room for emergency toilet paper!

Not everyone is going to need a sleeping bag and hiking boots, some will reserve more room for specialist camera gear and extra batteries. We’ve done our best to break this backpacking checklist down into several sections so you can pick what to take backpacking based on the kind of trip you’re doing. This is true! We make a ton of backpacking travel gear recommendations in this guide, and it would be silly to try and bring all of them along with you on your backpacking trip. You might be thinking, ‘But there are over 100 items recommended on your backpacking essentials checklist! I’ll need 4 backpacks to fit them all!’ See a nice souvenir for mum? Want to pick up some camping gear? If you pack light, you’ll have the space to add more gear to your pack… Travelling lighter will enable you to have spare space, meaning you can fit more stuff in your bag if need be.Heavy bags suck, and more shit = more weight. By travelling lighter you are saving yourself the strain and the stress of a weighted pack.Travel light! And here are some of the reasons why packing light is so damn important

This is the most important backpacking packing tip I can give you. This list will show you exactly what to pack (and what to leave at home!)

Travel essentials list