What to take for a trip?

When days become longer, trees and bushes cover themselves in leaves, and thermometers show a constant increase in temperature, we instantly start to think about travelling. Not always this concerns the usual leave plans, sometimes a weekend trek can bring a lot of satisfaction and allows to rest from daily chores. It does not matter whether we are packing for a long trip or short trip out of town. What should we include on the list of things that are worth to take with us? We suggest what you must have in your backpack.

Three children with their backpacks on a trip

Documents

We should always carry our documents, such as identity document, with us. This is the essential base, even when we are leaving for a few days or are travelling within our country’s borders. We should also have a passport when we are travelling abroad, even if we travel withing the European Union. A valuable tip is to keep these two identity documents separately as this can protect us from losing both documents in case of theft. We also recommend making their photocopies and hide them deep in a suitcase.

Money

This is another must have to take on each type of trip. Most importantly, it cannot be only a payment card. Remember that there are still many places and shops, especially in smaller towns, which accept only cash. You should always have a small change for ice cream or bottle of water. Keep the card and cash separately and do not pack them together. The availability of various payment methods, such as paying via phone, additionally protects us from losing all funds in case of theft or losing backpack with wallet.

First aid kit

While packing a backpack before a trip, even the shortest one, we must remember about basic drugs and disinfectants. We can place the special suitcase in a car. However, it is worth to pack a part of its contents into a backpack. Here is the list of what we should pack:

  • painkillers and antipyretics with substances such as ibuprofen or paracetamol,
  • adhesive bandages,
  • oxidised water,
  • electrolytes,
  • sunburn preparation e.g. with panthenol (if we travel in summer),
  • any drugs that we take on a constant basis.

Cosmetics

If we fly on a plane, we should remember about restrictions in hand baggage regarding cosmetics – every single fluid cannot contain more than 100 ml. They must be collected together in a tight and, most importantly, translucent zip lock bag. We can find small, tourist versions of products in each chemist shop. Basic cosmetics that we can always find handy include:

  • shampoo,
  • toothpaste,
  • shower gel,
  • UV cream,
  • moisturiser or after-sun lotion.
You should also pack wet sanitary wipes into hand baggage as they can come in handy in numerous situations.
Woman in glasses and hat prepared for a trip

Protection against sun

If we are travelling to a warm place, we should remember about equipping our luggage with accessories that will protect us from sun regardless of whether we are at the seaside, at the lake, or in the mountains. Sunscreen is not enough. You should take with your things such as:
  • sunglasses (must have UV protection),
  • headwear (such as hat, cap, or headscarf),
  • umbrella that you can set up on a beach or balcony.

Snacks

What else we should pack into a backpack on the day of departure? First of all, something to eat in case when we feel hungry during a long travel, intense walk, or other physical effort. It is worth to always carry snacks that will allow us to quickly eat and recover energy. Holidays, trips, and treks impact not only our usual daily schedule, but also our habits and behaviour related to eating. A disrupted rhythm makes the diet less organised. We often eat more and do not count calories. Therefore, it is worth to bet on healthier snacks, especially sweets, which will cover the demand at increased physical effort and will certainly come in handy during shorter and longer escapades.

We can deliver energy to our body in a simple, tasty, and healthier way, even if we spend the whole day outside. A good solution will be the Amki Sesame Snaps as it is exceptionally handy snack that we can fit in a pocket or backpack. Additionally, it does not melt in higher temperatures like chocolate bars. However, a healthier snack does not mean it will be less tasty and the great assortment of Amki Sesame Snaps flavour variants will allow everyone to find their favourite flavour, which he or she will gladly put in travelling backpack.

Clothes

If clothes are so obvious, then why we always have such a big problem in packing them in a backpack? How many change of clothes: shirts, pairs of trousers, shoes, sweaters, and underwear we should take? Tourist backpacks are not bigger on the inside, so we should condition the number of clothes on what weather will be like at target location. The best course is to check temperature before we depart. Even during summer, we should remember that evenings may be cold. Just in case, we should take at least one blouse (preferably with a hood) and one pair of long trousers. Universal clothes, that is, clothes that do not wrinkle will be very useful. If we plan to go hiking, we should take into account that weather at higher altitudes can be vastly different. The base of each trek is a pair of shoes, in which we walked previously and we are sure that they will not pinch or chafe.

Photographic camera and telephone

This equipment is priceless during a trip. It allows us to capture the most beautiful sights and moments, and keep memories. However, we should remember about additional accessories, such as batteries, charger, or special bag protecting the camera from damage when packing. Currently, many people have very good photographic cameras in their telephones (smartphones), so if you do not want to carry additional weight, you should invest in such telephone to always have it with you, not only to capture beautiful moments. We should always take it for a trip because it is the most important communication tool in case when an accident happens and we will be in need of assistance.

Aside from a good list of things to pack, what else we can find useful before a trip? What we cannot forget about? We suggest that first of all it will be: good and positive approach, sense of humour, and patience as it is a key to success and recipe for successful trip! The holiday will be successful, you will feel relaxed, and will certainly have a good rest. 

A woman on a hike in the mountains stands with her camera and takes a picture of a hill