Backpacking Around The World: What You Don't Need To Take

Picture the scene: you've just stepped off a ten hour bus ride that you were assured would take 3 hours. You're hot, you have dust in your eyes, your bottled water is down to the last warm plastic-flavoured drips and you're craving some food that doesn't look like a skewered insect. Behold! You spot a hostel gleaming at the end of the lane so you adorn your trusted backpack and head towards that paradise of beds, cool beer and delicious curry. You have 2 choices

Your backpack contains at least one of the following: the plug for the plug-less bath in the land of showers, a fleece just in case Asia's climate takes a historical plummet, a thick jumper based on the same reasoning, a pair of hard core trekking shoes when you've been prancing over mountains in your 1 dollar flip flops, a 2.5 kg iron chain and lock (waterproof variety) to protect your backpack in all eventualities. You get the picture. You struggle a few steps but the shouts of the tuk tuk touts prove too tempting for the lift to the hostel, even if you know it's at the 'special' touristica price.

You carry a simple roll of toilet paper for those doubtless bouts of traveller-tummy, a guide book for some handy advice, spare undies, toothbush and paste, a scarf-it's multi-purpose, shampoo, cash and passport. The essentials. And you're away...at the hostel in no time, a cool shower, a clean bed and a cool beer in your hand. You know it makes sense

It has the comfiest straps of the bunch, and a goggle pocket with a separate

lens pouch for covering your bases when it comes to vision in the backcountry.

It has the comfiest straps of the bunch, and a goggle pocket with a separate

lens pouch for covering your bases when it comes to vision in the backcountry.

Backpack - BK-1217-A