Urban Backpacking - Planning

 As I prepare for my trip (Panama to Colombia) I look back and remember my first trip. I had no idea what it would be like and I started researching all the things I needed to do to have a successful backpacking trip. Before I explain my experiences I must mention that everyone’s experience is different and it is all dependent on what you plan on doing. Most of my trips have been fairly urban, although this next one will involve crossing from Panama to Colombia by boat and traveling towards Medellin.A checklist is a good place to start. There are some basic items that everyone should bring even if they don’t use them. In my case I used very little from my checklist but that doesn’t mean it was not a good idea to bring everything. Who knows if I would have needed a band-aid or some penicillin. One thing you should keep in mind is that it doesn’t really matter where you go its better to steal 5 band-aids from your roommate, parents, or office medical kit then it is to pay the sometimes ridiculous price in a convenience store. (With money that could have went to purchase something cool to take home!)With that said… Here is the checklist I used.

Passport & Travel documentation: You will want to make sure you have the proper visa requirements, medical proof (Yellow Fever), and any other country specific legal requirements. I know for a Canadian traveling to Brazil you have to get a visa at this time (2011) which is just a matter of mailing away the fee and some passport sized photos along with your passport so they can print on it. You should make sure this is 100% covered before you go and you understand the process of entering/exiting the country you are going to. Some countries have a maximum length of time you can stay. This is very important.

The Checklist:
A checklist will only get you so far. More than likely what will happen is you will arrive to your location with too many things you don’t need and not enough of the things you do. That being said the ultimate goal of pre-planning your pack is to ensure you don’t end up spending hundreds of dollars on supplies you could have easily swiped from the bathroom cabinet or the office first aid kit.

The Pack

There is a pack for every kind of travel. For my backpacking review I will only discuss what I know which is urban/hostel backpacking. No camping – No pots & pans style. That being said there is still a number of options available to you when considering what pack to get. Every pack has key features that make it desirable. The most important one you must remember is that you want an X Frame backpack. There is no exception allowed.

Size – I purchased a 40L which was enough room for everything assuming you are not planning to bring a tent, sleeping bag, or pots & pans. I brought an extra backpack inside of that because my carry-on on the way back will be a backpack full of clothes because my checked luggage is full of coffee and rum. I would suggest between 40 – 55L, I would stay clear of anything less than 40 and more than 60 really.
Get a top loading pack otherwise you loose the front cubby hole.
The X-Frame – A metal frame inside the backpack that transfers weight onto your waist. I know there won’t be much weight for a hostel backpacker but it is still a great feature to have. It makes carrying all that coffee, rum, and relics around much less work.

Cubby Holes – We have to make sure the backpack has a lot of small little pockets. A backpack that has only one pocket means you have to sift through all of your socks to find something. My backpack came with 2 main compartments at the hip section of the waist belt. I use one of these for storing my travel documents and the other for storing my wallet with my spending cash. It has an upper compartment at the top for storing the rain guard the backpack came with, a compass, and any other small items I may choose to put in there. A mesh compartment is on the outside which is a great place to put snorkeling gear or anything that may come in a separate pack.

Loop Holes – Hanging pens or a fast dry towel is much easier using metallic snap hooks on loop holes or nylon straps

Water Proof – You will want a pack that can make it through a little water. Don’t think sure I will never walk through rain because you’ll end up at a carnival party where people are spraying you with fire hoses and think I wish my camera wasn’t soaking wet right now.

On a good note, most packs come with all of these features! A good place to find travel gear is MEC. However, I would stay away from MEC packs because they lack cubby holes. You can start a search on backcountry.comand then branch out, google reviews on the particular backpack you like and then once you have selected it try places like amazon and google to find the lowest price. I am a Northface fan myself, this is why:

Cubby holes and double pocket design in technical pack line.
Water resistant top flap to shield against rain, likely comes with a rain guard.
Look for the X Radial 2.0 frame.
Pockets on waist belt.

The cost of a Northface pack is slightly higher than average. However, this is a pack that will be used easily for the next 10 years. Here’s my pack on it’s third birthday. For more information please take a look at my Northface Skareb 40 Review. If you can get your hands on this model I would say go for it! I couldn’t be happier with it. Outdoors Malaysia Agrees!

Electronics

When it comes to electronics we want to reduce weight and size, and maximize usefulness. I would suggest you leave the laptop and cellphone at home because honestly, they cost too much to have stolen and they weight too much to enjoy. Most countries I have been to including Panama, Brazil, and parts of Europe have an abundance of internet cafes to justify leaving these at home. On another note, most hostels have public computers for guests.Purchase a digital camera that will take great pictures but one that you wont be disappointed if/when it breaks. What I am trying to say is don’t bring your DSLR $1000 dollar camera to a hostel, or on a backpacking trip. I did a search on a second hand website, something like craigslist would work. Try to find someone who wants to upgrade and is selling a decent camera at a discount. I bought the Canon SX200 IS for $150.Remember to bring the charger cable for your camera!See if the country has a different plugin style like they have in Europe. It’s hard to find the proper adapter when you’re over there and its usually more expensive then the local Walmart.

Printed Materials

• The Lonely Planet guide for the country you are going to – Its jammed full of useful information and its something to read on the plane ride.
• A dictionary – I never used mine, but it sure doesn’t hurt to have it.
• A book of common phrases – Great resource! I used mine like Christian’s use the bible.

General Items

• A water bottle clip on holder.
• Flags of the country you are from and some “flare”.
• A fast dry towel in a clip on sack.
• A bottle opener
• A passport carrying case that can go into your carry on luggage.
• A small carry on bag that can fold up and go on the bottom of your pack until your return.

Safety

• A clip on first aid kit – band-aids, a compass, tweezers, thread and a needle.
• A money belt or belt with a zipper on the inside for emergency cash