11 things not to pack for a round-the-world trip

If planning a big adventure, you’re going to have to put a bit of thought into the packing. Here’s what you shouldn’t take.

Round the world trip packing mistakes

There are several big differences between a round the world adventure and a fortnight’s package holiday to a resort in Spain or the Algarve .

Firstly, there’s the number of stops along the way – you will be repacking on a fairly regular basis, and passing through airports.

Secondly, most round the world trips are done on a timeframe that means you’re going to have to wash clothes at some point. Whether going for a month or a year, this means the plan of slinging enough clothes into one case then putting them in the washing machine when you get home simply isn’t going to work. A bit more consideration is needed.

The world wide web is full of packing guides offering advice on what you should pack – often terrible advice designed to flog expensive products, too – but it’s far more important to know what to leave out. And the following should almost certainly stay at home…

Backpacks. — Photo by S&B Vonlanthen on Unsplash

Travel pillows

For the use you get out of them, these monsters take up an insane amount of space while making very little difference to your comfort levels. Having a bit of extra padding around your shoulders is never going to give you a natural sleeping position on a long distance economy flight, or multi-hour bus journey.

The inflatable ones are a less egregious waste of space, but you’ll still end up cursing them when they keep getting in the way of everything else in the bag.

Sleeping bags

If you’re planning on doing a lot of camping, then maybe taking a sleeping bag is a good idea. If you’re not, then you probably ought to know about their worldwide reputation as bedbug transportation devices. Most hostels and hotels ban them from being used in the rooms – to the point where if you’re allowed to use one, you’re probably staying in a very dodgy place, and should probably reconsider.

A big thick jumper

Layering is the secret to packing smart, with several manageably small layers put on top of each other the way to tackle colder days. If you pack your thickest jumper, you are likely to end up frustrated with the amount of space it takes up, and barely ever use it.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that in almost every destination where you’ll encounter properly cold weather, you’ll also encounter a souvenir shop selling fleeces relatively cheaply. They may not be the most stylish things in the world, but they’ll keep you sufficiently warm on New Zealand’s South Island or in Chilean Patagonia. You can just discard them or give them to a charity shop once out of the chilly zone.

A massive fluffy towel

You may prefer wrapping yourself in an enormous fluffy towel after you’ve had a shower, but that Dunelm bath sheet is quickly going to turn into a millstone when you’re travelling. It’s not just the amount of space they take, either – it’s the amount of time they take to dry. As rubbish as most specialist travel gear is, one of those microfibre towels is a decent investment. They aren’t great as towels, but they don’t take up much space and dry quickly. Then, when you’re in one spot for any length of time, just buy a nice-ish big fluffy towel – they’re usually pretty cheap.

A fourth pair of shoes

One pair for walking/ hiking in (you’ll likely be wearing this one on the plane). One pair that’ll do for both going out and going to work if you take a job somewhere. One pair of sandals or flip flops for lounging around in or going to the beach. Anything more is excessive.

Jewellery

A pair of earrings and a necklace that don’t take up much space and could help accessorise an otherwise functional outfit? Yeah, there’s a case to be made for that. But anything genuinely expensive or of sentimental value should be left at home – otherwise you’ll either lose it, damage it or spend far too much time worrying about whether it’s safe.

Teddy

The idea of making sure a treasured toy bear, or comically large stuffed hippo, gets in every photograph may seem initially appealing. But it’ll wear thin very quickly, and the thing you’ve brought along for light entertainment can very quickly become a burden.

A guitar

So you can play the guitar? That’s marvellous – good for you. However, there is no way on earth that carrying one with you is a worthwhile investment unless you’re actually a professional musician on tour. Or you want to be known as the [insert expletive here] with the guitar. There is always one, and everyone always hates him. Don’t let it be you.

Your entire bathroom

It’s judicious to bring some toiletries with you – toothbrush and toothpaste for sure, arguably a small bottle of shower gel and shampoo. But bear in mind that you can buy most toiletries pretty easily anywhere in the world – everyone needs to brush their teeth and wash. Rather than transporting the entire contents of your bathroom cabinet with you, take the bare minimum, then top up as you go in convenience stores, pharmacies and supermarkets.

Duplicate electronics

A laptop, a Kindle, an iPad, a phone and a camera may all be really useful in their own way, but take the lot, and that’s an awful lot of weight and bag space. What’s more, most things can be done well enough by at least two of them. So it’s worth sitting down and thinking what’s particularly important to you, and what’s just kinda nice. If you can winnow it down to three devices that cover all you need and most of what you’d like, then that’s probably going to work out better.

A diary

There may be a certain romance to writing down your adventures in a physical diary, but if you’re going to do it properly, then it’s going to be a multi-volume affair, and you’ve simply not got space to be carrying that many books around with you. It’s probably best to commit it to record electronically, whether in a Google doc, in your phone notes, or via a blog and Instagram account.