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Gentlemen, I hope you’re all doing well.
In this blog post, we’re going to be discussing the top six, essential must-have products, items, and pieces of equipment that you’ll need with you when wayfaring across the world.
These are things that I’ve had with me on my journey, and some other items that I WISH I had with me or knew about on my first travel trip (and for whatever reason I decided to do without them, though I’ve since regretted my decisions, and have learned from my mistakes).
Backpacking, solo travelling, and any other form of wayfaring demands that you be prepared, hence why I’ve compiled a list of the six things you cannot do without when travelling abroad. Since these are tools I use on my own travels, I’m highly confident they’ll help you with yours.
Guys, without further ado, here are my top six devices & travel tools for you handsome and courageous solo backpackers to use in 2023:
Table of Contents:
1. Invest In A Large, High Quality Travel or Hiking Backpack
2. Wearing Proper Footwear Is Essential
3. Make Sure To Have Foot Cream & Sweat-Wicking Socks Before You Set Off
4. The Must Download Apps That’ll Help You Thrive & Survive
1. Invest In A Large, High-Quality Travel or Hiking Backpack
I’ll never forget the pain and suffering I experienced when I stupidly took a wheeled duffle bag with me on my first solo-backpacking trip in 2019. On the one hand, it might’ve actually been better for my back. On the other, it was one of the most outrageous decisions I’ve ever made, for reasons I’m about to discuss with you.
You see, I still remember lugging that thing around, creating scrapes on all of the sidewalks I traversed because the plastic hinge on one of the wheels got worn out not even a week into my trip, meaning I left a mark (quite literally) on every sidewalk in every country I went (Florence, Italy was particularly bad… I feel like I ruined concrete that’s been around for over a hundred years minimum).
Anyways, while my first trip was fantastic, my choice in luggage? Not so much. Stupider still was that even when I wound up buying a new bag in Rome to solve that hinge problem around a quarter to halfway through that trip, I still made the decision to buy a spinner travel suitcase (which I still use today, by the way, so the quality is good), meaning I still had to roll that thing around EVERYWHERE I went. What a nightmare. Not quite sure how I survived it, and I did!
Now despite my decision to stick to wheeled travel luggage, I remember meeting a young man a couple years younger than I during my stay in Berlin. Now HE had a GREAT hiking backpack that included additional back support, a rain cover, and the whole shebang.
It’s still a toss up for me as to whether or not I’d rather stick to wheeled luggage or pack light in order to invest in and toss on a backpack over my behind, and honestly gentlemen, if I had to do one thing differently throughout my trip, it probably would’ve been this.
So if you can find a way to pack light (in order to save your back of course - no amount of deadlifting is going to help you when it comes to carrying an overburdened sack on your back) and invest in a heavy duty hiking backpack, you gentlemen might just find yourself saving hours upon hours of pain and frustration; the kind that comes with lugging around a giant suitcase that screeches and scratches the tarmac and floors of all the exotic locations, hotels, and hostel you plan to visit.
So gents, buy a hiking backpack that doesn’t break your wallet, and at the same time provides you with all the accommodation you’ll need for your clothing, accessories, and gear & travel equipment. Keep in mind, it must also be easy enough to carry, and provide your lower back with ample support. Otherwise you may hurt your back.
For that reason, here are some of my personal recommendations for a hiking or travel backpack that lasts (there are TONS of options out there, so I’m just getting you started):
· Mountaintop Unisex Adult Laptop
· G4Free 40L Lightweight Foldable Hiking Backpack
· Mec.ca
· https://www.rei.com/c/travel-packs
· https://www.rei.com/c/backpacking-packs
Be sure to do your own research, and to find the right backpack / travel bag for you.
Speaking of comfort, travel, style, and personalization, you must also consider that…
2. Wearing Proper Footwear Is Essential
My shoes were falling apart and they smelled like crap (even though I had tried hard to spray theme with Febreze every night before I left). By the time my journey was over, the black running shoes that I primarily used throughout my 3-month backpacking trip were all but falling apart (and the soles were pretty much coming off on at least one of the them).
Gentlemen, you’re going to be on your feet for 80-90% of the time throughout your backpacking adventures. Having the right shoes on while on your trip is one of the best ways you could ensure comfort, stability, and strength. It also allows you to treat your feet with the utmost respect while on your backpacking adventures.
You want to invest in a good pair of running shoes if you don’t have one already. Some people prefer to wear hiking shoes, and that makes perfect sense since you’re going to be walking through a lot of different types of terrain (even if most of the time you’ll be travelling on concrete). It’s also great to have the ankle support that hiking shoes can provide; just make sure that they’re breathable, especially if you plan to travel during the hotter months (i.e. spring, summer, and early fall).
Hiking shoes are also awesome to have on hand for when you visit such countries as Germany or Switzerland, since you might do some mountain walking, as well as stumble upon a lot of trails. Or if you’re like me and you’re Canadian, then travelling up North will definitely require you to experience a lot of mud, rain and wet ground, so having a good pair of hiking shoes is essential for exploring the wilderness.
Point is you want to protect your feet as much as possible. Here are some of my personal recommendations for what travel shoes to wear on your trips throughout various seasons:
· TANGYUGEN Water / Hiking Quick Dry Shoes
· DaoLxi Mens Running Walking Tennis Gym Athletic Shoes
· Sketchers Performance Men’s Go Walk Max 54601
· Columbia Mens Redmond III Waterproof Hiking Shoe
· KEEN Men’s Targhee II WP Hiking Shoes
· Vostey
· AZXPROT
· ARIAT
Obviously depending on the seasons, the above options (or any that you choose) will vary. These are sort of just my general guidelines to get you started for European travel.
Speaking of safeguarding your feet…
3. Make Sure To Have Foot Cream & Sweat-Wicking Socks Before You Set Off
I wanted to start this point off with a personal story, and honestly, gents, I think you understand that you don’t need to listen to information about my feet getting sweaty and foul in order to understand that foot care is important, especially when you’re travelling and spending time on your feet all day.
Part of taking good care of your feet involves moisturizing them on a daily basis. I recommend buying O’Keeffe’s or another great brand of moisturizing lotion, such as Lapitak (particularly good for cracked heels), or Eucerin. MAJESTIC PURE is another great brand as it contains tea tree oil, a helpful ingredient in not just fixing dry / callused skin, and also preventing infections.
In addition to foot cream, you’ll also want to have some sweat wicking socks. You won’t die without them (I honestly managed to survive an April-July trip with simple low cut, cotton socks – the same ones I use for running), and it does help a lot to have them, especially when it comes to laundry (which – let’s face it - is a pain in the a** , especially when you’re abroad and need to pay for each wash at a coin laundry… not all hostels will have laundry service - although some will – so be prepared!).
Sweat wicking socks with moisture control allow you to not only keep your feet dryer and cleaner; they also prevent odour, which means that you don’t have to worry about your socks stinking up your bag every time you take them off. Here are a few brands I’d recommend looking into (although by all means, feel free to expand your research and dig beyond this blog post to find out what works best for you – I just want to help get you gentlemen started!):
· ONKE
· Kodal
· YUEDGE
· Champion
· ECOEY
· Dickies
In addition to having some great hosiery, you must ABSOLUTELY have a smart phone so that you can access...
4. The Must Download Apps That’ll Help You Thrive & Survive
I remember travelling from Munich to Vienna… it was one of the most beautiful train rides EVER, except I got lost on the way (by the way, if you’re travelling through Europe, you MUST invest in a Eurail Pass - it’s by far the most adventurous, economical, convenient, and stunning way to travel from country to country - and sometimes between cities – if you’re backpacking. The experience of travelling from Barcelona across the Southern coasts of France and Italy is alone worth it. Anyways, back to the story!).
I don’t recall exactly what happened, except that I got stranded somewhere on the Eastern border of Germany, where found out that the train I was supposed to take to Vienna got cancelled (by the way if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, then make sure to read my other article, which talks about ways to find peace and stay flexible in any situation during times of chaos and stress while you’re backpacking).
Lo and behold, to whom do I turn? Uber! And that’s not the primary app that I wanted to talk with you about, gentlemen (although if you don’t have Uber on your phone, what the heck are you waiting for! Download it immediately!). While Uber is a must-have for any traveller, the real lifesaver is Citymapper. Gentlemen, if you don’t yet have Citymapper on your phone, what are you doing? Download it - you’re going to thank me later.
Citymapper is an app that I used not just to get recommendations on alternative modes of transportation (aside from Uber i.e. city bycicles, scooters, taxis, subways, trains, etc.); it also showed me the fastest routes to get to where I’m going using public transportation (in the above situation as well as throughout my entire trip – heck, I use it at home in Toronto till this day!); it combines data from various public and privates modes of transportation (from walking, to biking, to Uber, to taking a taxi, to taking the subway, using the train, etc.) along with updates on traffic and road closures to provide you with notifications about the fastest, safest, and best ways to get to where you’ll need to be.
This isn’t just another Google Maps, since it’s a lot more personal and tailored. That said, it’s similar in that it’s connected to bus and subway apps & schedules, so – depending on your whereabouts - it knows exactly when the next public mode of transportation is coming to get you to where you need to be. It can also sense where you are along your route, and will notify you when to hop off or when you’re getting close to your destination.
Gentleman, this app is a lifesaver, and I don’t recommend anyone go backpacking without it or Google Maps (unless you don’t have a smart phone, which is a whole other discussion that we need to have).
It’s a shame that this app isn’t available in every city yet, and as such, there’re a lot of small towns where you’re going to run into trouble with it (much like I did when I got stranded in the middle of nowhere in Spain). That said, it’s a vital app to have on your journey, if only because of how great it works when you’re in a major city like Barcelona, Paris, London, Rome, Munich, Berlin, or Zurich to name a few. And while trying to communicate with foreigners or locals (since technically you’ll be the foreigner), then you also want to download…
Google Translate. I know nowadays Iphones come with their own Translate app – honestly gentlemen, it’s nowhere near the strength or quality of the Google Translate one. For a free download, it’s a much more versatile, easy-to-use, and cleaner-interfaced app. When you need to talk to someone in a foreign language (which you will), such apps are EVERYTHING. Make sure to also download the Google Drive app on your phone since you’re going to be taking A LOT of pictures, and you always want to back them up in case your phone gets damaged, lost, stolen, or just stops working for whatever reason.
Finally, the last app that I recommend you guys download is Hostelworld, assuming that you are in fact going to be staying at hostels (which is the most feasible way to go about travelling when you’re wayfaring solo and on a budget. Hotels and AirBNBs are also fine, just that hostels are generally the best bang for your buck… IF you pick the right ones, which is exactly what this app helps you to do!).
Gentlemen, not all hostels are created equal, and since some of them suck, it’s important that you book your stays at the best ones whilst on your travels. I want you to have the BEST experience possible when you’re adventuring abroad, hence why I think it’s important for you to choose the cleanest, most affordable, and most highly rated hostels available. The best way to ensure this is to download the Hostelworld app.
Not only will this app connect you with the best hostels in town (or outside of town if you’re booking in advance, which I HIGHLY recommend that you do as there are A LOT of travellers just like you looking for accommodations, especially during peak season i.e. spring and summer); it’ll provide you with feedback and ratings from other travellers so that you can avoid the bad hostels (i.e. the ones that have bedbugs and s***), and book the greatest ones at an affordable rate.
Anyways, I’m rambling here, and you get the point. Such apps – and I’m sure there’re a lot of other great ones out there that I’m not hitting on (at least not in this blog post) – are essential to have in this day and age as they’re THE tools to spare us all time, energy, and headaches. God bless Apple, Google, and Samsung.
Now, in order to make sure that you can continuously use these apps, even when you’re out and about and your phone is about to shut down on you, make sure that you have a…
5. A Portable Phone Charger… Talk About A Life Saver!
This one’s major. The amount of stories I have about having my phone almost shutting down on me because of low battery power during my travels is infinite. One in particular was in London, when I realized that both my debit and credit cards got put on hold (despite my notifying the bank I’d be away for three months, which I HIGHLY advise you to also do before you leave on your trip), and I needed to call my bank right away – except guess what? My phone was at 3% battery life! 3%!
Since I wasn’t at my friend’s house - where I was staying throughout my duration in London – when I realized this, I thought I was screwed since I didn’t have an outlet (let alone a travel plug adapter – another handy item you must have on your trip) on me to put my phone into a wall socket at a café or something. Until I realized… I bought a portable phone charger for this trip!
Gentlemen, these situations will happen in abundance on your journey, not in the least because of all of the juice that the apps we discussed in our previous point will take up (in addition to your regular, every day phone activities & usage habits). That means that your devices will deplete much faster than normal while you’re on your trip – b/c you’ll be using them almost non-stop.
Furthermore, if you work a pair of portable headphones – like I do – then these too will likely run out of battery when you’re out and about, touring and adventuring various cities and museums, especially if you’re listening to music while you walk or during your train rides.
For all of the aforementioned reasons, I highly recommend you invest in a portable charger – not only will it save your experience; it might very well save your life in many situations (i.e. if you find yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere – like I did – with little to no battery life on your phone).
Here’s some that I recommend you look into and get started purchasing:
· Baseus
· Charmast
· Miady
· Anker
· QTshine
Just remember that some of the more expensive chargers (i.e. Anker) might be slightly more durable, so it’s oftentimes worth it to spend the extra $20 or so for a trustworthy device.
Also, even your portable charger will need to be charged, so again, buy an EU adapter (preferably one that has USB ports in addition to being compatible with all of the main countries like Germany, Spain, France, and Italy). If you’re travelling to China or the Middle East, make sure to get another kind of adapter for those countries.
Whether you’re buying a portable charger or adapter (or both), just be sure you research in advance and look at customer reviews before making a purchase. You never want to get stuck without an adapter as it means you won’t be able to charge any of your devices (including your portable charger), which means you’ll wind up screwed, the last thing you want to be on your journey.
Finally, the last tip I have for you, gentlemen, is to purchase…
6. Quick Drying Towels: G-d’s Gift To Earth
I remember taking my first shower in London, the initial destination I stopped at during my first solo-backpacking trip. After using my new towel for the first time, I got freaked out about where to put it because – unless dry – it would stink up my entire bag because of the dampness… until I remembered that I purchased a quick drying towel.
Gentlemen, much like the sweat wicking socks, a quick drying towel is a major life enhancer when you’re travelling abroad. For the aforementioned reason involving dankness, odor, and overall bacteria avoidance, a quick drying towel saves the day.
Unlike regular towels, quick drying or microfiber towels take minutes to absorb all the moisture they soak up, and that’s very helpful when you’re constantly putting your towel into an enclosed backpack filled with your other belongings after each time you use it.
Not only do these towels help to keep your other clothes and belongings dry, but they also keep them from smelling, a necessary component of attracting the ladies – and anyone in general – to you.
These towels are also great for when you’re roaming around town and start perspiring. As such, here are a few that I’d personally use on my own travels, and would highly recommend you try as well:
· HOEAAS
· Sfee
· JML
· Rainleaf
· BAGAIL
Feel free to do some more research, although the above brands are highly sought after.
Anyhow, gentlemen, that is the end of our article on essential items and pieces of equipment that you’ve got to have with you on your first backpacking trip. To be quite honest, there are many more items that I’d HIGHLY advise you to take on your trip, just that this article would be far too long if I included every single one of those things in here. That’s why I encourage you to check out our other articles for further information on helpful travel tools, gear, and equipment that all you young lads must have when you’re wayfaring out there.
That’s all for me, and if you enjoyed this article and got some useful information out of it (which I strongly hope you did), then please feel free to comment down below or on any of our social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter X), where you can also shoot us a like and follow for more solo budget backpacking & travel content that’ll make you, gentlemen, sexier, and more resilient. Remember, we’re here to help you succeed not just in travel, but also in life.