Top ten things every backpacker needs at a hostel (or anywhere else traveling in life)….
#1 – A World Power Converter
You can never go wrong with a world power converter. Nothing’s worse than getting to a foreign city/country and not being able to charge your phone or whatever else is essential in life.
#2 – Sanitizer
The worst thing (very common all over the world) is no hand soap in the bathroom. The last thing I want is the filthy germs that collect over the span of a day. SPEND THE TWO DOLLARS, SANITIZE THOSE HANDS!!
#3 – A Hand Towel
It’s common to assume that a hostel is like a hotel in that there’s going to be towels and sheets, but for some places it isn’t provided. The best bet is to never assume that the place you’ve booked will provide those things. When it comes to towels and a pillow case, it’s always better (I promise you) to have one then to have nothing at all (let’s be real, NO one’s going to want to dry themselves with toilet paper).
#4 – A Lightweight Black Dress
Almost every person I come across prefers to stay in on a Friday rather then go out due to the boring clothes filling up their backpack. The only way to solve that problem is to bring one (or more) simple black dresses. You can dress it up, dress it down, and it weighs about… nothing. You just can’t go wrong.
#5 – A Fancy Pair of Sandals
Forget the heels, the reason why I put this on the list was because I travel stand-by, and for me always needing to look dressy/fancy is a problem. Also, I hate wearing heels and with dressy sandals (like the simple black dress) you can dress them up or dress them down, either way they will add flair to your outfit.
#6 – A Coat Hanger
Nothing’s worse then washing your only pair of good underwear and socks and realising they’re going to lay soaking wet in a ball on your bed. When in doubt, you can hang the hanger anywhere in the room and throw your clothes over it. It’s super handy also when you have that one shirt that ALWAYS creases without a doubt.
#7 – Earplugs
Everyone reading this has definitely experienced getting to the point where you’re 95% asleep and something or someone wakes you up. It’s super frustrating but the only way to solve it is if you purchase some earplugs. It’s your best bet in avoiding one more problem.
#8 – A Reusable Water Bottle
The majority of the time, hostels have drinking fountains or filtered taps to re-fill water bottles. Here you’re not only saving money rather than always purchasing a bottle of water (which can get super expensive) but you’re saving the environment by not purchasing more plastic.
#9 – A 20 dollar bill… At least
So many times I’ve had to shill for something like topping up a transit card or buying that bottle of water to quench your thirst in 40 degree heat and nothing’s worse than that “Cash ONLY” hand written sign. I’m telling you, it will only ever come in handy when it comes to traveling.
Last but not least…
#10 – A Sense of Humour
Let’s be real, nobody likes a bore. If you’re staying in a hostel it’s either ’cause you want to meet people or you just can’t afford a hotel. The least you can do when you’re around others is say hello, maybe crack a joke?
