Hi All, I'm curious to know what is the most ridiculous thing you have seen a gal pack when off backpacking around the world??? Being a gal myself i thought it would be quite funny to see what you can really do without! Cheers :->
Reply to this I was at a youth camp one time and one girl bought along a big hairdryer. There was no electricity so everyone made fun of her. Some girls even made a power point in a tree as a joke for her!
Reply to this I'm sorry Tannis, but sometimes a girl needs strappy heels! If you're backpacking, you feel dirty and very unattractive. Exploring cities all day long in your thongs (flip flops) or other sensible, flat shoes is fine, but if you want to go out and explore the nightlife, you DO NOT want to keep wearing those same, dirty, flat shoes that you've been wearing for days on end.
Don't get me wrong, if I ever start trekking the Amazon I'll leave them behind, but as long I'm going to be travelling through cities where there's a chance of going to a club and dancing, the shoes are coming with me!
Reply to this The funniest thing I ever saw was in Fiordland, New Zealand (home). We were starting out on the third day of the Milford Track hike and I saw an American girl applying her makeup in the pre-dawn light of the bathroom block. no electricity, no hot water, but a full makeup kit including foundation, mascara, eye shadow, lipstick and eyeliner.
Hilarious. I bet it felt revolting once she got a sweat on.
Reply to this hahahaha yeah i have seen many a couple having domestics on their travels!
Reply to this I think the silliest thing I've seen so far is a girl wearing ugg boots in Fiji. Somehow I don't see the purpose of wearing woolen footwear in the tropical weather of the pacific.
But.. leaving the boyfriend at home is a good idea Ellen :-)
Reply to this While staying at a backpackers hostel in Uganda I saw three different (large) purses come out of a backpack I estimate was no bigger than 55L. Susin, I see your point about the sandals, but do you need THREE purses to go with them?
Reply to this Yikes, thats extreme, obviously wanted to be prepared for any occasion!
Reply to this Kevin, no, absolutely not! That's just taking it too far!!
Reply to this I've seen some people actually take their work with them...including files, mobile phones, headsets, etc.... particularly strange to see at resorts or on mountain tops...at first. I suppose anything goes.... Whatever works well for them... Actually, working anywhere but the office can be quite motivating if it's an absolute must to continue such responsibilities on the road 😊
Whatever makes a person happy, whether its Birkenstocks or Louboutins, hat or hair serum, belt bag or purse, is fine. However, women must be aware that they are responsible for what happens to their belongings if they take them along. Some people do make their own lives more difficult by packing things that they will not turn out using, or things that end up taking too much space or care. In turn, sometimes this can contribute to aggravating their travelling partners (if they have any) or themselves, especially in the sense of storage or schedule. Hopefully, everyone will learn to do their best to pack carefully considering their individual circumstances and destinations so that their possessions don't turn out to be an impediment during their trip.
Reply to this Nayeli, if travel is your work, you've got no choice but to take it with you. My husband and I are travel writers - we've actually be on the road since Jan 2006 as we've had so much work, so we've got it all, two laptops, about 6 hard-drives, pro-camera gear, 4 mobile phones (and close to 20 sim cards!), and more... so when you see those couples working at resorts, that's us. On the plus side, we're never in an office - our hotel rooms or rented apartments become our 'home' offices when we're writing up guidebooks. And I'm with you on 'whatever makes a person happy'.
Craziest thing I travel with? A case of around 60 DVDs... when you're on the road continuously, eating out twice a day, always going out to check out bars/clubs, going to concerts/shows/theatre etc etc some nights you just want to stay in, so we tend to watch a movie on our laptops. Kevin, I only have one pair of high heels, and I'm with Susin, one alternative purse for the evening is plenty, and I leave the big shoulder bag with laptop, notebooks, phrase books, guidebooks, iPod, mobiles, etc etc at the hotel.
Reply to this Hello Rachel 😊
I travel very light. Always have.
I bring 2 outfits and basic bathroom stuff, mosquito repellant and sun screen and some books.
I usually take around 10KG of luggage with me, when I travel.
Mel
Reply to this Wow Mel, that is light! Do you buy clothing over there, or just wash lots with only 2 outfits?
Reply to this Hello Rach 😊
I usually only buy clothes when travelling, if I see something I like.
The 2 outfits I bring with me are all I have usually. I wash one and wear one.
I avoid bringing things like jeans, because they take so long to dry.
There is sometimes difficulty with finding someplace to hand my wet clothes, but I usually find some place.
I usually bring an empty bag, which fits into my main bag, in case I want to do some shopping when I travel. Then I have 2 small bags to carry.
Before the days of the taking liquids on planes rules, I used to take all my luggage on the planes with me, because it was just the size of a day pack.
Mel
Reply to this When I was traveling in New Zealand, I met with a guy who was carrying around four pairs of shoes. I had jandals. Hmmm.
Reply to this well i often leave on my spiritual journies to India, Nepal and Tibet on short notice, this time i came back to australia with 3 LAPTOPS IN MY BACKPACK... i have too taken a hair straightener, stillettos, cosmetics, french perfume, but NO CLOTHES, hehehe.. often planning to buy some, but a bit lazy...
Reply to this 
