photos – Have Pack, Will Travel

September 28, 2009September 28, 2009

Is the Panasonic DMC-ZS3 the Best Travel Digital Camera?

Panasonic was kind enough to send me a DMC-ZS3 to test out during my recent trip to Argentina. At first I wasn’t too excited to try out a new camera. I really like my Nikon S600 for its wide-angle lens and small compact body. It’s easy to us and takes good photos. I don’t like to mess with success.

I took a look at the DMC-ZS3 anyway and was quickly excited to try it out when I saw some of the specs: 25mm wide-angle lens, 12x zoom, and best of all, 720p HD video recording. OK Nikon. You’re sitting this one out.

Continue reading “Is the Panasonic DMC-ZS3 the Best Travel Digital Camera?”

September 18, 2009October 13, 2009

Free 18×24″ Travel Photo Print Contest

I‘m glad to announce another contest for our wonderful readers here at Have Pack, Will Travel.

One of our great sponsors, DigitalRoom.com, has offered to give one lucky reader a free 18×24″ print of any photo of their choice. If you are a travel photographer and have ever had large prints made, you know how difficult and expensive it can be to find a quality printer.

Continue reading “Free 18×24″ Travel Photo Print Contest”

July 5, 2009August 7, 2009

The 10 Best Things to do in Costa Rica

1. Zip lining

Imagen 151 Also referred to as canopy tours, zip lining entails putting on a harness and attaching to a series of cables strung throughout the trees. These tours are everywhere throughout Costa Rica and run between $50-100 depending on the location and amount of runs you get. Between 8-12 runs seems to be average. High in both adrenaline and excitement! As scary as it sounds, it’s actually very safe and the most difficult part is usually walking between the cables.

2. Hike a volcano

DSCN0333 Costa Rica is littered with volcanoes. Some are active, like the popular Arenal which offers visitors views of red falling lava at night and constant rumbles throughout the day. Most volcanoes are located on federally reserved national park land and offer great hikes with amazing views. The Poás Volcano is a popular day trip from the San Jose area and a big tourist draw.

3. River rafting

195582978_b59430d427_b — photo by BallGame68

With the amount of rainfall Costa Rica receives it’s no surprise that white water rafting is a popular activity. Most rafters set out for Turrialba, about two hours from San Jose where they can ride the Pacuare or the Reventazon for anywhere from four hours to three days.

4. Surfing

It’s no secret that Costa Rica is one of the top surf destinations in the world. Surfing legends like Robert August now make their homes in Costa Rica for it’s legendary surf. Breaks like Jaco and Playa Hermosa provide surfers with consistent waves on the Pacific side while Puerto Viejo de Talmanca and many others are great in the Caribbean.

5. Play with monkeys

DSCN0785 Who doesn’t love monkeys? They are everywhere in Costa Rica swinging from trees or digging through restaurant’s trash cans (please don’t feed the monkeys). National parks like Manuel Antonio provide great opportunities for hikers to see capuchin monkeys swinging overhead or even sharing the trail with them. Other areas like the Arenal Volcano are filled with Howler monkeys who can nearly deafen nearby visitors with their calls.

6. Watch turtles lay eggs

Turtle lover? Head up to Tortuguero where conservationists are working hard to preserve the endangered turtles who make the beaches their nesting grounds. Only reachable by boat or plane, Tortuguero is a prime example of eco-tourism.

7. Volunteer

There are lots of opportunities to volunteer in Costa Rica, especially if you are interested in animal conservation. Tortuguero, mentioned above, is a wildlife conservationist’s dream.

8. Drink coffee

What better way to start your day than enjoying some Costa Rican coffee. Stop by a grocery store and pick up a bag to take back home. Not only does it taste better than anything you can find back home–it’s a lot cheaper!

9. Climb a waterfall

DSCN0749 Climbing and rappelling a waterfall is an extremely fun and exciting activity in Costa Rica. There are tour operators all over the country that offer waterfall rappels, but if you find yourself in the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area, give Quepo Canyoning a call as they are the only one (currently) allowing you to climb a waterfall. Believe it or not, going up is actually more exciting than going down!

10. Kayak through mangroves

If you’re looking for something a little slower paced but still plenty of fun, rent a kayak and explore the mangroves. You’ll see wildlife you never imagined.

June 23, 2009August 7, 2009

Budapest, the Beautiful Danube, and Expensive Hungarian Food

I first considered visiting Budapest after reading Tim Leffel’s blog (Tim is the author of The World’s Cheapest Destinations: 21 Countries Where Your Money is Worth a Fortune). I didn’t pay much attention to the date it was posted and decided it would be my big fall trip thanks to a college graduation present I was ready to cash in.

The first thing I noticed during my pre-planning (I do much less than you would expect) was that there was an impressive amount of hostels listed on HostelWorld. 83 to be exact, as of this posting. As a comparison, Paris only has 15 listed.

It turns out that it’s rather simple to set up a hostel in a converted apartment and many people are taking advantage of it and the increase in tourism that Hungary has been experiencing over the past decade or so. Both hostels I stayed in were pretty small but modern, clean and well run. You can’t ask for much more than that.

One of the things that I always consider when traveling is how easily I can survive on a limited budget. Budapest was advertised as the secret budget destination in Eastern Europe and your money could go a long way. Part of the EU, yet still clinging to their currency, the Hungarian Forint, the dollar was said to go much further than elsewhere in Europe. In some ways, Budapest lived up to this claim, but in others, it exceeded any expectation one could have for larger, more popular European cities.

For instance, the average price of a hostel bed was around $15-20 which is certainly acceptable for Europe and much cheaper than Paris or London. A day at the enormous and beautiful Széchenyi Baths was only about $10 and a full guided tour of surprisingly tight caves ran around $25. I wouldn’t expect any of these to be much cheaper and they were all worth the price.

Then came the food. For some reason, food was incredibly expensive. I can’t recall spending more on a meal in any country, city, or state… anywhere. My guidebook recommended a restaurant around the corner from the hostel I was staying at which offered traditional Hungarian meals for around $5-7. It had been a year since the guidebook was published and the restaurant owner must have gotten wind of his literary mention. It’s a common occurrence along the typical tourist trails for hostels, hotels, and restaurants to increase their price once they get a nod in a guidebook, but what I experienced was much higher than anyone could expect, and not only for the places that were published. In Budapest every normal restaurant, regardless of the area it was in, charged at least $20 for a typical meal. The bargains were actually on the heavily trafficked tourist districts in Pest which all offered set “tourist” menus. The downside was that they were very small and left much to be desired. Even a stop in a Subway chain for lunch cost me about $10 for a 6″ turkey sandwich. The price of food was bewildering, to say the least.

DSCN0494 While Hungarian cuisine is definitely highly recommended, there is much more to Budapest than overpriced restaurants luckily. Budapest is a very beautiful town with beautiful castles across the Danube River and great architecture across the entire city. A great day can be had by simply walking around the city with no destination taking in the sights. Heroes Square and City Park give a taste of history and nature that helps you quickly forget about the hustle and bustle of Budapest’s busy city streets. Don’t forget that Budapest is Hungary’s center of culture and home to both art and history museums like the House of Terror which reminds visitors of atrocious crimes that occurred during Hungary’s Stalinist regime and WWII.

One of the most impressive things about Budapest though was the amount of people who speak great English. Obviously it’s in response to the tourist boom, but it’s impressive how friendly and willing to chat most Hungarians are especially seeing how this country was completely communist less than 20 years ago and experienced very little tourism. Things have changed though and tourism has become a huge source of income for many businesses in Budapest.

If you want to explore the rest of Hungary (or go to just about any neighboring country) nearly all the trains in Hungary run right through Budapest. I managed to head south three hours to Pécs which is one of the larger cities in Hungary, yet very small when compared to Budapest. You can cross the entire town on foot in about 15 minutes but it’ll take you an entire day stopping at the many sights like modern art museum or the Mosque Church. The later is quite impressive. In the 16th-century the Turks built a mosque with the stones of a ruined church. When the Turks were forced out of Hungary the mosque became a church again but kept the classic dome and still retains several touches of Moorish design. There are even a few scribbles of Arabic around the church that can be found if you keep your eyes open.

For what it’s worth, Pécs also had the best food I experienced in Hungary and at much more reasonable prices.

DSCN0590 For more photos from my trip to Hungary, check out the set on Flickr.

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June 18, 2009August 7, 2009

Top 10 Natural Wonders of the World – a photo essay

1. Serengeti Migration

2. Galapagos Islands

3. Grand Canyon

4. Antarctica

5. Iguazu Falls

6. Amazon Rain Forest

7. Ngorongoro Crater

8. Great Barrier Reef

9. Victoria Falls

10. Bora Bora

List courtesy of Howard Hillman

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May 11, 2009November 25, 2009

How to Choose the Best Digital Camera for Traveling

Have you entered our contest to win a free Kelty Redwing backpack? It’s free and easy!

Some people love to go camera shopping and others dread it. Some find it fun, others find it difficult. The simple truth about finding the best digital camera these days is that almost any will do for most people. But there are some things to consider if you are a traveler and if you can spend a little extra time deciding on the best digital camera, you can find one that stands out above the crowd.

The good news about digital cameras is that while the market has created hundreds of modern models, the quality has become top notch. Just about any digital camera will take perfectly acceptable photos out of the box for nearly every user. But what can you look for if you’re a traveler? There are certain things travelers demand out of cameras and taking time to consider these can be very beneficial.

Megapixels

Several years ago the megapixel war started. Manufacturers started squeezing more and more megapixels out of their sensors and consumers were swayed by the higher ratings. Don’t fall for this marketing push. Chances are you won’t notice a difference between 6mp or 8mp, or even 10mp. You probably can’t purchase anything below 6mp these days but for printing, I wouldn’t go any lower. Anything above that is overkill so don’t let yourself get fooled into paying more for a camera just because it has a slightly higher megapixel rating.

Lens

Most people will never take a second thought about the lens on their digital camera but travelers should consider finding a camera with a wide-angle lens. Most wide angle lenses have a focal length of 28mm as opposed to the standard 35mm. It may not sound like much, but it is very noticeable and can mean the difference between fitting that entire statue in your frame, or cutting off its head or feet.

You’ll often find yourself in places where you have no control over whether or not you can move to get a different view. A wider lens will allow you fit more in your frame whether you are indoors or taking pictures of landscapes. Once you shoot with a wide lens, you’ll never buy another camera without one.

You should also take a look at the optical zoom range of a lens. 3x is pretty standard but higher is nice, although it shouldn’t be a deal breaker.

Always ignore the digital zoom rating of a lens. Digital zoom is another marketing tactic and results in a terrible looking photograph. Turn off digital zoom in your camera and never use it (it is typically marked by a line in your zoom meter on the camera’s LCD screen). Manufacturers will often put a ridiculous zoom rating such as 12x or higher on their packaging to entice customers who aren’t knowledgeable about digital cameras. If you accidentally use your digital zoom, you’ll be very disappointed once you look at the photograph on your computer and see that it is unusable. All a digital zoom function does is increase the size of your pixels to the point that they look like big ugly blocks.

Battery

Some budget priced digital cameras will use replaceable AA batteries which many people like since you can find them anywhere, but those same people haven’t tried shopping in a souk in Morocco. Most digital cameras made today include a rechargeable battery. I’ve never had one last less than 2-3 days of moderate use which is respectable. They all come with their own battery chargers which, from my experience, are always multi-voltage. The only thing you’ll need is a plug adapter to plug it in to foreign outlets.

Weather-resistance

Over the past couple of years manufacturers like Olympus and Pentax have been producing waterproof models that can not only get wet, but be fully submerged in moderate depths of water. They don’t cost much more than an equivalent camera so these are good options for travelers who enjoy snorkeling or other water sports.

I have used and enjoyed both the Olympus 1030SW and the 1050SW. Amazon typically has some great prices on these models so check them out. The new Olympus Stylus Tough-6000 is pretty enticing.

Pocketability

I just made that word up. I don’t know if it really exists or not but it describes the final thing that you should consider when buying a digital camera for travel. Size. I use professional digital SLR equipment for lots of things, but not travel. I find it too difficult to carry it around so I found a camera that has all features I need and also fits inside my pocket. It’s convenient and will let you take photos when you might have otherwise left your camera behind.

The good news is that most cameras now are relatively small and easy to conceal. Check if the lens protrudes from the body when not in use. There are also a few models out there that have a grip on the right side of the camera which make it difficult to slip into your pocket.

Recommendations

It’s hard to recommend specific models since new ones are released every few months. For my money, I always look at Nikon and Canon first. They’re all I use for my professional photography and I have found their compact digital cameras to be just as good of quality as their higher end models.

If you have any questions or recommendations on digital cameras please feel free to share them in the comments below.

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March 28, 2009May 30, 2010

10 Travel Photography Tips to Help Take Great Photos

I’m an avid traveler and a semi-professional photographer (that means yes, I’ve been paid, but no, not very much) and obviously those two loves combine with travel photography. I have photos from all over the world and they truly mean everything to me. I’ve learned a lot of lessons the hard way and I’ve picked up tips along the way. Here are the 10 most important ones I know and share with others all the time.

Keep in mind that it really doesn’t matter what camera you have. You are the one in control and your camera is just a tool. Learn how to use it, and learn how to take great photos.

Now, onto the good stuff:

1) Make sure horizon lines are straight

Crooked Horizon - Slight, but noticeable - Budapest, Hungary

One of the most common mistakes people make, especially when shooting landscapes, is not paying attention to the horizon lines. It’s easy to hold your camera slightly crooked, so be sure pay attention and try to look for an obvious line to use as a guide if the actual horizon isn’t visible.

2) Use your flash when there is back lighting

No flash, strong back lighting. Faces are in a shadow - Costa Rica

Flash used, subjects are lit nicely - Costa Rica

Another common mistake and this easy fix can be used in many different situations. Flash can be used when the sun is behind the subjects. In this case, you see that we’re in the shade. The beautiful rain forest is a major part of the photo, but we still need to be lit well. Flash to the rescue!

You can also use this technique when posing in front of sunsets, at night if posing in front of a lit building, etc.

3) Offer to take photos of other travelers

Traveling alone but want a photo of yourself? No, you don’t have to hold the camera out as far as you can and snap a goofy photo of half of your face. Chances are there are other tourists nearby who are thinking the same thing as you. You’ll often see couples taking pictures of each other individually. Be friendly and offer to take a photo of them together with their camera. Then run away with their fancy camera! Wait, that’s not what I was going to say. Oh yeah, then ask if they’ll mind snapping one of you. That’s how I managed to get this photo of myself in front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

4) Look for unusual perspectives

Thinking outside the frame, er... box? - Fez, Morocco

You can only pose so many times in front of random things or places before all your photos start to get redundant. Browsing this artisan’s shop in Fez, Morocco we noticed our reflections in these beautiful crafted mirrors and decided to make a unique portrait. It’s not an amazing picture by any means, but we had a good laugh about it and it’s better than us posing in front of the mirrors or a photo of the mirrors alone. Those would have been pretty boring, right?

5) Find a way to stabilize your camera at night

Blury hand held photo at night — Blurry hand held photo at night - Budapest, Hungary

Stability means sharpness - Budapest, Hungary

If it’s night time and you want to shoot something that your flash can’t light up, chances are your photo will come out blurry. The solution? Set the timer on your camera and find somewhere you can set it down. You probably aren’t walking around with a tripod, so look for a post, fire hydrant, bench, wall, etc. Line up your shot, click the shutter and take your hands off! Don’t be alarmed if your camera takes a few seconds to get the exposure. It’ll open the lens for as long as it needs to get a decent exposure.

6) Get high

Birds have the best views - Cinque Terre, Italy

No, I don’t mean use drugs to help your travel photography. Use your feet and start walking up, and up, and up. Some of the best views are from above such as this photograph from the hills above Cinque Terre. It was quite a hike, but well worth the effort.

7) Don’t use your camera’s digital zoom

Digital Zoom - Venice, Italy — Digital Zoom Reenactment, don't try this at home - Venice, Italy

No Digital Zoom. Nice and crisp! - Venice, Italy — No Digital Zoom. Nice and sharp! - Venice, Italy

There are very few reasons why you should ever use the digital zoom function on your digital camera. So few reasons that I can’t even think of one. Even if it does help you reach somewhere you couldn’t have without it, the pictures are so pixelated and blurry that you will probably never use it. It’s truly a worthless feature built into cameras simply so they can advertise a bloated zoom number on the box for uninformed buyers.

If you really need to get closer for a shot, use your feet. If that’s not possible, try a different perspective. Get creative and you’ll enjoy your photo much more than by zooming in to 100x.

8) Keep an eye out for candid moments

Kids fighting over a tire - Fez, Morocco

Candid moments are usually my favorite type of photographs. Sometimes you can capture someone’s expression when it is entirely genuine. These kids fighting over a tire really stood out to me and I was really glad I managed to capture it.

This is the time to be incognito – think James Bond! Haven’t you always wanted to be a spy?

9) Keep an eye out for something unusual

So long as it is safe, you should always carry your camera with you. Even if it’s pouring rain outside, bring it along since you never know when you might see a SmartCar with the Death Star painted on it.

10) Take a lot of photos and don’t delete them

Memory cards are cheap. Buy the biggest one that your camera will work with or, better yet, buy several. It might seem like over kill but it can be a good idea to change cards a couple times throughout your trip. This way, if one fails or your camera gets stolen, you still have photos on another card and you didn’t lose everything. If you’re feeling nice you can always donate it to a traveler in need. I met two during my last trip and unfortunately I could only help one of them out of their bind.

I hope these tips help! If you have any travel photography questions or have a tip you’d like to share, please use the comments below.

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March 27, 2009March 27, 2009

Monkeys in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica [video]

Monkeys in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica from Jeffery Patch on Vimeo.

There were an unbelievable amount of monkeys swinging all around us last month in Manuel Antonio. They came right up to us but luckily didn’t attack. I was afraid they could smell our snacks in my backpack!

March 17, 2009November 25, 2009

What to Pack For Morocco

This is the first in a series of posts about what to pack for specific destinations. I noticed an unbelievable amount of Google traffic searching for information on what to pack for Morocco, one of my favorite previous trips. Since I never touched on what I packed for Morocco, I decided to write a post about it. Occasionally I’ll revisit this topic for other destinations that require certain types of clothing or gear.

Morocco is a very unique destination. Located in North Africa but still carrying the vibe of the Middle East. Morocco is full of culture, languages, sights, great food, amazing landscapes, and best of all, relatively safe. This makes it a popular destination for independent travelers and backpackers flock to the various areas around the country.

Morocco is not your every day tourist destination though. Being a conservative Islamic republic, you should be mindful of Moroccan’s customs and be respectful in your dress. This means that, despite the often warm temperatures, you should not plan on walking around in shorts and short-sleeved t-shirts. This goes for both men and women.

For men, jeans, khaki’s and cargo pants are acceptable and long sleeved t-shirts, thin jackets, or lightweight casual button-down shirts are recommended.

Women can generally follow the above recommendations but just be mindful to not wear tops that expose cleavage or have short sleeves. It may not be considered risque in western culture, but these items are generally unacceptable in Moroccan culture.

Recommended Packing List:

4-5 shirts (or blouses) – preferably long sleeved
1 jacket or sweater
2 pairs of comfortable pants
swim suit – if you’re visiting the beach
hat – especially if you’re visiting the desert
enough socks and underwear
comfortable sneakers or hiking shoes
toiletries – don’t go overboard, but shopping for your typical toiletries in Morocco might be difficult
digital camera – smaller is better

Morocco isn’t particularly dangerous, but places like Tangiers do suffer from slightly more than normal amounts of petty theft. If you are spending time in any medina areas and want to take photographs, a small camera is a better idea. Remember, this is where Moroccan’s live and work and aren’t necessarily tourist areas, despite the popularity of them.

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January 22, 2009November 25, 2009

10 Must Have Items for the Independent Traveler

Throughout my travels I have learned a lot of things about what and what not to bring when traveling independently. If you’re the type of traveler who is constantly on the go, I think you’ll benefit from this list.

1. A good backpack:

Sure, you might have some fancy luggage in your closet but if you’re going to be traveling independently on trains, buses, or by foot, you’ll soon be sick and tired of dragging that rolling suitcase behind you.

That’s why I bought the Kelty Redwing 3100 (read my review) for as my main pack when traveling. I’ve gone through three packs before I found this one. It holds about 50 liters of gear, has great padding, and can be adjusted to fit snug and comfortably.

And as a final testimonial, I had shoulder surgery a year before using this for the first time and I never once got sore wearing this bag.

Of course, everybody’s tastes will differ. It might be a good idea to try on a few at your local outdoors store, but with this model being such a bargain, it might be worth the risk to just give it a shot and return it if it doesn’t work out. Note: good backpacks can run upwards of $300. They might have more space or pockets, but unless you’re packing snow clothes, you shouldn’t need more than 40-50 liters of space.

Best part about this pack, you can carry it on the airplane!

2. A good day pack:

Not everybody will need a second bag, but it can be useful of you will have a base location and be venturing out on hikes or day trips. It’s much easier to leave your large bag behind and load up your day pack with the things you’ll need to get you through the day.
Almost any backpack will do but I particularly like the North Face Recon pack. It holds plenty of gear and is extremely comfortable. As with the Kelty bag, this is one of the first bags I’ve had that doesn’t hurt my shoulders despite loading it up daily with a gallon of water and other junk.

You’ll probably want to have a pack that can hold a water bladder, or at the very least, pockets for water bottles. You can never have enough water with you!

3. Lonely Planet guide books:

Depending on where you’re going, you’ll likely have a choice of several guidebooks. Over the years I have found Lonely Planet to be the most accurate and helpful for the independent traveler. They tend to cover all types of restaurants and accommodations from the bottom of the barrel budget hostels to five star luxury resorts. Several times I have brought two different guidebooks with me and every time, I end up relying solely on the Lonely Planet.

4. Rough Guide books:

Ok, I wasn’t entirely truthful before. When in Morocco I found myself relying a bit more on the Rough Guide. Since Morocco is a bit difficult to navigate, I often utilized information from both books to determine the best route or activity.

On the other hand though, I’ve browsed other Rough Guides at the book store and some have not been very good. When in doubt, check the reviews on Amazon.

5. Digital Camera:

This probably goes without saying as many people don’t leave home without their camera these days. My trusty pocket camera is a Nikon S600 which has recently been replaced by the Nikon S610.
You can’t go wrong with just about any modern digital camera and the choices are endless.

I also use a professional Nikon D200 body, but often I find myself leaving it behind and relying on my smaller camera. It’s easier to carry and takes great photos. Don’t forget, most of these small cameras also record movies now. The quality may not be as good as an expensive camcorder, but they work surprisingly well.

6. iPod touch:

Can you tell that I’m a bit of a gadget freak yet? I’ve always brought an iPod along with me ever since I began traveling. You won’t find me walking around the street with headphones in my ears (I prefer the sound of the world around me), but they are great on airplanes and long train rides.

Earlier this year I learned how great my new iPod touch really was. Not only could I use it to listen to music and watch videos on, but its built in WiFi allowed me to hop on to the Internet at every hostel I’ve been at this year and keep in touch with my friends and family. Check your email, surf the web, even post to your blog. Not to mention you can use it to find the latest information on happenings wherever you may be. I’ve since upgraded to an iPhone, but it is so powerful that I don’t even bother carrying a laptop with me anymore. Not even for business trips!

7. Bpa free water bottle:

Ok, enough with the gadgets. No matter where you are, you’ll need to drink water. Depending on where you are, bottled water can often be much more expensive than you’re used to. Solution? Carry your own bottle and refill it with tap water. Just be sure the water is safe to drink where you are visiting!

These CamelBak BPA free water bottles are great. Safe to use, strong as heck, and spill proof. I carry a 1 liter bottle with me every day.

8. Hiking shoes:

You might not need shoes specific to hiking but if you’ll be doing any treading on uneven ground you’ll surely appreciate them.

They’ve evolved over the years to fit and look more like regular old sneakers and less like the mountaineer boots of yesteryear so you won’t feel dorky wearing them around the city as well.

9. Sport sandals:

These are something I wish I had in Costa Rica (and now I do). I tried to make due with my sneakers but every stream, lake, or waterfall we came to I had to sit down and take off my socks and shoes. Then try to keep them dry as I crossed the river only to put them right back on. I’ve learned my lesson.

They’ll do for mild to medium hikes and you don’t have to take them off when you want to get wet.

10. Quick drying towel:

Last but not least is a quick drying, lightweight towel. They’re thin, light, extremely absorbent, and dry quickly. Much easier to carry than a regular cotton towel, they dry so quickly that they won’t get mildew easily. Perfect for camping or showering at hostels where you generally need your own towel. Some hostels will let you use a towel, but there is often a charge. I won’t travel without one anymore.

That’s it! Throw in a few t-shirts and a couple pairs of shorts and you have my backpack, loaded and ready to see the world.

Do you have any suggestions or special items that you can’t travel without? Please share them in the comments below.

I hope you found this list useful. If so, and you plan to purchase any of these items or anything else from amazon, I will earn a small percentage of any sales made through the above links. Anything helps to keep the site up running. -Thanks!