Hitting the road in Australia, with nothing on your back except a rucksack can be one of the greatest experiences which you will ever have. There are some challenges which trekking around the world brings however and one which you will struggle with regularly is that of which clothing you should take with you in you bag.
The reason this is such a challenge is because on the one hand, you don’t want to be lugging about numerous kilos of weight on your back and on the other, you want to have sufficient clothing for a range of activities. To help you out when it comes to packing your bag, here are the essentials which you’ll need.
Flip Flops
There will be times when you will need a good pair of walking shoes if you are going hiking or going to be on your feet a lot. For all other times however, flip flops are an absolute godsend. The beauty of wearing flip flops is that they are light, they keep your feet aerated, they are waterproof and packing them is an absolute synch as they are flexible and can fit into small spaces in your bag.
The Utility Shorts
Shorts are by far and away one of the best items which you can take on the road with you as they are easier to pack than trousers and they can be worn whatever the weather. If it is raining then shorts are ideal as your skin will dry far quicker than clothing will. If the weather is hot then your covered and even if it is cold (highly unlikely in Oz!) your legs are the last thing which you need to keep warm so as long as you have covered the extremities, you should be ok.
Four T-Shirts
You may not win any prizes for fashion on the road but you will be the one having the last laugh with your light baggage and one way to ensure it stays that way is to limit your t-shirts. I always stick to the four t-shirts rule, this has never failed me in the past and it has always given me at least one clean one to wear until I get the stuff washed. Usually I have two dirty, one which I wear and one which I keep until I am washing the other 3.
Universal Wear
I often try to pick up multi-purpose clothing where I can which helps out in a number of situations. For example, I have a scarf which keeps my neck warm when it is cold, I can put it over me mouth if there is sand flying about and put it over my head when the heat hits the crazy temperatures. I also have a pair of lightweight, waterproof trousers which can be ripped off at the knee to make shorts. These items of clothing are a great idea when it comes to traveling to a wide variety of places.
Make sure that you are always focussed on weight when deciding what clothing to take, you will thank yourself for it once you are on the road.