Backpacking Essentials for Asia: My Favorite Travel Gear

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If you’re planning a long-term adventure throughout Asia, here are my recommended travel gear and backpacking essentials for Asia and beyond!

Making the investment into quality travel gear really makes all the difference while traveling. You want something that can stand test of time, function like it should and make your life easier.

After years traveling and hiking, I’ve come to find the brands and essentials that I absolutely love and cannot travel without! I wanted to share specifically my backpacking essentials for Asia (and all of the world really) in hopes that it helps you out the next time you’re prepping for a big adventure.

↠ Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Solo Female Travel in Asia

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20 Backpacking Essentials for Asia: My Favorite Travel Gear

1. A good day-trip/hiking backpack: Fjallraven – Raven 20 backpack

On any day adventure, a gal (or anyone for that matter) needs her trusty backpack, especially on long hikes. Something lightweight, durable and that can hold the essentials is a necessity. Who doesn’t love unique hiking gifts?

This is such a perfect bag for day trips and hikes, and it fits all of my gear. It’s water-resistant, washes easily and has held up very well in all of my travels so far. Definitely worth the money. And it adds a cute pop of color to my outdoor hiking photos.

2. A reusable water bottle: S’well or Hydroflask

Every human being needs a trusty reusable water bottle. They’re great to have on hand on any adventure and help cut down on our plastic consumption while saving money in the process. S’well is a stylish and functional brand that I absolutely love.

3. Portable water filter: LifeStraw

When traveling to destinations where the water is a little iffy to drink, a water filter is extremely convenient and eco-friendly. This is definitely a must on the list of backpacking essentials for Asia!

I recently purchased the Life Straw and it’s seriously an amazing investment. It filters water instantly and helps you immensely cut down on plastic bottles while traveling. The company is phenomenal as well – for every straw that is purchased, they donate one to someone in need.

4. A menstrual cup: Diva Cup

Obvi these tips are for my fellow ladies! Switching over to a menstrual cup has legit been life-changing. With the cup, you don’t need to worry about carrying around numerous tampons and can go a full 12 hours without worrying about changing it. For hiking and traveling, this is a huge convenience when bathrooms may be scarce. It’s good for the environment, your body and your wallet – it’s great!

I’ve had a great experience with this particular brand, although there are many to choose from. But seriously, trust me when I say this is one of my backpacking essentials for Asia you’ll thank me for trying! Think of all the nasty bathrooms you can avoid with this bad boy.

↠ Read more: A Guide for Traveling with a Menstrual Cup

5. A mirrorless digital camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II

I get asked all the time on Instagram what camera I use so I thought I’d share! As an avid traveler obsessed with photos, a quality camera for traveling is a huge priority for me. I used to own a DSLR and while I loved the photos it took, it just became too heavy to carry, especially as a non-professional photographer. I love the change I made to a mirrorless camera. It’s a great compromise between beautiful photos and lightweight equipment.

I love the photos this lightweight camera takes! It’s just what I need to maintain this wonderful blog and capture the memories that will last me a lifetime.

6. Comfortable hiking socks: Smartwool

As a hiker, having comfortable wool socks that keep my feet the perfect temperature is a necessity.

Smartwool socks are wonderful because they keep your feet warm (or cool) while wicking away sweat and providing great support. I’m obsessed with these socks and beg for a pair or two every Christmas. They’re a little pricey but worth it. They come in all different weights, colors and styles for whatever you need them for!

7. A good pair of comfortable sandals: Birkenstocks

There’s nothing better than kicking off your hiking boots or walking shoes after a day of wandering for miles and slipping on something more comfortable.

I’m in love with my Birks. They form to your feet for perfect comfort and really stand the test of time. I’ve put so many miles on my pair and they’re still going strong even after two years. They’re expensive but worth the investment.

8. Waterproof hiking boots: Timberland Norwood Mid Waterproof Boot

Every hiker needs a go-to boot to make hikes more comfortable and enjoyable.

These boots are such a great value. They’re extremely durable, waterproof and provide great support and traction for difficult hikes. They’re also pretty cute IMHO, which can be difficult to find in a good hiking boot. They’ve lasted me quite a while and I can’t live without them!

9. A packable down jacket: Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket or Amazon Essentials Down Jacket

Find yourself a trusty packable down jacket and never let it go. It keeps you warm, is great for layering and takes up very little room in your luggage.

I managed to score a Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket on sale from REI Garage (so I suggest keeping an eye out there) and instantly fell in love. Patagonia is such a great brand for rugged and high-end outdoor gear. It’s worth the full price even if you can’t find a sick deal.

10. A reliable portable charger: RAVPower Battery Pack

Taking photos and using your phone for navigation really drains the life out of your device. I’d be lost without my phone on my travels – I’m not ashamed to admit it, I would literally be lost – so I never leave home without my trusty external battery (or two).

11. Attachable camera lens for smartphones: Olloclip

Your phone is the most accessible travel camera that you’ll likely have with you on every adventure. I love having the attachable camera lens to add variety and depth to my iPhone photos. And these clips are so small and easy to carry that I never leave home without them.

I’ve taken some of my favorite iPhone photos with this Olloclip! I love the wide-angle lens and how much more of the landscape it allows you to capture. Ollo also sells clip on lenses for Samsung and non-iPhone phones.

12. A lightweight tripod: Manfrotto Universal Phone Tripod  or  JOBY GorillaPod SLR Tripod

When you travel solo, a tripod is absolutely necessary to capture decent vacation photos. It’s easy to set up and fairly lightweight to carry around. Or even something like a quality selfie stick or selfie stick tripod can help you capture your travel memories!

I have the Manfrotto Universal Phone Tripod and love it for my iPhone. The JOBY GorillaPod is also fantastic as it allows you to place your digital camera in hard-to-reach places with the tight wrap technology of the arms. The description states SLR but it also fits my Olympus Mirrorless Camera.

13. Phone Bluetooth remote: HISY Bluetooth Remote

If you’ve made the investment in a good tripod for your phone (or camera) for your solo travels, then I recommend also looking into a reliable Bluetooth remote to help you capture those perfect shots on your smartphone!

The ten-second timer on our devices is just not enough time to set up your shot before the photo is taken. The HISY remote is a super small and lightweight Bluetooth remote that’s easy to carry with you and lets you take your photo whenever you’re ready.

14. Packing cubes: eBags Packing Cubes – 3pc set

When packing for any trip, packing cubes help keep your backpack or suitcase organized and your travel necessities all in one place. A must for at the very least keeping your socks and underwear together.

15. Dirty laundry bag: BINGONE Nylon 4-in-1 travel bags

After a week of traveling and carrying around dirty clothes in your backpack, you’ll regret not having a heavy duty laundry bag with you! It helps keep your clean clothes fresh and smelling good for the duration of your trip.

16. A medium-sized/carry-on backpack: Osprey Porter 46 or Cotopaxi Allpa

A trusty medium-sized backpack is great for short-term and medium-term travel. It gives you the space you need for a weekend-long trip as well as helps me pack more minimalistically for two-week+ trips.

If you need something to fit more for a longer trip, I recommend opting for something bigger than 50L. Something a bit bigger will be able to hold travel extras that can make your trip more convenient like a travel kettle, bulky camera or laptop equipment, etc.

I love the durability and functionality of my Osprey Porter bag. It’s lasted me years and is still holding up phenomenally. In the US, this bag is carry-on size making flights all the more convenient. Sadly it’s a little big for most budget airlines, but I still love this bag nonetheless.

↠ Read more: 11 Best Front Loading Backpacks for Travelers

17. A Kindle: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite E-Reader

It’s inevitable you’re going to have downtime on your travels and will want to fill your time with reading. Amazon’s Kindle is seriously a game changer for saving space on any backpacking journey! You can carry hundreds of titles in one compact and lightweight device.

And one of the best things about Kindle is its affordability. Other tablets or iPads cost hundreds of dollars making it stressful to carry around for fear of damage or theft. While losing or breaking your Kindle obviously isn’t ideal, it wouldn’t be as tragic as another more expensive item.

In my opinion, the Paperwhite is the best e-reader Amazon offers as it’s a great compromise between price and functionality.

There you have it my loves! My backpacking essentials for Asia and my absolute faves for all of my adventures abroad!

What are your go-to backpacking essentials for Asia? Share below!