3. Toiletries & Personal Care
As with Clothing, we have split this section into Essential & Optional sections.
Essential Toiletries & Personal Care Items
The section below details the Toiletries and personal care items we consider to be essential for a backpacking trip. Outside of of this you can find Optional items in the section below. And remember, you can and will buy things you need as you go!
Toiletry / Washbag - With a Hook
A good, compact Toiletries/Wash bag is essential for storing all of your items in the same place, as well as keeping the rest of the contents of your Rucksack dry while backpacking.
We also recommend getting one with a hanging hook, allowing you to hang it from shower cubicle poles / doors for easy access.
We also recommend getting one with separate compartments for wet & dry toiletries.
For that reason, we recommend the Maliton hanging toiletry bag. Liam (our most prolific backpacker) swears by this one. It has a compact design, 4 different compartments (Waterproof) and is waterproof inside and out.
Essential Toiletries:
- Shampoo
- A Toilet Roll
- Shower Gel / Bar of Soap (See additional details below)
- Shaving Items (Razor & foam/cream)
- Deodorant - We recommend a roll-on/speed stick
- Toothbrush & Toothpaste (See additional details below)
- Travel Grooming Set (See additional details below)
- Sun Screen
- Insect Repellant (See additional Details below)
- Female Sanitary Products
- Condoms/contraception
- Pain Killers: Paracetamol & Ibuprofen (See additional details below)
- Immodium / Diarrhoea medication (See additional details below)
- Antiseptic Cream (See additional details below)
- Required Medications
- Hair Brush / Comb
If travelling in a pair/group, you can split the larger and heavier items you can all use between you to carry (Eg: Shampoo / Shower Gel / Toothpaste / Shaving Foam/Cream).
Soap Box
No, we're not talking about something you stand on to have a rant on street corners.
We generally recommend packing bar of soap for backpacking over bottles of shower gel, and we do this for numerous reasons:
- Smaller & lighter than a bottle of shower gel
- Generally lasts longer
- Useful for washing clothes /removing marks & stains
But, to pack soap, you will need to get yourself a soap box. This keeps your your toiletries dry, allows you to take the same bar to multiple destinations and reduces waste.
We have recommended the no-frills option we use below (pictured.)
Travel Toothbrush
Travel toothbrushes are really handy for minimising the amount of space you use in your bag.
These handy toothbrushes fold in half, both minimising the space used, and keeping the bristles clean when not in use.
These usually come in a pack of two in different colours, which is handy when travelling as a pair/couple, or having a spare when one needs to be replaced.
Toothbrush Cover
If you prefer to take your normal toothbrush with you, we thoroughly recommend buying a toothbrush cover. These help keep your toothbrush clean, and your toiletries dry.
(And help to keep residual toothpaste off the rest of your toiletries!)
Also - Even if you dont go anywhere near a beach, you will end up with sand in your toiletries bag at some point. We have no idea how it happens, but it does. And these wee things make sure your teeth dont end up getting an unexpected sand-polish!
Travel Grooming Kit
One of these handy little kits will cover everything you need from a basic grooming perspective.
We recommend this stainless steel one from a size and weight perspective, but also because it has almost everything you will need while backpacking to make sure you don't end up looking like a caveman/woman:
- Nail Scissors
- Nail Clippers
- Nail File
- Tweezers
Insect Repellant
For locations outside the UK, even mainland Europe, we strongly recommend you to pack insect repellant. also, you likely know yourself if you are prone to mosquito and insect bites (Richard and Alex seem to be magnets for mosquitos), so if you are, we doubly strongly recommend investing in insect repellant containing Deet.
We all recommend Jungle Formula insect repellant. You should pack 3-4 bottles or more depending on your destination and for trips lasting more than 2 weeks and the level of coverage you require.
Richard and Alex both swear by the maximum strength Jungle Formula at all times. However you may want to consider some of the lower strength options - Again you may want to vary this based on your location - Eg: Max Strength just makes sense if you are going to Thailand rural Egypt or Kenya etc.
Pain Killers
From muscle pain to headaches & hangovers, pain killers are an essential packing item. We have split this in to 2 distinct elements below.
Paracetamol: Paracetamol. Thats it. Simple, Supermarket's own brand Paracetamol. Great for headaches and general aches and pains.. Take 2 sleeves from the box (Don't take the box!). Simple. Effective. And light weight!
Ibuprofen: Another good shout to pack is a sleeve of Ibuprofen. As Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory, it is idea if you hurt yourself during a day of exploring (eg: rolled ankles) or even some of the more troublesome headaches. Cheap and cheerful, generic/supermarkets own brand stuff is just as good and effective as Nurofen and other leading brands..
Antiseptic & Wound Creams
Scrapes, grazes, insect bites and the occasional rash/skin irritation are all part and parcel of travelling, especially when in a location and climate your are not familiar with. So we recommend having the following products handy to help deal with the unexpected. We recommend BOTH Savlon & Bepanthen.
Savlon: An oldie but a goldie. Savlon is great for cleaning scrapes and grazes, and even insect bites you may encounter as you travel.
Bepanthen: Bepanthen (Yes, Nappy Rash Cream!) is great for treating minor ailments, and in some instances is better than Savlon, as it is oil based and thicker (Particularly good for warmer climates where sweat can wipe away water cased creams).
Bepanthen is particularly good for treating skin irritations and sweat rashes you may encounter when exploring in hot and humid climates, and where you are sweaty ands your clothes rub against your skin.
We know 'Nappy Rash Cream' sounds odd, but trust us, this stuff can be your best friend in a pinch, and its better to have and not need, than need and not have (Nothing worse than trying to figure out the name / spelling of this in another language - Yes - We have been there! Try saying "Бепантен" with a hangover!).
Plasters, Blister Plasters & Liquid Plasters
As with the antiseptic creams, you should always have plasters with you. As the quality of plasters on some countries is nowhere near as good as ours.
Plasters: We recommend the Elastoplast 'Second Skin' plasters, as these plasters tend to get a better seal on the skin, and are less prone to moving/getting rubbed off by clothing, as well as providing better protection for the wound in warm/humid climates.
Blister Plasters: Hear us out - When it comes to blisters, Compeed blister plasters are 100% better than regular plasters. They are thicker, form a better seal and alleviate blister pain far better, and we swear by them.
Even if you are not prone to blisters, we recommend having these in your toiletries or a few in your day bag, as when out sightseeing, or hiking, you never know exactly how much walking you are going to be doing on a trip.
Liquid Plasters: A great alternative to regular plasters is a product like 'New Skin'. This is a liquid plaster that you apply over a wound to seal it and keep it clean (Even if it stings like a mofo when you put it on). Handy for keeping on you, particularly for outdoor activitiese for small cuts and grazes.
Again, as with the regular plasters, take them out of the box to save space.
Optional Toiletries & Personal Care Items
The section below details the Toiletries and personal care items we consider to be optional for a backpacking trip and packed at your discretion & Judgement. And remember, you can and will buy things you need as you go!
Optional Toiletries:
- Hair Products
- Wet Wipes
- Dental Floss
- Face Wash
- Multivitamins
- Antihistamines
- Decongestants
- Aftershave / Perfume
- Make up (Only pack the essentials)
- Hand Sanitiser
- Lip Balm
- Rehydration Salts (see additional details below)
- Water Purification Tablets (see additional details below)
- Hair/Beard Clippers (See additional details below)
- Electric Shaver (See additional details below)
- Bobbles
- Shewee (See additional details below)
Again, if travelling in a pair/group, you can split the larger and heavier items you can all use between you to carry (Eg: Hair Products / Face Wash / Clippers).
Rehydration Salts
For those of us not accustomed to hot and humid locations, these can be a lifesaver. Given the team at Plan It For Me comprise of 3 pasty scotsmen, and one German born and raised in Africa - We know what we are talking about.
These Tablets are water soluable, ideal for your water bottle on the go, help you rehydrate and stay hydrated for longer. We found these particularly useful for travelling theough South East Asia & the Middle East and Africa.
Water Purification Tablets
For some locations, particularly South East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Central Asia & South America, you may want to consider packing water purification tablets.
Especially where the tap water is not rated for drinking, but where other options are limited.
Hair / Beard Clippers (Men)
An optional item for men is a small, lightweight pair of beard/hair clippers.
These can be very useful for helping to reduce costs and keep yourself fresh while travelling. And particularly useful for when travelling through countries where your local language skills/local knowledge of English is limited, and you don't fancy your chances of asking for a hair cut!
Again, be conscious of the weight, and consider if they are really needed.
Electric Shaver
An option bor both men and women, is the option to pack an electric shaver, potentially negating the need for packing a razor and shaving cream/foam.
Be concious of the weight, and additional space, as well as the additional cables this will require.
Shewee (Women)
So this is a women specific one. As Plan It For Me is run by 4 fairly diverse blokes, we consulted some our friends for this one.
When backpacking we all spend a lot of time of rural and overnight trains and buses, often without toilets. Men have a couple of options, but women not so much.
So when we were asking out various female friends who travel, their recommendation of this item (linked below) was fairly universal for both travelling and festivals, and puts women on a more level playing field with men in terms of available options.
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