The Backpack Reality Check Every Traveller Needs
Forget the endless TikTok checklists. After five years living out of a 40L backpack, here’s what actually matters.
Packing for SE Asia Travel? Read this Before you Start
Every day I see new TikTok videos like “What I’m packing for my 6 month trip through South East Asia” and I honestly don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Who needs nine pairs of boxers, twelve t-shirts, three pairs of shoes, extension cables and three six metre chargers? I could keep naming things but I’d probably run out of space before they’ve even zipped their bag.
Airlines love it, it’s basically free money for them, but it’ll keep happening unless we start showing younger travellers how small decisions make a big difference. The truth is people are wasting money before they’ve even left home, and two weeks later they’re the ones moaning that their backpack’s too heavy. We need to normalise efficient packing!
In the Ideal World, What's in the Backpack?
I don’t want to teach anyone how to suck eggs but I’ve been living out of a 40L backpack for five years and I’ve never once felt like I was missing something. Most of it comes down to mindset. That “I’m travelling so why do I need hairspray” type of thinking. Once you can separate wants from needs, everything you own fits neatly into a 40L pack that goes on as carry-on with most airlines. You’re saving your back, your mood, and your wallet.
I recently posted a TikTok reviewing other people’s packing setups and it’s weak. Sixty litre backpacks, two carry-ons, and outfits fit for Milan fashion week. The reality is they’re flying into Bangkok, not the runway.
Here’s the video.
What should you ACTUALLY PACK for South East Asia travel?
So let's talk about what you actually need and how you can mentally prepare yourself if you're struggling.
Want to see where your money actually goes? BudgetBro tracks it in any currency, free.
What's in My Bag
This may surprise you but here's my list
- 4 BudgetBro t-shirts
- 2 normal t-shirts
- 3 shorts (combined swim shorts / going out shorts)
- 4 pairs of socks
- 1 laptop
- 1 camera
- 1 powerbank
- Cables
- Toothbrush
That is it, this is all I have had for 5 years on the road and I've not needed a single item more. There's no secret, just a realisation that material things don't bring happiness, what does bring happiness is saving fees every time I fly and not needing to pay for checkin baggage.
Mental Preperation
Packing for travel is exciting. You’re thinking about everything you might need and making sure you’ve got it all covered. What you’re not thinking about is the money you’re burning. You don’t realise that half the stuff you’re buying in the UK is 70% cheaper once you land in Southeast Asia. You’re also not thinking about the check-in charges on every single flight you’ll take over the next six months, which, on average, is around £36 per flight.
So, take a step back. Reset yourself. Change your attitude. Ask one simple question: “What am I actually going to use day to day?” If you do that, I guarantee you’ll pack like me: lighter, smarter, and without the regret. You’ll skip the back ache, avoid paying Grab fees because you’re too tired to carry your own bag, and save that £36 every time you fly.
Let me know your thoughts on Tiktok and whether this helped you. 💚
Planning the rest of your trip? We also cover UK to Southeast Asia, 16,095KM Away From Home and China’s Travel Comeback.
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