If you’re planning to backpack Asia, you’re in the right spot.
I’m currently four months into my backpacking trip and have learnt a lot from mistakes but also things that I’m glad I pre-empted.
One of the questions I’m asked a lot is around packing. What to pack and what not to pack.
So I’ve put a list of 12 essential items that I’m so glad that I packed in my backpack. If you’re in the packing stage, here are some things you may not have thought of.
Think of this as your one-stop guide to everything you need to make sure you pack to backpack Asia.
Related blog posts to read:
- 15 Packing Mistakes I Made Backpacking Asia You Can Avoid
- The OC Backpacking Diaries: Week One
- 20 Things I’ve Learnt After Four Weeks of Backpacking
- 23 Beauty Products You’ll Need to Backpack Across Asia
- I’ve Quit My Job and Left London For Good
12 Essential Things You Need to Backpack Asia
1. Toiletry Bag
I bought this from Amazon and it’s a lifesaver. So many pouches for different things and fits so much stuff. Plus the way it’s made, it has a hook to hang up in the bathroom so that you can access everything.
More so, it even has waterproof pouches for fragile liquids in case anything was to burst or break.
2. TRTL Neck Pillow
Since we’re travelling a lot around the world, we needed to bring a neck pillow for the night flights we’d be taking. As well as the long-haul flights.
I’ve tried a standard neck pillow before when I flew to New York for the first time, but didn’t find much comfort with it.
I’d heard so much about the TRTL neck pillows online and liked the fact that they were smaller and easier to pack.
After my first use, I was converted. The TRTL neck pillow is great for sleeping on the plane, and I wouldn’t travel with anything else to backpack Asia.
3. Uniqlo Built-In Bra Tops

Now these, are life-changing. I bought two of the built-in bra tops ahead of travelling, in black and grey.
Since being in Asia, Uniqlo have released more designs and different colours. When I was in Hanoi, Vietnam, I headed to Uniqlo and bought the same top once again, but in a green colour and a white and black stripe.
I also bought a boob-tube type top with a built in bra that has detachable straps, which will suit for date nights and when I want to dress up on my travels.
These tops are honestly a saviour when you don’t want to wear a bra, or your bras are waiting to be washed. A god send.
4. Micro-Fibre Hair Wrap
I love my little hair towel. At home, I would always wrap my hair in a towel to let it dry naturally for a while, but this is the perfect size and wraps your hair up nice and tightly.
Plus, it’s micro-fibre which means it helps your hair dry quicker.
5. Modibodi Period Underwear
I bought these last-minute before going travelling and took them with me in the hopes that they worked.
My period was one of the things I was most worried about with travelling for a long time. I can get really bad cramps on the first day of my period, and was conscious that this would happen on a travel day or a day where we were out exploring.
Plus, I’d need to keep buying tampons and pads as I travelled, and what if I ran out or what if I couldn’t find ones that I liked. And I’ve also heard that they’re super expensive to buy in Asia too.
I had heard some good things from influencers on Instagram, so consider me influenced. And when I tell you, these were the best investment ever.
You wear them, then rinse them in the shower so the blood washes out. And after washing and drying, they’re as good as new for you to wear again.
They’re also so sustainable, since you no longer need to use products like tampons or pads. These might have changed my lifestyle forever you know, and I think I’ll be using them going forward after we backpack Asia.
6. Lots of Suncream
We brought so much suncream with us in our backpacks, but I’m so glad we did. Since we wear it every day and are out in the sun a lot, we go through quite a bit.
Bringing so much has saved us money from having to buy it when we’re out here. Plus, we’ve heard that in Asia, they add a skin-whitening agent into their sun lotion, which isn’t what we want.
7. Amazon Kindle
You know how much I love to read, and there was no way I could bring 100 books to backpack Asia, so I had to invest in a Kindle.
I bought the most basic one from Amazon as I only needed it to add books to, and nothing else.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think I’m fully converted to the Kindle life over a physical book, but I do love the Kindle sales.
I’ve bought so many books that have been on my list for the longest time, for 99p. The Kindle sales are incredible, and once we get settled, I think I’ll be using it to read those books and to keep buying top books for so cheap.
8. Compression Bags

These are a must if you’re going to backpack Asia. Even for going on a short weekend away.
They hold so much clothes, but then compress everything to give you a lot more room in your luggage for other things.
We wouldn’t have been able to pack anywhere near as much without having these.
9. Battery Pack
A life-saver for long travel days.
We spent two days on a slow boat travelling from Laos into Thailand. And with 11-hour days on the water with no plug sockets, this is where the battery pack comes in.
We’ve also had long travel days involving sleeper trains, sleeper buses, ferries, buses and more. And you don’t want to turn up at your final destination with no battery on your phone which has the address of the place you’ll be staying.
10. Universal Adapter
Something else we couldn’t have lived without on our backpacking travels was a universal plug adapter.
We started our travels in Bucharest, Romania then went onto Dubai, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and back to Thailand again. A lot of those countries have different plug types, so a universal adapter was vital.
What did surprise me however, was that Dubai and Sri Lanka both used the same plug formation as the UK, so the adapter wasn’t needed here.
11. Laptop Sleeve
I didn’t think this would have much impact on my travels, but I’m so glad I bought a pouch for my laptop.
My laptop gets packed and unpacked so much that it needs as much protection as possible (since it cost me a lovely £1,000).
Even though I feel a bit like a wannabe briefcase worker, it adds that little layer of padding to my MacBook that would otherwise be scratched and squashed each time it was taken out of and squeezed back into my backpack.
12. Eye Mask
Another life-saver on travel days, especially on sleeper buses, sleeper trains and overnight flights.
We’ve had quite a few sleeper buses and one sleeper train, and on all occasions, I’ve been by the window.
On the buses, you’ll have street lamps every few seconds and neon signs flashing by, but this eye mask doesn’t let in one speck of light. A must for travelling!
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