Rookie Pinoy Backpacker’s Guide: Wisdom from experienced Pinoy backpackers  

“I’m writing an article on backpacking. I sent you some questions,” I messaged.

"Ok. I'll send it later! I'm on a mountain now. Haha,” he replied. 

 

This conversation is exactly why I thought I’d ask my backpacker friends to help me put this Rookie Pinoy Backpacker’s Guide together.

In a culture where a good google search is where most new exploits begin, I thought it would be a good idea to ask the people I know who actually backpack around the world for their two cents for the rookie backpacker. 

 

For starters, backpacking is exactly what it implies: traveling (which may or may not involve hiking) carrying your belongings in a backpack. In a nutshell, backpacking is traveling on the cheap, staying for longer periods of time to get a better feel  of the place, walking or taking public transport whenever possible, possibly even pitching a tent for shelter when appropriate. 

 

Although there isn’t a backpackers bag-code, it generally means you have only one big bag, and not a fleet of fancy trolleys. You usually don’t check into a fancy five star hotel, and opt for youth hostels or a backpacker inn. 

 

I’ve pooled together a pretty straightforward list of what to bring and what to leave behind as a guide for the rookie backpacker based on the collective wisdom of Pinoy backpackers.

 

BRING:

 

Flexible Itinerary: Prepare a list of what you want to do, but be ready to have your plans messed up. That’s a good thing.
 

Climate-appropriate clothing: As a general rule, pack for a week and bring a bar of soap for laundry. Bring lightweight clothing that dries easily. Neutral earth-tones work well because they don’t show dirt too starkly. No matter what the climate, bring a jacket. Even the hottest destinations may have cold nights. 

Duly protected camera; While a DSLR may take spectacular photos, it could take time to pull it out for a shot.  Take a rugged camera with you, duly protected with a waterproof pouch. A small camera with decent image quality should do the job.
 

Travel-sized toiletries: Don’t buy branded travel-sized toiletries.  Buy empty travel toiletry kits and refill them with toiletries you already have.

Water container: Bring a sturdy water container.  Insulation and filtration are valuable add-ons. Find one you can attach to a carabiner so you can hook it to your bag. 

Analog map: GPS is great, and smartphones have a ton of nifty features but battery runs out, outlets might be scarce, and, well, analog maps are trusty.  Keep a map, but embrace the possibility of getting lost every now and then. 
 

A good first aid kit and then some: A basic first aid kit, a motion sickness pill (even if you aren’t prone to motion sickness), an antihistamine, sunblock, a disinfectant and a good mosquito repellant.

A sturdy day bag: A wet bag can double as a good day bag

Illumination, firestarter: Bring a headlamp and some matches or a lighter. Traveling on the cheap may entail power blackouts and these may come in handy. 

Small Presents: Backpacking is as much about letting the locals have a taste of your culture as it is the other way around.  When going on international trips, bring small packs of dried mangoes to give as gifts. 
 

 

LEAVE:

 

Clothing items that might offend: Keep your clever statement tees and military-themed clothing items.  The last thing you want to do is offend the locals, and you’d be surprised how easy that may be.
 

Heavy cotton clothing: While jeans might seem logical, they are heavy, take forever to dry and take up a lot of space in your bag.  Particularly if you’re heading to a tropical destination, ditch your jeans and heavy cotton towels for lightweight alternatives.

Gadgets: Leave your gadgets (except the bare essentials) and unplug from social media as much as possible.  Though it may be tempting to post a blow-by-blow, try to be as in-the-moment as you possibly can.

Expectations: Researching about your destination may make it hard not to expect anything, but try to keep an open mind.  You almost never get what you expect, and that is the best part of it.

Condescending attitude: Thinking you’re better than those around you or being critical may keep you from valuable new experiences.

Sweet-smelling toiletries: Using shampoo, soap or lotion that smells sweet or fruity makes you a
walking mosquito and bug target.

Work stress: You’re backpacking! You’ve taken a leave, so keep your work stress at the office, and focus on new experiences.  Resist checking your work email and enjoy.  

Valuables: Leave your expensive jewelry behind.  Not only is there a risk of losing them, it may make you a target for thieves.  Also, leave items of sentimental value.

Blowdryer, curler, electric razor:  Try to rough it up as much as possible, leaving non-essentials like this for the utilitarian razor and hairbrush.

White socks: If you care about keeping them white, at least, leave your white socks and shirts back home. Try to keep clothing neutral to easily disguise stains. 
 

And some more random pieces of advice:

 

“If you’re going solo, stay at a backpacker hostel to meet people. That’s where you stumble upon the stuff you cannot find in blogs and guides.” — Kikoy Gueco

 

“Engage and converse with the locals. Not only will you learn from them, but they will also learn from you. Bring a token from your country. I prefer dried mangoes to people I meet who have touched me. Limit your time on social media. There’s a lot to see and experience! Don’t miss out.” — Jacob Sarreal

 

“I sometimes travel to a place without an itinerary and ask the locals what I should do. Bring Erceflora, a good probiotic and eat where the locals eat. Take local transport and be generous with compliments when they are due to encourage those in the tourism industry to do their jobs well.” —Atty. Jeamie Salvatierra

 

“If you plan on going hiking, get into shape. Borrow some of the gear you need first. You don’t need to spend big bucks immediately. Make friends along the way. Backpackers are some of the coolest people you’ll meet.” — Reggie Reginaldo

 

“Be ready to get lost if things don’t go as planned, tag along experienced backpackers if possible!” —Teejay Sakuma

 

“Buy stuff sacks to ensure that your packing is orderly and compressed.  For girls, bring a reversible bikini that dries quickly. A map helps but leave space for wandering. Know how to defend yourself. Avoid cabs. Have conversations with strangers and keep multiple copies of your passport just in case.” — Charley Sta. Maria

 

“Leave your ego behind. All your expectations will not be met because everything you know about a place will change the minute you get there. Do not overpack and leave your closet at home” — Mateo Fabregas