Travel Guides and Tips

Packing Guide for Backpacking Europe!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click one of them and make a purchase, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!

I have dreamed about backpacking through Europe for years now and I am beyond excited that it is finally happening! I booked a one-way flight to Greece and I am hoping to travel to as many countries as possible for about 6-8 months seeing and experiencing everything I possibly can!

This means that I will be in Europe for winter, spring, AND summer. How on earth am I supposed to fit all of my clothes for three different seasons, plus rain gear, plus everything else into just a backpack?! Trust me, it’s possible!

Throughout my stay in Europe, my plan is to live with host families through WorkAway, crash with some locals on CouchSurfing, use HostelWorld to find the best and cheapest accommodations in different cities, and camp along the way! I’m planning on exploring cities, churches, castles, and monasteries. But I’m also planning on getting getting my shoes a little dirty off the beaten path and doing some hiking, climbing, and camping. Because of this, I am packing for every scenario I might find myself in.

Clothes:

I tried to pack very light, bringing only what I thought that I would absolutely need. One of the benefits of traveling in Europe is that I will not be at a loss for stores. If for whatever reason, I am in need of something I didn’t pack, or need to replace something, there are thousands of stores that I can go to for new clothes. So, here is my list of what I’m bringing that I think will be necessary for a long multi-adventure trip in Europe.

  • T-shirts (2-3)
  • Nicer shirt (1)
  • Tank top (1)
  • Casual dress (1)
    • Good for hanging out, exploring cities, or visiting churches
  • Nicer dress (1)
    • For any fancy dinners or going to nicer churches or monasteries
  • Jeans (1)
  • Leggings (1)
  • Flowy pants (1)
    • Light, comfortable, and can be both warm and cool
  • Hiking pants (1)
  • Jean shorts (1)
  • Belt (1)
    • Arcade belts are the adventure belts: stretchy, durable, comfortable, affordable, and adorable!
  • Athletic shorts (1)
  • Rain coat (1)
  • Sweater (1)
  • Puffy jacket (1)
    • Mountain Hardware Super/DS Jacket
    • This is one of the best investments that I’ve ever made! This jacket is the best wind breaker, keeps me so warm, and is incredibly light and packs down so small!
  • Swimsuit (1-2)
  • Socks (3-4 pairs)
  • Undies (5-6 pairs)
  • Bras (2)
  • Sports bra (1)
  • Chacos
    • One of the greatest shoe investments I’ve ever made! They are adventure shoes, casual shoes, exploring shoes, dancing shoes….you name it!
  • Casual shoes (1)
    • I brought a pair of converse
  • Tennis shoes (1)
  • Beanie (1)
  • Cap (1)

A big tip that I have when trying to pack light with clothes, make sure that all of your tops match all your bottoms. Even if you’re only bringing 3 shirts and 2 bottoms, that’s still 6 different outfits so you’re getting a bit of variety while still re-wearing the same clothes!

Toiletries:

Toiletries are something you can buy anywhere, so you don’t have to pack enough for the entire duration of your trip, but just have enough to get you through a few weeks in case you can’t get to a store for a while. Here are the essentials I would bring. I also included some of my suggestions of ways you can reduce your plastic waste and use more natural health products!

Electronics:

I will definitely be doing lots of work during my travels, so I’m bringing all the essentials to keep my blog up to date!

Other Stuff:

  • Backpack
  • Day Pack
  • Reusable water bottle
    • Nalgene and Hydroflask are both great brands
  • Journal
    • This is a great way to keep note of all your travel thoughts, write down a few phrases of the languages for the country you’re in, or do some doodling!
  • Travel sized Bible
    • Gotta get my daily Jesus time!
  • Ukulele
    • I absolutely could not live without music, bringing an instrument on travels is a great way to meet people and maybe get a fun jam session going!
    • I have a beautiful Mila Tenor ukulele, but unfortunately, they don’t make these anymore
    • However, Amazon has a plethora of choice of different colors, patterns, sizes, and shapes
    • I also use this case that I love!
  • Sleeping bag     
    • Hopefully to do some cowboy camping during my adventures!
  • Sleeping pad
    • Again, for some nights under the stars!
  • Hammock
    • No better place to relax than a hammock right on the water or in a beautiful forest!
    • I love my BearButt Hammock, they have so many great colors, any accessory you could need and all of their gear is high quality and durable!
  • Climbing harness
  • Embroidery stuff
    • Gotta keep myself entertained on long bus rides or flights
  • Travel-sized first aid kit
    • Many different options on Amazon
  • Sunnies
    • Cheap pair from Walmart in case they get lost or broken
  • Bamboo utensil set
    • This is a great way to reduce plastic waste by bringing your own straw/utensils

This is what I am personally bringing for an extended trip to Europe. Have you been on a long trip like this before? What did you bring? Any other suggestions? I’d love to know yall’s input! Thanks for reading, and happy travels!

Do you enjoy reading about all my travels and adventures? Would you like to help my adventures continue by supporting me financially? If you do, then please know, that would mean the world to me! To do this, you can go to my Patreon page to choose which level you would like to support me at! Thanks for your love and support and remember to make every day an adventure!

The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark

-John Muir
Enjoying the adventure? I would LOVE your support on Patreon!

One Comment