Two blogs in three days is it 2011? No it’s too early for dinner but too late to get stuck into anything big.

In case I hadn’t mentioned it I’m going backpacking soon, and I’ve borrowed a rucksack to do a trial packing session. I’m going to be honest with you, reader… it’s a little small. I mean, I’m small. There’s no point getting a 100 litre bag when I wouldn’t be able to lift it. And how much stuff do you really need? Other than underwear, medication, money and your passport?

Well not gonna lie I was hoping to take a tablet so I could reconnect with nature, aka blog for fun. And I’ll need a pair of shoes that aren’t walking boots. Oh, and solid shampoo and eyeliner because I read somewhere that sometimes the only difference between sanity and insanity when you’ve been sitting on a bus for 14 hours in a foreign country is wearing something that makes you feel like you. And ‘me’ is black eyeliner and clean-ish hair. But I also like clean-ish skin and I’m pretty sure my extensive moisturiser collection won’t fit… We’ll be visiting a lot of sacred temples and museums so I’m definitely taking trousers and tops with long sleeves. But we’re going to like have fun so I need shorts right? And a bathing suit. And pyjamas because sleeping is my favourite hobby and a hoodie or cardigan because hostels are full of people and sometimes you need to hide beneath swathes of material even if it’s 40 degrees. Oh and I’m taking a notebook for making art and a notebook that’s my diary. And I definitely need my tablet charger and phone charger. And contact lenses. And my prescription sunglasses and my regular glasses. I need a three month supply of the pill, emergency IBS medicine because who knows what the fuck I might accidentally eat and ear plugs because hostels are full. Of. People.

I need to lay everything I might need out on my bed and whittle it down to what I actually need.

While I’m off having a crisis, let me know: what’s the one thing you won’t travel without? Have  you ever over or under-packed for a trip? Have you ever witnessed a luggage fuck up of epic proportions? Help me out.