I know that before I embarked on my first backpacking adventure across Europe, it would’ve been helpful to have a list of things that would come in handy throughout my travels. Not that lists like that weren’t available, but I wish I was smart enough to look for them.

So, I compiled this list of the most important things that I brought with me!

Bike Lock/Masterlock

A lightweight bike lock will come in handy if you want to have an extra level of security sleeping in a hostel with your belongings locked up safely at night. It’s not super common for things to get stolen at hostels, but I know that I slept much better knowing that I didn’t have to worry about it. It’s not an absolute necessity, but I definitely recommend it.

Hidden Money Belt

If it’s your first time backpacking Europe, and you’ve had a conversation with anyone about it, I’m sure at some point they said something like “watch out for pickpockets”. Sometimes it’s the first thing people say when they hear the word “Europe”, and some people use it as an excuse as to why they don’t want to travel there at all. I will say this: it’s not as common as people make it seem. Maybe in super touristy places like Rome and Paris, but as long as you keep an eye on your stuff, you’ll be fine.

This money belt is another added level of security. I would fill it with my credit card/cash, phone and sometimes passport, and strap it to my torso under my shirt before I went out for the day. It’s super thin so it doesn’t stick out much under clothing, and it comes in handy when you don’t need to carry a lot so you don’t need to bring a bag with you when you leave the hostel for the day. It’s, again, not completely necessary, but it will definitely make you feel more secure and will give you less to worry about.

Hiking Backpack

The bag that I chose as my main bag was the Outdoor Products Arrowhead Backpack, and it is one tough backpack. I beat the heck out of this thing over multiple trips to Europe and it’s still in great shape. Mine is probably over 10 years old, so I linked the newest version that Outdoor Products sells.

I will say though, that I don’t recommend backpacking with a bag that opens with a cinch at the top and is pretty much one big open bag like this one. I put my clothes in this bag, and it’s tough to keep everything organized without getting it all jumbled up when you’re reaching in and searching for a specific item, if that makes sense.

Inflatable Neck Pillow

This is a good thing to have when you’re flying Ryanair or riding a train or bus because you won’t always get a good headrest. This pillow folds up when you need to store it and blows up to a nicely-sized neck pillow when you find yourself in an uncomfortable spot.

Polaroid Camera

This is completely optional, but it’s my favorite thing to have when I travel. I love my Polaroid camera, and I’m so glad I’ve brought it along with me on all my travels and have dozens of Polaroid pictures to show for it. For me, there’s something much more special about having a physical picture that you took as opposed to a photo on your phone. I highly recommend getting one of these cameras for your travels.

However, as I’ve learned multiple times, Polaroid film to a European airport security officer is as a quantum computer is to a caveman. Even though the technology has been around for over 50 years, they have no idea how to check it and insist on sending it through the X-ray machines. I’ve had numerous packs of Polaroid film spoiled because they refuse to hand-check it, and it gets my blood boiling just thinking about it. I’m talking full, unused packs of film – completely ruined. I don’t think they have the X-rays that we do in the U.S. or something, because nowadays our X-ray scanners don’t damage any film under 800 ISO. But, when I was in Europe last summer, I had two or three film packages messed up by their X-rays.

Anyway, the point of the last paragraph is that I recommend buying your Polaroid film in the country you travel to, as opposed to buying it then flying with it. This all also applies for regular film cameras.

Wall Plug Adapter

A wall plug adapter is definitely a necessity. I’ve linked the one I use, and it always comes in handy. One brick for anywhere in the world, what more could you ask for? You also definitely need to get this before you embark on your journey, because when I first arrived in Germany I hadn’t even thought about the different wall plug deal so I frantically had to search for a wall plug adapter before my phone died.

It’s also much higher quality than a lot of wall plug adapters that you’ll find in Europe. The one I bought after the above incident was super low quality and failed on me in about a week.

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Hopefully this list helps you get more organized and prepared for your backpacking journey, and maybe even a little bit more excited! Backpacking in Europe (and really anywhere in the world) is an incredible experience, and I’d give anything to go back and experience it again for the first time.

Let everyone know in the comments if there’s anything that you recommend packing, or any tips and tricks with the above items that I listed.

Happy travels!