How to Master Your Outdoor Adventure Packing Skills (+ Packing Ideas)

If you are anything like I was before I started on my world trips, then packing is quite the overwhelming activity – especially when you are going on an outdoor adventure. At first you think you can handle it all right, you still have weeks to go and anyway all these people who start asking you if you packed item X or item Y are getting on your nerves. You’ve got it all covered! Every now and then there is a nagging thought that maybe you should just put your back up batteries on a travel pile just in case (because you know yourself and you always forget those). The pile quickly adds up and you might as well start putting them into your big suitcase but you can’t be bothered to take that dusty old thing down from the attic yet.

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Why You Need to Pack Differently for an Outdoor Adventure

When you finally get around to start packing, you do it bit by bit a few days in advance and two nights before the big day the big dread catches up and you start freaking out. Have you really considered everything? You check the weather report for the umpteenth time, read up on travel blogs and realise how much you didn’t know and that you should have planned better and anyway, this is way too much. The heat starts to rise up your spine and you feel quite helpless. But maybe that’s just me. Regardless of whether you are a last minute panic packer or a well organized travel pro, here is your ultimate outdoor packing list for all the little and small things you need for an active outdoor adventure.

And apparently I am not completely alone with this. I had packed one pair of hiking shoes, which I wore nearly every day throughout my globetrotting as they were super comfy and I could walk for hours in them. I used them in cities, on beaches and for my hikes. That was basically the only suitable thing I took with me when climbing up mountains. I had a sling bag (super annoying for hiking up slopes!), simple cotton shirts (they soak easily) and no well-fitted hat (it flew right off with every breeze). But then there were people in ugg boots. In a tropical jungle. Then there were people in ballerinas. On rugged mountain sides. Or flip flops in the Australian bush. That person soon had a toe nail less and a giant wound dripping onto the already red sand. You see, packing smart is the way to go.

So here are the basics you will need.

Basics for Outdoor Adventure

Weatherproof jacket
Fitted sun hat
Rain coat
Insect repellent
Sun lotion
UV protect sunglasses and lip balm
Hand sanitiser
Torch with extra batteries
Compass/GPS
(Solar) charger
Water bottle
Water filter
Drinks
Snacks
Pocket knife
Reservation info
Safety pins
Watch
First Aid Kit
Extra plasters
Plastic bags
Ointment

Get your free travel planner with packing lists! (It comes in an easy-to-print PDF format)

Outdoor Adventures I Tried Myself

[su_service title=”Australia’s Kings Canyon” icon=”icon: plane” size=”22″]Even today we were not quite rid of the clouds but, never mind, they made for an even more phenomenal sunrise over the dark silhouette of the King’s Canyon as we struggled up the Cardiac Hill and onto the start of the four hour long Rim Walk. Piled up rocks, layered hills and deep crevasses marked our way as we climbed up and down, making our way along the height of Kings Canyon. By the way, did you know that it is higher than Uluru?[/su_service]
[su_service title=”Wall Hike in Seoul and Seokcho NP” icon=”icon: plane” size=”22″]Seoul has a lot to offer but every now and then I have this fierce craving of heading out into the woods. I want to be far away from the hustle and bustle of the restless city life, away from neon lights and traffic jams, no subways or buses to carry you but your own feet (at least once you get there). And for everyone who has the same itchy feet as me, I have singled out three unique places to pay a visit to. Here are my favourite Seoul hikes – including the famous Seokcho National Park. [/su_service]
[su_service title=”Vorarlberg, Austria” icon=”icon: plane” size=”22″]I was in Vorarlberg in Austria and hiking the mountains under the cover of my trusty raincoat. You guessed right, it was raining during the first days of my press trip with Austria Tourism. I had managed to survive a cow gang grouping up on me and now there was no more (not so bad) trouble (except for the fact that a cow was perfectly propped next to a road sign showing the way – I had repeatedly wrongly estimated the path distance and was in sore need of a proper guidance – which leads me to reaffirm my cow bond of wishful thinking).[/su_service]