Travel Hacks: Osprey Farpoint 40L to Bali & Australia: What to bring and how to pack your Farpoint40
I just got back from spending one and a half months in Bali and Australia. I lived out of my Osprey Farpoint 40 liter backpack and loved loved loved it (after I managed to figure out a system for packing it)!!!
Below is what I brought and how I packed it. There are a couple things I had no idea about, which I’ll give you tips on below. And, there are a few things I purchased which were a really good idea. The links to them are below. They are affiliate links so I get commission if you buy them here, which I’d totally appreciate.
If you have any questions, lmk.
I hope you have as great of a time traveling as I did!!!
Love,
AnneMarie
(Shelley Beach overlooking Manly Beach.)
Before you pack, consider this…
So, here’s the first thing you need to consider before piling a bunch of things into your Farpoint… If you plan on having it as a carry-on, the weight limit is 7kg/15lbs. Mine weighed 20 pounds so I zipped up the straps and sent it on its own as luggage. It ended up getting along well with the big suitcases and boxes. They didn’t smush it. Whew.
If you end up meeting the weight requirement, the containers for your shampoo, conditioner and lotion can’t be over 3.4 ounces/100ml.
Packing the Farpoint is wayyyy easier if you use packing cubes. The ones that fit perfectly are the eBags Slim Packing Cubes. They come in a pack of 3. I have other packing cubes but these eBags Slim ones are really meant for the Farpoint.
Aside from my Farpoint, I couldn’t live without my Outlander 20L Waterproof Backpack. The size is perfect and it feels really great on. It is extremely lightweight yet really durable. It fits perfectly under the seat of a scooter (in Bali you will want to rent a scooter to get around. They are only $4 a day.) and are truly waterproof (it rained a day in Bali and nothing in my backpack got wet). At the airport, I wore my Farpoint on my back and my Outlander on my front. It was perfect.
Necessary purchases…
Initially I bought one Master Padlock for my Farpoint. Later, I decided to get another one. The reason is that there are two important compartments in the Farpoint backpack: one for your computer and one for your clothes. I kept my backpack locked at the airport and in hotels.
My friend let me borrow his travel adapter and I ended up getting one of my own. Find a travel adapter that has 4 USB ports AND is a power adapter for UK, EU, AU, US and 150 other countries! If you go to Bali and Australia, you will need something like this because they have different power outlets.
When you are not near a power outlet, this small candy-bar sized Anker Portable Battery Power Bank is a necessity. I charged my phone a lot with it because Google Maps eats up a lot of battery life. The bigger Anker portable battery power bank is a bit heavier but it lasts longer (I used it tenting for 2 weeks and didn’t need to charge it the whole time I was out.)
My friend turned me on to Bendedetta The “Best” (Organic) Deodorant. After hearing it worked on her husband and teenage son, I had to get some. It even works on stinky meeee.
During my travels, I kept my passport and wallet in an RFID blocking neck wallet. My digital nomad friend recommended that I get one. I was resisting a little because I didn’t want to look like a tourist but honestly it is a crafty thing to have. I’m glad I got it.
I got a travel-sized laundry bag, which really came into use. I thought it would be too small and it was perfect.
Optional purchases…
I bought two pricey items and am sooo glad I did. One was a Kobo Clara touchscreen e-reader and case. The reason I chose Kobo as oppose to the Kindle is that I didn’t want to be locked into Amazon’s system. I downloaded a whole bunch of electronic books (.epub) before leaving and they were so very easy to put on my Kobo.
The other item I was really super happy to have was my Sony Cyber-shot HX80 compact digital camera. It took amazing photos! Totally beats the photos I took with my iPhone. The zoom capability is phenomenal and as prints the photos look beautiful.
Practical things to pack…
Havaianas flip flops are always a good idea to pack.
I would never ever leave home without my North Face Thermoball puffy jacket. It is light weight and doesn’t take up much space in my backpack, yet it kept me so warm at night. I also packed my Marmot Minimalist rain jacket, which was a good idea because I was stuck on a scooter in Bali during a rain storm.
Packing Thermasilk long underwear is always a good idea. Especially on cold nights.
My guy friend said pack Imodium softgels so I did. Luckily I didn’t need them. Grapefruit Seed Extract kills everything so I always carry this wherever I go.
Soap. (They didn’t have any at the place where I stayed in Bali.) Rope & pins for drying laundry. Small bungee cord. Duct tape. (I didn’t pack any but needed it twice.) Small keepsake bags from Diaso to put things like a travel toothbrush, toothpaste & dental floss in. A drain stopper.
Items for girls…
In Australia, the summer sun is really intense. I bought a wide-brimmed foldable sun hat and love it!!! It’s actually really cute. And I like the strap because when the wind blew hard, the hat stayed on my head.
If you are a female and prone to UTIs, try D-Mannose by Now. I didn’t need it on this trip but one of my friends did. It took care of her UTI in two days. She took 3 capsules 3x a day.
The list…
Outlander 20L Waterproof Backpack
Master Padlock (buy two for the Farpoint)
Candy-bar sized Anker Portable Battery Power Bank
or Anker portable Battery Power Bank
Bendedetta The “Best” (Organic) Deodorant
Kobo Clara Touchscreen E-reader and Case
Sony Cyber-shot HX80 Compact Digital Camera
North Face Thermoball Puffy Jacket
Pantene Pro-V Travel Size (dump out their smelly stuff, rinse it out and fill with your own)
Drain stopper (My sister says “it’s handy for hand washing in a sink or tub when a washing machine isn’t accessible or you just need to wash one or two things.“)
Etc…
Daiso is the best place to go for cheap bags to put loose things in. Pantene Pro-V Travel Size offers the biggest sized travel containers that are just a tad under 3.4 ounces. Empty out the smelly Pantene product and put your own in. Always travel with GSE.
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