Were you clever enough to travel without these 7 things – Backpacking tipps

7 things that in our experience you definitely do not need in New Zealand

Today there is a little help on how to keep your backpack a little lighter. We list 7 things you definitely DO NOT need to bring with you from Germany to New Zealand. We noticed it ourselves after one year in New Zealand, some items we used only rarely or not at all. To save you the hassle of lugging these items around, we wrote this article. Did you also take something with you that you would not pack again? We are looking forward to your comment here under the articles.

 

 

Soft towels

Soft towels and other comfortable towels are a horror. Big, bulky and in a backpack, they just take up a lot of your space. Much smaller and lighter are special travel towels, we have had very good experience with small and light towels*. These also offer you enough space to dry yourself in peace. Even we use the largest size and the medium size. We have one in each size per person. This is completely sufficient for the journey.

 

Many different pairs of shoes

In our experience, you definitely don't need more than two pairs of shoes in New Zealand. One pair of shoes should be comfortable sports shoes or sneakers. The second pair should be suitable for outdoor use and be able to survive muddy or wet paths. You don't normally need more than these two pairs. Flip-flops and/or sandals are available for little money in every store. So, you can save this space in your backpack. Only shoes for more specific sports have extra space in this item on the list. Julian, for example, still has bouldering shoes in his backpack because he does that every now and then.

 

Classic trousers & jeans

Jeans dry slowly and like to absorb dirt quickly, but they are very robust. Leggings or special hiking pants are better suited for your trip. The weight of the mentioned variants is also lighter, so you can save your jeans. Some hiking pants can even be shortened by zippers, so you can cover several areas of use in one. We also use hiking pants with zipper possibility, so we have short and long pants variants covered. Nice side effect of the hiking pants, the hiking pants dry faster and some of them have a dirt repellent impregnation. We ourselves have bought our matching men's trousers from the selection here*. Of course, there are also outdoor pants for ladies, you can find them here*.

 

The complete cosmetics range

Large amounts of cosmetics are also unnecessary on your journey. Cosmetics, deodorants, perfumes and more are available here in New Zealand as well as in Germany. The only thing we brought is sunscreen* with SPF50+ and would do so again. Also, feminine hygiene articles (tampons/bands) and condoms are considerably more expensive here in New Zealand than in Germany. But also, here, find a balance how much is necessary, depending on the length of the trip.

 

Heels and patent leather shoes

Fine shoes like high heels or patent leather shoes are completely out of place here in New Zealand. The most common look is sports shoes, flip-flops or rubber boots. Nobody expects any fine shoes. Furthermore, fine shoes are very susceptible to dirt and therefore not beautiful for long. A common dress code in New Zealand is dress with rubber boots, hot pants with rubber boots or just barefoot! Even though it was very unusual at the beginning, we quickly got used to this simple and comfortable lifestyle.

 

Jackets

You don't need to bring more than one jacket to New Zealand. The best way to travel here in New Zealand is to use the onion principle. This means that you prefer to take a rain and flow jacket with you and if necessary, put on a second T-shirt instead of a thick jacket. The rain jacket in combination with a floating jacket is also a very good protection against wind. You can buy a winter jacket, if needed, also used in the Op Shop (second hand). We ourselves had a winter jacket with us unnecessarily, it spent 11 months in the backpack.

 

Jewellery

You should not bring valuable jewellery or watches, other status symbols or other valuable items to New Zealand. Most New Zealanders wear little or very inconspicuous jewellery. Apart from that, something can be stolen or lost. Leave it at home and immerse yourself in the naturalness that is New Zealand. New Zealand is a very uncomplicated country, so leave anything where loss would hurt you at home.

 

Share your experiences with the other readers

You are already in New Zealand and notice that your backpack contains too much unnecessary stuff? Write us a comment, what you would have liked to leave in Germany or what you don't want to miss here! We are looking forward to your comment under our articles.

 

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