How to plan a solo backpacking trip
- 6 days ago
- 10 min read
Everything you need to know and understand before hitting the road as a solo backpacker.
The one is a personal one as I am writing it in real time, hello its me Jack your backpacking architect. Regular readers of Backpacker's Blueprint will know I am planning a trip to traverse the length and width of India blogging and vloging about the architecture as I go so we can all discover these architectural marvels together. I will be doing this on here but mainly I will be documenting it on YouTube so find me there @backpackersblueprint.
So whilst planning myself i figured I could also help you at the same time, simply by going through exactly what I have done/ am doing to prepare for a solo backpacking trip to several different countries! I am going to go through it chronologically and this one will largely be my thought process as well as what tools I use what I am going to pack and how I do my research before heading out. I will also talk about the personal side of it, the truth is, you should be a little nervous, you should be a little excited but all these feeling area totally normal! So lets tackle India from the initial idea, also make sure to let me know if you have travelled India, how you found the experience and where do you think I should visit?
Backpacking India, the why?
Of all the places in the world why India? There are much easier travel trails that are geared to simply having fun like Central America. There are well trodden cultural immersions like south east Asia, and there are Euro trips that as a Brit are essentially on my doorstep.
For me the allure of India has many reasons and these are my thoughts: No.1 - Its an architectural gold mine. I am talking buildings like the golden temple, the red fort, the step wells of course the obvious (the Taj Mahal) but its also currently (2025) the fastest growing country in the world. This brings challenges of a rich/ poor divide and cities like Mumbai are growing so quickly there are pressures for infrastructure to keep up. Its a country of a million stories and that excites me.
No.2 - The pound goes a long way. Budget travel is an exciting way to travel, it means hostel hopping, street food and getting in and amongst the everyday lives of those who live in the country. This is alluring for me as India has world renowned cuisine, and discovering where it started is intoxicating. Does the hygiene of street venders scare the heck out of me? Of course, but the thing with food is you have to use your head and be sensible!
No.3 - The weather! Am I joking, actually ... no! Sounds crazy but I am a warm weather person so this really does factor, I spring out of bed in the morning if the sun is out and the day is warm, its just part of my personality but for me its an important consideration. Imagine going on a life changing adventure only to land yourself somewhere cold and dark. Just as a side not, this is why it is always important to check 'the best times of year' to go somewhere. I will be hitting India, (all being well) May 2025 once I have wrapped up some last architecture and construction jobs here at home!
No.4 - Transportation Most countries have some sort of 'typical' transport method. For central and south America you will be on buses a lot, Europe trains, South east Asia, a bit of everything! India has a vast train network and its not expensive. This means (fingers crossed) I should be able to traverse this vast country reasonably easily and on a budget. Personally I love sitting and watching the world go by, its more exciting connects you to the country in a way a flight does not.
The landscapes from a bus ride in Peru, from Lima to Cusco are seared in my mind as the landscape shifted from the city, to a desert with a burn red sunset before mountains in the dark (a bit scary) but the morning brought crips blue hues over snow peak mountains and green valley laden with agriculture. It was simply a stunning journey. I will drop a link to it below so you can see what I mean.
No. 5 - The Wildlife. India has a unique position sort of wedged between the middle east and the edge of Asia that position and the size of the country brings a plethora of wildlife. Everything from Big cats like the majestic tiger to elephants to monkey, snakes and flamingos. The bigger nature reserves and parks offer fantastic opportunities for discovering them!
How to plan a solo backpacking trip
Ok so we have the why now how to plan a solo backpacking trip. Here are my checks:
No.1 - Politics, passport, visa. My first check is always the history and politics as well as the current climate. Are there protests, civil unrest and if so where. The second check is my national history with the country I am going to, I cover this significantly in 'foreign affairs and travel' it is important because you can find yourself on the wrong side of a jail cell if you go into the wrong country. There are examples of this un that blog ⬆️. India for me as a British tourist is generally considered safe.
Is my passport favourable to India? India does have political tensions with other countries and as a result if you have a stamp from an 'unfavourable' country in your passport; you could run into a bit of an issue upon arrival.
With that, do I need a visa? Well ... for me ... yes. So I have now applied for one from the India Bureau, found here. This is an E-visa and I have applied for a year entry, slightly more expensive than a regular tourist visa, but I intent to be there a while exploring as much as possible!
No.2 - Landing Zone. I try to land myself in a position that makes most sense for onward travel. For India my intention is to start in the north and work my way south! The most accessible airport and cheapest flight is to Delhi. I always pull up skyscanner and check this as well as the 'cheapest times to travel' the beauty of traveling slow and for a while is you can take the cheap tickets 🎉
No.3 - Lay of the land. The first stop in any backpacking excursion is always a total overwhelming culture shock. So for that reason, I always like to look for the very best hostel with two key things, atmosphere and cleanliness. Why? There is a time and a place for a total dive, its a part of backpacking, but it should not be your first hostel. I book a few extra days in the first hostel when heading abroad. This also gives you time to adjust to the culture. For New Delhi I am looking at Joey's Hostel which is currently at 8.6 for cleanliness and 9.3 for atmosphere, check it out here I always book through Hostel World or Booking and have both apps on my phone.
No.4 Health - Ok this one is super important. Water. The single most important thing of your travels. I am fairly well armed in this area, I carry a Grayl, check the prices on Amazon here a bit bulky but I know I always have clean water be it from a dodgy looking tap or a stream if necessary! Never go to a country and assume you can drink water from the tap! India in fact has a lot of issues in relation to water, in fact:
Over 163 million people in India lack access to clean water, and 21 percent of the country's communicable diseases are caused by unsafe water. - GCPIT
A lot of hostels and hotels will have a filter system or provide bottled water, but in an age of too much plastic its helps reduce the consumption of plastics and keeps me safe.
No.5 - Maps maps maps - A little old school but I have taken to carrying a physical map like the ones Nat Geo produce BUT .... I also plot my path on a map (I usually share these for example check out the the guide pages like Panama or Nicaragua, to discover the routes I have taken and things I have uncovered.
With India, I have done exactly this. I have plotted a physical map and a digital one to try to understand better where I am going and how. Then I dig into how to go about getting tickets and where from. The next thing you realised is ....
No.6 Language barrier - A lot of India speaks English ... however a lot does not. So if you can not speak the language and you know where you are going, start to learn the language as soon as you can. Podcasts, audiobooks, Duolingo, everything and anything you can every chance you get. It will go a really long way when you are on the road!
How to plan a solo backpacking trip, Lets talk packing.
No.7 Bag Size - This one can be tricky based on how far you intend to travel, I am generally a bit advocate of travelling light, however cold climates simply will not allow it and that can further inform the size of you bag. For me there are two options here. If you are not going to be flight hopping then grab your big bag and accept the weight or take a smaller one and make do with less clothes. So what am I thinking for India. Well its hot so I am hoping to pack light, I have an osprey Farpoint 40 and I will be taking it, but honestly ... I am wondering if I could use a bigger bag, if I had the budget I would buy a Atmos AG 50 bag (male) or an Aura AG 50 (female) and check it in! Check prices on Osprey bags here.
Bag 02 - Big bag selected you need a day bag/ carry on. Think of the iconic images you see of a backpacker with their big bag on their backs and another one on their fronts. The small one is actually essential for city/ beach/ hiking/ secure bag. I usually keep my laptop in mine and never leave it behind or with anyone! Yes I look like a kid at school but my laptop is my life blood, it keeps me talking to you all and if I lost it I would be f**ked! Some bags have a day sack built in but I am slightly sceptical about this as often they clip to the back of your main backpack creating a centre of gravity that is not to kind to your lower back. Again I am hooked up here so will be taking a 25 litre 'The North Face' bag. Its really does the job well!
What am I Going to Pack?
I have written a packing list that I use over and over for this, you can find it below:
Generally my philosophy is less is more. Key items being:
Synthetic down jacket (even for warm climates as evenings or altitude can mean cold conditions)
Comfortable pair of shoes (tested by you for comfort after many miles)
loose baggy anti mosquito shirts
Hiking water resistant and anti mosquito trousers
Beyond that its the usual suspects just pack enough to comfortably get you through around 2 weeks before you need a launderette! The other thing I would say here is that on the travel trail comfort is key over fashion.
What else am I looking at?
So some big ticket items that I am looking at ...
No.1 Insurance - This is always essential but I feel even more so in India. There are multiple reasons from traffic accidents to excessive pollution to the water issues we have already spoken of, and of course ... the food. Thus I will have a package of insurance and the most likely option will be Safety Wing why? Because I do not know how long I will be gone. I once paid for a year long package and ended up only being away for 6 months ... thats 350 GDP I could have had in my pocket! Either way, insurance is critical! I feel like Safety Wing could be a bit more generous with their limit which on the nomad insurance is up to 250,000 USD, but also ... you will get a lot of care for that! I have a full post on backpacking insurance ohh and just to not I have a blog post on how to start backpacking with recommended budgets and a bit about the regular travel trails.
No.2 Data/ mobile coverage - Check this before you go ... I had an absolute win in Central and South America as my regular UK data packaged covered most of the countries I visited for the same price!
This will not be the case in India unfortunately so I will probably cut my UK data plan and get an Airalo Sim. That way I can simply digitally top up as I go rather than trying to find shops that sell sim cards every time I hit a new country!
My final thoughts before heading to India
So generally that is my process before jumping on a plane. Its fairly simple but can also seem super intimidating and scary. The fact of the matter is, if you are not enjoying your backpacking time, you are never a million miles away from an airport to change you situation. If its your first time then take a well trodden and well set up trail like Central America or South East Asia. If you want an adventure with a bit of a difference then choose your country based on the things we have gone through today.
I hope this has been helpful for you. If its your first time or even if you are a seasoned explorer, subscribe to the website for more blogs from me and to follow my journey backpacking through India.
Let me know in the comments if you have tips for India and make sure to check out the border forum and put essential info there to help your fellow backpackers and explorers.
Cheers Jack.
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