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Last Updated on September 30, 2023 by sydabroad
If you need some help on what the heck you need to bring when staying in a hostel, I’ve got you covered with this hostel packing list.
I have stayed in countless hostels around the world. Everywhere from South America and Central America to Europe and Southeast Asia. I know hostels can get a bad rap, but if you know how to choose the right hostels – they are incredible and will save you so much money.
I find hostels on Hostel World’s website and always read the reviews, this is the most important! Anyways, here is a list of everything you should bring with you if you are staying at a hostel.
This is the ultimate hostel packing list and essentials that will make your life a whole lot easier.
HOSTEL PACKING LIST
1. SLEEP MASK
Pretty self-explanatory, but you will very much need a sleeping mask. If you are staying in a large dorm, people will be coming in and out of the room flipping the lights on at all hours of the day/night. Some people just don’t have hostel etiquette of leaving the lights off all through the night. So come prepared with a sleeping mask.
2. KITSCH BOTTLES
Small bottles to hold your toiletry products are a must. I love these from Kitsch because they hold so much yet take up so little place in your bag.
3. PASSPORT HOLDER
Okay, I guess this isn’t a necessity but it’s nice to have one of these not only because they look cute – but to protect your passport and hold random cards, cash, and important customs documents. It’s definitely important to stay organized when you are constantly moving around.
RELATED POST: 5 TIPS ON HOW TO PACK LIGHT & FASHIONABLE FOR EUROPE
4. PACKING CUBES
Considering you are staying in hostels and cannot bring the largest bag you own – packing cubes make it easy to pack a lot of clothes into a carry-on suitcase or backpack. They also help your bag stay so much more organized.
5. REUSABLE COTTON ROUNDS
The reusable cotton rounds are not only great for travel but every day. I love how you can wash and reuse them – so much more sustainable. I also like the feeling of the reusable ones better than the disposable rounds. If you run out while traveling – it’s easy to wash them in the sink with soap.
6. OSPREY BACKPACK
I swear by the Osprey Fairview 55. This backpack is incredible for long trips! Not only does it hold so much, but it’s extremely durable, and almost always fits in the overhead bin. There have only been a couple of cases in Europe when flying on tiny planes where I was told the bag had to be checked.
For more of my favorite travel bags, check out this post here about all of the best bags for traveling.
7. RUBBER SLIDES
Shower shoes! You need them when staying at hostels. I really like these rubber slides from amazon because they are cute so I can wear them out and use them as shower shoes. Two in one!
8. PADLOCKS
Another thing that should definitely be on your hostel packing list is padlocks. Although I have never had a problem with anything being stolen (knock on wood) it’s always better to be safe than sorry. And honestly, for a while, I never even bothered locking my things up because I might be too trusting lol. Anyways, I suggest bringing a few with you because they are easy to lose. Also, make sure you get bendy locks instead of metal so that they will fit on any locker.
9. REFILLABLE PERFUME BOTTLE
These little perfume bottles from amazon and the perfect travel essentials. They hold just enough and are so easy to throw in a purse or backpack.
Discover more of my favorite amazon travel essentials here.
10. TRAVEL UTENSILS
If you are traveling long-term and plan on cooking in hostels, a travel utensil set will be super helpful to have. A travel utensil set will come in handy on so many occasions.
11. SUNSCREEN
You shouldn’t go anywhere without sunscreen. Cotz has the best SPF products for travel – solid sunscreen, face sunscreen, SPF primer, and chapstick with SPF just to name a few.
12. MICROFIBER TOWEL
A microfiber towel should be on the top of your hostel packing list. They fold up super small and dry quickly – which is very nice.
13. PORTABLE SPEAKER
If you are in a hostel with a bunch of friends or in a tropical destination you will love having a mini speaker! There are a lot of options out there that are tiny, easy to pack, and waterproof.
14. HEADPHONES
Whether it’s AirPods or large headphones, you need them. It’s nice to listen to music and podcasts when you are getting ready. Headphones are also essential for falling asleep or scrolling on your phone. Late-night TikTok videos – headphones, so you don’t disturb anyone else. Trying to fall asleep – headphones to listen to a sleep podcast or sound machine audio to fall asleep. Trust me, it’s a lifesaver in loud dorms.
15. WET WIPES
Always bring wet wipes along on a trip – you never know when you will need them but you most likely will.
16. TRAVEL FIRST AID KIT
Another thing that I ~usually~ don’t have to use but it’s very good to have. You never know when you might need a first aid kit. Oh, also make sure to have blister bandaids in there for any shoe issues.
RELATED POST: HOW TO STAY HEALTHY WHILE TRAVELING – 12 ESSENTIALS YOU NEED
17. TURKISH TOWEL
Alright, I swear by these towels because they fold up so small and dry super quickly like the other towels mentioned earlier in this article. Turkish towels are great for the beach, to put down in the grass for a picnic, or something like that. I always travel with a Turkish towel and a microfiber towel.
18. PORTABLE CHARGER
This doesn’t need much of an explanation – always have a portable charger when you travel. I don’t know about you, but my phone battery seems to die so much quicker when traveling.
19. EARPLUGS
So I don’t typically bring earplugs but they are on literally every hostel packing list so I decided to include them. I honestly probably should start bringing them with me. I usually just stick in my headphones if it’s too loud.
20. DECK OF CARDS
Cards are always great to have with new friends! A deck of cards is small and easy to throw in a backpack.
21. BOOK OR KINDLE
Okay so I have always been on the physical book thing but I recently got a kindle for my birthday and LOVE it. It’s literally so nice and it’s already made me read so much more. Kindles are also perfect for travel because they are so small, you have so many book options, and they are waterproof.
22. TRAVEL ADAPTER
If you will be in another country – don’t forget to pack an adapter. Amazon has some great, affordable options.
23. WATER BOTTLE
Many hostels will have a place for you to fill up your water bottle so make sure you have one. It’s also much more sustainable to bring a reusable bottle rather than use a plastic one.
24. HAND SANITIZER
A must when traveling. I like this lavender scent because it smells so good. A lot better than those nasty hand sanitizers that smell like vodka.
25. SHAMPOO + CONDITIONER BARS
Bars are so much better to travel with than liquid hair products. Especially if you are traveling for a long period of time. So many brands make them now so you are bound to find a few that you like. The bars last forever and take up very little space in your bag. They also make going through TSA a breeze.
26. PILLOWCASE
Alright, so I haven’t traveled with a pillowcase yet, but I want to start after seeing a few TikToks lol. It would be nice to have your own pillowcase considering your face is literally touching it every night. You never know what products they wash them with and sleeping on a silk pillowcase is so much better for your skin and hair. Pillowcases would also be helpful if you need to drag a load of laundry across town or down the hall.
27. BIRDIE ALARM
It’s always nice to travel with some sort of personal protection. Especially if you are solo traveling. These little alarms can clip onto anything and you can travel with them easily unlike something like pepper spray.
SAFETY TIP: Although you can’t travel with pepper spray, you can travel with a mini bottle of hair spray. It’s definitely not the same but I promise it does hurt when you get hairspray in your eyes. I heard this little tip recently and had to share it!
28. LAUNDRY DETERGENT SHEETS
Laundry detergent sheets are great if you need to do a quick load of laundry in the sink. I know when my sister and I backpacked through Europe, we did laundry in the sink so many times when we were staying in private rooms with bathrooms. These eco-friendly detergent sheets from amazon dissolved easily in hot or cold water and they are very easy to pack.
29. LIP BALM
You just can’t go anywhere without lip balm. I also suggest bringing one with SPF.
I hope this hostel packing list was helpful for your next trip! As always, if you have any questions, DM me on Instagram, comment below, or email me at sydabroad@gmail.com.
