I Lived Out of a Backpack for 2 Years on Working Holidays, and These Are the 17 Items I Relied on — From $8 (2024)

Working holiday visas allow travelers between the ages of 18 and 35 to dip a toe into life abroad by spending a year or more in a foreign country — and even earning a paycheck while they’re at it. For me, this was the only way that I could afford to travel in my 20s. I quit my corporate job, found someone to take over my lease in West Los Angeles, packed some necessities into a 70-liter backpack, and booked a one-way flight to New Zealand.

Naturally, I clung to the few items that I took with me — things that gave me comfort or served an essential purpose like keeping my phone charged and my travel photos safeguarded — during the two-year period that I was abroad. The experience was filled with life-altering challenges and adventures, and in true nomad fashion, I bounced from job to job as I made my way from Auckland to the ski bum villages and remote rainforests of the South Island, up to Sydney, around the Australian Outback, down to Tasmania, and back up to the hipster neighborhoods of Melbourne; I worked as a farmhand, a housekeeper, and even as a painter, all while living out of a backpack and traveling around in a camper van.

From my favorite pair of shorts to a packable coffee maker that I couldn't have functioned without, here are the 17 things that I’m glad I had with me on my working holidays in New Zealand and Australia.

Osprey Aura AG 65 Pack

I didn’t have an Osprey pack when I started traveling, and boy, did I suffer the consequences. My original bag quickly started falling apart, ripping at the seams, and losing its shape. So, I switched to this classic Osprey bag and — *big sigh of relief* — life got easier. These packs help keep your things stacked up on your hips with their weight-distributing waist strap instead of weighing on your back, and my Osprey Aura AG 65 is one of the most comfortable bags I’ve tried. It's also equipped with tons of useful pockets and compartments, so it's basically a Mary Poppins bag for backpackers.

Mregb Solar Power Bank

Between jobs, I squeezed in as much time in the great Australasian wild as possible — with no way to charge my devices but a portable solar power bank. All you have to do is leave this thing in the sun (and rest assured, there’s plenty of sun down under), and it’ll keep the juice flowing to your phone, headphones, tablet, and other electronics for as long as you want to stay out there. What's more, it also has a built-in flashlight and it's waterproof.

Hydro Flask 32-ounce Water Bottle

A durable water bottle is a must for exploring the arid Outback and working on farms in one of the hottest, driest places on Earth. Find one that you love and won’t forget in the seat-back pocket of the plane or on the floor of a long-tail boat in Thailand (guilty), and you're good to go. My Hydro Flask kept liquids surprisingly cold and made me actually, for the first time ever, want to drink water. And, it's spill-proof, which was a welcomed feature for someone on the move.

Merrell Moab 3 Hiking Shoes

I traveled for three years straight with these trusty Merrell hiking shoes — the original Moab style, now on its third iteration — and they never failed me. They stood up against damp, fern-flanked trails in the New Zealand rainforest, on snowy and icy peaks in the Southern Alps, and on the sandy land of Uluru in Australia’s Red Center. I also worked in them almost daily without any pain or discomfort. Whether you're on a working holiday or tackling a local trail, these shoes are up for any adventure.

Epicka Universal Travel Power Adapter

Having a universal power adapter kept me from juggling too many small accessories and was especially helpful for traveling to Southeast Asia and Europe directly from Australia. This one plug fits into any socket, no matter where you are, and can charge up to six devices at once with its all-in-one design. Plus, it hardly takes up any space in your pack.

Prana Salt Kissed Crop Rash Guard

Okay, a rash guard is the one thing that I didn’t bring, but desperately wish that I had. The ozone layer over Australia and New Zealand is especially thin, which means that more UV rays can reach your skin — even though the sun feels the same as it always does. This combined with the beach culture down under means that Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world.In addition to piling on the sunscreen, I recommend covering up with a rash guard like this one by Prana; it offers UPF 50+ sun protection and is comfortable to wear on the shore and in the water.

RuMe Foldable Reusable Shopping Tote

Both New Zealand and Australia are famously against single-use plastic bags. Almost everyone brings their own totes to the grocery store (it's the best practice no matter where you go), so I had to come prepared with my own reusable bag. True, you can buy one when you arrive at your destination, but you might not find one as lightweight and packable as this Amazon-loved one; it only weighs 4 ounces and folds down to 5.5 inches by 2 inches so it doesn't take up too much space in your bag. When I wasn't grocery shopping, it was good to have handy when I needed a makeshift tote, wet bag, laundry bag, and so on.

Sea to Summit X Brew Collapsible Coffee Dripper

A quality cup of joe was not easy to come by on the rural farms that I’ve worked on — or even in the hostels. Call me crazy, but because of my working holidays, I now travel with my own kit so I'm never without my precious morning java. After trying lots of different coffee makers on the road, from mini percolators to portable presses, I’ve found that a collapsible dripper is the easiest, cleanest, and most packable option. This one comes with a reusable stainless-steel mesh filter, and shoppers say that it "collapses down to almost nothing" and is "absolutely the best way to brew coffee on the trail."

Patagonia Outdoor Everyday Shorts

You never really know what kind of job you’re going to end up with as a backpacker, or what you’ll need to wear while doing it. These Patagonia shorts were good for almost anything that the road could have thrown at me. They’re much more durable and work-ready than your average athletic shorts, and they dry quickly, have lots of pockets, and can be worn casually when there's downtime; I’ve worn them straight from a morning of vineyard work onto a hiking trail.

Seagate Portable External Hard Drive

If you plan to travel with electronics — I brought my laptop and a point-and-shoot camera — it’s a good idea to back up your data in case anything happens to your devices while you’re abroad. Things can get stolen or broken, and you don't want these circ*mstances to be why you lose all of your precious travel photos and important documents. Or, if you’re like me and your storage is perpetually full, you also won’t have to spend so much time offloading. Enter: the Seagate Portable External Hard Drive; it comes in four sizes, is able to store 1 to 5 terabytes of data, and is super compact for easy packing.

Spinbrush Pro Clean Battery-powered Toothbrush

Here's a PSA to all electric toothbrush users: Even if you buy a toothbrush that’s compatible with local outlets, you will certainly not always have a place to charge it. That being said, I now travel with this battery-powered toothbrush and plenty of head replacements; it’s not as bulky as a full electric toothbrush setup and still gets the job done. Not to mention that it's easy to replace if I forget it or misplace it.

REI Co-op Ruckpack 18 Recycled Daypack

A small daypack is handy for flights and short hikes. This 18-liter one by REI Co-op has held up to years of wear and tear — it’s seen the wet bottoms of kayaks, multiple major sunscreen and bug spray spills, and too many trails to count. The recycled ripstop nylon is surprisingly durable, and the padded straps are comfortable on my shoulders for long periods of time. I'm also a fan of the hip strap that equally distributes the weight of the backpack to alleviate pressure on my bag.

Lena Sensitive Menstrual Cup

Packing a reusable menstrual cup is an absolute must for anyone with a period traveling long-term. When I started traveling, there was only one main menstrual cup brand, but shoppers now have dozens upon dozens to choose from. My only advice: find one you like before you go traveling. I'm a fan of this one from Lena, which is leak-proof for up to 12 hours, sensation-free (meaning that you can't feel it once it's inserted), and specially designed for those who struggle with bladder sensitivities, cramps, and more.

Revolut Multi-currency Card

I'll admit that I am a negligent financial planner when it comes to travel rewards and multi-currency cards, but this (free!) Revolut card saved me from a boatload of transaction fees. You can hold, transfer, and convert your money into up to 140 currencies, keeping multiple currencies on your card at once. It’s free to transfer to other Revolut accounts, and I found the conversion fees to be reasonable (they're usually under 1 percent).

Patagonia Lightweight Synchilla Snap-T Fleece Pullover

This pullover is possibly the warmest thing that I own. It saved me from traveling to cooler climates with super-bulky coats and sacrificing precious luggage space to them. I loved my first one so much that I now have it in three different colors. It’s made with ultra-light recycled polyester fleece and has a snap-button collar. The breast pocket is tiny — it has a more fashionable purpose than a functional one — but gives the pullover a cute pop of color and a crisp look to wear all around town.

Laundry Detergent Sheets

One of the best hacks that I have for long-term travel is to pack some laundry detergent sheets so you don’t have to purchase those overpriced mini boxes of detergent at the laundromat. Buying a full-sized jug of detergent is simply out of the question when you're backpacking, and as a bonus, these Tru Earth laundry strips are much better for the environment. A pack of 32 is good for 64 loads of laundry — a standard cycle takes only half a strip!

Ubeesize Portable Phone Tripod

Unless you bring a full camera setup, you’ll probably be documenting your travels with your phone. It can be tough to get pictures of yourself when you’re alone, but I was able to easily get the shot with this portable tripod. Its flexible legs are good for balancing on uneven surfaces and it's easy to use; once you get it set up and in the right spot, just set the delay timer on your phone camera and strike a pose.

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