Getting Ready for the Big Trip

So I've been saving and researching for several months now, and have finally started buying things for my trip. I figure that it would be helpful to buy things while I still have a full time job! I think I have about everything that I will need for my trip, that I can buy beforehand. Let's start with the luggage. Last time I traveled to Australia (yes I've been there before) I took a rolling duffel. Well lets just say that quickly I wished I had a backpack like the rest of  the "backpackers", because rolling it in and out of people on busy streets, hitting bumps and rocks that made it flip over, and having to carry it up several flights of stairs with the hand straps was NOT fun! I did a lot of research and knew that I wanted a front loading backpack, not a top loading one, because it would be easier to get things in and out of, sort of like a suitcase. Last time I traveled to Australia, I had one friend with a top loading, and one with a front loading. The top loading one looked like it took too much time and effort to unpack and pack at each location, and be able to find your things you want/need. I decided on the Osprey Farpoint 70L bag. The Osprey bag seemed to check all my boxes, it has 70L of room to keep my all my stuff, and it has a detachable daypack that I can use when I hike glaciers, wander rainforests, or go to the beach and need to bring more items than just my purse. I also liked the price, and the style of the bag. I will do a post about packing, and how much stuff I was able to fit in it, closer to my trip.

I also bought Eagle Creek Pack-It Cubes to keep myself organized. I remember at each stop during my last backpacking experience, I had to reorganize and rearrange at each location, I'm hoping that these bags will help condense my clothes and keep myself organized. More to come on if these are effective for me. Along with those cubes, I've also bought Compression Bags to put my bigger and bulkier things in, to help save space. I've heard amazing things about these bags, so I hope they live up to their hype.

I searched high and low for a good, somewhat compact toiletry bag, that will fit bigger things than just travel size items. I'm going over seas for a year, I figure I don't want to have to continuously buy travel size shampoo, soap, toothpaste, etc. every few weeks. I bought the medium size toiletry bag from LL Bean. I have already put items in it, and I feel it will fit all that I would put in a toiletry bag, minus make-up, that's it's whole own bag! I like the fact that it can sit or hang, depending on where I am. It is a bit bigger and bulkier than I would have liked when stuffed with all my stuff, but it holds a lot and I think I might just keep it in my daypack instead of the big backpack.

I have found REI helpful at finding other small things that I will need like adaptors, travel towels, locks for luggage or lockers in hostels, travel cup, etc. Click here to see all the things that I bought for my trip. That's the majority of the stuff I've bought so far for my trip. I'm excited for my trip, and continuing to find creative ways to condense my life into a 70L backpack!

Any suggestions or products you have found helpful/useful in your travel adventures?

Bye for now <3