Essential Backpacking Gear For Women - The Ultimate Packing List

Last Updated on 7th March 2023

This post about essential backpacking gear for women contains affiliate links.

10 Tips For Packing A 3 Day Trip In 1 Backpack

Before we went travelling, one of my biggest ~concerns~ was how was I going to fit all my stuff into one bloody backpack?!

I’ve always been a pretty light packer, largely thanks to my aversion to fashion, and therefore not really bothering to pack tonnes of clothes in order to dress fancy!

However, there’s a definite difference between packing a 3-day trip into one small backpack (pictured above) just because I didn’t want to pay baggage fees at the airport and packing pretty much my entire life’s belongings into one big backpack to carry around the world with me indefinitely…

After travelling full-time for 11 months, however, I think I’ve pretty much nailed my backpacking essentials so I feel very confident in sharing this guide with my fellow female backpackers if you’re currently in the same position I was before I started travelling full-time.

Of course, it goes without saying that you’ll need essential items like clothes, shoes, swimwear, underwear and toiletries, but I’ve included a few items that you might not have properly considered in great detail.

Take a look at my essential backpacking gear for women and let me know in the comments if there’s anything else you’d add!

1. Osprey women’s backpack – the best backpacking gear for women

If you’ve read any of my previous packing posts, you’ll know that I can’t rave about my beloved Osprey Fairview 70L backpack enough.

I never thought I’d be one to fall in love with a backpack but after lugging this baby around on my back for months on end, it’s now one of my most cherished travel possessions.

For female travellers, I think the Osprey Fairview collection is a great choice because it’s completely adjustable to your body. The waist straps allow you to tighten it so that it suits your body shape and the adjustable shoulder straps provide you with ample manoeuvrability so that you can be as comfortable as possible while carrying 15kg on your back!

One thing I do wish this backpack had was a more attractive range of colours, but that really is a very trivial point and something that’s pretty insignificant when you consider just how well the backpack performs.

Granted, I haven’t travelled with many other backpacks for women, but after personally using this for months, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to other female travellers.

Read my full Osprey Fairview 70L here

2. Hiking boots for women

I’ve already written extensively about how much I love my Vango Velan walking boots, but I wanted to include them here as I want to give them the recognition I think they really deserve.

As part of your packing list as a woman, I think it’s incredibly important to invest in an excellent pair of comfortable shoes. Of course, shoes like trainers and flip flops will probably be part of your packing essentials too, but I’d also highly recommend bringing a pair of sturdy walking/hiking boots with you on your travels.

The Vango Velan hiking boots are my personal favourites and I barely took them off during my travels. They were a lifesaver in New Zealand, particularly when we were campervanning in the South Island when it was freezing. These boots kept my feet warm and dry and they’re also the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever owned.

Read my full Vango Velan Women’s Hiking boots review here.

3. Menstrual Cup – backpacking essentials for women

This packing essential for women is of course entirely up to your own personal preferences, but I wanted to include it because it’s a backpacking item that I feel very strongly about.

As a woman, it’s no secret that if you’re going travelling for a long time that you’ll experience the delights of Mother Nature visiting every month. While travelling, you’re probably going to be experiencing activities such as surfing, skiing, swimming, snorkelling, rock climbing, bungy jumping and more. Therefore, it’s imperative that you’re fully prepared for that time of the month and that you feel safe and comfortable at all times.

Enter my new favourite ~womanly~ possession; the Intimina Lily Cup One, AKA the starter menstrual cup for beginners.

Before I went travelling, I’d never even considered the possibility of using a menstrual cup as the very thought absolutely terrified me. But, after reading reviews and recommendations from my fellow female travellers, it seemed like the perfect companion to travel with and people couldn’t seem to rave about it enough.

Having used mine every single month for over a year now (including while backpacking and living in a campervan), I’m a total convert and I’ll try and persuade every woman I meet to use one, regardless of whether they’re travelling or not.

I don’t want to be dramatic or anything, but using a menstrual cup while travelling is completely life-changing.

OK, so maybe that is a tad dramatic, but it really is infinitely easier to be a woman on your period when you have a menstrual cup while travelling.

If you’re still a little apprehensive about using a menstrual cup, make sure you do plenty of research yourself and perhaps try one out before you actually go travelling so you can get used to it.

4. Travel first aid kit

A good, compact travel first aid kit should be an essential part of anyone’s packing list.

Obviously, you really hope that you’ll never have to use it, but it’s definitely good to have just in case, especially for things like plasters and painkillers.

The travel first aid kit I have cost just over £2 and includes things like plasters, bandages, scissors and tape. Of course, you can always add extras to it as well if you’re particularly prone to falling over or injuring yourself, for example, then you might want to add a few additional plasters to the kit!

The great thing about this kind of first aid kit is that it’s so small and compact that you can add it to your day bag as well so that you can always prepare for every eventuality.

5. A good face moisturiser – essential backpacking gear for women

Another one of my top recommendations for backpacking essentials for women is a good face moisturiser.

While I’m not that picky about many cosmetic things, a decent face moisturiser is something that I do take pride in and as I’ve been using the No7 skincare brand since I was 13 years old, there’s no other brand I’d recommend for face moisturiser.

I’ve been using the No7 HydraLuminous Day Lotion for well over a year (before that I used the No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream for many years but as it’s in a glass jar, it didn’t seem very practical for travelling).

The HydraLuminous moisturiser is equipped with SPF15 so not only does it provide my skin with plenty of moisture, it also offers my face added protection against the sun.

The 50ml bottle lasts me around 9 months and I use it pretty much every single day so it really goes a long way; perfect for travelling with for a long time!

6. Packing cubes – best women’s backpacking gear

Packing cubes are a backpacking essential that I’d recommend to any traveller, not just women, as I think they really are an integral part of your backpack.

While travelling, I have a fair few packing cubes that I share with Matt. I’ve got these 10-piece pink leopard print ones that are absolutely fantastic for fitting all your belongings into your backpack.

I also have the Osprey Ultralight Packing Cube Set (gifted) which I use for stuffing underwear, medication and miscellaneous items.

If you’ve never used packing cubes before, I can assure you that you’re missing out, especially when backpacking. I’ve met so many travellers who just have all their belongings stuffed haphazardly into their backpacks with no structure at all. Whereas when using packing cubes, everything is slotted neatly into your backpack for ultimate convenience.

7. Luggage lock – backpacking essentials for women

My last (but not least) piece of essential backpacking gear for women is a secure, TSA-approved luggage lock.

I’d recommend a Travel Buddy TSA Security Padlock that comes equipped with a 4-dial combination lock. We never had any issues with our belongings going missing or being stolen the whole time we were travelling, but I have heard horror stories from other travellers who’ve had things stolen in the past.

Therefore, it’s just better to be safe than sorry and have your bags securely locked. The TSA-approved locks mean that the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) at airports can gain access to your bags if they feel the need to check your belongings for safety and security reasons. If you don’t have a TSA-approved lock, they can simply just bust your normal lock or even cut into your bag if they really feel the need to gain access. The TSA locks, however, mean that the TSA can use secure codes and tools to check your bag without breaking or damaging it.

As a woman, I always just feel a little safer when my bags are securely locked, no matter where I’m travelling.

I hope you’ve found this post useful and as a female traveller, you now feel a bit more equipped with the knowledge of the packing essentials you should take travelling with you.

You can find more of my backpacking essentials here!