What to take

Start thinking early about what to take with you and write a list – adding to it every time you think of something.

Here's a checklist to get you started:

• Passport, duplicate photocopies and a couple of spare passport photos
• Lists of useful contact numbers, emails and serial numbers (passport, insurance and country embassies)
• Medical kit - include any special medication and prescriptions for topping up
• Toiletries
• Travel towels (lightweight, quick dry and very useful)
• Spare, unbreakable specs (or contact lenses) if you wear them
• Money/travellers' cheques
• Camera
• Notebook and pen
• Clothes
• A pack of cards (for those long bus journeys and/or delayed flights)

Advice on clothes

Try assembling everything on your list and getting it into your rucksack. Then sit down and rationalise – cross off everything you don’t really need.

About five changes of clothing should last you for months if you choose carefully.

Don’t take anything that doesn’t go with everything else and stick to materials that are comfortable, hard-wearing and quick-drying. White items, it must be said, will never be white again and any of your 'favourite' pieces will inevitably get ruined or lost en route.

Make sure you have clothes that are suitable for the countries and climates you are visiting. For women, sarongs and shawls are excellent, especially when visiting any religious sites where your head and shoulders may need to be covered. They're adaptable and can double as everything from bed sheets to blankets to towels, plus they fold and squash pretty small. Religious and social customs must always be considered, as it may impact on how you should dress. One does not want to offend the locals, or invite any unwelcome attention.

The best way to know what you need is to ask someone who’s already been what they took, what they didn’t need and what they wished they had taken.

Most of all, though, relax and remember– you can’t prepare for every eventuality if you’re living out of a rucksack.

These issues and much more are covered in greater detail in the gap-year guidebook.

Equipment

You can even buy some of the equipment you might need by clicking on this link to the Gap-Year shop.

www.gap-yearshop.com