Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 Digital Camera

Bring or don’t bring?: BRING

You’re going on a trip of a lifetime, and you’re going with just a backpack. You need something that’s going to be quick and easy to use on a regular basis that delivers great quality photographs and is small and affordable.

Look no further than the Panasonic Lumix. It’s got great low-light capabilities, takes sharp, colorful photos, DVD-quality video, and will fit discreetly right into your pocket.

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Nikon Coolpix S5 Digital Camera

Bring or don’t bring?: Maybe bring

Even if you already have a camera, for a multi-country, long-term backpacking trip, it can be a good idea to have a backup camera.

Especially if you plan to spend some time on the beautiful beaches of Asia or trying out some of the great watersports on offer, coupled with its waterproof housing shown below, the Nikon Coolpix will prove to be a great little sidekick for your backpacking adventure.

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Nikon Field Jacket FJ-CP1 Waterproof Housing

Bring or don’t bring?: Maybe bring

A very worthwhile addition to your pack if you’re an active backpacker. How else will you capture the follies of learning to kayak in Nepal or canyoning in the Himalayas?

This waterproof housing will keep your Nikon Coolpix safe, dry, and snapping away through the wettest of sports and the roughest of days. If you want to be able to share those memories with your friends and family, this is a recommended piece of equipment.

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Sony eReader PRS 505

Bring or don’t bring?: Maybe bring

A nifty new gadget for the voracious reader, this piece of equipment will enable you to bring hundreds of books with you on your journey without all the bulk.

In addition to the many books you can put on the reader, another great feature is the ability to download RSS feeds to it if you have a laptop.

Lightweight, discreet, and as easy on the eyes as real print on a page, you might enjoy having this.

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Lenovo S10e Netbook Computer
Bring or don’t bring?: Maybe bring

It’s a new day and age for backpacking, and even dread-locked, fisherman-panted backpackers in India can be seen rockin up to the coffee shop with a laptop.

Not everyone will want to bring a computer, of course. But if you want to be able to write your emails offline, not worry that faulty machinery will wipe your card before it gets backed up (reason enough for us right there), and maybe even keep up a website or other forms of income while abroad, this is a good investment.

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CaseLogic Netbook Sleeve

Bring or don’t bring? BRING if you bring a Netbook

As ever, CaseLogic does a great job designing a protective cover for your electronic equipment.

It’s slim, padded, and useful with its zipper pouch big enough to hold an external hard drive or the power cord.

There is also an additional small holder inside the zippered compartment to secure a jump drive or card reader.

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iPod Touch

Bring or don’t bring? Maybe bring

It’s sleek, it’s sexy, and it’s Apple. But is it worth it to bring on your trip across Asia?

You’ll be spending countless hours on long-haul bus journeys, cross-country train rides, in hotels with screaming children inside and non-stop horn-honking outside.

For sure you’ll want your happy place on your backpacking journey. See what we thought about having this pioneer in touch technology on our trip and whether you’ll want it on yours.

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