Staying in hostels while travelling can be daunting for the first time. When I decided that I wanted to visit Krakow on a budget, I knew staying at a hostel would be the best option. It was my very first time staying at a hostel and my friend who travelled with me gave me advice on hostel etiquette as well as hostel packing. And while you might be thinking “How is packing for a hotel or Airbnb stay any different to packing for a hostel stay?” there’s actually quite a significant difference.
So if you’re planning on any hostel stays during your time travelling, whether you’re interrailing, backpacking, or on a city break, here is the ultimate hostel packing list that will make staying at a hostel a piece of cake!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through this link, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Hotel/Airbnb Packing vs Hostel Packing
The difference between staying at a hotel/Airbnb and a hostel is the people you’ll be surrounded by. When staying at a hotel or Airbnb, you’ll have probably booked it with people you know (i.e. family and friends) and you’ll have a private room or space all to yourselves. But when staying at a hostel, you’ll be in a shared dorm with strangers, which is why hostels are much cheaper. Some hostels provide private rooms but if you’re budget travelling (such as interrailing on a budget), the best option will be to book a shared dorm.
So for hostel packing, you’ll need to be more cautious about respecting other hostel goers and your health and safety inside the dorm(s) you’ll be staying in. On this hostel packing list, you’ll notice a difference in the essential items to bring when staying at a hostel compared to a hotel. It just ensures you’re fully prepared for your hostel stay!
1. Fitbit
A smartwatch like a Fitbit is probably one of the best hostel packing items you could buy. Not only is it great for tracking your health in general, but it also has alarms that you can set up! When staying at a hostel, you have to be really considerate of those who are sharing a dorm with you. This includes loud alarms when waking up in the morning. So to avoid angry dorm-goers from your loud phone alarm, get a Fitbit and set up your alarm on there. It’s solely a vibrating alarm and the vibration is strong so you’ll feel it whether you wear it or have it next to your pillow!
2. Sliders/Flip Flops
Sliders or flip-flops are probably the most essential hostel packing items that you need. When walking around your hostel after getting up from bed, you probably don’t want to be wearing your outside shoes. Just thinking about brushing my teeth at a hostel while wearing trainers is a funny thought. So having sliders/flip-flops that you can easily wear and use around the hostel just makes it convenient.
Not only are they convenient but they’re also a necessity when showering at a hostel. Don’t get me wrong, hostel showers are most likely cleaned regularly. But at the end of the day, it’s still a hostel shower. There’s a chance you may run into some kind of bodily fluid(s) or lots of hair when using one. Others may not have the same hostel etiquette or hygiene standards as you, so it’s worth being prepared and bringing along sliders/flip-flops.
Additionally, you could slip in the shower if you’re going inside barefoot, so bringing sliders/flip-flops also helps to reduce the risk of slipping and falling!
3. Sleeping Mask
When staying at a hostel, it’s inevitable that everyone will have different sleeping patterns. Some people may be jetlagged and sleep earlier in the day while someone else may go to sleep at 3 in the morning. Either way, you’re gonna face natural daylight while you’re trying to sleep (if you’re jetlagged) or when the lightbulbs are switched on despite you wanting to sleep. For these reasons, a sleeping mask is a hostel packing essential. You can block out any light, natural or bulb, which will help you sleep peacefully!
4. Torch
On the other hand, you don’t want to be that person who is switching on the dorm light while everyone is sleeping. But if your hostel is pitch dark and you need to get around the dorm, having some kind of torch will come in handy. This could simply be your phone torch or a headlamp!
5. Padlocks
When hostel packing, you cannot forget to bring padlocks. Most hostels have a locker where you can store your luggage safely and without a padlock, your items will risk getting lost, or worse, stolen. There might be a few hostels that provide free padlocks that you can borrow (strong emphasis on might) but I’d definitely suggest bringing your own just in case!
6. Earplugs
Just like eyemasks, earplugs are great for blocking out your surroundings. This is a hostel packing essential for blocking out noise when you sleep. Pairing your earplugs with a sleeping mask is the elite combo!
7. Packing Cubes
Packing cubes doesn’t only help save space in your luggage but also helps to organise your items. Before using packing cubes I’d always have to rummage through my luggage trying to find specific items. More often than not, it would require me to take out everything in my bag just to find it and then putting everything back just made it messy. So packing cubes are really helpful for knowing exactly where you put different items in your luggage.
8. Travel Toiletries
In most hotels and Airbnbs, you’ll find toiletries there ready for you to use. But in hostels, it’s a different story; they’re not provided for you. So when hostel packing, you’ll need to bring your own toiletries such as:
- Body wash/soap
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrush
- Skincare including SPF
- Deodorant
- Perfume
9. Hanging Toiletries Bag
One of my biggest pet peeves about staying in hostels is juggling my toiletries whenever I use the bathroom and I’m sure a lot of you can relate. This is why a hanging toiletries bag is a hostel packing essential. You can organise and fit all of your toiletries inside and it folds into a compact bag. The hook for hanging it on doors is so useful too when there’s nowhere else to put your toiletries when using the bathroom!
10. Soap Box
Bar soap is a great alternative to liquid soap when travelling. It takes up less space and the 100ml liquid requirement for carry-on luggage doesn’t apply to it! But it’s also important that you have something to put your bar soap in so it doesn’t leave soapy residue all over your clothes and items. And this is exactly why having a soap box is the perfect hostel packing item!
11. Microfibre Towel
I will never shut up about how much better microfibre towels are than cotton towels for travelling. They’re lightweight so take up less space, they’re highly absorbent and they dry quicker! This is perfect when staying at a hostel where you won’t have to worry about your towel being damp all the time and making your other clothes wet.
12. Noise-Cancelling Headphones
I absolutely swear by noise-cancelling headphones. Not just for flights but for any situation during your travels. If you want to listen to directions by Google Maps instead of taking your phone out or chill inside your hostel dorm and listen to music for a bit, noise-cancelling headphones are perfect to bring along.
My absolute favourites are the Sony XM series. I currently have the XM3s but they’ve since released the XM4 and XM5 with even better features!
13. Laundry Bag
Most hostels don’t provide laundry services and if they do, they charge extra for it. So if you’re staying at a hostel for a long period of time, it’s worth getting a laundry bag to put all of your dirty clothes inside. This makes it easy to sort your clothes out so you’re not mixing up the dirty and clean clothes in your luggage.
14. First Aid Kit
Safety while travelling is very important. Which is why a first aid kit is an important hostel packing item to bring along. Whether you get a small cut on your finger or scrape your knee from falling, your first aid kit will have all you need to bandage these accidents up. You can be as careful as you can, but as they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
15. Day Bag/Backpack
When travelling you might want to bring along a book and some accessories. Having a day bag such as a tote bag or backpack is perfect to carry around during the day. Plus, you won’t have to worry about juggling all of your souvenir finds in your hands, you can just pop them in your day bag!
16. Money Belt
Another aspect of keeping safe when travelling is having your valuables out of sight. Instead of carrying your money, cash cards, phone and passport in the same bag as your non-essentials, opt for a lightweight money bag instead! It goes under your clothes so your valuables can be hidden out of sight and kept safe.
17. Universal Travel Adapter
I swear by having a universal travel adapter, whether you’re packing for a hostel stay or a hotel/Airbnb stay! Instead of buying a separate adapter for each country you go to, you can have all kinds of adapters in one plug!
18. Power Bank
There may be a time when you’re allocated a bed in a hostel dorm that’s not next to a charging socket. Or you might be running out of battery when you’re outside but have nowhere to charge your phone. This is where a power bank comes in handy. You can bring it along with you anywhere without the fear of your phone’s battery completely draining out and not being able to recharge!
19. Silk Liner
The thought of sleeping in a hostel bed can give people the ick. If you’re one of those people then a silk liner is a hostel packing essential for you. You will be able to sleep comfortably without worrying about potential bugs or unclean sheets as the silk liner will separate you from the bedding.
20. E-Reader
An important part of hostel packing is packing light. So if you’re an avid reader, packing physical books will take up a lot of space. Instead, opt for an e-reader like a Kobo or Kindle. It’s lightweight and can hold 10s of 1000s of books without taking up tons of space in your luggage!
Tips for Hostel Packing
Pack Light
Packing light is essential, especially if you’re backpacking any continent. It saves you energy from carrying an excessive amount of luggage and you have more mobility when moving. Don’t get me wrong, packing light isn’t easy, especially if you’re an over-packer like me. But eventually, you get used to it! I went from interrailing Europe with my suitcase to spending 2 days in Poland and a week in Spain with just my backpack/carry-on bag!
Have an Open Mind
The thought of staying at a hostel for the first time can give you the ick. I know, I’ve been there. But what helped me was keeping an open mind. If you’re a traveller who loves waking up early to do activities in the day, the time you spend at your hostel will just be for sleeping, showering and getting ready to go out. When you think of it like that, it makes it better!
There are also different kinds of hostels that you can stay at depending on what suits you:
- Party hostels – These hostels mainly attract young people who love to go out for drinks. They’ll have organised events and pub crawls which can be great for meeting other solo travellers.
- Budget hostels – These hostels are the perfect option for travellers on a tight budget. They pretty much have essential features such as bathrooms and dorms but most likely won’t have a communal area.
- Eco-friendly hostels – If you’re an eco-conscious traveller, then eco-friendly hostels are the perfect option for you! They minimise waste, water consumption and use sustainable energy sources!
- Luxury hostels – If you don’t mind spending a little extra cash on your travel accommodation, then a luxury hostel is your best bet! They offer larger private rooms with stylish interiors and amenities.
- Adventure hostels – If you’re a traveller who wants an adrenaline rush then adventure hostels are perfect! They organise exciting activities such as guided hikes, surfing, swimming, snowboarding and scuba diving!
If you don’t know where to start when looking for a suitable hostel for your situation, then have a look at Hostelworld!
Hostel Packing Items to Avoid
Bedding sheets
Hostels already provide sheets for the bed you’ll be sleeping in. So packing bedding sheets isn’t necessary. Of course, you may still feel cautious about stains or bed bugs so the most you’ll need to bring when hostel packing is a silk liner, as I mentioned previously.
Sleeping Bag
You also won’t need a sleeping bag when hostel packing either. You won’t be sleeping in a tent, plus, it takes up way too much space.
Cooking Utensils
Many hostels have a kitchen that will already have cooking utensils that you can use. But if you’re cautious about using hostel cutlery, you can always bring along your own cutlery set!
Ultimate Hostel Packing List: Final Thoughts
So that’s all the essentials to bring when staying at a hostel! Choose which ones are suitable for you and go from there. Just remember to pack light, keep an open mind and find a hostel that is suitable for you!
More travel packing lists to help you on your travels:
Like this post? Pin “The Ultimate Hostel Packing List” for later!
![The Ultimate Hostel Packing List pin](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_683,h_1024/https://thenovelsphere.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/hostel-packing-list-pin1-683x1024.jpg)
![The Ultimate Hostel Packing List pin](https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_683,h_1024/https://thenovelsphere.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/hostel-packing-list-pin2-683x1024.jpg)
Leave a Reply