Ultimate Hostel Packing List: 25 Essential Items for Your Next Adventure
If you’re reading this blog today, you probably have a hostel trip coming up – how exciting! Hostel travel is incredibly rewarding; you’ll meet many new travelers and make friends along the way. Of course, if it’s your first time staying in a hostel, you might be wondering what to pack, especially if you’re used to hotels. Whether you’re bunking in a shared dorm or living luxuriously in a private room, here’s a list of 25 must-have items to add to your hostel packing list before your next adventure.
Note: I do not get any affiliate commission from these sales. I am simply a travel aficionado who wants to share the products that have worked for me during my travels. Many fails throughout many trips have allowed me to craft this quintessential hostel packing list.
Table of Contents
What do you need to pack for a hostel?
(1) Sleeping Bag Liner
Of course, most hostels will provide you with a mattress as well as fresh linens and blankets. However, it’s always a good idea to bring a sleeping bag liner to feel a bit cleaner and safer. Sometimes, you never know how clean your hostel bed really is.
I highly recommend this Sea to Summit Travel Liner with Insect Shield. It is incredibly lightweight so it can be used in hostels in the summer and tropical climates, but it also has insect protection for any pesky bed bugs or beach fiends that you may find in your bed with you. Furthermore, the liner is incredibly big, so it will cover your pillow as well as the rest of your body.
(2) Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are my absolute favorite hostel tools. Most hostels give you some sort of small locker – whether that’s under your bed or out in the hallway, where you’re expected to keep everything. This includes all of your bags and personal clothing items, meaning that in such a tight space, it can get crowded and messy quickly. Packing cubes keep all of your belongings organized by category so you can easily go in and grab something specific knowing exactly where it is. There’s nothing worse than digging around your pile of clothing for a precise item.
These packing cubes from Eagle Creek are a great option because they have an expander, allowing you to squish down your clothes. I went to a hostel in the Philippines recently, and while it was otherwise a fantastic experience, they gave us the world’s dustiest and dirtiest under-bed locker. They might have never cleaned them at all! It was nice to protect my clothes from the floor and know where everything was in the deep dark storage space.
(3) Flip Flops
You must certainly not forget your flip flops! These are imperative for showering, and you mustn’t walk around in bare feet. If you forget your flip flops, the next best option is to shower with plastic bags on your feet – no, seriously! Your feet will thank you if they never touch the hostel floor.
Any flip flops will do, but I’m personally a big fan of Havaianas for their cute patterns and incredibly durable nature. There’s a reason why people in Brazil have at least five pairs each!
(4) Travel Insurance
It’s always a good idea to purchase travel insurance, especially if you are traveling solo. The plan doesn’t have to be expensive and certainly doesn’t have to cover all aspects of your health and wellness. Certain countries even require travel insurance before entering. We went to Israel last December and didn’t realize this rule until we were at the airport.
Allianz is pretty easy to set up – we did it in the airport line on our phones, and it only took about 5 to 10 minutes. It’s important to have that extra security, especially if you plan on doing a lot of extreme sports or going into remote areas. For more options, check out Forbes’ list of Best Travel Insurance Companies.
Along those lines, make sure that you have the required vaccinations for the countries you are traveling to. The CDC has a great resource for finding destination-specific advice. In the United States, there are a lot of travel clinics that make it easy to get an appointment and get your necessary vaccinations quickly.
(5) Quick Dry Travel Towel
Most people dread the thought of carrying a towel because they tend to be heavy and bulky, taking up precious space in your suitcase. However, a travel towel is important to pack, especially if you are hopping between hostels. While most hostels provide bed sheets, a lot of them unfortunately do not hand out towels. If you are visiting multiple locations or if certain hostel websites don’t specify having towels, make sure to pack one just in case. You don’t want to have to dry yourself off with a handful of paper towels.
I love my Nomadix towel because it’s quick to dry and packs down incredibly well. Most standard quick dry towels tend not to try you, and you are left to choose between packability and dry ability. This one, however, does both! It has the best dry-you-to-pack-down ratio of all of the travel towels I have explored. Bonus: it even doubles as a picnic blanket.
(6) Travel Adapter
Don’t forget to pack a travel adapter! As to be expected, hostels will have the plug of their country, so always do your research ahead of time to determine what plug type that is.
This universal block from Amazon is helpful because it has all of the countries in one contraption. Gone are the days of carrying separate adapters for each place you visit.
(7) Power Bank
Hostels can be a lawless place when it comes to calling dibs over an outlet. Having a power bank is a great backup, especially when you find that all of the plugs in your room or common area are taken up. Occasionally, outlets are nowhere near your bed, and you may not feel comfortable leaving your phone out overnight in a room of twelve other people. Power banks last about three full charges so you won’t feel the pressure of having to chase down an outlet.
My power bank is from Jackery, and the best part about it is that it’s orange. It stands out from the rest of the black interior of my bag, so I can easily pull it out when it’s time for a charge. It holds three separate charges for an iPhone, and while it certainly isn’t strong enough to charge a computer, it works for any regular mobile phone.
(8) Eye Mask / Sleeping Mask
These next two items might be a little bit obvious, especially because hostels can be very noisy and crowded places. Don’t forget to pack your eye mask! People will turn on the lights at odd hours, and sometimes there will be no blinds or curtains around your bed. There are a lot of factors that can make sleeping in a hostel incredibly unpleasant since it’s hard to control the environment. Unlike a personal hotel room, you can’t decide the level of noise or light, so it’s best to be prepared.
I got my eye mask from Target. It is certainly nothing special, but it cost $5 and has saved me tons of sleepless nights. It works great for planes, hostels, and other travel days. I previously had a lovely satin eye mask but ended up losing it during one of my adventures. It goes to show that it pays off to get a cheap sleeping mask that you don’t particularly care about.
(9) Ear Plugs
Ear plugs go along the same lines when you’re trying to get your beauty sleep in a 12-person dorm room. There’s nothing worse than going to bed and having a group of drunk people waltz in at 4 in the morning when you’re trying to leave for a hike at 6. Ear plugs are another one of those comfort tools that you should invest in because they’ll keep you comfortable at all hours of the night.
The moral of the story to be comfortable in a hostel – don’t expect anyone else to be respectful! Anticipate noise and light and cocoon yourself for optimal sleep.
Little foam earplugs from airplanes are totally fine, but I recently bought my Loop earplugs and love them. The only terrifying thing is that they are a bit small, so I’m always worried about losing them. However, they are reusable, so unlike the foam pairs that you have to replace frequently, you can keep your Loop earplugs for the rest of your life. Up front, they are a bit pricier at $25, but they will pay off almost immediately, and you’ll have a much better time than your friend who is carrying around a bucket of 30 disposable earplugs.
(10) Water Bottle
Bring a water bottle! Hostels are not five-star hotels, so you won’t find crisp, cold water bottles in your room. Usually, there will be a water cooler in the common area, so I highly suggest bringing your reusable water bottle to stay hydrated throughout your stay.
I love my plastic one-liter from REI for a couple of reasons. One, it is lightweight so you don’t have to worry about your Hydroflask weighing down your bag. Two, it is a one-liter bottle so if you drink a lot of water throughout the day, you don’t have to think about filling up your bottle every hour or so.
(11) Laundry Bag
One of the worst things that you can do to yourself is put your dirty laundry in with the rest of your clothes. If you are backpacking and moving around a lot, you must have a separation between your clean clothes and your rancid hiking socks. Having a laundry bag that packs down when you aren’t using it is perfect for all your clothing separation needs.
While I don’t know specifically which one I use (it was a gift when I was around 10 years old), this expandable laundry bag available at Walmart is the same idea.
(12) Potpourri in a Bag
Along those lines, it’s important to make sure that your clothes smell as good as possible given the circumstances. If you are moving around a lot in a hot and humid climate, you will find that even your clean clothes will start to smell musty.
I always throw in a couple of these potpourri bags from IKEA. They are only $2 each and can turn your bag from a garbage can to a flower shop. They are super small and don’t take up much space in your bag.
(13) Dry Bag
By now you’re probably realizing that a common thread is that you want your stuff to generally stay in a good condition. This means not pairing sweaty clothes with nice dresses and absolutely no wet swimsuits tossed into your backpack. I suggest packing a dry bag where you can throw in wet clothes that still haven’t dried before you hit the road again.
Dry bags are best for those who are going to be using their swimsuit a lot (i.e. going to a tropical beach destination), and people who are traveling around a fair bit. The Aloha Collection has plenty of beautiful bags that can be used to keep the rest of your loved items from your wet clothes.
(14) Laundry Soap
It’s always helpful to bring laundry soap, especially if you are traveling for a long time and are going to wash clothes. Some hostels have a form of laundry room (usually coin-operated), but the majority do not, so make sure to locate your nearest corner laundromat.
Laundry soap is rarely provided, and while no one wants to buy a 5-liter bottle of liquid detergent for one use, I suggest packing a travel-size bottle of liquid from home or picking up a few pods. Pod laundry soap is much smaller, but always wrap them in a Ziploc bag so that they don’t spill over your clothes.
(15) Toiletry Bag
I used to be a multiple-bag person for my toiletries until I started traveling to hostels. There’s nothing more annoying than having a bunch of separate bags with your toothbrush in one and your shampoo bottle in another. When you are visiting the communal bathroom a few times a day, you want to have all of your stuff on you.
I recently got this Shower Roll from REI, and I love it because it holds all of your bathroom essentials. It even rolls out so you can hang it in the shower and get all of your bathroom activities done in one go. When you are trying to hold your towel up with one hand and your shower stuff with another, it’s nice to only have to worry about one bag. I do still keep my makeup and skincare products on a separate hostel packing list though ?
(16) Bar Shampoo and Conditioner
Continuing our thread of toiletry necessities, there’s nothing worse than putting all of your liquids into those tiny 3-ounce bottles the night before a trip. Then, at the end of the trip, it’s nearly impossible to scrape out the remaining liquid. Enter bar shampoo and conditioner. This is a great option if your trip is long since bar shampoo and conditioner tend to last four times longer than liquid. If your hair is particular, check out LUSH as they have many formulas for all of your hair goals. They used to have a hair quiz, but since it’s discontinued, sort through the shampoo bars manually for the best addition to your hostel packing list.
(17) First Aid Kit
First aid kits are important when you’re traveling to hostels and engaging in rustic activities. Some items may not be applicable if you are interrailing through Europe, but if you are heading to South America, Africa, or Southeast Asia, keep some helpful items for first aid. On top of the obvious band-aids and gauze, don’t forget to pack sunscreen, Advil, insect repellent, antifungal, Imodium, cough medicine, and cold medicine. Keep all items in a clear plastic bag to make it easy to view your products.
Check out the CDC’s Healthy Travel Packing List. This particular link is for the Philippines, but feel free to change your country for specific information.
(18) Headlamp
Here’s a bit of a weird one, but I promise you’ll be very happy if you pack one. Hostels are shared common rooms where people have different schedules that may not align with yours. To be courteous and respectful, I suggest using a headlamp to rummage through your stuff late at night or early in the morning. That way, you don’t have to turn on the overhead lights and bother everyone around you – sleepy travelers will be incredibly grateful!
I have even stayed in a few hostel complexes where the bathroom is detached from the dorm rooms. It’s nice to have a headlamp so you don’t need to trudge through the dark to make a late-night bathroom run.
I bought this Actik Core Headlamp from Petzl when I traveled to Costa Rica since it has a red lamp feature (great for sea turtles!). I’ve changed the batteries a few times, but it has been a trusty companion since 2015, and I could not recommend it more for your hostel packing list.
(19) Travel Lock
Most hostels operate on the locker system, but the majority do not provide you with a lock. Bring your own lock with a personal combination to carry to all of your hostels. Some of the modern locations have a keycard or keycode programmed into your individual locker door, but the more remote hostels still operate with physical locks.
I got this red two-pack from Puroma on Amazon which means that it is visible in my bag. It is a traditional padlock so naughty travelers would not be able to cut the wires.
(20) Clothesline
I don’t see nearly enough people talking about this, but a clothesline is a fantastic item to add to your hostel packing list. My clothesline was a gift from my boyfriend for Christmas, and it has saved my life on countless occasions. A lot of hostels will not have a clothesline, so you will either have to find a less-than-kosher place to hang your wet clothes or throw them into your bag. While you can use a railing or the side of a chair, a better option is a packable clothesline. This one from AUXPhome, available on Amazon, has Velcro straps for attachment anywhere in the hostel. The loops are perfect for hanging clothes.
(21) Cutlery
It’s always a good idea to bring a small set of cutlery so that you don’t get caught in a situation where you don’t have any eating utensils. While this isn’t important for actual hostels because they will provide you with supplies, if you are out and about during the day, it may be harder to get cutlery.
I have this great bamboo set from REI that has a fork, a spoon, a knife, and a straw. While no longer available on REI, check it out here on Amazon. It’s an alternative to blowing through multiple sets of plastic cutlery throughout your travels.
(22) Hammock
As a fun addition to your hostel packing list, bring a hammock if you are traveling to a warm climate or a hostel with a lot of outdoor space. Most places will have chairs and some hammocks, but it’s nice to have your own to put up. It gives you your own space to relax and enjoy the outdoors. In a worst-case scenario, if you don’t like your roommates, feel free to sleep in your hammock instead of your dorm room. There are certainly cases where the stars and crickets are better bunkmates than other travelers!
Eno is a popular option for a reason – the hammocks pack down incredibly well and come in fun colors. Don’t forget to purchase extenders so you have more set-up flexibility.
(23) Backpacking Backpack
It feels like the debate between a roller bag or backpack has spanned centuries. However, if you’re moving around a lot, I suggest getting a backpack, and if you are staying put, feel free to take a roller bag. Backpacks are great for traveling in less developed countries where you won’t have to drag your suitcase through dirt roads.
I’m no expert on backpacks in the slightest, so I suggest taking this Cotopaxi Pack Finder quiz. They have fantastic backpack options for every type of trip. You can also head to your local REI, and they will answer any questions you may have. I got my backpack from REI before my first interrailing trip in 2018, and I have used my Deuter 45 + 10 litre bag ever since.
(24) Smaller Bag
Remember to bring a separate smaller bag so that you’re not stuck with your big backpack all the time. Personal preference ranges depending on whether you carry a camera, computer gear, or just need a smaller bag to hold your valuables. Most of the time, it’s a good idea to travel with two smaller bags. The first is a shoulder bag to hold your wallet and phone, and the second is a packable tote bag for when you’re heading to a café with your computer and camera.
For the smaller bag, I suggest checking out Cotopaxi’s Bataan 3L Fanny Pack – it even holds a one-liter water bottle! For a tote bag, while you can honestly get one anywhere, Notebook Therapy has a collection of corduroy bags that are machine-washable and come in cute colors.
(25) Document Holder
Last, but certainly not least, get a holder to keep all of your necessary documents in one place. When you have printed train tickets, vaccine cards, passports, and multiple visas lying around, it’s best to keep them safe instead of shoving them down at the bottom of your bag.
If you are traveling to Japan – beware! There will be many small printout slips for the JR Rail pass, and you certainly won’t want to lose them.
While there are tons of document holders for all aesthetics and vibes, this Passport Wallet from CALPAK is great because it has a zipper. No more small pieces of paper slipping out!
Frequently Asked Questions – Hostel Travel Tips
What should a girl bring?
Apart from all of the items in the above hostel packing list, I would highly suggest packing a menstrual cup. I am the world’s biggest fan of menstrual cups. For starters, you don’t have to worry about carrying around 30 pads or 30 tampons or figuring out where to buy them. All you need to carry is one tiny cup that barely takes place in your suitcase and is perfectly comfortable. The cups last longer than a traditional pad or tampon and only require potable water for cleaning. I have loved my Ruby cup for the last 4 years, and I recommend the black color to hide any stains.
What can you not bring?
You should not bring any illegal substances to your hostel including weapons and drugs. It is also important to leave items of high value at home. Sentimental jewelry and family heirlooms should not accompany you on your travels, and if there is a particular outfit that you love, that should stay in your closet as well. Travelers in hostels are incredibly nice and will be eager to make friends, but at the end of the day, everyone is still a stranger, and with a lot of traffic in your dorm room, be safe, and make sure the stuff you care about stays at home and your valuables are on you at all times. Remove all fancy items from your hostel packing list.
How do I prepare for hostel life?
Do your research and make sure that you find a hostel that fits your needs. There is often a misconception that every hostel is noisy, crowded, and party-centered, but that certainly isn’t the case at all. Doing research ensures that a hostel has your specific wants (i.e., a curtain around your bed or breakfast included). Of course, within every hostel, there are different rooms, so if you don’t feel comfortable staying with 12 mixed-gendered travelers, you can always get smaller rooms to reduce the clutter and noise.
Overall, the vibe in hostels is generally the same, as everyone is there to make friends and go on adventures. Even if your particular hostel doesn’t have guests taking shots at the bar every night, you will always find tourists who are willing to make friends.
Hostels are no longer scary places, as most are clean and modern. They truly remain the best options for backpackers and budget travelers. Make sure to check hostelworld.com for the best up-to-date rates and top reviews.
That’s all for today’s blog on hostel packing lists! If you’re looking for a place to go on your hostel adventures, check out our destination guides. I have been to fantastic hostels in Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia. There are tons of places to explore, and hostels are a great way to meet new adventure buddies and save money.
Happy sampling!