🚶 Walking & Pedestrian Travel Q&A
What should I carry in my daypack for walking tours?
Water, snacks, sun protection, offline maps, blister plasters, a light rain layer, a power bank and small cash — in a 15–25 litre bag with lockable zips.
Answered by the RealTripGuides editors. We check what we can against official sources and say when something varies by country or operator.
The list
- Water: 1–2 litres in a refillable bottle, and know whether the tap water is drinkable where you are.
- Snacks: nuts, a bar, fruit — enough to get you past a closed kitchen.
- Sun protection: sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat. Cloud is not protection.
- Navigation: phone with offline maps, and a paper map or screenshot as backup.
- First aid: blister plasters, painkillers, plasters, any personal medication.
- Weather: a packable rain shell or small umbrella.
- Power bank and cable — navigation drains a phone fast.
- Small notes and coins for tips, markets, toilets and transport.
The bag itself
- 15–25 litres. Bigger, and you will fill it and regret it.
- Lockable zips and a slash-resistant panel if you will be in crowded markets.
- Padded straps and a breathable back panel.
- A waist strap for anything over about 5kg.
Wear it on your front in dense crowds and on public transport. It looks awkward for about a minute and prevents the most common kind of tourist theft.
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