Packing for a backpacking trip in Russia
For many, the idea of backpacking through Europe is the perfect way to spend a summer. For the more adventurous, backpacking through Russia sounds a bit more exciting, probably due to the risks involved!
Having lived in Russia for over three years, believe me when I say it’s a big country. In truth, the country is so large that describing “Russians” is a bit of an oddity. People within Russia live so far apart in such widely different cultures, there is such a different between cities the far eastern city of Vladivostok and the western city of St Petersburg. It would be akin to introducing a person from Aberdeen to a person from Cornwall. They probably wouldn’t even understand each other!
It’s pertly for this reason that a trip to Russia is a one you will never forget. If you are planning to be backpacking, there are some things you need to know about what to take and how to conduct yourself. First and foremost, the large cities in the west such as Moscow or St Petersburg have all the shops you would expect to find in any western town/ city and as such anything you forget to pack can easily be acquired. This cannot be said for the rest of the Russia, so if you are planning on visiting these places make sure you have the basics.
If you are travelling to central or eastern Russia, you must take with you one item one thing that is nearly impossible to find. That thing? A bathtub drain stopper! This is not a joke. Russians like to take showers in the bathtub as is common in the majority of Europe. After a day of walking everywhere, you will want to take a bath so make sure to bring the rubber stoppers with you, as you won’t be able to find one anywhere else!
An experienced European backpacker will only bring one pair of jeans with them on a long trip but I suggest you bring two if you are in backpacking in Russia. Why? They are so expensive in many areas of Russia so very difficult to fit into a budget. If you destroy one pair, you either pay out the nose or buy Chinese rip-offs of branded labels, but the quality of these is poor and the fittings often uncomfortable. You can imagine how long they last!
As you might expect, Aspirin should definitely be on your list of things to bring. A large bottle of water would also be a good idea. Whatever you have heard about Russians drinking vodka is wrong. They drink a lot more. It is part of the culture and refusing to drink a toast is considered very rude so is not recommended!
Finally, bring a phrase book with you. I know this takes a lot of the adventure out of the game, but it can get you out of tight spots. The Russian language is based on the Cyrillic alphabet, so it is really hard t to even guess what the western alphabet equivalent is. On my first time backpacking round Russia I got in a lot of trouble by forgetting a phrase book. A “Y” symbol is often pronounced as “ch” just to give you an idea of the problems you might face. If you get in a spot of trouble, pointing at a phrase will usually solve the problem.
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If you are planning to backpack Russia, I am very jealous. You will have a great time and meeting many great people, just be careful not to drink too much vodka! |
