6 things to bring when hostelling/backpacking

I googled my blog title before writing this post, and was rather put off though not THAT surprised when I realised that about a hundred people had already written about this. Still didn't put me off writing it though.

I am really not trying to be a show off but I actually got pretty much everything right the very first time I went out, ie lightweight,not bringing anything unnecessary and all. I suppose studying abroad by yourself helps.

So, without further ado, I present to you a list of things that every backpacker staying in a hostel needs to bring. I can promise you that without ANY of these things, hostelling life would be a lot less fun; nevertheless, I was going to include a five-star rating scale with each of them (five stars meaning that your life would be hell without them and so forth), when I realised that I myself would probably have headed to the nearest Rossmann/SPAR/whatever supermarket/drugstore they had to replenish my stores asap, if I'd found myself without any of the following.

1. Ear plugs. There's a reason why I've chosen a stash of my 3M ear plugs as my cover photo. I really, really thought this went without saying, until I met all the people in my hostels who didn't have them. I've slept like a log in every single one of my hostels and these were the key. I'm sure that I had some REALLY rowdy roommates - I've often gone to bed in a half-empty dorm and woken up to a whole bunch of Brazilian drunk lads in the morning, with my roommates complaining to me about how noisy they were when they stumbled/crashed/tumbled into the room at 4am - but I've always managed to sleep through the whole ruckus thanks to my earplugs. When I have them in I'm dead to the world. It might be worth mentioning at this point that I'm a VERY light sleeper - when I shared a flat in London with three other people, I used to wake up whenever people even went to the toilet. So, yeah. These things really do do the trick.
2. Padlocks. Actually, just one would do. I have a combination one, although I notice that shops also sell key padlocks. I've never actually seen anyone use key padlocks before though in hostels, although they're cheaper than combos, probably since keys are harder to keep on to. Most decent hostels provide a locker for free (at most you have to pay a deposit which you get back anyway) but in pricier countries like Germany you either have to a) pay an exorbitant fee to RENT a locker, b) you have to BUY a padlock for the locker, or c) the hostel doesn't have them, period. Of the five-odd hostels I stayed at in Germany, none of them provided a free locker which really flabbergasted me. Thank goodness I had my padlock with me. Peace of mind, and knowing that you'll be able to sleep/go out/leave your stuff in your room without it getting pinched, is an amazing thing that's only a padlock away.
3. Flipflops. For those disgusting communal showers. Not so much to prevent foot fungi in my opinion, but honestly, some of the hostel bathrooms are so incredibly dirty it beggars belief. You would NOT want to step in there without something between you and the grimy/mouldy/greasy bathroom tiles, honestly. 
4. Toiletries. For me, this included toothpaste+brush, shampoo, bath gel, Vaseline and lip balm, all in containers smaller than 100ml which fitted into my transparent aeroplane bag nicely. The Nuremberg and Salzburg hostels actually did provide bath gel and shampoo, but then again those hostels were adapted hotel rooms so they don't count. Hostels never provide toiletries (some of them don't even have hand soap) and it's rather weird asking to borrow from some one else..well okay, not THAT weird, but it's not something I would do, myself. I usually used either a mug from the communal kitchen, or my own plastic water bottle, as a bathroom mug.
5. A USB charger. I was fortunate enough that my electronics - my cellphone, tablet and camera - all operated with the same battery cord. I bought a USB charger at Amazon similar to this one and it's been lightweight, taken up minimum space, done the job splendidly, charged my gadgets quickly and efficiently, and cost only 3 pounds to boot. One of the best inventions ever.
6. An eye mask. This actually probably isn't THAT important as, say, earplugs, but it does help a bit if you're one of the earlier sleepers and the light's still on, and you I can't sleep unless it's pitch dark. I didn't bring this along my first, second and third trip and fared just fine, but brought it along for #4 and it certainly came in handy on more than one occasion and what can I say, it'll definitely accompany me on all future trips since it's small and doesn't take up much space, yet can significantly improve your sleep.

Secondary things:

1. Hand gel. Didn't bring this along till #4 but it's proved invaluable to me so think I will definitely be using it in future trips to come. It's very nice being able to sanitize your hands whenever and wherever you choose.
2. A small towel. Pretty much self explanatory. 

Some other things are pretty much essentials that I don't think people will miss. Makeup for girls, your passport, adequate clothing and footwear and basic electronic devices. I recommend bringing a 7 inch tablet with you since a laptop's just too much trouble to lug around, and smartphones are too small for you to navigate comfortable for a long period of time. 7 inch tablets are the best dimension. I've used an ACER B1-A71 for all my trips and it's done everything for me - I've used it to read ebooks, for all of my internet access (skype, emails, booking aeroplane tickets, checking in for Ryanair and all that), Google maps, my mp3 player even. My ACER tablet has been my best friend ever since I bought it.
I also noticed that some blogs mentioned that girls should bring their own hairdryers since hostels "didn't usually provide them," but all the hostels I stayed at did, even the dodgier ones and the German ones. In some cases you have to pay a deposit to borrow one but again you get your deposit back when you return it so no harm done. When all is said and done I never brought a hairdryer with me and was perfectly fine, so that's actually basically it. Voila, you are equipped and set to go!