I traveled light when I backpacked through Greece, Spain, Portugal, and England. The fact that it was summertime made it even easier to choose what to pack. With help from my mom and sister, I had most of what I needed but was able to purchase any other necessities abroad. Here is a list of things I couldn’t go without when I backpacked through Southern Europe in the heat.

1. Microfiber towel. Most hostels will offer towels for a fee, if any at all, and who knows where those have been. I’m so glad I brought my own microfiber towel because it dries fast and folds up small, which made it the perfect lightweight essential. I used mine for both the beach and the shower and dropped it off with rest of my clothes at a nearby laundromat whenever it needed a wash.

2. Traveler’s fanny pack. Per my 10 Tips for a First-Time Solo Backpacker post, this fanny pack is a must have. I wore this under my clothes at all times and locked it up in my room when I was at the beach or taking a shower. I didn’t want to take ANY risks, so I kept my passport, ID and credit cards, big bills, and SIM card strapped to my body at all times.

3.  Lightweight beach coverup. I flew to Southern Europe in the middle of a heat wave. We’re talking like 100-105 degrees F at any given time with sun rays that felt like Satan’s breath. I had to buy a coverup as soon as I got to the Greek Islands, otherwise I would have been burnt to a crisp. So, I went with a white, lightweight tunic with sleeves that rolled that I had been eyeing for a day or two in Ios, Greece and it became one of my most worn garments.

4. Shower shoes. Go and buy yourself a cheap pair of flip flops from Walmart. They weigh almost nothing but are worth EVERYTHING.

5.  Padlocks. Buy a multipack of sturdy, but small padlocks. Hostels often have lockers where you can store your bags, but you have to provide your own lock. I also locked the zippers together on my day bag whenever I explored areas known for pickpockets, like Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece.

6.   A few pairs of sunglasses and a hat. Trust me, you will lose your sunglasses. And a hat is pretty self-explanatory.

7.  EARPLUGS. I cannot stress this enough. If you share a room in a hostel, someone will snore, and you will want to cry. I packed four or five sets in various locations.

8.   Adapter plug. Find an international adapter plug that has the correct prongs for the countries you’ll be visiting. I carried a universal one that had multiple different prongs, plus a few USB ports, and I used it every. single. day.

9.  Mesh laundry bag. I organized the clothes in my backpack by putting anything dirty in a big mesh bag, which made for super easy transport to the laundromat. I kept all of my clean undies, socks and bras in a smaller one as well.

10. Plastic bags of all sizes. Your sunscreen will explode on the plane. Bring extra extra extra quart-sized sandwich bags. Bring those plastic bags you get at Stop&Shop for muddy shoes. Bring a bag to hold your extra bags.