5 Tips to Make Your Hostel Stay Safe And Comfortable

I don’t know about you, but I enjoy my 8 hours of beauty sleep! And when I’m backpacking, I usually need all the rest I can get. Here are my Top 5 tips and tricks for a more comfortable sleep in a hostel.

Backpacking is an amazing experience full of unknowns and surprises. Usually these are great, but when it comes to where you rest your head at night, you want to avoid surprises and sleep like a baby. How else will you have the energy to embark on your adventure for the day?

I love to travel and backpack, but when it comes to budget, I can’t afford luxury suites so I find myself in budget (and sometimes really, really budget) friendly hostels. It goes without saying that you should always do your research, but sometimes things just don’t turn out like the picture you saw, or the review by sexytravelbunny123 on the travel forum wasn’t as honest as you would have hoped. Whether you end up with a good roof over your head or not, here are some tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way to make each night a little more restful.

In October 2013, I embarked on my first solo backpacking trip to India. As a single female traveler, I had to consider safety and comfort in my budget friendly accommodations. Here are some things I picked up and packed with me. They may seem surprisingly random, but they’re small, effective and so easy to carry with you!

#1 A Rubber Door Stop

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This may seem like a strange thing to carry around, but it’s small and light and provides a little bit of added security. If the only thing I have to secure a bedroom door is a lock that other people have keys to (like hostel staff), I always place this under the door even if it’s just for peace of mind. Paranoia maybe… but better safe than sorry!

#2 Clothes Pins

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Some of the shabbier places I’ve slept in had been built really closely to other hostels with windows facing mine. Sometimes these windows had sturdy curtains that would close, but sometimes the curtains were pieces of cloth that were more for decoration… Clothes pins are great for keeping curtains closed when they won’t stay that way on their own!

#3 Sleeping Bag Liner

What’s that you ask? Pro campers usually have a liner they use inside their sleeping bags and you can buy these, but they can be pretty pricy. So I suggest you create your own. You can easily make one with an old bed sheet folded in half and sewing the bottom and side seams together. This will give you comfort knowing your clean sheet is between you and the actual (and sometimes questionable) hostel bed sheets and blanket.
Added Tip: Spray the outside with bug spray for added protection!

#4 Water Shoes

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I know this sounds weird, but I always feel more comfortable going to bed after I shower, and I find hostel shower floors can sometimes be questionable and water shoes are a great way to avoid that icky floor feeling! Plus, they can have double duty if you are going to a beach with lots of rocks, shells or broken coral.

#5 A Sarong

Towels are bulky, can take long to dry, and if they don’t dry before you stuff them back into your bag, pee-yew! Sarongs are light, thin and dry quickly so if you need to pack up and leave for your next adventure at the break of dawn, you’re pretty well good to go.

Those are my tips for hostelling, if you have any helpful hints of your own, share in the comments below and share the wealth! 

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About the author

Sandy L.

Sandy is a lover of words and wild things. She is a constant student of the world, learning as much as she can both inside and out of the classroom. Her goal is to see as much of the world as possible and share her adventures with you.

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