Extras to bring to hostels

On my last trip to Europe I stayed in four hostels. All provided sheets, pillowcases, and towels. The main use I found for the king size micronet travel towel I bought from the RS travel store was to pat clothes semi dry after washing them in the sink in my room. It also makes a good tablecloth for picnics.

I don't take sheets, but I do take a towel. When I backpacked for a month I used one of the fast dry towels, but now I just take a cheap thin bath towel for my shorter (10 day) trips. I have long, thick hair, and the small towels that cheap hotels provide aren't usually enough. Most hostels I've stayed at have not included towels, but I have never had to pay a deposit for linens.

alayna, most Hostels supply a sleep sheet in the cost of the room, which includes pillow case and a blanket. Based on my experience so far, most DON'T supply Towels.

I normally pack one of Rick's Silk Sleep Sheets, in case I'm at a Hostel where these aren't provided, also one of the "chamois" travel towels. Neither of these take up much room or add much weight to the Backpack.

Don't forget soap / shampoo. I normally take the "body & hair" gel shower soap, as it serves two functions and doesn't take much room. It's also a good idea to take a small Padlock for Hostel Lockers. Use a good quality Padlock (not too big or it won't fit the Hasp on the Lockers). The small luggage locks aren't robust enough for that function, so I prefer a better quality unit.

Good luck and happy travels!

I don't recommend lugging sheets and pillowcases. If you must, buy a lightweight silk sleep sack w/ built-in pillow pocket.

Invest in lightest, quick-dry pack towel you can buy at REI - but know they are scratchy when you get the thinnest one possible...no quick-dry towel will ever absorb as much as the fluffy ones you use at home, especially if you've got long hair. Other items I found really useful (and thought I wouldn't pre-trip): earplugs/sleep mask, a small head lamp (comes in handy if you don't want to snap on lights and piss off roommates looking through your bag, reading a book or need to climb down a bunk ladder in the middle of the night), plastic soap caddy with cord to hang around showerhead (keeps soap from laying on that really dirty shower floor), FLIP FLOPS (again, shower floors in hostels are generally gross!), universal plug for sink if you are washing clothes by hand.

Rolling duffels? Lousy for Europe. Pack your stuff in one and see if you can navigate the cobblestone streets of Boston for a couple hours. If not, go to REI, try the Eagle Creek backpacks for women. They distribute pack weight well, taking strain off back.

On our last trip we stayed in many hostels. We packed sleep sacks and literally never needed them. We used them once even though the hostel offered linens. I doubt I'll pack one again. If I did, it would be silk because they're lighter and take less room in your bag.

Carrying a towel comes in handy even if your hostel offers towels. I would pay a euro to rent a decent towel at a hostel and still carry my own travel towel for wringing laundry and drying off things that get wet in the rain, etc. My wife likes the microfiber towel for beach and picnics.

I skip the towel and take a chamois. Get a "genuine" chamois in the auto care section. They cost less than a travel towel, absorb more water, wring much drier and are always dry after hanging for the night. If you don't use animal products or leather, try a synthetic chamois.

I forgot to mention, bring a lock or two for each of you. Off hand two locks come in handy.

One is a small keyed or combo master lock with a thin cable/thick wire. If you nap or sleep on a train, they work good for locking your carry-on to the seat or overhead storage. They aren't sturdy but work well to keep someone from grabbing your bag and running.

The other I like is a backpacking combo masterlock. It looks like the D-ring climbers use but has a combo lock built in. They are easy to hang on your carry on and work perfectly for any hostel locker I've seen.

I like keyed better than combos only because I forget the combos between trips and have to buy new locks.

I stayed mostly in hostels during my trip last fall. I found that all provided sheets, but no one provided towels. I took a Rick Steves fast drying towel with me. It came in handy multiple times. It was especially helpful in wringing out clothing after washing it. The towel is quite small so it won't take up too much room.

Hostel of not - I think a large micro-fibre towel is great for any packing lite. Its great for laundry too to wring out the clothes dryer so they dry faster! but esp for hostels - why not. they are not cheap but compare ricks, vs REI etc. 20-25$ for agood one. Also maybe a small wash cloth of the same material. A silk travel sheet may be lighter and easier than a cotton sheet from home and much mroe compact. also 20-30$ for silk ones - but hey - a few extra bucks may be worth it.

I didn't stay in many hostels in my life, but from what I heard majority of them offer linens and pillows. I would take a microfibric towel, it doesn't take a lot of room and it's very light.Use a small vacum bag for it.
Also you can get silk sheets. Mine has a place for pillow. However I ahve no problem sleeping without pillow.

Yeah, I'm just going off the list of ameneties the hostel lists on their site. I say sheet because i saw a mention of bed bugs in the vienna hostel, which has a very high rating btw, and that freaks me out...I was going to bring a pillowcase and fast dry towel. Eww, of course I will be bringing shampoo,conditioner!

Alayna: I've said it before on this board, and I'll say it again...

Bringing your own sheets (silk or otherwise) doesn't stop bedbugs. Bedbugs hide out during the day in the mattress, boxspring, carpeting and even in the nooks and crannies of a bed frame or headboard and come out at night. If anything, you can end up taking the bugs with you if they crawl into your sheets that you then stuff into your suitcase and transport to every other hostel on your trip. And they don't just appear in hostels - there are 3 & 4 star hotels in the US that have had infestations.

This is why many hostels offer free sheets now - to discourage travellers from using their own sheets that are questionable.

Google "bedbugs" and read about how to look for them ahead of time. I'd also recommend keeping your suitcase and clothing off the floor of your hostel room - keep it in your locker or at least elevate your suitcase on a chair or desk if you can.