As my bus pulled out of Columbia’s Greyhound station on Friday, my first weekend trip out of the city was just beginning. Destination Charleston: one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting, and my favorite couple of days in America so far. We stayed in Charleston’s NotSoHostel, a friendly, welcoming and unassuming hostel located a ten-minute walk from King Street. On arrival I felt a distant familiarity in returning to the joys of hosteling. Communal kitchens and bathrooms, early morning rises, tip-toeing across creaky wooden floors and most importantly, meeting myriads of travelers from across the globe. The last time I stayed in a hostel was in Costa Rica and Panama last Summer, which was in parts a far greater challenge than the comforts to be found in the NotSoHostel, but an enriching challenge nonetheless. Having become so comfortable in America since my arrival eight weeks ago, I pulled into Charleston having forgotten all the lessons I’d learnt about hosteling. So here are a few tips for happy hosteling from a traveller who won’t forget again:
Climate control
This is bound to determine most aspects of your stay. Make sure you take into account temperatures and humidity before packing. I arrived in Charleston to find the air conditioning system wasn’t great (non-existent) and ended up sleeping in a t-shirt and knickers. So if the place you’re staying is prone to high temperatures and intense humidity then make sure you account for this. I was pretty grateful to have booked into an all-female dorm when I woke up star-fished flat on top of the covers bearing my lower body on Saturday. If you’re staying in harsher temperatures then travel blankets are an easy way to add an extra layer to your covers and are very handy for the commute.
Possessions
Hostels almost always have lockers, so take steps to bring a padlock with you for your possessions and valuables. You’ll be out of the hostel sightseeing for large periods of time and if anything, need some peace of mind that your possessions are out of sight and reach from others.
Night lights
Arriving at the NotSoHostel late on Friday night I found myself tip-toeing across a creaky wooden floor, bumping into things and banging my head on the bunk-bed. My roomates were asleep and I stumbled around in the dark in an attempt not to wake them up. I was kicking myself for not bringing my head-torch and remembered how useful it was in Costa Rica. You never know when you’ll get landed with the top bunk and need the toilet at 2am.
Personal Hygiene
Depending on the hostel, some visits can become compromised by bathroom availability. It sounds petty, but when you’re sharing a bathroom with 25 other people in the middle of the Costa Rican jungle, and said bathroom contains both the toilet and the shower, nine times out of ten it won’t be available when you want it. You might find yourself hopping around for twenty minutes waiting to pee, or queuing for an hour just for a quick wash. To minimize bathroom dependency there are a couple of essentials you can pack:
• Compact mirror
• Wet wipes
• Hair wrap/ hair towel- allows you to make a quick exit from the shower without standing around shivering with dripping wet hair. Leaving this on for half an hour after your shower dries hair effectively without having to pack a hairdryer, too.
It’s all in the packing
As any traveller knows, seeing the world becomes so much easier when you don’t have to worry about your possessions. A large part of this means making sure they’re accessible, and knowing where they are. Top-fill rucksacks are a nightmare for this as you’ll find yourself manically tipping contents onto the floor to find the one thing that you put at the bottom. If possible, purchase a rucksack that unzips from the side so that it opens like a book, maximizing easy access.
If you’ve already got a top-fill rucksack, try packing your things in dry bags before placing them in the rucksack. This means you can identify where everything is by each colored dry bag within the main compartment.
A Healthy Hosteling Attitude
Hosteling is a quick-fire way to meet new people and collide with other cultures and customs. Sharing a room with strangers and sleeping in bunk beds certainly throws you in at the deep end. So having the right attitude is all part of the experience. It sounds simple, but I like to introduce myself to my temporary roommates so that we at least know each other’s names. That way, even if your hosteling comrades like to keep themselves to themselves you can still get their attention for any room issues that might crop up. Also keep in mind that many people travel alone and will be open to socializing, so if you’re going out for a meal then inviting your hostel roommates won’t go amiss. Finally, in booking into the hostel experience you’re signing up to communal living in close quarters. So be respectful of noise levels and personal space if it’s how you’d like to be treated in return.