Gap year travellers have been advised to ensure they pack light before setting off on their trips around the globe.
The natural instinct when packing, particularly for first-time travellers, is to cover every eventuality that might be encountered while being away for several months or more.
However, tour operator TrekAmerica has published a new guide entitled 'Top Ten Tips for First-Time Travellers', with the main advice being to economise when deciding which items make the cut.
The guide observes: "If there's one mistake first time travellers will make, it's taking too much stuff, most of which will not be used."
Other space-saving techniques are also mentioned, such as taking "a multi-charger or solar-powered charger to keep your MP3 player and mobile phone batteries topped up".
And for the more adventurous gappers, the operator has the following advice: "Have sufficient travel insurance to cover adventure sports such as kayaking and mountain biking, if you plan on doing these activities whilst away."
The guide should be of particular use to British school and university leavers, who may currently be preparing to head off on their gap years or a lengthy summer break.