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For tips and suggestions, as well as examples of what kinds of backpacks are available; go here-

TravelPUNK GEAR

:cheers:

I'd liek to suggest a site for good camping gear prices, campmor.com. Some screaming deals on about anything you can think of.

i LOVE campmor.com! i can vouch for the site 100% .... also sierra trading post

question about money belts....do you wear them all the time? when you sleep? when you're in a club? girls, what about when you're wearing a tight shirt ie at a club? I have an extremely thin one, but it would still be noticeable with some of the shirts I want to take (I hate wearing baggy t-shirts!) Sorry to sound so dumb, but I wonder if I'm the only person/girl with this question?

u2fan, i can't speak highly enough of the eagle creek leg stash. i like to wear jeans if/when i go out, so it works perfectly... what i'm saying, you have to be wearing long pants for it to work, but it's totally comfortable and discreet. yes, baggy shirts and european vacations do not mix. i posted a ling to the stash around here somewhere too.

ling, haha - fucking hell! i want my edit button! here you go anyway, leg stash.

Can someone look at this link and give me their thoughts on this pack?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=5104884425

The toploading part can make it a bit of a pain to get stuff in/out - that's the conventional wisdom - and my experience with my top-loader proves it right.. but if you pack strategically, it's no big deal :)

Thats what I was thinking at first but I saw this:

Easy Access to main compartment via side zipper

I'm thinking that should help with the problems of top loading.

U2 with regards to your clubing question and the money belt... I have a kick ass belt that holds all my money (but no passport sorry) it's actually a belt.. like one for pants... and there a small zipper all along the top edge and you can open that up and put all your monies in it. Keeps your pants up and holds your cash. What a concept!!! :worship:

Personally, I'd get one with a removable daypack. I couldn't travel for one second without that thang :crap: !

Hey everyone my pack decided to finially die today :crybaby: . I had a few extra bucks and went and bought a new pack from North Face. I wanted to know if any of you have any experience with this pack. I just want to make sure that it will be able to hold up over my entire trip. I am just worried I bought it with out looking into it hard enough. Check out the link below for the pack. I will appreciate any help you can provide :worship:

The North Face Pivotal 75

Thanks,

Mikie

any and all of the north face gear i have i love... I perfer mountain hardwear even more but North Face is tops
:cheers:

http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/catalog/...rentId=8&id=139

He seems to be absolutely in love with this pack.. Anyone had one or seen one, and are they good? I want a backpack I can carry on, I find nothing makes me hate life more than checking baggage.

I'm still been trying to find a cheap men's fleece with a hood. Been lookin ' for 2 years now and still ain't found 1! :angry: :greenguy:

I also am considering the Back door bag...it's cheap, smaller, and I think I trust Rick Steves. Anybody have any experience with this pack?

cheeeeeeeeeers... ;)

I used the backdoor bag for two weeks in Germany/Netherlands, and I liked it well enough. The backpack feature is good, although a true backpack with a frame is most likely more comfortable. One thing they have added that I think would improve it greatly is a waist strap - better load distribution. A little more classy than a backpack, when you need that! Still looks like new after the trip. Seems to be very well made - I had no problems. Using this did save my butt when the plane was diverted from London to Wales where it slipped off the runway in Winter. After the 5 hour bus trip to London, I had my bag - everyone else's luggage was still in Wales at 7PM. Carry on rules!!!! :cowboy:

Is there any way to reply to particular posts here? I had a suggestion for the money belt question. This girl I know just used a bit of cloth and sewed up a tiny bag like thing and pinned it to her underwear everyday! Not real easy to get to, but at least you'll always know where your money is!

I bought a Gregory pack last year in Japan for like, 50% off! I also agree about getting a pack with a daypack... it's great. I wish I got one with a backpack daypack, but I have a fanny pack one.

Sportsbasement.com also sometimes has good deals.

Hey molson, (little late to be responding to this I know) but I was wondering what your money belt looks like. I know MEI has one like that but it's pretty hideous and I think that really only a guy could pull it off. If yours looks decent, where'd u get it? (do you even remember? please say yes....please say yes...) Or does anyone else know where to get a decent looking one?

edited to add: and if yours happens to be the one from MEI...uuuuuhhh.......*sorry* :lol: :rolleyes: *ducks for cover*

I picked up this bag:

Eagle Creek Ultimate Explorer

I wanted a one pack for everything kind of bag. I've not done a lot of travelling with it yet, but I love the built in rain fly/duffel thing... when I take it on an airplane, it zips into a waterproof (lockable) duffle so the straps and stuff don't get all hung up on everything. The bag itself is well made, pretty sturdy, and has an internal frame and adjustable back so that it fits even my torso well, and distributes the load easily. The day pack seems to be the ideal size, too... small enough to be convenient for me but large enough for my camera/laptop/iPod etc...

the downsides? it only takes small padlocks, and uses several to lock the zippers shut. The pocket for the hydration system is behind where all your clothes go, so, you wind up partially unpacking to get to it for refills, etc. The rainfly/duffel fits inside a pocket in the bottom, but it takes up space and leaves a little void around it at the bottom of the pack.

pricey, too (nearly $200, but you get what you pay for)