So I was looking at my schoolpack the other day and I was thinking about how well it served me over the past few years. Its stood up to my abuse, being kicked under the desk, dropping it to the ground and being loaded with heavy books. So then I thought, would this make a good travel pack?

Its a LLBean pack. ~37 Liters.

http://cdn.llbean.com/products/trave...tish_Khaki.jpg
you cant see it in this pic too well but theres a waistband

My goal is to carry one smallish-mediumish pack bc I want to be able to carry it on the plane and in my lap if need be.

So what do you think? Do you think @ 37 liters it would hold all my stuff? I'm really not a clothes fiend. Just a few pairs of jeans and a few tshirts, and maybe a sweatshirt and a jacket.

If your packing light like that i cant see it being too big of a problem. How long are you travelling for???

It really depends on your travel needs. If you add in all the other stuff you need hairbrush, camera, shampoo, soap, towels, washcloths, etc etc etc. Small stuff does add up - that's the only thing I'm concerned with.

Campmor.com always has sales going on:

Outdoor Products Adrenaline Internal Frame Pack: $29.97 - 2320 cu. in.

Outdoor Products Pinnacle Internal Frame Pack: $39.97 - 3160 cu. in. << This is the pack I have and I love it!! Just small enough to get by as a carry on (depending on the airline and how much I stuff into it) :hypocrite:

Hmmmm, i would say 37 litres is too small when you put in all the bits and pieces you need for travelling. I travelled around for 4.5 months with a 55 litre pack and it was one of the smallest ones i saw. Also, it doesn't really look like the most comfortable bag, if you go and try on a proper backpack you will understand what i mean.

My husband has a similar LLBean backpack which he has used for years as a carry-on when we fly, and occasional weekend trips - we can usually get his and my clothes in it, and throw all the kids' stuff and dopp kit in another small bag. But that's for short trips, and mostly when we drive or won't be doing a lot of walking with the pack on. When we actually have to carry all our stuff, we put everyone's gear in a proper backpack which is much better for balance and distributes the weight properly.

If you're going for any length of time, you'll probably find the bag you have too small and kind of tiring to carry, but I guess the best way to find out is to actually pack it and see if it can take everything you intend to carry with you, then walk around with it for a day and see what you think. If it works, then great, no sense in buying something else, but you may find that it's not quite adequate. Remember, too, that you'll probably pick up some mementos along the way, so a totally stuffed bag at the outset doesn't give you any room for souvenirs.

If you're looking at something to take as a daypack, I'd opt for something smaller - a purse or bag with which you are comfortable at home is not a bad idea, because you already have a habit of carrying it, know where to find stuff and it doesn't look as touristy as a waist pack or big backpack. Also, you won't have to check a smaller purse at the museums, while you would a larger bag.

:tumbleweed:

Don't forget, you'll want room for things you want to bring back with you!

This is my current pack of choice... roomy enough to hold everything I need, small enough to go as a carry-on and feel fairly light:

http://www.coloradosnowboards.com/st...kpk_06_war.jpg
(Burton AK Assault)

a packing trick i relly on to is compression sacks. they are made of pure win and awesomeness, but they leave your clothes wrinkled

i put all my socks and underwear and t-shirts in it and compress the hell out them, saves a lot of space

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0...V55005444_.jpg
http://www.backpackgeartest.org/revi...t/image004.jpg

Right now I am "backpacking" with a school bag. Not sure the size, but it isn't bigger than the one originally posted here.

I actually have a 50 pound suitcase too, but I leave that at the apartment I'm using here when I travel. The backpack has enough room for like...5 days worth of clothes and my toiletries, laptop, and folder for documents. I'm going to try to stretch it for my only pack for a two week trip at the end of August...but long story short, I'd say from personal experience if you're going to be travelling for more than a week or so, you'll wish you had a "real" backpack.

I really like Omisan's...that thing looks about perfect...not too big and stupid looking, but big enough.

Those compression packs look nice too...I wish I had one for my backpack! Do you think I could find one in Germany? Are they common?

I don't travel too heavy so I know where you are trying to get Lizz, let me give you a word of advize, Don't use your school backpack. the reason I say this is not that it's too tiny or whatnot. One of the things is what you said about the years it has had with you and the abuse it has taken, most likely you will jampacking the poor Bpack so do you really belive it would resist the trip??? I perfer being safe than sorry in middle of the Plaza. Here is the pic of some Bpacks I have:

http://oakley.com/site/media/cache/4....png_0_0_0.jpg
http://mi.oakley.com/site/media/cach....png_0_0_0.jpg http://www.aggressivemall.com/photos/MG-PACK-SED4-2.jpgAnd my fave MOHAVE! http://rs.skatewarehouse.com/sw/big/ELMOBP-OL-big.jpg

This one I want to get for my next trip!
http://mi.oakley.com/site/media/cach....png_0_0_0.jpg :greenguy:

they are pretty common, a lot of people use them for sleeping bags. so i guess most outdoor stores would have them. even our crappy outdoor stores (which is most of them) here carry them.