Backpack size

[omisan]

Welcome, Kungfu...

1) I haven't been abroad for that long, but I tell ya, carrying a huge pack (my Jansport Rockies is immense) can be a bit tiring, but you also have the peace of mind that you have room for all the shit you need, and then some for all the knick-knacks you pick up along the way. But 3 months is a looong time, and it's more likely that the further you go along, the more stuff you'll send home via DHL or UPS or whatnot.

2) On my last Europe trip, on the way back from Barcelona to Amsterdam, my bag topped out at 27 kilos, 2k over the airlines' limit, but they let it slide. It seems the heaviest items I tend to carry everywhere are bottles of booze... But even before I went over w/ all the drinkable souvenirs I bought, I felt like I had a pretty heavy load whenever I left one city for another.

2) --following your numbering system-- You might have some issues squeezing on to some buses or local metros, but longhaul transport (i.e. coaches, trains & planes) should pose no real problem. 'Course, I've gone on backcountry trips with 60-70lbs worth of gear, so I think I've been made to endure this kinda crap. But that doesn't mean it's fun...

3) Nope - you won't look out of place. While some ultralight folks will point and laugh, you will always find some freak with more gear than you walking to the hostel or the train station. And all of a sudden you don't feel so bad.

Despite all that, I'm going lighter from now on. After all, I go on trips to enjoy myself, not to drown myself in the luxury of my material goods, and I'm not as afraid of laundromats as I used to be... That's the key - if you can bring just the stuff you can keep on reusing, you can cut your load down massively. My problem has traditionally been that my trips are big blowouts - I bring stuff that's good for the outdoors, good for sports, and good for nightlife. Not too efficient.. but I think I've learned to trim down my inventory while keeping a diverse itinerary. The easiest time I ever had, luggagewise, was when I took a medium-sized ballistic duffel bag. Rugged, easy to handle, and just enough room for the gear to put up with snow, hiking, and nightlife.

Taking all those experiences in account, I really think this Burton bag is going to be perfect.

[kungfufighter]

Thanks for the reply, Omisan. I'm taking some classes there this summer, so I'll only be traveling about 6 weeks, but I'll be there the entire summer. Hmm...It sounds like carrying a huge pack is definitely doable and I'd like having extra space to store my souvenirs and junk I pick up along the way, but I really don't want to be encumbered by an oversize pack. Hm. Guess I'll have to think it over a little bit more.

And you seem to have caught on to my quirky numbering system where I count 2 twice. Never really was adept at counting these things called numbers.

[SuDz]

Originally posted by omisan@Apr 25 2005, 12:51 AM
Well, I'm an avid snowboarder and even though i changed board brands, my friends call me a "Burton Whore," so I will naturally endorse this pack. I have a Burton laptop backpack (of all things) and I freakin' love it. Their stuff is monstrously durable, and pretty damn weatherproof at that, so you can't really go wrong.

Yeah Burton has always gotten my nod. When I was 13 I bought a size 13 boot through therm and it lasted me until I was like 18 and a size 15 boot. I mean they were worn bot only during snoaboarding but also during any shoveling, deep snow, hiking in cold weather, sledding etc that I had done. They really took a lot of abuse and after 5 long hard years the strap broke in the middle. It was a cloth strap and undoubtedly the weakest thing on the shoes but it still held up. I got a new pair of Burtons and has been another 5 years with no problems.

I still have the first since they are still 95% useable for things other than boarding and figure I will have them easily another 5 years after this for a grand total of 15. Well worth the money I say.

SuDZ

[omisan]

Ok, I must say. This backpack is SO rocking my world right now. I'm not doing much of the attaching-the-daypack thing, but instead, wearing the daypack and holding the main pack under my arm... That way I can carry it on to an intercity bus without them offering to stick it in the belly of the beast, where things can get snatched whenever they stop in a city. The size is SO perfect. Is it possible to be in love with a bag?