I am heading off on a 10 week trip with my little boy, taking in New Zealand, Eastern Australia and heaps of China, and I need advice on backpacks. I have always travelled with one small and one med wheelie suitcase, but we are doing campervans, all night trains etc etc this time round, so they wont be practical.
I will not be taking much, seeing as we are away for so long there is no point, as I will have to do washing etc anyway, but I have no idea about the backpack sizing. Frustratingly, I live in the countryside in the middle of nowhere, and looking at the shops on a recent trip to my nearest town (bleedin' miles away!) there was nowhere that sold them so I could take a look.
I wanted one which also had a wheelie option for when I have to sling my child over my shoulders at airports etc instead.
Any recomendatins of what size backpack to go for?
Reply to this Hello Terry-Ann
Backpack size is going to largely depend on your height. I am 178cm (5'10") and a slim build, and use between a 60-70 litre backpack depending on the length of my journey. Anything larger than 70 litres is too big for me. I know a medium-build male over 183cm (6'0") and they can use the big 80-90 litre options. Female friends of mine who travel tend to opt for no more than a 50 litre version, and they are about 165cm (5'5").
Your strength is also a factor, but it tends to relate more to what you put into the backpack (how many guide-books, how many toiletries) rather than the overall size of the backpack.
I am unsure which backpacks have the wheelie option, but suspect that the weight of these packs will be quite heavy compared to other options (wheels and extendable handles are not light). You will need to factor this extra weight into your choice of backpack.
Australia and New Zealand are wheelie-friendly places, and places such as Beijing in China are likewise - not sure about the rest of that country.
Hope this helps!
Reply to this Hi,
I went for a 65 litre. I tried on the 75 and looked rediculous!
I have bought my son his own 20 litre so he can put his clothes in that and take it as carry on.
I found a camp shop about an hour away, and thankfully they had a full range. I looked at the Wheelie backpacks, they were not any heavier, but they were not as robust and the straps were a joke! Not padded, wide or anthing else you find on backpacks, but just kind of thin, like you get on cheap, small bags, so I decided againt those.
Reply to this Great news about the camp shop! A 65 litre backpack is a nice size - and your son would think he looks pretty cool with his 20 litre version.
Enjoy your trip to Australia - overall, we are enjoying a good summer here at the moment.
Reply to this I hope its still good weather when I get there! I am in Brisbane for a few days mid March, then up to the Whitsundays for a wee while. I was in Brisbane March last year, and it was quite cloudy and stormy. Was still quite hot though, so made full use of my friends pool!
Reply to this Brisbane is having its biggest storm season in decades - one storm knocked out power to approximately 250,000 homes - you will definitely need some light wet weather gear in your backpacks! Thankfully, the humidity and heat are not that strong at present, so apart from the afternoon storms, it should be a pleasant change from the winter of the UK!
Reply to this On no! On a purley selfish note, I hope its all over by the time I fly in from NZ in March, I'm the worlds worst flyer and the turbulance from the last time I flew in is not something I want to repeat!
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