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Published: February 7th 2015
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After making several small backpacking trips over the years, we knew that the first important thing for us was choosing the right backpacks. In the past we opted for 60L Karrimor rucksacks as they were well priced, well sized for first time backpackers and appeared to be somewhat durable. These bags did in fact do the job, they were comfortable and remained in good condition after a few backpacking trips over the years. What was there not to like?
Well on the road, we met other travellers who took front loading backpacks which opened from the front (like a suitcase). This was when we first experienced backpack envy. Ours opened at the top (a top loader) and so our things had to packed on top of each other. This made access to items at the bottom more difficult as in order to get to them the whole bag had to be emptied. Not all was lost though as these backpacks offered us some memorable moments. Like the time when P was rummaging for a particular item at a train station and ended up emptying all her underwear out. Not to forget the time C had left tools at the bottom
of his backpack (from home renovation) only to find out at Heathrow airport before our honeymoon that they were still in there!!. Lesson learnt, we knew we needed a bag that allowed us easy access and a good view of all items when open.
Next lesson, we needed something that was lightweight and limited our Luggage. In the past P suffered from swollen feet and ankles with all the things she managed to fit into both her own and C’s 60L bag (a lot of conditioner and cans of mousse) and so we both (with more emphasis on P) vowed to pack less on our next trip. This also meant we needed to find smaller bags. The final gripe we had with these bags were the fact that they were easier to get into by thieves. They opened at the top by buckle and draw string. Although we often knotted the drawstring, there was no way of keeping our things safe when they were out of sight. As luck found us, while on a bus in Belize in 2011 we were instructed to leave our bags at the back of the bus due to their size, only to find
out when we arrived at our next guesthouse that someone had been through P’s bag. Nothing much was taken apart from some smelly shorts that needed a good wash and some hair products (this was clearly a test for P). Either way another lesson learnt; we wanted something that was small enough to carry onto the bus with us and offered some means of security.
After a month of research we came across and settled on the Osprey Farpoint 40L. These backpacks offer everything we need;.
· They are compact; meaning less weight on our feet, they are small enough to keep it with us on buses or on the plane (as carry on luggage)
· They are Front loading (suitcase like) making everything easy to access and avoided the need of having to take everything out all at once
· They came with double zips, meaning we can pad lock them making them more secure
· They offered a compartment to hideaway your shoulder straps (making them airport friendly)
In the end C opted for a grey colour and P a blue colour (like everything else in her bag) and here we are ready to begin the adventure of our lives with backpacks resembling teenage mutant ninja turtles shells. Cowabunga.
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