They say it is smart to travel light, what I want to know is, how light is light?
Hehe - please stick to English in the forums 😉 - Hanna og Evelyn & applefish - feel free to continue your conversation via personal messages - use the "contact" link on each others homepage.
Thanks!
Reply to this Yeah tori with a tent...most camping gear itself like stove etc you can normally be borrowed from someone else but yeah sleeping bag, tent, thick fleece jacket (when in patagonia) and my boots are the killer for me.
If you read my posts in uruguay... probably my best time in south america so far was camping in la paloma...where i meet some great locals highly recommended. but i have since given my tent to a friend who is travelling back to sao paulo where i will stop by in 2 months before i go home.
Reply to this We´re just coming to the end of 6 months in South AMerica and I´d say my two biggest packing regrets were
1) packing my sleeping bag , it was a small compressible one but far too cold when camping in the Cordillera Blanca in Peru. After this I hired a different warmer one for every treck.
2 ) not packing trainers, I´m a definite fan of boots for trecking for ankle support but found that there were times eg during Spanish school and our month of volunteering that I really wanted to go for a run or to the gym. In the end I bought a new pair.
Who said pack synthetic underwear? That is crazy talk and asking for a fungal infection!
Reply to this I wouldn't recommend wearing synthetic underwear every day while travelling as yes... leads to all sorts of fun infections. However, if you are stuck handwashing your laundry because you're in the middle of nowhere with no laundrymats in a dark hostel... it could take a few days for cotton underwear to dry. The synthetic underwear I'm thinking about is wicking and has a cotton crotch for breathability.
Reply to this lauralee et al.... thank you all so much for your advice! i too had a lot of questions regarding backpacks and found that most were answered on this forum!! i was contemplating to buy the backpack with a daypack and this thread of conversation had confirmed my desire to get one! :D...
wherever i travel i too bring a pair of trainers and flipflops... think i lived on my pair of flipflops travelling the lowlands of moracco (remembering the GOD awful blisters from wearing out my sandals in turkey!)... wished i would've stocked up on an extra pair! one thing i wished i had brought were earplugs (especially when your sleeping situation was rt next to a bike shop that also played nonstop music amped to the max)... never estimate a good nite sleep... as a pharmacist, i would advise anyone to get your necessary prescriptions from home... ( esp when ur travelling to developing countries... )... rem. an ounce of prevention can save a TON of treatment...:D...
bon voyage!
Reply to this Well if you starting your trip in Brasil, you can always buy your flip flop over there, the havaianas are cheap and very good. About the backpack, since I started my trip this is the thrid i'm using, yes 1 and a half year made me change a lot opinion. My actual I think is my almost ideal. Is a 75 liters with daypack. That means more or less 60 for the pack and 15 for the daypack. I started with a 60L hiking backpack, horrible to load and unload, them I moved for a 65 travel pack with daypack. The problem I found with the second was that it didn't have a specific compartiment for the sleeping bag. As I carry a medium size sleeping bag this was anoying and more to that the daypack couldn't be fully loaded when attached to the main pack. Having to reorganize everything everytime I wanted to zip on the daypack was terrible. So my last one is the best I could find. And more I travel less I fell need for clothing (yes, I have to walk many time very dirty, but who cares?) Equipment on the other hand is what fill up most of my pack(tent, boots, medicine, headlight, camera, etc). They are very handy and not everywhere you can find them, specially in third wrould countries. Clothes you buy anywhere. As poor the country is the cheaper is the clothes. But the tip of trying to travel light is very true. The lightest the best.
Reply to this Hi,
I am going to Canada in hmmmm September I think or maybe October. Neway, I want to work up at Big White or Whistler in the Ski Resorts for maybe 6 months.
But, I have No idea how many Litres my backjpack should be? The lovely little man at the Paddy Pallins said 70L because I will have heaps of big wintery stuff in there. I mean yeah I will for Winter, but what the hell will I do in Summer? I don't intend to camp at all. More so hostelling and Share Housing.
Any thoughts?
Reply to this This has all been hugely useful :-) thanks to everyone. I am going away for 6 months, planning on trekking a little in asia and s america but not hugely-definitely not taking camping stuff, and now i think i'll be able to make do with approach shoes rather than hiking boots. I'd not heard of rucksacks with zip off day packs but they sound wonderful, i'll have to take a look around
Reply to this Christa, I reckon 70L probably is about right for you - because the ski stuff will take up a LOT of room. And for summer you can just have a roomy backpack - and room to bring back loads of souvenirs! But my only q is this - do you actually need a backpack?? If you're going to be staying in one place for most of the time, than a suitcase is probably more convenient...it's only if you're travelling around a lot that a backpack becomes invaluable.
Reply to this Link here
The comfortable SA Super Cool back system can be zipped away for transit.
* Durable KS-N1000 fabric
* 5070 litre capacity
* Access at top and bottom
* Sleeping bag compartment
* Compression straps
* Haul loop
* Padded hip belt and chest strap
* Two wand pockets
* Rain cover
* Hydration system compatible
* Weight 3975g
looking at buying this rucksack and was after opinons
Reply to this I travelled a RTW with a back pack/ roller combo form Swiss Army knife makers (Victoronox?) I literally used the shoulder straps ONCE in 7 months but then I never went into nature on multi-day hikes (and couldn't return to pick up my bag from train locker or hotel.) The wheels are plenty durable. My one problem was the top handle which tore bacause I was packing around so much weight (though rolling it effortlessly.) It also has a side handle for ease of carrying short distances, and a day pack that attaches and doesn't count as an extra bag for flights. A rolling bag freed my back for another small school sized pack which I carried my cameras, books, and tech toys. Anyways, when I travel, I put my bag in my hostel at check in and adventure from there with a day pack. A few times I arranged for my cheap hotel to hold my bag for a week or more when I knew to be returning and wouldn't need all the extras. (travelling Thailand for a month? leave your cold weather gear in Bangkok and pick it up when you eventually go back through. HI-Sukhumvit hostel has long-term lockers for example.)
I didn't bring a sleeping bag, or hiking boots. It all depends on the kind of travel/adventure you are shooting for. I liked my light cross trainers with gore-tex fabric for extra durability and dryness (by Pearl Izumi).
For a towel I used a small 'squeejee' style towel. Wash it every now and again so it doesn't get musty (like any other towel.) Girls might want two, or a bigger one for more coverage in co-ed hostel situations. Good synthetic fabric socks are aslo key as they are easy to clean and quick drying. But you can also just as easily buy new socks very cheaply at the various cities you visit.
Reply to this Hi. I was thinking of taking a 35 (+ 8l extension) on my travels. The 65L bags just seem too big when full to capacity. Am I thinking too small or is 35+ 8 enough?
Reply to this I would guess that it really depends on how long you are going for, and what you are planning on doing/taking. i have a 65l with a clip on daybag, and i leave tomorrow for 6 1/2 months, so i haven't used it yet but it's packed and i'm very pleased with it. Mine is also a hybrid pack which means you can open it at the front like a suitcase, on top like a rucksack and it's tall and thin so that i can trek with it if i need to. I don't think 35l would be enough for me, but as i said, it depends what you are taking and how long you are going for.
Reply to this I am going on a RTW trip starting at the end of January 2008 for about 9 - 12 months. I'll be going to US, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand.... and i can't wait!!!
At the moment i am looking into backpacks. After many hours of narrowing down my requirements i have finally come up with a spec list of must haves:
1) 50-55 Litres (no heavier as i am packing light)
2) Rain cover built in
3) Zip off day pack
4) Hybrid (access to bottom of bag via zip and ideally zips down the sides so can open up like a holdel)
5) Good quality
I can't seem to find a bag that matches these requirements. Does anybody have any rucksack suggestions or can help in pointing me to a few options.
Thanks!
Reply to this Id suggest either the karrimor super cool 50-70 (50 ltr pack and 20 ltr day sack) or Berghaus do an equivalent but the name escapes me...........im not sure where your based laylo so rather than give a local link myself just google the karrimor and any site that does it always seems to carry the beghaus sack....hope that helps😊 or if you go up the page i have left a link on my previous post on this thread for the karrimor bag
Thx Mike😊
Reply to this Thanks Mikey much appreciated! I live in the UK, and i have seen the Karrimor that you suggested (i think it was through your link originally) But seems pricey at £150. I have seen cheaper, such as the Berghaus Jelan, which is almost perfect and at a descent price of £100... although it is a 65 litre which i think is way too big. I'll just have to keep on searching :-)
Thanks for the reply, hopefully soon i'll find one that's right!
Laylo
Reply to this Hi Laylo shop around i have the Karrimor and paid £99 for it, it is the number one selling backpacker in all the usual retailers such as millets and blacks etc. It has the best strapping and airflow of any travel backpack, yes best not to go to big, i am currently winding down with 29 working days left and halfing all my stuff to carry as little as possible and im taking a pack down bag to get all my goodies in South east asia to ship back with me.
Good luck and any other travel help just give me a shout
Thx Mike😊
Reply to this i travelled around Oz, NZ and Fiji with my huge 80L backpack and no problem. BUT... moving on into SE asia it was nearly impossible! i got rid of so much stuf but it was still just too big! this time hoping to go with 40, well maybe 50max!
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