Shopping for a Backpack
Since I will be on the go for a long time, my backpack will be my home on the road. I have been searching online and debating between several backpacks for awhile now. Yesterday I was able to get out to some stores and see the packs in person and get a feel for them. I think I have finally narrowed it down to 3 packs. This first pack fit my body really well and has a lot of stuff I am looking for, i.e it can be loaded from the front or top of the pack. One of my main criteria’s was that the pack could be opened from the front, so I wouldn’t have to dig through all my stuff just to find one little thing. The first pack is Gregory Palisade 80. The second pack is basically a smaller version of the Palisade, Gregory Triconi 60. ANd then the third pack is the Osprey Aether 70, a nice pack but unfortunately it cant be front loaded.
I still have a few months before I have to decide, so a little more research to go. If anyone has any opinions on backpacks feel free to let me know. I got a lot of information from Nomadic Matt’s article on choosing the right backpack. Anyway back to a little more research.
March 6th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
I personally thought that Gregory 80 look quite becoming on you. My personal favorite. It’s surprising how comfy they feel, but I am sure after 8 miles walking it might get a smidge heavy.
March 9th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
We love our osprey packs, they have taken a hell of a beating. We have seen a lot of very unhappy people being crushed under their 60 and 70 liter packs while we skirt right on by with our spify 35 liter packs, it is always worth it to pack light. We will have our list up in a couple of days and that should give you an idea on how we pack our stuff.
March 9th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
@Saben Thanks, I too want to pack light and originally wanted nothing larger than a 45Liter pack. Just wasn’t finding much out there. What pack are you using? Can’t wait to see your list so I can get a better idea.
March 10th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
We are right there with you! We’re shopping for bags right now too.
I though we had it all figured out when we bought the Osprey Ariel 65 (women’s version of the Aether) and the North Face Primero 70 (unique because it’s water-resistant). The packs were comfortable, roomy, and offered enough access to work right.
But then we started reading what others were saying, and we started practice-packing them with our gear… I had A LOT of room left over in my Osprey, and so did my husband in his Primero. I don’t want to be weighed down by junk I don’t really need, and I don’t want to have to pay for a train/bus ticket for my bag because it’s so big.
Jeremy’s Primero straps down pretty well, and we’re hesitant to go down a lot in size… but I think I can fit into something smaller. I’ve been REALLY impressed with the Deuter bags (integrated rain covers rock!) and I have one of those at home (42L) and 3 more on the way from an online retailer who gives free shipping both ways (backcountry edge). I tried a smaller Osprey, but it had a simpler hipbelt which didn’t help me much. North Face makes an amazing front loading bag called the Fulcrum, but it’s crazy small at 35L and I’m too chicken to go that small! Deuter sells a great travel bag (read: front loading) called the Quantum (55L + 10L detachable daypack).
Anyway — I feel your pain!! I see that you’re leaving in 5 months, glad you’re doing this research ahead of time. We’re leaving in just a few days — Mexico, South America, and then East around the globe.
March 12th, 2009 at 6:34 am
@Mark: Hey Mark, we are both using the Osprey Atmos 35. I wear a large so its really somthing like 38 liters but Lin´s is a true 35 liter. The nice thing is at 35-42 or so liters you never have to check you bag. Ours have fit in every over head rack on every bus and plane ride. Which is a lot more secure than checking.
April 11th, 2009 at 2:44 am
My wife and I have just gone through the bag selection process in the couple mnonths. It’s pretty tough to know what’s going to be comfortable for the next year and how it’ll wear. The best piece of advice I received was to buy the two bags that I was deciding between, try them out for a week and see which was most comfortable. Almost all stores have a 10 day full return policy on backpacks. We went for a couple hour long walks with each of mine with 25lbs in the pack. It turned out that the MEC Walkabout was better than the Eagle Creek I was trying.
My wife Deidra found the Eagle Creek Womens Explorer LT and it fit her perfectly from the get go. I believe it’s a 42l pack with a 17 liter daypack.