What size backpack?
 

Hi there,

i'm going to be travelling around Europe for approximately 30 days in June. I need to buy a back/travel pack for the trip but i don't know what size i should get! I am only hostelling (no camping) and i'll be travelling "fairly light" (as i have to keep below the 20kg airline baggage restriction). Can anyone recommend a size (litres) that would best suit me???

I would go to a high-end camping/outdoor store like REI and see what they had and get expert opinions.

No such place in NZ unfortunately - but similar stores are usually staffed by teens that have less of an idea than me...

You might not have a store near you, but you can still use the website. :-)

http://tinyurl.com/kdwzd

At the bottom, they discuss sizes. You might consider a rolling backpack--a combination between a carry-on roller bag and a backpack. It would save some wear and tear on your shoulders.

Hope this helps some.

Ask this question on Lonely Planet's forum called The Thorn Tree. Loads of expert backpackers and budget travelers there (more than here).

Here is a website that helps you determine what you need in a backpack.

http://www.backpackeurope.com/packin...ebackpack.html

I like my 22" roll-on suitcase but, of course,your mileage may vary.

Try the activities branch of the Thorntree where this is discussed ad nauseum.

General opinion is that unless you are doing something that needs lots of gear (eg climbing, diving, camping) or need winter weight clothing then anything over 50l is too big and leads you into the land of "Oh there's space in the bag, so I'll put it in" resulting in "bull in a china shop" syndrome.

Generally you only need to take what you would wear in a normal week, and keep washing.

If possible, get a pack that you won't have to check in at the airport. Size requirements vary, but a good rule of thumb is to make sure L x W x H doesn't add up to more than 45 inches. Most airlines allow carry-on baggage no larger than 9"H x 14"W x 22"L, but this is subject to change. Along with the sites other posters have listed, see the Travelstore at www.ricksteves.com for examples.

Remember that one a little too large is better than one a little too small.
If too large, you don't need to fill it all the way. If too small, you end up with articles tied on or strapped on.

In my backpacking days, I usually went with a pack of about 2,500 cubic inches, but my sleeping bag was tied underneath.
I had clothes and food for about 4 days. I usually had a canteen hooked on my belt as well.

It ended up around 25 to 30 pounds depending on how much I put in it.

I also had half of a tent, which you will not need. (My hiking partner had the other half of the shelter.)
Nor will you require a sleeping bag.
So that is about 8 pounds less than what I was carrying, perhaps more.

I usually had stove fuel and a little stove as well.

For your needs, I suggest you look at a total capacity of between 2,500 cubic inches and 3,500. Check the empty weight carefully, too. The frame size is vital as is the fit of the belt and straps.

Some of the models today have detachable day packs. And these types are frightfully expensive. When I see prices like $250 for a backpack I freak out.

:Last, consider a rain cover if the pack is not already waterproof.

My daughter and her now husband backpacked for 3 weeks at the end of college. Guess what they wanted for gifts for the next celebration? Those packpacks that can also be wheeled. They got very sick of having to wear the packs on their backs all the time when they could have been wheeling them along the streets instead.

Whatever you get, make sure you can access the insides without having to take everything out the top. Get one with a zipper that goes up the side.

Claire

julies, so how much weight was your daughter carrying?

If she thinks that a wheeled bag will make things easier then she's in for a hell of a shock when she first encounters stairs or cobbles.

Also wheeled bags are substantially heavier than an equivalent backpack.

I just did a month in the trains and hostels of Europe with a 20" rolling bag and a day bag. Backpacks are too big. Rolling bags are much more popular these days, based on my observations in the train stations. You don't look like a "camper" with a rolling bag.

My daughter had the standard amount of stuff that a student would take on a trip of this type. She knew to travel fairly light as she'd already been travelling for shorter amounts of time during the semester she'd spent in Vienna. Yes, cobblestone aren't wheeled luggage friendly, but it's doable. I know because I've done it lots of times. The issue is that in reality there are many more times when a suitcase can be comfortably pulled along the sidewalk than there are times when the only way to manage is with something on your back. And, I think the tradeoff of the couple more pounds a wheeled conversion will add to the backback is well worth it to have the ease of wheeling for the 90% of the time when it is a piece of cake to do.

I am posting in hopes to get some more specific replies to this topic. Maybe Marty99 can advise what decision was made and how it worked.
My wife and I have chosen to travel with backpacks to Europe for 3 weeks - she will have a smaller one (approx. 20 to 25 l) and I am looking at a larger one of around 55 to 60l. This seems to be a close fit with the recommendation by brookwood. Could anyone/others with backpacking experience please comment (please do not respond to tell me what size roller board I should use instead).

Thanks.
Larry.

Hi Larry,

I've made a lot of long trips (not Europe) and short trips (Europe) using a backpack. I use the same one regardless of length of trip. It's a 65 litre pack with a harness you can zip away for getting on planes. It has two compartments with separate zip access which I recommend. The division between the two is not solid but is a panel closed with a drawstring. This is useful as you can make the 2 compartments into one if you need to carry something long - poster tube, tent poles, whatever.

Sometimes I hanker after the old style bag I used to have (top access, but with pockets on the side that made it much easier to find small things like the torch). But .. on the whole I am happy with the travelpack. Thing is, though, I never leave home with it full - usually weighs c10kg. But I have that extra space for small purchases on the road, or more extensive shopping on my last day when I know I won't have to carry it very far!!

If the sizes you quote are litres then sounds about right to me for 2 people travelling together on an itenerary that doesn't include climates at the two extremes. You don't have to carry two of so many of the things that make a solo traveller's pack unnecessarily heavy - small first aid kit, travel guides, even toothpaste, sun factor, etc - it all adds up.

But, I would maybe upsize just a little - go for 25 instead of 20, and maybe 60-65, on the grounds that you don't have to fill them to the brim. Agree absolutely with those who recommend trying the packs on in the shop for fit and comfort.

Happy travels.

Excellent - this is exactly the kind of input I was looking for. Now I know if I am in the ballpark.

One clarification - did you find you had to check the larger bag to go on the planes (I believe the volume limitation for a carry on is around 50 Litres)?

Larry

Never heard of a volume limitation for carry-on luggage. The limit is total linear dimensions of 45", and as advised by most airlines is 22"x14"x9". This works out to 45.4 liters. Some have a weight limit of 40 lbs of carry-on stuff. That is 18 kg.

My 20"x14"x9" works out to 41.3 liters. In addition you can carry a briefcase or purse on board.

The carry-on rules have nothing to do with the design of the luggage, whether it be regular suitcase, backpack, roller case, or cardboard box.

To be honest whether you can carry it on or not has never been a consideration for me. You get on a plane at one end; take a long international flight - and get off the other. The next time you see a plane is on the way home - so what's the big deal about being able to avoid checking it in?

In my experience at major airports, by the time you have done the passport thing, your flight's luggage is already going round and round on the carousel. So it can't be a time issue. Sure the airline might lose it. It's happened to me, though fortunately it did turn up eventually.

And if you carry it on what are you going to do with that absolute travellers' essential - the swiss army knife?