Backpack Selection

Years ago, I stumbled into a outdoor gear store in Ottawa (Fresh Air Experience - I think) looking for a pack. I really didn’t know what to get, but wanted a durable, flexible pack. I had been looking for a while. I ended up buying two packs on special, same series, one 70 liters, the other 45 liters. They were convertibles with internal frames, brand name was Camp Trails. I knew I would travel a lot to places where backpackers were not welcome (the middle east) and I also needed something for tough canoe trips. I didn’t even know at the time that I would do many long world trips. Turned into one of my best purchases ever. I used both packs over and over. I learned how to pack lighter and lighter, and travel lighter and lighter. It got to the point I rarely used my large bag (unless car camping, or traveling in a pair). I would easily be able to go months with all my gear (including tent and sleeping bag) in the 45 liter bag.

Canoe camping in Algonquin Park.

My large pack against the tree

My favorite tent and some camping gear is also visible.

It was a great bag, you could blend into the scenery very well. Sometimes when it was safe to be a backpacker, it was a backpack. Sometimes it pretended to be a daypack so I could get on that airplane without checking in my luggage. It could also pretend to be a (heavy) shoulder bag when you needed to confuse the locals as to who you were.

I remember getting off a local bus in Southern Morocco and meeting a guy looking for backpackers to share gas costs on a trip through the Sahara in his Land Rover. He told me after that he almost didn’t ask me as he thought I was working locally. Glad he did, as it was a memorable trip. He was shocked every time I pulled something else (ie. tent ) out of my “shoulder bag” .

Another time I did a trip from Panama City to Mexico City with my small pack. In Honduras we purchased machetes like the locals have. We travelled north and strapped them to the outside of our backpacks, much like the locals. Confused the hell out of everyone - they would ask us if we were Mexicans (me and two Norwegians??).

When leaving Mexico for the UK via Texas, I wrapped the machete and inserted it in the pack in the convertible side, such that it stuck out 5 inches - not much else I could do. Well when, I got to London, my bag didn’t. When it did, the straps, some zippers, pockets were torn or broken, the bag totally wrapped in plastic and tape. Everything was there but it was obvious (to me) what had happened. The machete end had caught something, perhaps jamming on one of the conveyor belts somewhere. I knew it was my fault. For fun, I complained to Continental. After one of my better letters, they actually reimbursed me 60 quid ($150 can). I then went to MEC, bought $10 of parts and my mother, seamstress extraordinaire, fixed it as good as new!

On my last big trip to Asia, somewhere in the middle of China (Chengdu or Kumming, I think), my large pack finally tore open. I cried on the inside. Looking through the local markets all the backpacks available were cheap chinese rip-offs, gaudy looking packs. I had to get one to finish the trip. I remember cutting out and saving all the valuable bits before throwing out the carcass of my old bag and sadly putting my gear in the new cheap bright orange pack. Aggghhh. It was embarrassing.

Well it’s time to get a new pack. So here are my top bits of advice for a world travel pack. Be aware every one is different, but if you want to quietly slip in and out of countries everywhere, my suggestions are:

1. Buy a pack smaller than you want. It forces you to pack better and take less. How much clothes do you really want - not much I hope. I would recommend something between 40-60 liters depending on the outside dimensions.
   

2. BSZ YKK. Big Strong Zippers. They get used a lot and will break eventually. My best daypack (from MEC) was eventually done in that way. Interestingly it broke in the country it was made (Vietnam) and I couldn’t get a local good enough to fix it or find a nearly as good replacement. They obviously don’t have the clone factories, or goods “falling” off the trucks, like they do in China.
   

3. Zippers that can be locked by a mini padlock or mini combination lock. Really I know that a good swiss army knife can cut into a pack easily and bolt cutters can snap a lock in a second, but the whole trick is simple deterrence. In a room or compartment, if it is zipped up and locked, staff/crooks won’t take that extra step and break it. They will snatch something from your neighbours open bag. They won’t lose their job for slicing open something, but a quick rifling of your undamaged pack is hard to prove. Same on buses, planes and trains. Oh yea, use small locks, not an expensive chain wrapped thing with a large padlock. Then they think you have something very expensive inside and you never know what they may try.
   

4. Thick material, the thicker the better, obviously.
   

5. No large exposed pockets on the back, if you have to have a pocket on the back, don’t keep valuables in it and lock it with a mini-padlock. Don’t make it a tempting target. This is especially true for daypacks - keep any daypack in front on your chest.
   

6. Light. Keep it light as possible, so start with a light pack. Too many times I hiked over 15 km with a full pack in 30+ degrees heat. Light is good.
   

7. A dull dark color. Black, dark blue or even better dark grey. Don’t let your pack stand out. Don’t you know, foreigners with lots of money have large, bright complicated packs.
   

8. Lots of small hidden pockets, nooks and crannies. This could be useful (as in this story).
   

9. It is best to have one large area deep in the pack, hopefully full length of the pack. Some packs have zippered or velcro sections that can be removed. You never know when you need space for a large item (ie. your tent poles, malawi chair or a machete!).
   

10. Some people believe in lots of compartments. I don’t. I like one large compartment, and a few smaller ones and lots of small hidden bits. One large compartment makes it easy to see all your gear, see that it is all there, quickly. You can always pack your stuff in different stuff sacs if you want more organization within that large section. I usually kept thing I could lose, socks, laundry, underwear in my outer pockets.
    

11. For world travel, if possible don’t carry anything on the outside except if you have to or it is the end of the trip. For canoeing or hiking in the west, go ahead use those outside straps!
    

12. Dimensions. My small pack (45 liter) fit perfectly into overhead airplane compartments. Even on dodgy central america buses, me with a 6 ft frame and my small pack sort of squeezed into the seats, or sat on my lap. It was better this way. Rather be squeezed in and not lose my pack. It could ruin a trip.
    

13. It needs to have adjustable front straps and an adjustment on the internal frame so that the weight doesn’t hang too low on your back, usual stuff. I’ll leave those details with the salesperson.
    

14. Although my packs were comfortable enough, there were many much more comfortable packs around. However these packs were probably perfect for hiking the Swiss Alps, not for traveling on a local bus in Mozambique. In my view packs were mainly for carrying my gear short distances to and from bus stations (typically less than 5 km) and discretely being thrown around dirty, dusty buses. It only needs to be comfortable enough for the odd long walk, once or twice a country.
    

15. I often kept my valuables/day gear (camera, electronics) in a daypack which I ensured would fit inside my main compartment on travel days. Some packs have a selling feature of a zipable day pack on the outside of the pack. This would be good except it makes your pack an exceedingly good theft target when you are traveling with both on your back. Don’t fall for this feature unless the daypack is secure and hidden somehow, or if you are only going to Scandinavia. On travel days just keep your pack on your back and a daypack with valuables out front, on your chest.