January 14, 2005

12:03 PM

My wife and I are starting to plan our 1 month+ trip to Europe for this upcoming summer and I was wondering if anybody could recommend a comfortable, compact, relatively inexpensive backpack. We are going to be packing pretty light, as we will only have one bag each, and it needs to be small enough for carry-on luggage.
posted by Hillman Cobs to (21 comments total)

Backpacks don't get much lighter/cheaper than GoLite's. I've use the Gust for travel and outdoors backpacking - they might not look big online, but, believe me, they can fit a lot. People have climbed mountains and backpacked thousands of miles with them.
posted by driveler at 12:08 PM on January 14, 2005 [1 favorite]

Take a look at OneBag.com. They have a lot of recommendations and things to keep in mind when you're shopping.
posted by smackfu at 12:10 PM on January 14, 2005

I have a "World Journey" pack from Eagle Creek. I've used and abused the hell out of this thing, and it keeps on kicking. As it should, since it cost a fortune. It's comfortable to carry, and a flap of fabric zips over the shoulder straps to turn it into a duffel bag for carry-on purposes.
posted by bonheur at 12:12 PM on January 14, 2005

I have the Indigo Equipment Twlv Large (scroll down), and it's a great pack. Internal frame, comfy to carry in the city (haven't taken it hiking), and I've taken it carry-on without a problem. And it looks like they're on sale for $85 at the moment, so hey.
posted by falconred at 12:16 PM on January 14, 2005

Well, here's my comment from the other manifestation of this thread:

Backpacks don't get much lighter/cheaper than GoLite's. I've used the Gust for travel and outdoors backpacking - they might not look big online, but, believe me, they can fit a lot. People have climbed mountains and backpacked thousands of miles with them.
posted by driveler at 12:22 PM on January 14, 2005

Just got a Jansport "modus convertible carryon" for about $100 at REI. Not sure if that qualifies as inexpensive, but it seems well-made, doesn't have any wheels (which I didn't want, but seem difficult to avoid in travel packs). Does not have the little zip-off daypack like some Eagle Creek bags do.
posted by adamrice at 12:24 PM on January 14, 2005

The $100 range is ideal.
posted by Hillman Cobs at 12:30 PM on January 14, 2005

My wife and I are spending a month in Europe this year too!

I bought a $42 dollar internal frame pack in Chinatown in SF and this is going to do me just fine. But I will take these bags into consideration for the missus.
posted by bryanzera at 12:41 PM on January 14, 2005

Rick Steves, recommends this one which fits your price range. In a show several years back he had a smaller one.
posted by thomcatspike at 12:47 PM on January 14, 2005

I would recommend one that doubles as a rolling suitcase. Sometimes you just don't want to be "backpackers", know what I mean?
posted by chaz at 1:12 PM on January 14, 2005

I have and am a fan of REI's Vagabond. It is more a backpack than some of the others listed here. Hip belt and chest straps make carrying this comfortable for quite some time and is 75 bucks.
posted by pedantic at 1:15 PM on January 14, 2005

Kind of offtopic: If you're planning a one-month trip to Europe, you owe it to yourself to buy a copy of Europe Through the Back Door by Rick Steves. It has all kinds of fantastic tips and information, including things like Europe's Best Three-Week Itinerary, which is much expanded upon in the book, and comes with similar schedules for more specialized tours, and so forth and so on.

Seriously. Buy it and read it while you're planning.
posted by Jairus at 2:34 PM on January 14, 2005

I just went to REI for unrelated stuff, but I saw this Osprey bag (larger size here) that was really nifty. It's a backpack that's pretty comfortable with 15 - 20 lbs in it (about what you'll be carrying) but it's got some killer features. First and foremost for any backpack that you'll be traveling with is the "slash" zipper or "horseshoe" panel or some such (different companies call the feature different things). Basically it amounts to: a big ol' zipper down the side of the pack. You do not want a toploading pack. At all.

Go Lite is good stuff, but I always worry about longevity when I look at ultralight gear -- the weight savings are going to minimal for you, since you're not going to be wearing the pack all the time (unless, well, you're going to be wearing the pack all the time).

Mostly in Europe, on the standard backpacker route, you basically carry your pack 1 mile every three-ish days. You carry it to and from the train station to the hostel every time you move. So, while having a super light, or super tricked out pack with all sorts of chest clips for the straps is nice, it's probably not needed. What is needed is a way to use the pack as much like a suitcase as possible.

I heartily recommend these pack it cubes no matter which bag you buy. They're about $10 / $12 each and they're indespensible when you move every three days. Being able to throw them all into the backpack and not refold every single shirt is a godsend.
posted by zpousman at 2:48 PM on January 14, 2005

I just got a Patagonia MLC (maximum legal carry-on) bag, after having been frustrated travelling with an Osprey Departure travel backpack for a while. The MLC is not as big -- 2,400 cubic inches, I think -- but works well as both a comfortable backpack and a carry-on style bag with shoulder strap. It's easy to pack and easy to carry.

It depends on what your trip is like, but I'm never travelling with a backpack again; this is much easier to handle, and I just deal with packing a little lighter. Even so, you can still carry a week's worth of clothes, a pair of shoes, and rain jacket inside.
posted by josh at 3:30 PM on January 14, 2005

I suggest you don't go for any pack that has a frame. They tend to be clumsy, and heavy, and just aren't worth it, especially if you're going to be eurailing it. I had nothing but troubles when I did this sort of trip several years ago with a regular camper's backpack.

If I had to do it over again, I would carry a day pack with the essentials and a day's clothing, tops, and then buy stuff as I needed it there... especially t-shirts and underwear, which you can discard or launder or something like that. Worst come to worst, you could do laundromats. Its not like you'll be in the wilderness.

I suggest you travel as light as possible.
posted by crunchland at 5:09 PM on January 14, 2005

I suggest steering a wide berth around the Jansport convertible types. In my experience, they combine the worst of both backpack and suitcase.

I swear by my Kelty Moraine. It's small enough that I can use it as a carryon, but packs enough for a trip. The Redwing makes a killer daypack, too. Both have an internal frame, removable belt, and a nice, padded panel in the back that helps distribute the weight nicely.
posted by felix betachat at 6:29 PM on January 14, 2005

Crunchland is right: you probably don't need a frame pack. I use an old German Army rucksack just a bit bigger than a daypack from the surplus shop. It holds a change-and-a-half of clothes, a bunch of underwear, and has pockets for other stuff. I usually have a shoulder bag as well. If you want to buy and acquire a lot of stuff while travelling, it is easy to pick up another bag or pack along the way.

I learned that shlepping a big pack around is uncomfortable and unnecessary - you can't just sling it into a bus rack or sit at a cafe with it. If you wear clothes that are black or khaki you won't need many extra pants. you really don't need to pack much clothing in summer. I traveled around Turkey and the Balkans for three months this way last year and was extremely happy to be traveling light.
posted by zaelic at 8:33 AM on January 15, 2005

I very strongly second the recomendation for One Bag. For packing, for bag selection, for travel tips, and more. Just read the whole darn site.

Bags with wheels in Europe are largely pointless, as sidewalks and streets, if not actually cobblestone, are frequently not-so-smooth. The fifth time you feel the bag twist and fall over behind you, you're going to want to throw the thing as far as you can. I also find frame bags too heavy. But make sure your pack has a waist strap...it keeps the bag from shifting into a position that will strain your back. I have a cheapo bag from Campmor. It's okay for now, but I want to upgrade to something a little more comfortable eventually. It's better to spend $75 than $40, though I don't think you need go about $100.

I know a lot of people like Rick Steve's. His writing style bugs me to the point of frustration. Go to your local Borders and spend some time browsing travel books to find one that you respond to and has information that fits your style (e.g. history, walking-tour itineraries, regional info, guides to the major attractions, small details...)
posted by desuetude at 11:05 AM on January 15, 2005

I'm not familiar with these models, but I can offer one tip.

Whatever backpack you get, be sure that it has slots on the bottom for running nylon straps through. Then get a duffel bag - one like this.

You can stuff things you don't need to get to quickly or wouldn't mind losing in it, roll it up and secure it with the shoulder strap, then lash it onto the bottom of your backpack with adjustable nylon straps.

You can stow it in the backpack on the way out, but might have to check it on the way back, unless you use it to carry things like gifts you'll mail back before you return.

Anyway, this worked for me when I did the month-in-Europe backpack thing, and I was tearing 'used' chapters out of the guide book to save on space and weight by the end.

Take a good padlock with you, too. It's one of those things you won't know you need until you need it.
posted by trondant at 4:30 PM on January 15, 2005

I'd recommend foregoing the backpack for a carry-on hard-side suitcase-- with wheels. Traveling in Europe isn't like hiking through the Himalayas. Most of the time, you'll just be lugging you bag from train station to hostel, not carrying it around with you all day. Backpacks are very unwieldy bags and are really only useful when you are traveling places where they don't have roads and sidewalks.

'Suitcasing' through Europe doesn't sound as cool though, so there are tradeoffs.
posted by 4easypayments at 5:05 PM on January 15, 2005

'Suitcasing' through Europe doesn't sound as cool though, so there are tradeoffs.

True enough. For example, you have only one free hand with a suitcase. If you want to do something that takes two hands ,you have to put the suitcase down and watch it. Try taking money out of your wallet or unfolding and reading a map a few times using one hand. Even checking a wristwatch becomes a matter of tying up your dominant hand vs. shifting a 20 to 40 lb. weight every time you look at the watch.

In the end, I guess it depends on the itinerary and accomodations the asker more than anything else.
posted by trondant at 5:55 PM on January 15, 2005