I need a backpack for a trip to Europe over New Years...

I do not know anything about backpacks... what is good... what makes them good... etc.

I am looking to buy one... and I need help on what to look for. Any help/tips would be greatly appreciated!

Oh and if anybody works anywhere with a hookup that would be nice too

11/15/2006 11:28:57 AM

IM sent

[Edited on November 15, 2006 at 11:35 AM. Reason : a]

11/15/2006 11:34:11 AM

For backpacking in cities, nearly any pack will do. The most important thing is that you fit the pack properly. A properly fitted $100 pack will feel worlds better than an improperly fitted $300 pack.

11/15/2006 11:37:33 AM

you'll definately want an internal frame

just make sure it has enough space and the right compartment setup for your needs

11/15/2006 11:39:44 AM

awesome thanks!

where do I go to find these packs? REI? GOP? am I on the right track!?

11/15/2006 11:43:54 AM

http://www.campmor.com usually has some decent deals

REI is good, I bought a jacket from there and signed up for their "club" or whatever at the same time....saved me around $50

11/15/2006 11:45:41 AM

go to GOP and talk with them about what you're trying to do. they want your business and want you to come back and buy other things from them, so they'll be pretty upfront about what you need/dont need

[Edited on November 15, 2006 at 11:47 AM. Reason : ditto on internal frame...probably 3000+ cu. in. depending on how light/heavy you travel]

11/15/2006 11:46:24 AM

Either of those places should have someone with the knowhow to fit your pack properly. I personally own a Gregory Whitney internal frame and it is by far the most comfortable and versatile pack I have owned to date (however I would probably want something slightly smaller for a Europe Trip e.g in the 3000 cubic inch to 4000 cubic inch range since you don't need to carry camping gear). I have heard good things about both Osprey and Arc'terex as well as Gregory as far as smaller packs go.

11/15/2006 11:51:46 AM

North Face is a little overpriced, IMO. I have a Kelty and I love it.

11/15/2006 12:16:19 PM

THanks guys!!!!!!!!

11/15/2006 12:19:39 PM

^FYI, some brands are overpriced because they are genuinely better, and some are overpriced because of the name, so be wary.

11/15/2006 12:26:45 PM

i bought a marmot shooting star backpack when i went around europe (back in 2004). i dont remember the size, but it was perfect for what i needed it for. not too huge so it was easy to carry around, but not too small...i could fit enough clothes and supplies in it.

it was about $120, which is reasonable. i bought it on amazon.com, which has some good deals. i had a gift card though, so thats why i went there.

11/15/2006 12:37:35 PM

campmor is a great place to start looking, and Kelty is a great brand imo.

11/15/2006 12:42:56 PM

^What I did was look up Campmor's stock, then go to REI to try it on and see how I liked it, then ordered it at Campmor. Beware though, they use UPS and I've had 2/5 shipments sent to the ENTIRELY wrong address by them. Though Campmor was cool and sent me a new one for free no questions asked.

11/15/2006 12:59:21 PM

I would def. go to a couple of places and try them on. They have different sizes that accomodate your body. If you go to Great Outdoor or REI you can fill it with a couple of things to simultae the weight. Once you've found the exact model that fitys you right, go to the internet and find yourself a deal. I did the same when I bought my internal frame Gregory Palisade. I've had it for six years now and I still use it.

11/15/2006 1:30:11 PM

Yeah, you HAVE to go to the store to find one that fits. I wouldn't buy a backpack online unless you had been to a store and tried on that exact pack with some weight in it.

11/15/2006 2:40:51 PM

I would suggest getting one where the front zips open to give you access to everything in your pack. If you get one that just has an opening at the top it's a pain in the ass if you want to get something at the bottom. I used this for two months:

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=48034748&parent_category_rn=4500572


PS: I also brought a duffel bag that I could put it in for transporting on the plane. I didn't like having all those straps and stuff hanging off. Then I just rolled up the duffel bag and put it in the pack while I was over there. I guess it could come in handy if you are the type to accumulate a bunch of stuff you would want to bring back.

[Edited on November 15, 2006 at 2:54 PM. Reason : ps]

11/15/2006 2:52:49 PM

i dont have any help on packs to offer except that I think its crappy (especially for a locally owned store) to go waste a salesman's time and get help from a store and then go to the internet to purchase. if you keep doing stuff like that, locally owned stores with knowledgeable staff won't exist anymore and then will the 5-10% you saved be worth it?

11/15/2006 2:59:49 PM

^^a panel loader is defintly easier. get a thin packable bag for the plane trip because they wont let you check a backpack with straps and stuff on airlines any longer. Some airline do offer boxes though - so call ahead. Youll also need zipper locks so your pack wont get broken into - and bring a cable lock to lock it down while you are in stores etc.

i would recommend anything bigger than 3200 cubic inches

11/15/2006 3:22:40 PM

^ How long has that rule been around?

Last year I had a flight and was able to check a hiking backpack

11/15/2006 3:42:36 PM

^agreed. They still let you bring backpacks with straps......however, you have to tie down/tape all the straps to the pack so they don't get caught in the conveyer belt. It's not too hard to tuck in loose straps, or just knot them together so they won't hang loose everywhere.

11/15/2006 3:48:18 PM

Quote :

"i dont have any help on packs to offer except that I think its crappy (especially for a locally owned store) to go waste a salesman's time and get help from a store and then go to the internet to purchase. if you keep doing stuff like that, locally owned stores with knowledgeable staff won't exist anymore and then will the 5-10% you saved be worth it?"

Amen brother. Saving yourself a couple of bucks after picking someone's brain, trying on their gear, and getting updated information is a pretty shitty thing to do.

[disclosure statement: I've worked for REI, Great Outdoor Provision Company, and Blue Ridge Mountain Sports over the past 12 years]

11/15/2006 4:19:14 PM

I have a few Kelty packs and swear by them...there's a reason why the Navy got them to design and produce their 3-day pack (used by SEALs and mobile security squadrons - I got to keep mine!)

I can not put enough emphasis on the earlier point to get one that has a full zipper access for traveling. I have a large kelty that only has a top access...it's fine if you're going to be somewhere for a bit, but if you're bouncing place to place, the full zipper access will be the best thing you never really noticed

11/15/2006 5:33:56 PM

^I second that.

If you really want to use the physical store and buy something for a good deal, become an REI member and get 20% back at the end of the year.

11/15/2006 5:34:53 PM

join the Outing Club and you can check our's out http://www.ncsuoc.org

We have some golite packs that were bought for 2 people going backpacking around europe, imagine that.

11/15/2006 6:03:02 PM

i backpacked europe for a month from dec05-jan06 and just bought my pack online from ll bean

i'm a somewhat petite female and chose a female pack

it fit fine and was reasonably comfortable for the $100 i spent

i will say that it had a top closure and it was a pain in the ass when you wanted something from the bottom

also dont forget some sort of rain cover for your pack (&/or yourself) when you're backpacking and its pouring rain, sometimes you have no choice but to get soaked so you'll want to minimize that

also if you're not considering the eurail pass & you'll be traveling in their covered countries i'd HIGHLY recommend it. the eurail saved our asses so many times when trains were delayed or canceled or we just randomly decided to add a country to the trip.

and if you havent thought about it already, leave copies of your passport and any credit cards that you'll be taking. in case you get robbed you'll have the information safe at home and will be able to handle the situation more easily

lots of people on this site have backpacked europe so i'm sure you'll find tons more advice if you asked around

one more thing the best thing about the entire trip was the journals we kept. we brought a glue stick and stuck stubs and postcards in the journal as we went along. it's been almost 1 year since the trip and although i remember tons i'm glad i wrote in the journal everyday because it takes me back to the small details i dont want to forget

11/15/2006 6:21:02 PM

Quote :

"if you keep doing stuff like that, locally owned stores with knowledgeable staff won't exist anymore and then will the 5-10% you saved be worth it?"

Yes. And it's generally 20-30% if you're smart. I'd rather get a new down jacket and a cam rather than just the down jacket plus the warm fuzzy feeling of knowing I've helped the local economy.

11/15/2006 6:26:10 PM

^I'm not talking about saving $5. If that's the case I'll buy it at the store for convenience. I personally feel like outdoor rec gear is hiked up to insane prices. I'm talking about I've saved more than $20 on most of my gear from shopping around online.

11/15/2006 6:30:44 PM

get your backpack to have i believe its called rip-stop material on top, and a bag, that can cover it. like a rain bag. found them priceless when flying, for checking or just helping keeping it all compact.

11/15/2006 6:31:46 PM

Quote :

"If you really want to use the physical store and buy something for a good deal, become an REI member and get 20% back at the end of the year."

It's 10% at best. That's only if you pay cash and the item isn't on sale. If you use credit I think it drops to 8% and if the item is on sale the dividend is cut drastically or eliminated.

You can buy $300 worth of gear with cash, pay $15 to join the coop, and get $30 back a year later or you can just buy it from Campmor and save the $30 instantly.

I'm a REI coop member and I've probably spent $1000 there in the last two years. But, their prices suck and I'll still order stuff from Campmor if I'm buying a big ticket item that isn't on sale.


Oh yeah...I like Kelty packs. I've got three of them and I bought one for my girlfriend. No complaints thus far. If anyone wants a Kelty External Frame pack I've got one I'll sell for $25 in excellent condition.

[Edited on November 15, 2006 at 6:44 PM. Reason : l]

11/15/2006 6:42:25 PM

hey guys! Thanks again for all the help!

Looks like I will just print this page out and bring it to the stores with me! hahaha hopefully they will be impressed with my TWW printout

Yeah I went backpacking once before a few years back. I borrowed a pack from NCSU, but now I do not have those student perks It just had the top closure... and was definitely a pain in the ass when I wanted to dig something out from the bottom. I didn't realize they made packs with zippers.... so THANKS!

11/15/2006 10:57:40 PM

Lowe Alpine makes a decent internal pack

[Edited on November 15, 2006 at 11:36 PM. Reason : dyslexia]

11/15/2006 11:35:37 PM

you definitely need a backpack cover, because hiking backpacks are NOT waterproof!

you can buy rain covers but they tend to be worthless pieces of crap. Just bring a bunch of heavy-duty garbage bags, they work like a charm and you can buy new ones anywhere if they tear or get dirty

11/16/2006 11:46:49 AM

Quote :

"Quote : "i dont have any help on packs to offer except that I think its crappy (especially for a locally owned store) to go waste a salesman's time and get help from a store and then go to the internet to purchase. if you keep doing stuff like that, locally owned stores with knowledgeable staff won't exist anymore and then will the 5-10% you saved be worth it?" Amen brother. Saving yourself a couple of bucks after picking someone's brain, trying on their gear, and getting updated information is a pretty shitty thing to do. [disclosure statement: I've worked for REI, Great Outdoor Provision Company, and Blue Ridge Mountain Sports over the past 12 years] "

sounds like horse shit to me, because REI and great outdoor are huge compnaies with ridiculous prices on their merchandise. Also, I'm sorry I thought it was your JOB to educate the customers on the merchandise, whether they buy or not, I think it was called customer service or do you guys volunteer and not get a paycheck?

[Edited on November 16, 2006 at 12:53 PM. Reason : should posted your opinions in soapbox]

11/16/2006 12:51:59 PM

Quote :

"[Edited on November 16, 2006 at 12:53 PM. Reason : should posted your opinions in soapbox]"

what the hell do you think you just did cricket



[Edited on November 16, 2006 at 2:16 PM. Reason : /]

11/16/2006 2:06:59 PM

who are you talking to?

I don't work retail and haven't for about 9 years. I don't know a damn thing about either of those stores, but I do know that the more people take that attitude where they will go and basically abuse the customer service you speak of so they can then go on the internet to buy at a discounted price (discounted specifically because they don't have the overhead of a nice store with selection and floor models and customer service), the fewer stores with salesman who can provide expertise and advice there will be.

I am as big of a tightass as anyone when it comes to saving money but when someone at a local store genuinely helps me find the right product, I am willing to reward that effort even if I could have saved a few bucks by hitting up amazon or whatever.

11/16/2006 3:02:58 PM

Quote :

"because hiking backpacks are NOT waterproof!"

don't tell arc'teryx that

11/16/2006 3:14:49 PM

Quote :

"It's 10% at best. That's only if you pay cash and the item isn't on sale. If you use credit I think it drops to 8% and if the item is on sale the dividend is cut drastically or eliminated."

The keywords there are "I think." REI gives members 20% back at the end of the year for all purchases of regular priced merchandise.

11/16/2006 4:04:04 PM

Quote :

"The keywords there are "I think." REI gives members 20% back at the end of the year for all purchases of regular priced merchandise."

The only "I think" part of that was regarding credit purchases and sale items. I think you don't know what you're talking about.

Quote :

"Up to a 10% Member Refund Every year, we strive to pay you back 10% of your eligible REI purchases with a dividend voucher good for more REI gear. The more you buy, the bigger your refund."

http://www.rei.com/joinrei

[Edited on November 16, 2006 at 5:50 PM. Reason : s]

11/16/2006 5:49:52 PM

just to clarify about REI dividend, it is 8-10% (10% with cash, ~8% with credit)

11/17/2006 12:56:15 AM

Well, I guess I'm a jerk and an idiot. But I could swear REI gave 20% back when I joined and I always pay with credit. Did they just lower the dividend recently?

11/17/2006 12:15:53 PM

I've had a North Face pack for 13 years at least and it is still going strong.

Although I don't hike much anymore, I always use it as my luggage on plane trips. Parts are getting worn, but I haven't had anything fail on it.

My other backpack is made by Eagle Creek and is 8 years old. I had a puppy chew off the end of the belt, but that wasn't a big deal. I used it daily while I was in college, small trips, and now use it to haul around my laptop and books to work daily.

11/17/2006 8:29:16 PM

Quote :

"But I could swear REI gave 20% back when I joined and I always pay with credit. Did they just lower the dividend recently? "

i work there, the dividend has been between 8-10% for years if not always

as for 20%, there are a few coupons, sales specials, etc that you can take advantage of that may give you 20% off an item or a purchase, but the dividend is 8-10%

11/18/2006 12:00:25 AM

http://www.kifaru.net

kifaru packs, made by the guy who started mountainsmith. I have an express and it is hands down the best pack I've ever owned. and I've used alot of different packs. they are handbuilt to you and fit great. around $250-300 for the express and on up for bigger packs, this is the only one you'll ever need to buy.

11/18/2006 7:34:41 AM

keltys are so durable .. i love mine

11/18/2006 1:07:55 PM

Quote :

"get a thin packable bag for the plane trip because they wont let you check a backpack with straps and stuff on airlines any longer"

this isn't true -- or at least is airline-specific

i just checked my backpack (a rather comfy north face women's terra, by the way - might be a little small for a lengthy europe trip, especially if cold weather is involved) on wednesday on an northwest flight to germany with no problems -- obviously you tighten down / tie up loose straps

have fun on your trip, where are thinking about going?

11/18/2006 1:31:00 PM

been to 16 countries in my Dana Design's Bomb Pack

11/19/2006 11:40:42 PM

I got this pack earlier this year:

http://www.rei.com/product/47988761.htm

The removal daypack is a worthless feature. I just carry the daypack on my shoulder. But the separate compartment for footwear is very useful. And it has a cover that zips over all your shoulder straps, which is a nice feature.

Random hint:

If you're flying international back in through RDU, you have to recheck your bags and go through another round of security. So if you bought any liquids (i.e. duty free liquor, water, ect.), make sure you throw it in your checked baggage before you go through security again. They won't let you through and you end up waiting in line again...

11/20/2006 6:01:59 PM

Quote :

"If you really want to use the physical store and buy something for a good deal, become an REI member and get 20% back at the end of the year."

I believe when I signed up I got $50 off for becoming a member (the only reason I did because I'm not really into camping that much). So I got my $250 bag for $200.... or maybe it was 20% off (works out to $50 off). Anyway, if you plan on making a big purchase like that, it might be worth it just to sign up.

11/27/2006 3:06:43 PM