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Whether you're traveling to
Europe, Asia or anywhere else, traveling by
backpack is the way to go.
Having the
right size pack and packed correctly is
essential to getting the most out of your pack.
The packs we research and use should meet most
airline size requirements for carry on bags.
The rule of thumb is that you never check a bag
if possible.
When traveling with a backpack, it's much easier to get around.
Cobblestone streets are easy to navigate where
pulling a wheeled piece of luggage can
be a nightmare and boarding trains and busses
is a breeze when you do not have to lift
your luggage; simply walk on board. Not
only will the right sized pack fit in
the airline overhead compartment, but it
should also fit most train overhead compartments or
even at your feet.
Of course you must be physically able to
carry a backpack on your journey.
If you are traveling by air, you should
consider airline size and weight restrictions
when bringing your pack as carry on luggage. (Airline Size & Weight
Restrictions
/ Beating
Bag
Restrictions)
Properly packed, you should be well underweight,
even on a two week vacation. (How to Pack)
If you are unable to travel carrying a
backpack, you may want to consider a
rolling type luggage/backpack with an
extendable handle. These bags when
packed correctly can still meet airline requirements for carry on
luggage. Some models actually come with
backpack straps allowing you to wear the
pack if needed. (Rolling Suitcases / Other)
You will also find
several suitcase
options having stowaway straps allowing you to
wear the luggage as backpack, but you will be
walking around looking like you strapped a piece
of luggage to your back. So if you are
planning on going with that option, why not use
an actual backpack? You will find a true
backpack to be much lighter and far more
comfortable to wear.
There are many
options to choose from, so
find the pack that's right
for you. When choosing
your backpack consider size, weight,
bulkiness, features and comfort.
The bottom line is, shop around at your local
stores, try them on for the correct fit and
select the pack that's
right for you.
When purchasing a backpack, keep in mind
that some are unisex while others come in
men's and women's models. Unisex backpacks
may have torso adjustments while ones
designed specifically for men have a longer
torso length compared to women's having a
shorter torso length. You can read
in-depth information on measuring for a
backpack at
REI.
Things to consider
in a backpack
- Size, weight and
comfort
- Chest and waist
straps
- Side compression straps
that can be tightened to stabilize the bag's
contents and reduce the size
- Ability to
externally attach your jacket or other
items to the top or bottom of the pack using existing straps
- Daisy Chain attachments
on the front (daisy chains are
webbing loops sewn to the backpack that let
you use straps or clips to attach additional
gear using carabineers or webbing straps)
- Zippered top, front
and side pockets (side zippered pockets can
be nice, but may not be a necessity)
- Access to main bag
compartment from top and front
- Main compartment
zippers that unzip the length of the pack
(provides ease of access for packing and
unpacking)
- External water
bottle storage
- Optional internal
area for hydration system that can also
double as a laptop or document storage area
- Loops for attaching
hiking poles (if carrying on your bag, you
will not be able to bring hiking poles on
board your flight)
- Rip-stop fabric
- Rain cover (may or
may not be
included, but can be purchased separately -
Backpack Essentials)
Below we review several
of the backpacks we have used on our travels
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REI Co-op Trail 40
Pack (2018) |
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Men's
Women's
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Our current pack of choice
These packs are reasonably priced but if
you wait for a sale at REI, you can pick
one up at an additional discount of 30%-40%,
making it an even better deal.
www.REI.com
Men's
- Dimensions
- M: 21.5 x 13 x 10 in.
- L: 22.5
x 13 x 10 .
-
- Weight
- M: 3
lbs.
- L: 3 lbs.
1 oz.
-
- Fits Torso
- M: 17 - 19
in.
- L: 18 - 20
in.
-
- Fits Waist/Hips
- M: 28 - 44
in.
- L: 30 - 46
in.
https://www.rei.com/product/136586/rei-co-op-trail-40-pack
Women's
- Dimensions
- S:
20.25 x 13.125 x 10.5 in.
- M:
21.6 x 13.0 x 10.5 in.
-
- Weight:
- S: 2 lbs.
13 oz.
- M: 2
lbs. 15 oz.
-
- Fits Torso
- S: 16 - 18
in.
- M: 17 -
19 in.
-
- Fits Waist/Hips
- S: 26 -
38 in.
- M: 28 -
40 in.
https://www.rei.com/product/136589/rei-co-op-trail-40-pack-womens
Features
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40 Liter
Capacity
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Contoured foam in the
harness and hip belt
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Spring-steel perimeter frame
provides load support while also allowing the
back panel to conform to your torso
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U-shaped panel opening with
4 zipper sliders offers quick access to gear and
total access when fully open
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Inside the main compartment
is a mesh side pocket and a back pocket with its
own bungee compression system
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Padded, mesh-covered straps,
belt and back are cool and comfortable
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Forward-pull hip belt design
makes adjustments quick and easy
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Side mesh pocket with
elastic closure
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Outer pocket for phone or
sunglasses; sleeve for hydration reservoir
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Top has a zippered pocket on
the underside for your keys and valuables
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Two zippered hip belt
pockets
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Special fasteners on the
back hold trekking-pole tips down low and pole
shafts up high
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Side compression straps
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Included
rain cover
stows in its own zip pocket
The Pros
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Comfortable to wear and looks great
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Lighter weight than some other packs of the same
size
- Should meet airline requirements for
carry on luggage
- Double front zippers
allow the entire pack to be completely
unzipped for ease of packing/unpacking
- The two upper clips
designed for holding hiking poles can be
clipped for the poles or for restricting the
main zippers making the pack essentially a
top loading style pack.
- Ability to strap
down a jacket on the top or bottom of the
pack with existing straps
Some Changes in the new year's model
- Elimination of the small zipped pocked
on one side of the bag
- Replaced the vertical
zipper on the front of the bag for the mesh
compartment with a top opening mesh area
concealed under a flap
- Addition of side compression straps
- Larger volume main storage area while
maintaining approximately the same
dimensions
Conclusion
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Previous Year Model: REI Co-op Trail 40
Pack (2017) |
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This is
the previous model that has
been replaced by the 2018
model. |
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Men's
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Women's
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REI Co-op Ruckpack
40 |
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Features
-
40 Liter
Capacity
- Rugged,
durable ripstop nylon withstands
whatever the road throws your way
- Lightly
padded shoulder straps provide
carrying comfort
- Zippered
back panel cover protects straps
while in transport
- Ventilated
mesh back panel promotes
breathability
- Waist belt
stows away when not in use
- Full-zip
design makes packing and unpacking
easy
- Hidden daisy
chain on the front of the bag lets
you lash gear when you need it, and
conceals when you don't
- Easy-access
side panel keeps travel essentials
convenient and well organized
- Access port
on the left side of the pack
accommodates a hydration reservoir
tube (reservoir not included)
- Sleeve along
back panel can hold a 3L hydration
reservoir or a 15 in. laptop
- Dual bottle
holders keep water handy while
you're hiking
- Included
Rain Cover stows in its own zip
pocket
- Compression
straps and load-lifters keep the
weight of the pack close to your
back for stability
-
Trekking-pole attachments tuck out
of the way when not in use
- Side and top
handles make it easy to grab and go
-
Sternum-strap buckle doubles as a
survival whistle
- Lockable
zippers keep bag contents secure
while traveling
-
Available in
male and female versions
- Dimensions:
24 x 13 x 10
inches
- Weight: 4
lbs. 3 oz.
www.REI.com
https://www.rei.com/product/118815/rei-co-op-ruckpack-40-pack-mens
The Pros
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Feature packed
-
Made from durable ripstop material
-
We liked the zippered back panel covering the
shoulder and waist straps should you have to
check your bag, but it's not something we could
not live without
-
Included rain cover
The Cons
- Not the best looking back (in our
opinion)
- The pack is slightly heavier than other
packs of the same size
- The pack is over padded limiting the
main compartment storage area. In
fact, we tested packing the same clothing in
this pack compared to the REI Trail 40 pack
mentioned above and the Karrimor Trail 35
pack listed below and found there was really
no difference between it and the Karrimor
which is 5 Liters smaller. Compared to
the REI Trail 40, the 40 had much more room
available after packing.
- The rain cover and back panel covers add
additional weight and seemed to contribute to
the lack of space in the main
compartment
Conclusion
- We returned this pack due to
the weight and lack of available
space compared to other packs of
the same volume.
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| Kelty
Redwing 32 Liter Backpack |
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Features
Approximate Weight is less than
2 Lbs
The pack has multiple compartments
including 2 side zipper compartments,
large front zippered compartment for
documents, top zippered compartment,
separate external compartment between front
storage and pack, separate internal
hydration system storage area, 2 external
compartments for water bottles and hiking
pole loops.
Waist and
chest straps.
Approximate Size in
inches: 22 H x 14 W x 11 D
Available in
several attractive color
combinations
www.Kelty.com
The Pros
-
Comfortable to wear and looks great
-
Lightweight weighing only
2 Lbs. when empty
- Meets airline requirements for
carry on luggage
- Gear may be accessed from the
top and the front when fully unzipped
- Soft sided
pack so it easily fits into cramped
overhead compartments where rigid luggage may
not fit
The Cons
- Thin nylon shell is not as durable as
other packs made from heavier rip-stop
material
- Does not come with a rain cover (Backpack
Essentials)
- For longer trips, the 32 Liter capacity
may be a bit cramped, but packing correctly
and conservatively is doable on a 2-week
trip
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Karrimor Trail 35
Liter Backpack |
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For a slightly larger pack,
we recommend something around 35 Liters in size.
This will give you a little more room than the
32L pack described above but also increases the
size and the weight when fully packed. Leaving on your journey and packing
the same essentials as you would with the 32L
pack, you should not have any problems with the
packs weight and size, especially when meeting
airline requirements. If you are not
traveling by air where size and weight are not
an issue, than this pack may be a better option.
Again, packed exactly as the 32L model when
leaving on your trip will give you 3 extra
liters of room for you to bring back items you
may collected on your trip.
This pack is older and no longer available.
We
used this pack on multiple trips up to several week
in length. Even after years of use and
multiple trips, the pack looks great and has
virtually no wear. We have found the
backpacks from Karrimore to be of excellent
quality, durability, reasonably priced and highly recommend
them.
Features
- 35 Liter capacity
- Approximate Weight is 2-3 Lbs
- Superwick channeled back system
allows more airflow between the pack
and your back
The pack has
multiple compartments including 2
large side zipper compartments,
large front mesh compartment and a
large top zippered compartment with
area for storing rain cover
Separate
internal hydration system storage
area
Bottom rings
for attaching hiking poles
Rain cover
included
Chest strap
Rip-stop
fabric
Top bungee
straps for attaching external
clothing
Padded waist
belt with small zippered pockets
Approximate
Size in inches: 25 H x 16 W x 10 D
www.Karrimor.com
The Pros
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Comfortable to wear and looks great
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Large side and top zippered pockets
- Meets airline
requirements for carry on luggage
- Extremely durable
rip-stop material
- Soft sided pack so
it easily fits into cramped overhead
compartments where rigid luggage may not fit
- Easy to strap
clothing such as your jacket to the top or
under the exterior front straps
The Cons
- Slightly heavier than the 32L model
- Gear may only be accessed from the top
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When fully packed, it may be slightly larger
and heavier than some airline size
requirements
- Extremely padded hip belt makes the pack
bulkier but does offer more stability around
the waist area
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