Hi guys,
As some of you will be thinking of buying backpacks for this trip, I think I should share some information to make purchasing packs a little easier.
Most of the information can be gathered online on your own, but since I was doing some of my own research for my SEP, I can give a summarised version of a few pointers:
Backpacking: The REAL way to travel
Do you need a backpack: In short, yes. We will be hopping around quite a bit, having a backpack will help minimise the burden of carrying things around. (e.g sling bags or clumsy roller luggage). We all rather not walk around one shoulder lower than the other.
What size backpack should i get: Take note, bigger is NOT always better. We will be leaving for 11 days only, its considered a short trip. The size of the average backpack for these kind of trips i would recommend 40-60L. Thats litres, as in how much space it can take (60dm^3, or 0.06m^3 of internal space) That should be ample for any clothes and stuff that we will need. Do note that it is possible to carry much less.
Do we need another bag: Yes, preferably a small one for your valuables and day to day walking. We will be leaving out backpacks at the hotel most of the time, and walking around with the smaller bag.
What kind of backpack: Here are some pointers that we should take note of when looking for a backpack:
1. If they are larger than 22` by 14` by 9` (56 by 35 by 25 cm), they WILL be checked in on the flight. Standard procedure. Some bags come with a travel case, but these tend to be rare. Most of the "backpacker backpacks" you see will fall into this range. They tend to be rather strappy and have lots of stuff hanging around outside. I've personally never checked in any backpack, but I've seen it done. Some airports have the cling wrap thing to help protect the backpack. But do note that luggage handling is rather rough, might have to watch it.
2. Top loading vs Front loading - Top loading backpacks are like the army backpacks -> as the name implies, we load it up by the top. This is good in that its hard for others to steal stuff at the bottom of the pack, but its also tough for you to retrieve stuff from the bottom. Front loading packs are like your secondary schoolbags style - the bag opens from the front, enabling access to about 2/3rd of the pack when fully opened. This is good for those who pack haphazardly, but also can be easy for thieves to open (even when locked). Oh, and do bring a combination or keylock. It will be useful, to say the least. Make sure you can lock your pack, if you are leaving valuables inside (e.g laptop, if any crazy bugger cant live without the internet.) Personally, i prefer front loading. Useful especially if we are throwing random stuff we buy on the streets and in the market.
3. Hip belt and sternum strap - Jerry was talking about losers who strap these on when they carry their backpacks to school. While I agree that it's rather loserish to do something like that (especially when theres no textbooks or laptop in JC... what weight is there to carry?), the straps DO help a lot when carrying heavy loads over extended periods of time. A properly worn backpack will place 80% of the weight of the pack on the hip belt, and consequently on the hips.
3. Size - Ideally, backpacks should carry at most 30% of the persons weight. Thats right, fatasses can carry more load. (No wonder i always end up carrying the signal set in army. -_-)
4. Brands to see - The market is saturated with many different brands. Most of us are very familiar with big names like Deuter, Arc'teryx, Eagle Creek, etcetera. Bear in mind that for some cases, you may be paying more for the brand than for the bag itself. Look at the bag, not the brand. Some cheap bags may be good enough. Better still, borrow, if you think you're not gonna be doing this kind of backpacking often.
5. MOST IMPORTANTLY - Try the bag, try the weight you think you will be carrying, and if you are NOT comfortable with it, DO NOT BUY. When I bought my Osprey Porter 46, I carried down an old Deuter bag (abt 20L) with my laptop, and 1 semesters worth of math notes for 1 topic. I also carried down my DSLR and my tripod. The Porter 46 (thats for 46L) managed to carry everything with ease, only needing me to disassemble my tripod head to fit the tripod legs into the backpack. And theres space to spare. I carried the bag around the shop awhile, checking how the shoulder straps fit and if the weight distribution was even. While it was slightly awkward, my main aim wasn't for comfort - It was to maximise my carry on luggage capacity. For the rest of you all, comfort should be the overall goal - Nobody wants to lug around a backpack and complain about it for the next 11 days (We don't want to hear you complaining about it either).
Thats about it for the backpack tips. General sources are as below:
Personal Experience and knowledge (What, you wanna fight about it?)
Packing Tips: Coming Soon!
As shown above. I carried the backpack onto the plane, sling bag checked in. Its not that big. Jerry suggested we consolidate and check in a few bags, instead of everyone checking in individually. Also possible, if you all don't mind. Of course, I did my laundry a couple of times in Bangkok, which we may or may not be able to do in Vietnam. I think it's possible to do, but of course if all else fails, go buy new cheap clothes when we are there. Although i wouldn't, personally. I carried the backpack when walking around most of the time. The toploading style did irritate me to no end, actually. Oh by the way the sling bag was $23 when i got it in JC2, and it has lasted me quite a while since then. Worth taking a look at.