Don't ya just hate it when you go into the store and you see a wall full of backpacks, each one different, and you have no idea what you should be looking for? Hopefully, this section can help you narrow your focus a bit.
First of all, decide whether you want an "internal frame" or "external frame". The external frame packs are the ones with metal bars that you can see and the internal frame packs are the ones that appear to have no bars (but they do, they're just covered!) It's not too hard to tell the difference when you see them. My pack of choice would be one with an internal frame. Granted, I've never used an external frame backpack, but I'd never want to either!! I've heard they jab you enough to hurt after a while.
Packs come in all different shapes and sizes. It's important to consider your needs. If you're travelling in colder climates, you'll want more clothes which means you'll need more room in your pack. If you're a woman, you may tend to have more to carry (bras, hygene products...ahem...etc.), thus you may want something a bit bigger. On the downside, you don't want to be lugging around a huge pack with too much stuff. The bigger your pack, the more you're likely to take and the heavier it'll be. Trust me when I say that generally whatever you need to fit into your pack will fit one way or another!! You'd be surprised just how much you can cram into your pack! By the end of your trip, you will have become an expert packer too!! (Here's a hint: I was able to fit much more into my back by rolling clothing and stuffing it as far down as possible).
Should you get a fat one or a tall skinny one or a wide one? Being short, I had a problem with a lot of the backpacks I tried on--basically, I looked like a dwarf! From the back, I looked like a backpack with arms and legs! You couldn't see the rest of me!! I ended up getting one that was a bit on the wide side, but it had removable side pockets. Be careful with wide packs--I had trouble getting in and out of narrow places like train compartments and aisles.
Tall packs tend to be top loading. This means that instead of having a zipper that undoes around the pack, you've got a hole at the top. Try finding that little item you need at the bottom of the pack when you're in a hurry! I decided that it was too much hassle to get a top loading pack for a trip where I knew I'd be in and out of that pack often. You might want to look for a pack that has an entrance at the bottom too--this can come in handy with any pack when you need to stuff some forgotten item in or to pull out some buried item!
Some packs have removable daybags. It's always smart to bring a small pack for sightseeing needs and how convenient to have it attach to your pack! I considered this option for a while and then found a pack that I liked without this feature. In retrospect, I'm glad! Some people we met used the detachable daybag pack and found they had problems: when their pack was full to capacity, they had a nearly impossible time trying to reattach the daybag because the pack was stretched. Also, if you attach the two, your pack becomes very fat and you may find you have a hard time manoevering.
Pockets are invaluable in a pack! If I were to design my own pack, I'd make a whole bunch of mini pockets on the outside and inside. It's much easier to find what you're looking for in pockets--they're more easily accessable. I had 2 side pockets that detached, which came in handy a few times. I also had a nice big pocket on the front and a smaller pocket just above it. Unfortunately, I didn't have any inside pockets which would have been handy.
So what should you look for in a pack? In my humble opinion ;-) you should look for one that is not top loading, that fits your body size and needs, one that has many pockets--detachable ones are good too. Try the pack on and get the salesperson to put some weight in it. Get the salesperson to show you how to properly adjust the straps (if they don't know, then shop elsewhere!). If it feels uncomfortable, try another pack. Don't just get the first thing you try! Spend a fair amount of money on your pack--after all, you're carrying everything around in it and you wouldn't want your pack to split or hurt your body more than it will normally! (and it WILL after 4 hours of walking around with it!) I spent about $120 cnd on my pack and don't regret it one bit! Once you get it home, try packing it with stuff and walking around the block. If you're dying by the end, you probably either packed too much or it's not the right pack for you. Only you can tell if it's comfortable!
The next important piece of equipment is a sleeping bag. Some people don't mind lugging around a huge sleeping bag on the top of their packs...kudos to them. Personally, my motto was "compact". I looked at several sleeping bags and decided on one that I could use at other times in my life, which is lightweight, and compact. I ended up with a sleeping bag made by Woods (?) which has Thinsulate in it. It's lightweight and fit easily on top of my pack. If I hadn't overpacked, I would have easily been able to fit it in the backpack itself. Despite the fact that it said the sleeping bag would be good up to 0 degrees celcius (32F for you Americans!), I still found myself frozen one cool rainy night in Vienna. I wouldn't get anything less than a bag that supports 0 degrees unless you're going to some very hot place!
Lots of stuff. What I did was to keep a list of things that I would need (besides clothes, of course). Everytime I'd think of something I might need, I wrote it down. Things I didn't think of the first time, came to me at other times and I found this very useful to write them down. Let's just say that I never had to say to myself "Gee, I wish I had brought....". However, you don't want to go overboard either! Below, I'll list what I brought, to the best of my recollection, then I'll tell you what I didn't use and what was indespensible.
Toiletry items: toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, razors, hairbrush, face cloth (I used a J-cloth because it's light weight and it dries quicker.), towels, feminine hygene stuff, roll of toilet paper (without the roll! It's smaller), kleenex, moisturizing cream, Tylenol, nail file, nail clippers, tweezers, sunscreen.
You can decide if you need to bring other stuff such as medication, contact lens stuff, makeup, hair products, etc.
Equipment:backpack, sleeping bag, pillow from airline, pocket knife (with knife, corkscrew, scissors, can opener, keyring...), sewing kit, fish line, electrical tape, first aid kit, plastic shopping bags, ziplock bags, rope, small link chain, combination padlock, mini padlocks w/ keys (for packs), money belt (waist and neck pouches that go under clothes), safety pins, sun glasses, extra lashing straps, water bottle, guide book, documentation (see below), matches/lighter, pens, mini notebook, book to read, deck of cards, walkman and tapes, alarm clock, mini calculator, language phrase books and dictionnaries, camera and extra film (very expensive in Europe!),smaller backpack for daytrips...
clothes: 3 x shorts, 2 x pants, 4 x t-shirts, 1 skirt, 1 vest, 1 sweatshirt, 1 sweater, 2 x socks (I don't wear socks in summer unless absolutely necessary, 1 sleeping outfit (t-shirt and trackpants)), 7 x underwear, 2 bras, 1 bathing suit, 1 lightweight windbreaker, 1 pair of sandals (Tevas), 1 pair of cheap deck shoes, 1 pair of running shoes, baseball cap, rain poncho.
If I brought anything else, I can't think of it for the moment. The most useless things I brought were the rope and chain (I thought I could chain the doors on train compartments so no one would come in!). Other than that, I pretty much used everything. The sewing kit and the first aid kit didn't get much use, but they are important items to carry anyway. The fish line wasn't used, but I'm glad I brought it. I was planning to use it as thread in the event that my backpack split. Regular thread wouldn't hold for long, but fish line would! The electrical tape was used by another girl when her pack split. The combo lock we used all the time for lockers at the hostels and the mini padlocks I used to secure the openings to my pack from would-be theives. Each mini lock came with 2 keys so I gave one set to my travelling partner and kept one set for me. Nothing worse than locking the keys inside your bag!!
The loose roll of toilet paper came in handy once or twice when you find yourself without any in some bathroom in the middle of nowhere. It happens often enough to warrent prevention methods!!
My pocket knife was the item I used most often, I think. It's an indespensible tool. I didn't have an expensive one and it lasted me the whole trip without a problem...I still use it today!
The plastic bags were useful when we shopped at markets or for dirty laundry. Ziplock bags kept everything neat and orderly.
The money belt/pouch was also a must-have item! I couldn't decide which one I wanted to take--the waist pouch or the neck pouch. I decided to bring both in case one got uncomfortable. I also felt safer having my valuables separated in 2 different places. I kept my cash separate from my credit cards, but on me all the time. My eurail pass was easily accessible in the waist pouch. Both are hidden under your clothes and although it may seem like they'd be uncomfortable, you don't really notice them all that much!
Whatever you do, don't go backpacking without some bag for daytripping and sightseeing. If you think you can carry your camera, your guide book, your travel journal, a novel, your sunglasses, your water bottle and a sweater in a little bum-bag, forget about it!! I won't go into details, but Heather didn't have one and this was the source of one of our fights!
First, you'll need a passport. That goes without saying. Then, you should have health coverage. If you are not already covered, you should purchase health insurance. Travel Cuts offers policies for students at reasonable prices. Or, you could always try Blue Cross. In any case, you never know what could happen and you shouldn't leave home without health insurance.
Next, if you're going by Eurail, you'll need your Eurail pass. Students should travel with an ISIC--international student identity card. This entitles you to discounts, often substantial, to a whole range of things throughout the world. Indespensible.
If you plan to stay in hostels, you'll need a Hostelling International card. Not all hostels require them, but many do. In some places, you'll pay more to stay there if you are not a member and at other places, they won't let you stay.
Next, I made copies of all my documents including: passport, birth certificate, all health insurance, airline ticket, airline insurance, travellers check numbers, ISIC card, Hostelling International card, credit card numbers, glasses and medical prescriptions, etc. I gave one set of these to my travelling companion, I left one at home, and kept one for myself. Perhaps all this seems unnecessary now, but a little prevention goes a long way. |
