My college-age daughter and I are backpacking for 7 weeks through (mostly) Western Europe. Our biggest problem is bags.
I recently had neck surgery (due to a car accident) and will be wearing a bone growth stimulator... blah blah blah ... So I CANNOT lift or carry much. My daughter is the size of a twig, would like to help but will have enough trouble carrying her things.
Is there a manufacturer who makes convertible backpacks with wheels or something? And sturdy but not too big?
Much thanks!
Thanks so much for the advice. I'll be heading out to an REI today to look over some of the mentioned bags.
Lane
What about a wheeled suitcase???
Rick Steves' 21-inch roll-aboard or something comparable from another manufacturer would be a good choice.
Try Eagle Creek. You can look at their selection online (REI also sells the Eagle Creek line) - they have the Switchback (backpack with wheels) or the Load Warrior (duffel with wheels). Just remember that any suitcase, backpack or duffle that has wheels has a frame inside which typically adds a lot of extra weight.
Ebags has the weekender wheelie.
Hi Lane,
Just remember when you are trying out the rolling bags--which will be handy for your daughter when she wears her backpack and rolls your rolling bag--that the rolling bags can be really heavy when you have to lift them onto the train or onto a rack. Also be sure she puts the bulk of the weight of a backpack on her hips, not on her shoulders. I love both Rick's convertible backpack and roll-along.
Just plan extra time to take a bit longer to get around. Maybe this would be a good year for a rental car rather than the train?
Eagle Creek(expensive) and High Sierra makes wheeled backpacks and some of them have an extra day backpack attached to the mail luggage. You can try finding one on ebay, it's much cheaper there.
If you are truly "backpacking" I think that is a pretty ambitious schedule for you. Rolling luggage around instead of a backpack will not be easy. My opinion would be you need to be in pretty good shape just to walk it, much less pack luggage. I hope you do ok, but you might try to schedule more time in cities or areas and not try to move around a lot. I saw a similar situation like you describe in Italy this summer and the mother had to change the trip up so there would not be as much "traveling". They actually said that they liked it better since they were spending more time in some of the places and getting to "smell the roses". Sounds like maybe you could do the same. We always stay flexible - that way you can do something different if you have to.
Good Luck!!! - Thanks - Bill
Thanks for the suggestions. I've adjusted the schedule quite a bit -- have heard the parks are lovely throughout Europe and plan to lounge and relax in them. And, going through massive amounts of physical therapy in the hope of strengthening as much as possible.
Thanks,
Lane
We always use wheeled bags. They are not that hard to lift up in the train, especially if one person gets on the train first. I think lifting a suitcase on to a train is WAY easier than trying to get on a train with a huge back pack on! There are always people around to help you lift your luggage up on the rack, but we hardly ever put ours on top. We either store it in the space behind out seat if there is one, or on the racks at the end of the car. Use a cable bike lock to secure your bag.
Faced with the thought of either carrying a heavy back pack for a couple of miles or rolling my suitcase, I will go for the wheels any day. There is nothing hard about it.
I'm with Jo. I'd rather pull than carry. If you're tall, they do make handy extenders for the handles. Sometimes the longest walks are in the airports, and they'll roll just fine there. Even a small woman should be able to lift 20-25 lbs over her head or up stairs.
REI is your best bet, as you do not want a regular suitcase with wheels & shoulder straps, but one that transfers the weight to your waist. This will keep the weight from pulling from your shoulders to your neck (as it does with a suitcase pack). This from someone who backpacks with 50 pounds in the Sierra.
Lane, Glad to see your taking mine and Dennis' advice...REI also has sales people who can fit you (or your daughter) properly for a pack based on your height/size.
As far as the post that says Eagle Creek packs are expensive...yes, they aren't cheap. But I did a RTW for a year with one of their packs and that pack saw a lot of miles and it held up great. By the way, during my trip my Eagle Creek pack fell out of an unsecured luggage hold on a bus, hit the road at about 70mph and got clipped by a number of cars before I got it back. It had a few minor scuff marks on the outside, but nothing inside the pack was broken (and I had some glass souvenirs inside at the time). On a long trip when you are moving a lot, it's worth every penny spent to get a well made pack that distributes weight properly, fits your torso and can withstand a lot of abuse. And Eagle Creek has a lifetime warranty on their products.
Thanks all! I emailed my daughter the link to all of the suggestions (she's away at college) and she's already been to REI -- as have I out here in Cali. We're debating but think we each found a decent bag.
Wow! Thanks all for some great suggestions. I have been having difficulties with my current pack,which I have always loved but doesn't fit me quite right any more. I just ordered the Eagle Creek women's fit Thrive...It seems rather huge but I need something that fits my torso. I think I'll be much more comfortable with the Eagle Creek and the ability to give me a perfect fit. Thanks!
