This backpack ok for a 3 months trip?

I personally don't like the wheeled backpacks. Mainly because of the added weight of the wheels and structure they need and the fact that I would never see myself pulling one around. You are so much more mobile with it on your back that it just never made sense to me or my wife.

We used internal frame hiking packs that had lots of pockets and places to put things. We carried EVERYTHING in these and a day pack that we used for daily activity.

Mine is a local Canadian brand that had an awesome side entry system:

MEC Ibex 65

Wife's was a little more money for the size, but was lighter :

Arc'teryx Bora 35

My husband and I each carried one of these for 3 weeks in Italy and we loved them!:

http://www.ebags.com/ebags/weekender_convertible/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=15026

We also bought a few sets of the packing cubes and they were wonderful!

When you get down to it, the Rick Steves convertible (no wheels) looks darn good for the price and the weight (3 pounds or 1.36kg). When you are restricted to 13 pounds total for your carry-on bag, the lighter the bag the better. I am even looking at smaller bags that weigh in around 1 to 2 pounds because of the weight restriction on Aer Lingus.

Alex,I'm a fan of Osprey packs. They are exceptionally well-made of quality materials and get consistently top reviews from BACKAPACKER magazine and OUTSIDE magazine. One that would fit your needs is the Porter 46. It's a 46 liter/2800 cu in convertible pack that costs $99. It does not come with a detachable daypack, but an accessory pack--the Daylight--can easily be added.
The MEI Voyageur pack, which has been mentioned, is something of a cult pack now made in Canada and with a very good reputation. Its design hasn't changed in ages, so it is a tested and true design. It does not come with a detachable day pack nor is an accessory one available. Cost is a little above your $125 at $139. Unless you find a fantastic sale, it's unlikely you will find a convertible pack with detachable daypack for $125.

Although I have a wheeled convertible backpack, I'm not a big fan of them. Their infrastructure takes up space in the pack, so volume is less than stated. It also adds considerable weight. Anything above 7 pounds is considered a rather heavy pack, so 8.5 pounds is not just "a bit heavy," it's exceedingly heavy! The Osprey 46, for example, weighs in at 3 pounds. That's a good weight to shoot for. Keep in mind that carry-on size is limited to 45 linear inches (HxWxD).

Dwayne, I think you mean H+W+D

A lot depends on your height and build. You may want to go to an outdoor store with lots of packs in stock, and try on different sizes and styles to see which is more comfortable before you buy.

Alex,
I went to Ireland last month and used the Outdoor Products Essential Carry-on from Campmor. It only costs $30 and weighs less than 2 lb. It worked great as a carry-on and I checked it on the way home, without any damage. I like the options of a handle, a shoulder strap and backpack straps although I didn't use the shoulder strap very much. Good luck and happy travels.

hello all,
thanks for your much appreciated opinions and suggestions..

lots to take in and I agree that it would be a best thing to see and try the bag on.. but I went to a few outdoor stores in my town and didn't really find anything that caught my eye... but here goes a few comments..

Norm, I am a 39yo, 5'11.. 180 lbs guy.. sort of in good shape I guess.. I do not intend to be sightseeing all day with my bag on my back.. nor do I intend on doing two or three cities in the same day.. or jump from a place to another everyday during my trip.. but I do want a bag that's practical.. and comfortable on my back..

for starters.. you guys have convinced me.. no wheels.. and no to a heavy bag.. so the search goes on..

Dwayne, I saw that Porter 46 bag at REI.. but wasn't very convinced by it.. didn't quite feel it was the bag for this trip.. I guess it looked small.

I sort of like that MEI Voyageur pack though.. it looks like a good bag.. it sort of looks like the Outdoor Products Essential Carry-on from Campmor that Larry suggested though.. and the later one goes for half of the weight and a third of the price!

Larry, I can't seem to be able to find reviews or pics of that bag.. are the shoulder straps comfortable? good use of the interior room? any compartments??

it seems the MEI bag is hard to get.. I like that it has good padding and waist belt.. other than that it looks really similar to the Outdoor Essential one..

my husband has the osprey porter and loved it. I use eagle creek, and I am very satisfied with it. Cant remember the name of it (explorer lt?), but it fullfills all the carryone restrictions and has a great removable day pack.

humm.. the more I look at the Porter the more interesting it seems.. not sure the 46 or the 65 one though.. however, the MEI and Outdoor Essential ones are much lighter still.. geeezz.. so hard to make a decision..

you see, I've never done a backpack trip before so I am not sure what I should look for in a bag.. all the suggestions here are great and it's a difficult decision to make..

Alex,
When I travel I just carry my pack for short distances, less than a mile usually. I use a Civita day pack for rain gear, camera, journal and snacks. If you're going to be hiking a lot, get a real hiking backpack, with a good waist belt, and fitting at an outdoor store. Take your time deciding what you need/want since it'll be your home for however long your trips are. Good luck.

It's nice having a pack that the straps can be tucked away easier in case you have to check the bag. It is also nice if it has a good confortable waist belt. I liked the porter as it has stiffer sides which was great for transporting back bottles! THe plus of the eagle creek was the detachable day bag and it came with a very packable duffle bag that was great for bringing back souveniers.

I'm a big fan of the attached daypacks, especially now that we're traveling with kids. The more we can compact stuff together, the better. We've got 2 Jansport backpacks with internal frames and detachable daypacks that we've had for about 15 years now.

Here is a link to the pack Larry mentioned: http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___60793

Unfortunately, there is only the one photo and it doesn't show a whole lot about the bag. However, it is very hard to beat either the price OR the weight. I am going to order one and see how it does for my trip to Ireland in September.

Alex - I used the Campmor Essential Carry-on(along with 3 packing cubes) on a 19 day trip to Paris, Scotland, & London. The bag worked fine. When I did use it as a backpack, the shoulder straps were ok. Granted I did walk 5 miles in backpack mode, I normally just wore it from the train station or metro stop to where I was staying. This was normally a 15-20 minute walk.

humm.. thanks for all the inputs..
indeed I am not a hiker.. nor am I planning on drag a backpack through the places I'll be visiting.. I guess it will mainly be from the train station to hotels and most likely wondering around trying to find my way.. hehe

I do know I don't care for the 'bag' kind of packs.. and I rather want a panel access.. with a hidden storage for the straps..

ideally, I'd like one with a detachable day pack.. just because I think it would be less awkward trying to carry two bags.. I'll definitely need a daypack with me on the plane.. snacks.. reading material.. some gear.. etc.. and while I do have a daypack, I just think it would be more functional if I got a combo..

Kate, I think I like that Eagle Creek Explorer LT bag you suggested.. it weights over 4 lbs though and you guys sort of convinced me that I don't want a heavy bag.. hehe..

Larry's bag (Outdoor Essential Carryon) looks fine.. very simple.. but you can't beat the price and the weight.. I wish I could see what it looks like though.. since I can't find any other pictures on the net

I have seen pics of the Outdoor Products bag sold by Campmor on the ourdoor Produts website. I have the bag, and the dimensions are 21x13x7 for the main,including a mesh zip pocket on the front of the main compartment, and a 15x9x2 compartment on front w/org pockets, pen slots,key holder, etc. Very floppy bag, need cubes, even w/the tie down straps.

hi my friends..
thought I'd give you an update..

after reading and re-reading this thread many times.. and digesting all the precious information you guys gave me I decided to go with the OSPREY PORTER 46.. mainly because I was able to find a store that carried the series and was able to try it on and have a feeling what it's like.. they only had the 65 one though.. so I've bought the smaller one on Amazon..

I am super excited.. one less thing on my to do list!!!
thank you guys!!!!!!!!

thirteen days to go!!

Administrators: This subject comes up so often, wouldn't it make sense for it to have its own category either here or in the Planning and Packing?