Backpacking Basics Part 2: Picking The Right Backpack

In Part 1 of backpacking basics you found out the basic definition of backpacking and that it revolved around one central item – the backpack. Ironically, the backpack is often the last thing new backpackers think about after making trip plans, booking tickets, and getting ready for their first trip.

Getting the right backpack for your next trip is easy but finding the best backpack for your next 10 trips is much more difficult. Choosing the right backpack is a very personal decision and more of an art than a science. You can find that right pack for you however by taking a look at your travels to come and forgetting about your very next plane ride.

40L, 50L, 65L…Size In Liters

One of the basic categories of backpack size are measured in liters – a rough guide of the volume a backpack can carry. Backpacks ranging from 40-65L are generally a good size to consider if you’re only traveling with one bag. While you’re researching online you should read the specs for any backpack as the actual volume may vary (even if it’s labeled a 50L, it could be bigger, smaller, or not include one of the detachable pockets).

• Most backpacks measured in liters also come in sizes, small, medium, and large. These different sizes are for people of different heights and weights so it’s important to try on a new backpack before buying it. Most generally come with guides that will let you know the right size based on how tall you are.
• Many of the 50L and under backpacks can be stored on planes as carry-on luggage which might save you on airline fees.
• Get a backpack that can hold a small day pack so you don’t have to lug around your main backpack all the time. Some backpacks have detachable (~10L) daypacks you can zip right off.

Your Travel Pattern

Each individual trip you take is one in a lifetime of travels. Begin your quest to find the right backpack by thinking about how you’ve traveled in the last 3 trips you’ve taken (short or long) and the next three you’re planning on or would like to take. Did you pack light or were you always 10 pair of underwear too many? A good way to give yourself a reality check is to ask anyone you traveled with or saw you pack.

• Sizing is important because getting a pack that’s too large or small can end up making your back or shoulders sore after a few hours of walking.

I’ve found that if you’re in doubt between two sizes of backpack, go with the smaller one. You’ll be forced to pack more efficiently – buy a larger backpack and you’ll inevitably fill it up with more stuff (and weight).

Important Things To Keep In Mind When Picking The Right Backpack

• Reliability – Read online reviews, ask your fellow travelers, and hold the backpack you want to buy and take a look at the seams. You don’t want to have to replace your backpack after a few trips or loose a strap in the middle of the Thai jungle.
• Front Loading – Many backpacks are ‘top loading’ meaning you pack them from an opening in the top of the pack. They are generally a bit lighter but you’re better off getting a top and front (or side) loading backpack for easy access.
• Color – I prefer backpacks that can look dirty easily and when brand new don’t sparkle as such. The more ordinary your backpack looks the less likely it will interest a potential thief or hostel opportunist.

Backpack Recommendations

For US residents REI is an excellent resource to try out many of the major backpack brands such as Osprey, Gregory, and Kelty. REI themselves make excellent backpacks and I’m a particular fan of the REI Ridgeline 65L backpack. Some other good backpacks to consider are:

• The Osprey Atmos 50L (not front loading though)
• The Kelty Redwing 3100 Backpack (Have Pack, Will Travel’s review)
• The Gregory Baltoro 70L Backpack or the Gregory Z35 Pack

Nomadic Matt also has good advice on choosing the right backpack with some information about internal frames and padding. Selecting the right backpack for you can take a bit of time so start looking well before your trip so you don’t make a rush decision and end up with something that doesn’t suit you or last.

Selecting the right backpack can be fun and frustrating at the same time but once you find your pack you’ll know it. Tomorrow in Part 3 I’ll introduce you to anothe backpacking basic, the hostel.

[photos by: Canadian Veggie, Eliel, andihefti]

Interview With Cabin Cuddler Creator Jim Levings

Jim Levings is a former pilot who created the Cabin Cuddler travel blanket, which I reviewed earlier this week. Jim is a fascinating fellow who was kind enough to let me ask him a few questions about his product the Cabin Cuddler, how he found out that airplane blankets aren’t washed, and his career as a pilot.

Jim, in your own words, describe the Cabin Cuddler for us.

The Cabin Cuddler is a travel blanket designed to solve the basic problems travelers have with airplane blankets and pillows on flights.

What inspired you to create the Cabin Cuddler?

I created the Cabin Cuddler about 6 years ago and got the inspiration while I was an airline pilot. I was coming back from a four hour flight and just sitting at the back of a plane. I noticed this lady trying to get wrapped up in a blanket then struggling to get up to her carry-on in the overhead bin then sitting and trying to eat a meal . As I watched her go through this process I thought to myself, there has got to be a better travel blanket that can solve the problems she’s going through.

I sketched out on napkin the basic design and gave it to my sister who is a design artist and we came up with the Cabin Cuddler.

Why this particular design?

The original design of the blanket hasn’t changed since we started. We may have made some changes to the packaging and have since included an inflatable pillow and made the tote bag reversible. We wanted to make an all encompassing blanket and pillow combination that would be easy to carry and travel with.

Your website, CabinCuddler.com mentions that airplane blankets are reused many times, spreading germs – are they not washed after each use?

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Cabin Cuddler Review

For the past several months I’ve been advertising the Cabin Cuddler, in my sidebar to the right, designed by former airline pilot Jim Levings. I recently got my hands on one and brought it along with me on two recent flights.

My first flight was domestic (within the United States) and the other an international trip in business class (thanks to some expiring frequent flyer miles).

What Is The Cabin Cuddler?

As shown in the photo to the right, the Cabin Cuddler is a 100% polyester travel blanket that wraps around your body and feet. The Cabin Cuddler comes with a small tote bag and inflatable pillow. The Cabin Cuddler has detailed instructions on folding the blanket back into the tote, but it’s really much easier to simply fold the Cabin Cuddler into quarters. It fits nicely back into its carrying case, even if you don’t follow the directions.

The Domestic Flight – Coach

A fully booked American Airlines flight in coach is a cramped place to say the least – and the first time I unraveled the Cabin Cuddler I was trapped in a tight space and couldn’t maneuver myself or the blanket properly. That lead me to wrap the travel blanket over myself, which although comfortable and warm, wasn’t the suggested position. I’m not sure that this is entirely the fault of the Cabin Cuddler, as you can see below how tight my legroom was, but it did teach me to unfurl the blanket as I walked up the aisle – not just as I arrived at my seat.

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Why TSA Approved Laptop Bags Won’t Fly

Last week the TSA announced that travelers flying with “checkpoint friendly” bags won’t have to remove their laptops to get through security. The plan is meant to make airport security less inconvenient and protect laptops from damage.

The use of checkpoint friendly bags won’t do either, and in fact will cause you more inconvenience if you decide to bring one.

• It Counts As A Carry On - Any checkpoint friendly bags are still regarded by most airlines as carry on luggage. Most airlines limit you to one or will charge you for bringing two.

You could put the laptop bag in your larger carry on, but that defeats the purpose of having a checkpoint friendly bag.

• You Can’t Really Pack Much Else - Checkpoint friendly bags must “have a dedicated section for the laptop that can lay flat on an X-ray belt; no snaps, zippers or buckles can cover the laptop; and there can be nothing in the laptop compartment other than the computer”. You’ll have to bring your charger, USB drives, and books in separate luggage.
• You May Still Be Searched - The TSA will still make you take your laptop out of the bag if it does not present a clear and unobstructed image (i.e. from zippers) of the machine. They may also ask you to remove your laptop to test it for bomb particles.

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Wear Synthetic Fabrics For Faster Drying and Less Packing

Increase your travel efficiency and avoid extra luggage fees by packing mostly synthetic fabrics.

Synthetic fabrics drys at twice the rate of knitted and natural fibers like cotton. Wrap socks and underwear around your hands like gloves (like the picture on the right) in the shower and wash them with hair conditioner. Many synthetics, and silk, are made of protein-like materials and are best cleaned like human hair.

Hang up your wet clothes, preferably by a window, in the evenings giving them enough time to dry by morning.

Check the labels of your garments and dry them based on their primary materials. How Stuff Works has a complete set of directions on cleaning synthetic fibers, here are the highlights for drying.

• Acetate - Avoid direct heat from vents and raditators and never leave in direct sunlight.
• Acrylic -  Squeeze out excess water and place on a heat source, by a window, or a balcony on a warm evening.
• Fiberglass - Drip dry and don’t iron shirts or pants.

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Unclaimed Baggage Center’s Advice To Claim Your Bags

The mega-store Unclaimed Baggage Center, where all of your forever lost bags end up, has some clever insider tips to help you reclaim your luggage before it’s too late.

Ensure that the airlines are able to find you by labeling the outside and inside of your luggage.

Put additional identification inside your bag including a copy of your itinerary. This can help the airlines know whether to send your bags to your travel destination or your home.

Also, no matter what kind of rush you are in never leave the airport without reporting lost luggage.

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Use Your Digital Camera To Snap Lost Luggage

Take a quick picture of your suitcase and bags to decrease the amount of time that it will take to recover your bags, in case they are lost.

Face it: your luggage probably looks just like 90% of the luggage out there. Let me guess: it’s black with a few zippered pockets? Snap a few pictures of the bags your toting around before you leave. If they wind up in Tahiti when you’re headed to Taiwan, it’ll be much easier to show the airline clerk a photo rather than trying to explain how it’s big and black with zippers.

Travel blog Vagabondish also has 12 other clever uses for your digital camera including photographing subway maps, using it as a backup light, and to avoid rental car scams. A digital camera is one of the few small travel essentials that will help you consolidate information and lighten your luggage.

[photo by: iheartlinen via: Family Travel]