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June 30, 2008
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Which backpack is suitable for both travel and technical backpacking?
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Palisade 80 Backpack (courtesy, Gregory)
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I'm going to Nepal for an internship this summer and then to South America for
the Peace Corps next winter. I need a backpack that's durable enough for travel
and big enough to hold all of my stuff. But, I would like one that is technical
enough for backpacking trips. Any suggestions?
— Sean
Columbus, Ohio
Do you have a question of your own?
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 There are pretty good “traveling” backpacks out there. But for the kind of
thing you have in mind, my default position is to make a regular backpack double
as a travel pack, rather than asking a travel pack to work as a serious backpack.
The first thing to do is decide on the size. I should think 4,500 to 5,000 cubic
inches would give you the leeway to pack all you need when traveling, without
letting you overload or giving you too much to handle on planes, trains, and
automobiles.
An example:
Gregory’s newly revised
Palisade 80 ($319). It’s just an excellent all-purpose pack, with a hair less
than 5,000 cubic inches of room, a clean design, an excellent suspension, and
lots of tie-down spots. It’s also a very rugged pack—not a “light” design.
So it should take some abuse.
Another example: Osprey’s Aether 70 ($249). It’s smaller than the Gregory
(4,200 cubic inches), which may be a good thing. I love Osprey suspensions, and
it has the toughness to hold up under extended-travel circumstances.
You might also take a look at the Eagle Creek Grand Voyage Travel Pack ($225). It’s a big
(5,600 cubic inches) travel pack that has a pretty good backpack suspension. You
can trim the size by removing a daypack that attaches to the main bag. True
travel packs have some advantages over regular backpacks, such as the ability to
easily stow straps if the airline demands it. Otherwise, a large duffel is handy
for stuffing the pack into when checking it as baggage.
Sounds like you have some great trips lined up, Sean. Send us some pictures!
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