Backpack for travelling?

adp192 on 04/06/2014 - 18:42

Hey guys,

Trying to find a backpack for my dad's birthday in anticipation for a holiday in Europe - will mostly be going to large cities and hiking is not part of the holiday plan.

Looking mostly for lightness and comfort - he won't be bringing much around I don't think so size and no. of compartments is not really an issue.

http://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/au/the-north-face-borealis-ru…

This has been posted before and reached the front page a couple of months ago, and was wondering if there are any bags similar to this at a cheaper price?

Cheers.

Find Me A Bargain

Comments

  • Breadman on 04/06/2014 - 19:12

    I would go for North Face Recon. Hands down one of the best bags I have ever owned :)

  • NancyCat on 04/06/2014 - 19:14

    Check out http://www.leisuregear.com.au we've bought bags from them a coupe of times, good price, free, quick delivery. Lots of brands/style to choose from.
    e.g. http://www.leisuregear.com.au/blackwolf/6854-blackwolf-fury-… or this one http://www.leisuregear.com.au/caribee/4016-caribee-time-trav… (both less than $80)
    I've always find the North Face brand is over-priced.

  • Davo1111 on 04/06/2014 - 19:14
    +1

    Is he taking only carry on only? or both? Is this just for daytrips? osprey porter is highly regarded as the best value "carry on only" luggage.

  • nuno on 04/06/2014 - 19:18

    id look for a bag thats has internal wire mesh to prevent the contents emptying out when being slashed. Also find a motion alarm that you can attach.

    • HAL on 04/06/2014 - 19:30
      +2

      I spent 6 month backpacking SE Asia… IMHO wire mesh bags add a lot of unwanted weight and really aren't necessary, and they add an additional premium.

      Being smart about how you travel and looking after your gear is a better strategy.

      I found travel gear cheaper in Europe, is buying a bag over there an option? I found http://www.decathlon.com/ and http://www.lillywhites.com/ in London quite cheap.

      • nuno on 04/06/2014 - 19:35

        175 grams is a lot of weight. A quater bottle of water weighs more. A Friend of mine had her backpack slashed twice while on the underground and another time on a crowded bus in Rome. She then started wearing it across her chest cause she paranoid. Each to their own.

        • HAL on 04/06/2014 - 19:51

          Interesting I lived in London for 1 year and travelled in Europe, never had any issues.

          Rome is quite notorious,but again being a smart traveller is the best strategy… wearing your backpack across your chest is an good idea (in dodgy situations).

          But if you look at the bags most people travel with… most never have any issues, you friend unfortunately was extremely unlucky.

          The more protection you put on your bag, the more it looks like you have expensive gear.

          I guess weight is relative, I travel/hike with a lightweight mindset. My girlfriend was a huge fan of pacsafe mesh lined gear, after a few trips she realised they are overpriced, heavy(from our perspective) and the mesh lining sometimes makes them unwieldy.

        • altomic on 04/06/2014 - 19:57

          I had some russian kids try to slash my day pack in Shanghai. felt a light push on my back and turned around and saw 2 who were right behind me immediately turn around. no damage to my bag. on a crowded street so a bit brash of them.

        • HAL on 04/06/2014 - 20:03

          Russian Kids in Shanghai?!? Lol

          Where do they come from? Very strange place for them to be…

        • sparkles on 04/06/2014 - 20:08

          Having had my wallet pinched unawares from my backpack while overseas (zero out of ten not recommended) the only way to go is a cross body bag. The mesh lined ones are called Pacsafe.

        • HAL on 04/06/2014 - 20:19

          A money belt is a cheaper and easier alternative.

          I don't travel with a wallet only small amounts of cash in my pocket and all the important stuff in the money belt.

        • Davo1111 on 04/06/2014 - 20:26

          Interesting. I did a long contiki (the bus/tour group is very distinctive, so we're prime targets for thieves). Only one person got pickpocketed (she had he wallet in her back pocket on a crowded train). Nothing else got stolen/slashed the entire time.

          I prefer a leg wallet, but money belts work well too

  • nephilim on 04/06/2014 - 19:26
    +5

    Nothing says mug me I am a dumb American tourist like the North Face logo :)

    • altomic on 04/06/2014 - 19:57

      in europe I spoke to many americans with canadian flags on their backpacks.

    • Davo1111 on 04/06/2014 - 20:28

      tbh you probably stand out as a tourist anyway - i know i do/did. The trick is to not have valuables easily accessible.

  • aoeueoa on 04/06/2014 - 21:54

    OP the bag you linked is huge if its intended as a daily. 30L is huge and unnecessary for daily essentials unless you're carrying huge cameras also. Bigger = heavier = not comfortable. Even if you fill a 15L bag with miscellaneous things it gets pretty heavy after a full day.

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