ALICE Backpacks?

[Code Name Mary]

Alice packs are not very excellent. They are known to burst if they hit the ground to hard, so it would not be ideal to take one train hopping... I suggest a messenger bag if you are traveling light and a no frame "pack" if you have more to carry...back support is key because you will be carrying it EVERYWHERE! Good luck

 

[danny boil]

i use a medium sized alice pack with the standard straps, ive been using em for years never had a problem..

i usually just steal some shopping cart straps and sew em too the bottom for my sleeping bag

 

[skunkpit]

im going to build a backpack from 18 gr or heavier gauge hemp canvas shortly

i find hemp doenst crack as easy as petrolum materials

 

[xmattx]

Code Name Mary wrote:

Alice packs are not very excellent. They are known to burst if they hit the ground to hard, so it would not be ideal to take one train hopping... I suggest a messenger bag if you are traveling light and a no frame "pack" if you have more to carry...back support is key because you will be carrying it EVERYWHERE! Good luck

while messenger bags are good because you can pass yourself off as a regular kid, they leave all the weight of your pack on one shoulder.

 

[skunkpit]

Widerstand wrote:

You should try 1000D Cordura

i wanna get the hell away from petroleum
they keep tellin us this and that is amazing
but hemp canvas, waxed and oiled is tough.. really tough

also when i do use money i like fueling hemp and organic food farms

fuck the corporate rimjobs

just my opinion

 

[Matt Derrick]

xmattx wrote:

while messenger bags are good because you can pass yourself off as a regular kid, they leave all the weight of your pack on one shoulder.

yeah i tried traveling with a chrome bag once... it was horrible!

 

[xmattx]

MattPist wrote:
yeah i tried traveling with a chrome bag once... it was horrible![/quote]

tell me about it...i'm still doing it! it's quite possibly the worst decision i've ever made.

 

[Matt Derrick]

xmattx wrote:

tell me about it...i'm still doing it! it's quite possibly the worst decision i've ever made.

yep, that's exactly what i thought to myself the whole time.

 

[bakerdoo]

I have a pretty big hiking pack, sometimes i dont like it because it is so hugs but the good thing is you can sinch it down to a much smaller pack so its like the room is there if you need it. But i would rather have near nothing on me.

 

[Bendixontherails]

amen. my pack is exswiss army canvas style, but is comparable to a medium alice. except that it has metal frame and all leather straps. it's never done me wrong, but damn that creaking leather gets on my nerves.

 

[Cush]

i tend to travel much heavier than anyone else i know but i use a 2500 cubic inch hiking backpack. i don't keep it filled but it's still heavier, and with more stuff than most people i know. but hey, i got the pack a long time ago and i love it to death. why bother getting something new when i love the one i have, right?

 

[Dirty Rig]

Backpacks?

I stole a black Ralph Lauren backpack, and for a name-brand, the little shit's surprisingly durable. Good shoulder straps, and good back cushioning. If you can steal a bag, go for the more expensive shit. It's definitely worth it, and hey, it's free anyway.

 

[kevin!!!!]

Backpacks?

ah i'm glad that i found this cos i was about to post something about backpacks!
if anyone is looking for good lowe alpine packs there is some close outs right now:sierratradingpost

i personally get sick of alice packs after awhile.

 

[snor]

Backpacks?

$15 on ebay got me a rediculously awesome pack. new, waterproof and i can fit my sleeping bag in it. i recommend cruisin ebay for a good week, you can find some really unique packs.

 

[maus]

Backpacks?

my current pack is an external frame hiking pack i got for $1 at a yard sale in tucson. the woman who sold it to me said she traveled around europe with it in the 70s. the straps needed a little creative repair, but other than that it was totally fine. ive also picked two similar packs out of the trash in boston, back in the day. i also see them in thrift stores sometimes. they seem to hold up pretty well and i really like prefer the external frame as far distributing the weight and not killing my back goes.

so yeah go to yard sales and thrift stores and look at trash and stuff... if youre feeling daring, "i have heard" that REI (the outdoor store chain) has pretty lax security, and give store credit for returns without a receipt without looking at your ID.

I MEAN, NOT THAT YOU SHOULD STEAL OR ANYTHING. cough, cough.

 

[MinedQuaranteen]

I've got a large alice pack, because that's all I could find. It's got a frame. It sticks out really fucking far in the back, though, and since the main compartment is so large, the bag kind of sags down. But it's better than my school backpack.

 

[nobo]

i traveled cross country with an alice pack last year and i hated life everytime i put that damn thing on. plus i felt like everytime i arrived in a new city with the alice pack i stuck out like a sore thumb. it just screams, hey im a dirty traveling kid thats up to no good! i think for the same amount of money, even cheaper probably, you could get a nice, more efficient pack. granted you do lose crust points....but i think its an even exchange!

 

[Dameon]

I always tell people to go with small packs. A large pack with lots of room just tempts you to carry more, and every pound counts. Plus, the less that's in your pack, the less bother it is when it gets stolen. Hell, you can carry everything you need in a school backpack, and strap your bedroll to the bottom. 'course, it'd probably fall apart after about 50 miles...

I just have this green swiss pack I got from the military surplus store. It fits everything I need to carry, and a little more (very little more). No waist strap, but when your pack doesn't weigh a whole lot, that's no big deal. Plus, it's small enough and light enough that I can catch on the fly (as long as the car has a ladder) without even taking it off.

 

[Bendixontherails]

I just got in from the St. VDP's where I got a fuckin sweet lightweight Marlboro Hiking Pack, prolly 2000ci (guess) for 2 fuckin bucks! still had the tags on it.
somebody prolly got double lung cancer saving up the miles for this thing and I got it for 2 bucks... sweet as a virgin's honeybutter.

 

[BrokeWhiteBoy]

you could get a nice, more efficient pack. granted you do lose crust points

Awww damn. I guess my new pack is gonna lose me some valuable "crust points". Any way to earn more?

Picking up a Northface Terra 40 from Cabela's here soon for $90. Also gonna look into a new lower temp sleeping-bag that packs easier.