Greatest backpack ever made?

[frigginwhatever]

Hello folks, I decided to venture out of the intro thread I made and share this, as I would like to know some experienced travelers thoughts. I've been considering life on the road more and more, and I know one of the first things I need to do is make sure I'm prepared with the right gear. I came across this backpack and it's pretty mindblowing. Very pricey but I would be willing to spend the little money I have on it if it's worth the investment. I'm also curious if anyone out there uses a small 25L backpack and does fine traveling extremely minimal. Would most of you say it's smarter to have 40-45L? Thank you in advance.

 

[Maki40]

Ive never heard of that brand so id be suspicious. Why not just get an Osprey? Theyre proven to be durable and lightweight. Ive beat mine all to hell for years and it still functions perfectly and its cheaper than the one you posted. The one you posted seems very gimmicky when alo you need is something thatll carry youre stuff. Im about to ditch my Osprey and get a little $10 pack mostly cause its summer and i dont need a large pack anymore. Plus, id rather not look like i have a lot of valuables for the theives and meth addicts to steal. But, its your money do what you want. If your like me, youre really only going to learn through your own mistakes. Gear is not nearly as important as knowledge and experience.

 

[SaltyCrew]

To answer your size question predicament; a regular Jansport is 34L to give you an idea for size. Only you know how big of pack you'll need. I agree with @Maki40 that this particular bag you posted seems a little "over engineered" by a company I've never heard of. I've been rocking an old model CamelBak rim runner (22-25L?) for years now and the only damage is where a mouse chewed a hole in one of the elastic water bottle pouches. I like the CamelBaks for the obvious reason of the built in water/hydration system. Other company's have similar hydration systems also. I think Osprey has some kind of lifetime warranty, which is pretty sweet.

 

[warlo]

Dude holding that suitcase on video doesnt seem to be anywhere near living on the road to tell you and me whats best in such case and that suitcase doesn't seem like a backpack I would bring around unless i wanted to get robbed quickly.

but to be honest, that preview prevented me from even playing the video so what do i know.

 

[WyldLyfe]

I

Above is the one I got at the moment, it's pretty good. It's alright

 

[Deleted member 125]

I would say that gear especially packs depends largely on what kinda travel yer going to be doing. My pack is 45 liter and I've had larger but over time have learned what kinda pack fits my body comfortably. Buying a pack online without kinda having a good idea what yer looking for might not be the best idea. Kinda like buying pants online from a brand or company your never worn. That being said that pack looks pretty shitty and it is not designed for the kinda travel most of this site's users do.

 

[frigginwhatever]

Thank you all for the replies. Regarding the backpack in the vid, I read a ton of reviews and there were quite a few travelers who have used ospreys, kelty’s, etc and said that $300 pack beats them all in terms of quality and endurance. However, I decided against it. That’s just so much money.

I ordered a 25L backpack for now, it’s good quality and only ran me $75. I have a feeling it may be a little too small for traveling homeless long term, but then again maybe that’s a good thing. Teaching me to only pack minimal with the bare essentials.

 

[Deleted member 125]

Thank you all for the replies. Regarding the backpack in the vid, I read a ton of reviews and there were quite a few travelers who have used ospreys, kelty’s, etc and said that $300 pack beats them all in terms of quality and endurance. However, I decided against it. That’s just so much money.

I ordered a 25L backpack for now, it’s good quality and only ran me $75. I have a feeling it may be a little too small for traveling homeless long term, but then again maybe that’s a good thing. Teaching me to only pack minimal with the bare essentials.

25l is barely gonna fit a sleeping bag and a small tarp/one person tent inside. Unless you wanna strap not only yer entire sleep system, but also any other gear to the outside of yer pack I would strongly recommend a larger pack if you plan on traveling long term with not a lot of money.

 

[WyldLyfe]

The bag I showed you the picture of was not $300 bucks that I know, even though I got it for free, I also use a automobile for my travels, at the moment, park is someplace an leave it, but that is like a back pack also, a big one made of steel.

Iv read some on here don't like to do this, cause they feel the car is a burden or annoying, or worry about there stuff getting stolen.. its been helpful for me.. one car I had in the past was a four wheel drive, got stolen though.. like the whole vehicle, I walked out of the shop saw it slowly moving back n forth, then it drove off.. but thats because a set of keys were jammed in the ignition and I couldn't get em out. I was notified that the car was in a crash two weeks later went to see it was complete destroyed and had all kinds of things in it from bolt cutters to dirty clothes, for some reason the guy had sawn a bit of the steering wheel in half too.

Ps: ospreys bags look pritty good.

 

[Redfoxes]

Osprey is pretty good, the one I have is all smooth on the back/overtop of it so it makes me feel a little more secure about belongings, but it isn't as convenient to get into as other backpacks with pockets all over the outside. Very durable though, it's made it up and down mountains and has seen some beatings.

 

[Big Sister]

As a freegan and one who tries to not encourage the grinding down of our habitat into products with money use, the best backpack ever made is the one which was handed down to me by someone no longer using theirs.

It happens to be a small Burton snowboarding backpack, so it has strong straps on the back for holding my sleeping bag, and a laptop pouch inside. I don't carry much in it, just the important stuff I'd rather not part with.

I also often have an auxilliary bag, usually wheeled, which has all the other crap, nice to haves which I won't cry over losing, and can leave/stash as needed.

All of the backpacks shown in thread, if paid for, result in more habitat/lives lost for humans and other animals alike.

 

[scutellaria]

i have an rei pack right now (traverse 65) thats alright. theres some stuff i dont really care for about it - its kinda too....complicated. wayyyyy too many straps and buckles and all kindsa crazy shit i honestly get kinda confused sometimes when i think about packing up quick or accessing soecific parts of the bag. however it had some features i really value: a side zipper so i can access the inside of my pack not just from top down (except its not super water proof so usually my shits in a contractor bag and this is kinda uesless), big hunky shoulder straps, bottom load lifter/compression straps, and several oujtside pockets. its also not super durable whic sucks and i do not need a 65 liter bag but i got it for free 99 so itll do for a while.

the best bags imo are backpacks made for messengers. simple, usually customizable/made to order if you buy new, made to be able to easily access, tough as shit and waterproof as fuck.

also my buddy has one of those citypaks. i fuckin want one of those, honestly. its basically a messenger bag but has some more features/pockets i wouldnt want for working but definitely like for travelling.

also, like other folks said, what you want in a bag def depends on your gear set up and how you travel. messenger bags are great for riding trains but not what id want in the backcountry, or maybe even if i walked a lot

 

[Maxnomad]

I'm looking at an osprey on craigslist for 40 bucks rn. You can find barely used stuff off yuppies in some places, ski towns an rich cities. Sometimes people'll ship

 

[WyldLyfe]

Ay currently on ebay I found one Osprey bag for $60.Au bucks and one for $44.Au An wtf!! theres one for $714.Au 😐

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Osprey-...m3b337555ab:g:jBQAAOSwNONc6lxL&frcectupt=true

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/osprey-...050742?hash=item23bfa3fcf6:g:Tv8AAOSwVuxdDorw

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Never-u...844172?hash=item2ace01b28c:g:Bh0AAOSwGhFcesz8

 

[roguetrader]

@frigginwhatever - I think @Maki40 has given you a very useful mantra / tip at the end of his post - "gear is not nearly as important as knowledge and experience" - personally I'd spend as little as possible on a basic set up and just get out there and fucking do it - too much fancy kit will only attract attention from thieves....

 

[Deleted member 26275]

Reviving this thread to share my thoughts on the best travel backpack I've found, yet. I've had the Osprey Atmos AG 65 (very good, but toploading only), and several other good packs, but the Fjallraven Kajka 65 is a cut above. Panel loading option, and top lid converting to waist pack are the game changers for me, here. I got the black one for stealth at night. Not only can you adjust the shoulder strap harness height, but you can also adjust the width! Very comfortable pack. Its not cheap but my motto has always been "BUY ONCE, CRY ONCE"

 

[sheepflip]

Another 👍 to Osprey. I bought a discounted Talon 44 floor model in 2015 and after many miles and much use, it is still going strong. Lifetime warranty too.

 

[Deleted member 23824]

I just gifted this past week a Kajka 65 to a train-hopper friend. The Fjallraven had been recommended to me by another train-hopping friend, but he’d never actually owned one.

I will tell you, they are built military tough, but that pack weighed 3200 grams - that is just over 7 lbs., way too heavy. For comparison, the Granite Gear Crown VC 60 I used most recently was 2.2 lbs. . I only catch out 3-4 times a year, so a used UL pack is, for me ,the best thing, it will hold up well enough for what I want it to do, even if I replace it every year

 

[Deleted member 26275]

I just gifted this past week a Kajka 65 to a train-hopper friend. The Fjallraven had been recommended to me by another train-hopping friend, but he’d never actually owned one.

I will tell you, they are built military tough, but that pack weighed 3200 grams - that is just over 7 lbs., way too heavy. For comparison, the Granite Gear Crown VC 60 I used most recently was 2.2 lbs. . I only catch out 3-4 times a year, so a used UL pack is, for me ,the best thing, it will hold up well enough for what I want it to do, even if I replace it every year

Yeah the weight thing is a tradeoff for sure... Love that Granite Gear, as well, and the Osprey Atmos AG 65 that I had, too.

 

[Baron Fertz]

If your looking for a simple backpack without all the bells and whistles, I would go for a Granite gear. Been using one for the past year. Its relativity cheap and its held up well. Compared to most Osprey bags with the same capacity, the Granite Gear is much cheaper. But Osprey probably has the most comfortable packs on the market so I believe you do get what you pay for. BL