Question large Dutch 'lowe alpine sting' rucksack safe to take in public?

[waywardvagabond]

I live in the USA. I recently came into possession of this dutch military surplus backpack (pictures attached). Its comfortable, not too long on my body, room for my gear, etc. The only downside is that it is not discreet at all because its so large and it looks very 'military'. Ive been camping and backpacking for a while but Im new to hobo-ing. I will mostly be using it in the woods but for the few times that i am in public, using public transportation, getting food, doing laundry, etc. I'm worried that it will attract a lot of unwanted attention. I would prefer to blend in, but i know its not possible if I'm using this pack. (i can take the side pockets off to make it smaller at the very least) is it a big deal if it does attract attention? I don't care if people give me weird looks (i'm also a teenager which makes it easier to get away with sticking out a little bit) I think if my goal is to dumpsterdive or do anything less legal i will stash it somewhere, and i usually don’t t camp too close to civilization. Im also not traveling cross-country Im staying in my state for now. My biggest worry is that the military style gear could make possible interactions with police more dangerous. Is there any way that i could avoid having attention drawn to me without having to get rid of the rucksack? is it even safe to bring this in public?

 

[ali]

Military-style gear is somewhat fashionable in many parts of the US, it might make you look like a veteran or a hunter, both of which are generally looked upon positively by law enforcement. You might even be better off with a military pack than a black one! But really the big thing is having a pack at all. Because the US doesn't have as strong of a backpacking culture as some other countries do, it's unusual to see people walking around with a large pack. In small towns law enforcement will absolutely notice you and they will sometimes follow you around, which is extremely annoying, not to mention xenophobic. I'm not sure if there is any way around this, it just comes with the territory. Personally i don't think the color of the pack makes enough of a difference to worry about.

Recently i traveled with a small (~35L) backpack and a similar-sized duffel. That felt more "stealthy" than a full-size pack because it looks more like the kind of gear "normal" people might carry to a sports game or when hauling equipment after overnighting near a work site. Same way people walking around with a suitcase doesn't look sketchy - it just looks like they're back from vacation or whatever. But... without a doubt it was much harder to walk long distances and run/jump/etc over obstacles, so end of the day the convenience and comfort of a full-size backpack is probably worth the conspicuousness.

 

[Raleslicr]

Military-style gear is somewhat fashionable in many parts of the US, it might make you look like a veteran or a hunter, both of which are generally looked upon positively by law enforcement. You might even be better off with a military pack than a black one! But really the big thing is having a pack at all. Because the US doesn't have as strong of a backpacking culture as some other countries do, it's unusual to see people walking around with a large pack. In small towns law enforcement will absolutely notice you and they will sometimes follow you around, which is extremely annoying, not to mention xenophobic. I'm not sure if there is any way around this, it just comes with the territory. Personally i don't think the color of the pack makes enough of a difference to worry about.

Recently i traveled with a small (~35L) backpack and a similar-sized duffel. That felt more "stealthy" than a full-size pack because it looks more like the kind of gear "normal" people might carry to a sports game or when hauling equipment after overnighting near a work site. Same way people walking around with a suitcase doesn't look sketchy - it just looks like they're back from vacation or whatever. But... without a doubt it was much harder to walk long distances and run/jump/etc over obstacles, so end of the day the convenience and comfort of a full-size backpack is probably worth the conspicuousness.

I just switched over to a small backpack and duffle as well. I put my camp gear into the duffle and carry food and water in the backpack. Its useful when hitchhiking because you can keep everything in the seat with you. I used to use a 60l hiking pack and frankly that was just a hassle. The duffle and backpack is bomb as fuck. Even having to walk miles with the 2 isnt bad. I am all for this setup.