"Yuppie Packs"

[Charlie]

I travel with a little dakine heli pack. I'm about to make some alterations so that it can hold a sleeping bag and tarp somewhere other than the skateboard pocket (sleeping gear doesn't fit there easy). I can strap misc stuff on there, uke, skateboard, towel, sleep gear, water jug, bliss, sandals or shoes, and still fit a little bit of stuff inside the pack like warm layers, hat, socks, swimtrunks, hygene stuff, a couple cheapo rain panchos, phone, ipod, and chargers. and put it in a garbage bag when it starts to rain. I usually get a lot of reactions from other travelers of how small my pack is and it looks like i'm ready to have fun (oh yes I am)

I've gone to places with many shiny treasures. I went to Washington Nationals with a shiny red acoustic guitar in a gig bag, a folding bicycle, and a big orange "yuppy" pack that I bought for like $70 at a hardware store. Nobody looked twice at me except the "wtf are you doing?" looks I got plenty of. I got a lot more attention from tourists thinking "neato, I think I might try that." and taking pictures of me. Another traveler who had a few complimenting objects (longboard, big blue "yuppy" pack, and a dog. I could pedel along, my pack bungeed onto the back tire rack, he would grab a hold of that and hookybob and we would get across town in a flash.) told me I should keep my stuff close to me at night so nobody would jack it. I figured I just needed to sleep out of site, which I was always good at that.

My stuff has never made me a target, except my money, I spend it all on booze, gas or tobacco faster than I can count it. Luckily that's changed, now money is only useful for food or bus fare, and i'm good enough at finding free food and hitchhiking so money's optional.

 

[Ayurveda78]

You know after carrying a variety of packs over the years, most recently , even though a little heavier, my alice pack I think I have been most happy with construction and durability. I put some time in with it and it is in pretty good shape

 

[6bummin6it6]

The whole "punk points" deal is ridiculous. go with whatever works for you, and if you ride solo most the time, and generally don't run into people, who gives a rats ass?!?! If you're worried about it being stolen for its new and fancy appearance, take some sand paper or a knife or whatever and scuff up the edges, tie some random strings and bandanas on it, throw it in the mud and stomp on it a lil bit, hell, let moss grow on the thing, nobody will come within miles of your pack, you will be known as the hobo with the gnarliest, most disgusting, most grotesque pack in existence

Me personally, just for financial purposes, I just have a cheap pack i got at a thrift store actually, its way huge, made by a company called camp trails i think, i paid $8 for it, and i love this thing, i can LIVE in the pack, sleeping bag, tarp, blanket, extra socks, jacket, a few cans of soup and various other food items, external frame, lots of extra pockets and such similar niftyness. and best of all, im not afraid to throw it around and break it, it was less than $10 and i'm fairly confident i could find a similar deal somewhere, thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets, retired hobo's.

ultimately the decision is up to you, not the general public.

 

[Bizarre Odor]

Like many here, I've been rolling with a Medium alice that until recently I started modding out. The torso length of the factory straps is fine for my height, so all I have done is swap the Alice kidney pad out for the molle II one and I purchased a molle sleep system bag for it also. Haven't really put this to the test yet, but I used a whole can of Filson's finish wax on the exterior of my pack to waterproof..see how that does next time I'm in the northwest I guess.

I really like having a streamline pack without much weight. I never understood trying to find a cutty spot to drop your pack while you walk around a town in the day because your shit is too ridiculous to deal with when you aren't on the road.