Yaatri

My Kelty external frame (hiking multi day backpack) and its rain cover was severely damaged by the airline. It was only the second time of putting it in use. I am planning to replace it. I like the compactness of internal frame backpacks and was thinking of getting one of highest capacity (110 L). I am not sure what the capacity of my current backpack is. Any thoughts about internal vs external. I have read online advice. I am looking for advice based on your live experiences with either kind of backpack. I would prefer one that has a detachable daybag.

Here is what I plan to pack in it.

Two/three pairs of shorts
5 pairs of underwear
5 pairs of socks
one pair of jeans
5 teashirts
2 shirts
bathing shorts
1 water proof light jacket
small umbrella
Flip flops
couple of trash bags for dirty clothes
Towel
baby wipes and dispenser
Toliet paper roll
Toiletry: toothpaste,toothbrush, deodorant, cologne, hair gel, vitamin A&D ointement tube and antifungal cream, qtips, blister packs of motrin and tylenol (2 each)
Exercise band.
My CPAP bag which contains the CPAP, the hose, mask, a netbook, power cords and a mouse.
Chargers for the camera, mobile phones, PDA, 2 universal travel adapters, 3 plug adapters
A couple of books, maps.
On rare occasions, I might take a light sleeping bag and a mat.
Cheap backpack to be used as extra luggage in case I bring things back.
Should have multiple pockets including one for water bottle or some other hydration mechanism. The backpack should have some room to spare if I wanted to buy some souveniers/chocolate/liqour


I am also looking for something equivalent of a camera bag or similar that I would use for the following items.
Currency and traveller's checks
2Passports
Passport size photographs
2 mobile phones and an extra battery
1 PDA (Palm T|X)
Digital camera
Blood sugar monitor
1 pocket size notepad
2 writing pens
some gum or breath freshner
1 Lantus pen with an extra needle
1 Byetta pen with an extra needle and a blank
Some hard candy or glucose tablets for hypoglyceimia
My wallet
a USB flash drive.
1 weeks's supply of medicines AM and PM, about 4-5 small pills per dose
A travel book.
Small flashlight
Lose change.
Should have multiple pockets
Sweeter pellet dispenser
A pair of glasses.
I have been using a day bag in which I put my camera bag with all of the stuff above, minus the travel book) and the travel book in a daybag/backpack. It's annoying to have tot take it off my bag frequently. I would like one piece of luggage, not too bulky, that I can lug around my shoulder.



.

Yaatri

is there no one who doesn't use a backpack as there luggage? It's handy sometimes when your itinerary involves a lot of walking on surfaces where luggage with wheels cannot be used. I just finished a trip in which I used a taxi as little as possible, when there were no options. My order of preference for getting around at my destination was walking, local public transport, taxi/tuk-tuk/motto.
I walked from the bus station to the hotel, which would not have been possible with luggage with wheels.
Will it gt a better response in Budget Travel forum?

Upstate

Anything from Gregory, Osprey, or Mystery Ranch is good, but they are pricey. I would definitely want an internal for traveling as an external is just awkward. 110L is huge. I have a 88L pack for winter trekking and it is more than I would like to carry. For city to city backpacking I have a 60L pack and really like the size, but I have to really evaluate what I carry.

frankmu

Perhaps you can get the MEI Voyageur Backpack with a smaller bag like the Red Oxx Gator. They can both be carry on's, and you can reduce damage to your luggage that way.

Barry1973

I have a Kelty Redcloud internal frame pack. I hike a lot, so it does do double duty for airline use sometimes. It's quite large though, but so far has held up great. As a bonus, the 'lid' of the pack is removable and can be used as a fanny pack for short trips.

N1120A

If you have one of those newer, compact CPAPs and do a decent job bundle wrapping, I think you could probably fit all that in a Red Oxx SkyTrain, which would also be smaller and lighter than a regular backpack. Then, you might consider either a Gator, or a SunChaser, which would be larger than the Gator but give you a lot more room.

Yaatri

Thanks. The Voyager looks nice. It's not much different from my carry on that I have. It has ttraps that can be removed and hidden in a pocket and has wheels too. Based on dimensions given, which are xternal, it's volume is ~45 liters. I need more space than that. THe CPAP, along with its humidifier, hose and the mask, takes up quite a bit of room. The Gator could work as a day bag provided the main compartment has dividers. I don't like having to dig out from the main compartment, which would contain, a camera, blood sugar monitor, passport, maybe a travel guide. etc all stuffed in the same space.

One thing that I did not make clear is that at times I would like to put the daybag/camera bag in the back back and be hands free. The Red Oxx Skytrain also seems like a very nice bag. It's not cheap either.
I have a bag, no beigger than a notebook bag, for 12-13 inch notebook (16*11*3.5), with a front pocket that came with my CPAP, that can house the CPAP, humidifier, hose and mask, and the power brick for my netbook in the main compartment and the netbook with sleeve and 9 hour battery in the front pocket. It has about the same volume as the Gator. When traveling from a city to city, I would like to be able to pack this bag, as well as the camera bag in a bag pack. When crossing the land border, I have found that it's brest to have your hands free, so as to fill out immigration and customs forms. At the Cambodia Thai border, you have to fight touts and kids off, who want to "help". I don't want to have a bag, especially the camera bag with money, disappear when I am shaking the touts off. Even the immigration guys want to negotiate about how much they will charge you in addition to the official visa fee. It's very distracting. And when I am distracted, I am prone to leaving something behind.

Yaatri

Now that i know how heavy 60L can be, I agree that 100L is huge. I had chosen 110L as I had no idea what the capacity of my Kelty was.
Thanks Barry1973 Since I had a Kelty, I had looked at Kelty internal frame backpacks too. I was inclined towards Kelty Red Cloud--90L, or Coyote-80L. They are priced lower than the Osprey and Gregory. I wonder if the difference translates to quality or you are paying for brand premium.

The one complaint about internal frame backpacks is that since it's held close to the body, it's hotter as it does not allow for ventilation between your back and the pack. Did you find that to be true? I sweat a lot. I would be drenched in seat as if some one had poured water over me. My glasses would get dirty from sweat dripping on them. Sometimes sweat would get into my eyes and irritate them.
Thank you Upstate for a linking me to a variety of backpacks. One is sure to find something to one's taste.
The Mystery Ranch is way too expensive for me. Osprey and Gregory are more reasonable.
I just found the spec card on my Kelty, external frame backpack. It's 60L, the same size as yours. You are right, 110L maybe huge. I had packed haphazardly, as I had decided at the last minute to take the backpack instead of a carry on. Consequently, I was not able to make efficient use of the space from the onset. It's difficult to take the time or the place to get organised once you have already embarked on your trip, although I did change things around. I did that in a hurry and piecemeal. I could never remember where I had put what.
I would like to ask the question about ventilation of you too.

I am short, about 5'5". That would be a consideration too. I think I should be looking for something between 70-90L.

N1120A

The thing about using the Gator for your second bag is that you can stuff it in the smaller pocket on the SkyTrain.

Also, how about a Tom Bihn TriStar? It has pockets like the RedOxx Air Boss (3 compartments, center fits electronics) and has backpack straps.

Yaatri

I had been distracted by life and have not bought a hiking backpack yet.
I have looked around though. Gregory is really nice, but it's also more than I want to pay right now. I found a Teton Sports 5200 Internal Frame Backpack which looks similar.
Right now, I can buy it from Amazon with free shipping and free return in case I don't like it.
I would appreciate any comments about this one, especially from someone who has used one of these, or have heard anything about it.

Upstate

Here is something similar to your selection from Amazon:

http://www.rei.com/product/797929/re...09-special-buy

Right now REI has 20% off in their outlet so that makes it roughly the same price. It also has the 100% lifetime satisfaction guarantee. Never used this model, but every piece of REI brand gear that I have is very good quality.

Yaatri

I was in an REI store and didn't see the model you mention.
It does look nice. It also has front access also, which I like. My now defunk backpack was top loading only. It's a challenge to find things sometimes, when you have packed in a hurry. The Teton is not front loading. The Teton has "limited lifetime warranty, backed both by TETON Sports as the manufacturer and by the store". Not sure what it means.

Yaatri

Your suggestion won over all the suggestions. It costs a dozen dollars more, but it has front access while the TETON does not.

ND Sol

A backpack has to be comfortable, which is one reason I would be hesitant to buy it over the internet without first trying it on. At least with REI you will be able to return it if not comfortable. You need to walk around for at least 1/2 hour in the store fully loaded (the backpack, not you ) to assess how it feels.

Did you measure torso length before deciding what size? That is a critical element.

I know that it is out of your price range, but I have a McHale Pack since I go into the backcountry for up to a week at a time. It has turned out to be a good investment since I could customize the features I wanted and it is fit to me. In addition, with its bayonet stays system, I am able to reduce the pack size so that it becomes my carry-on. At 85L, the Mars will have to be checked. To do so, you should put it in a duffel or something similar to protect the pack and its straps from damage.

Yaatri

Thank you very much for very useful advice.
That's why I was reluctant to order the Teton from Amazon.com. It was returnable, but no one here had recommended it. Since the one from REI was from their outlet store, I ordered it without having a loot at it, but one FTer had recommended it. It was delivered to the local REI store here. I had planned to try it out in the store when I went to pick it up. The person I spoke to on the phone did not sound very enthusiastic about helping me try it, but when I got to the store, a very nice salesman was very diligent in helping me try it out. I did not walk around with it for 1/2 an hour, but I had it on for about 20 minutes. He loaded it with pillows and some heavy bags to pack it.

Yes, I did measure my torso at home a number of times and in the store too to make sure, I was doing it right. The salesman also showed me how to adjust the frame for my torso length.
I know that it is out of your price range, but I have a McHale Pack since I go into the backcountry for up to a week at a time. It has turned out to be a good investment since I could customize the features I wanted and it is fit to me. In addition, with its bayonet stays system, I am able to reduce the pack size so that it becomes my carry-on. At 85L, the Mars will have to be checked. To do so, you should put it in a duffel or something similar to protect the pack and its straps from damage.[/QUOTE]Yes, I do plan on checking it in, as on some trips, it will be my luggage. A carry on is a bit tight for me these days, as my CPAP takes a lot of room. At 85L backpack, I can put everything, including my CPAP and the netbook, both of which fit in my CPAP bag in the backpack when I am walking about in town, walking between the train/bus station and the hotel. When on the plane, I can take out my CPAP, the netbook and detachable bag with me.
I like the bayonet system idea, But on a trip when my luggage is the backpack, I would never need to shorten it to a backpack. The Mar 85 from REI has a detachable pack, that I could use as a daybag, which is what I need.

The McHale looks very nice. But are very expensive, more so than the others suggested above.