On the hunt for the perfect pack!

While planning our trip to Thailand, hubby and I's goal will be to live out of our backpacks during our travels! Although, that would presume we owned backpacks... Since completing university and college, neither of own a real backpack anymore. So off we went on the hunt for the perfect pack! Although we usually have the tendency to overpack on other vacations, we are hoping this will be doable - heck, if others can live out of a backpack for a year, we can certainly last two weeks!

Over Christmas holidays, we mentioned this backpack hunt to our family members, and lucky enough, my hubby's uncle @David LeBlanc had nice 65L and 45Ls sitting in his basement collecting dust! We were happy to take those off his hands, and happy for the hand-me-down affordability :-) We decided we would use the larger 65L and purchase a second backpack as well.

For our second backpack, we hit up Sail in Ottawa. Our sales rep just got back from South-East Asia on a year-long backpacking trek so he had lots of helpful tips to offer us. When we showed up at Sail and had a few moments to browse the backpack racks ourselves, we were dead set on purchasing the largest 85L+ that we could find (and afford). Luckily, our sales rep was MUCH more knowledgable than us, and after packing up the 65Ls with 20 kilos of weights, hubby realized that the 85L were probably overkill and would end up being very uncomfortable in the long haul. We ended up purchasing another 65L black NorthFace pack. This one is a little more convenient since it opens from the side and the top - like a backpack AND a duffle bag in one! If you were to purchase a backpack brand new like we did with this one, I would certainly recommend this option for sheer convenience factor.

I am certainly looking forward to rocking these new backpacks, and looking forward to the challenge of fitting 2 weeks worth of packing into the tiny little 65L backpack :-) If I could offer any other fellow travellers and newcomers to backpacking some advice (that I wish we had), here is what I know so far:

• The bigger the backpack, the more stuff you will pack - and this might not be things you absolutely NEED.
• A bigger backpack, filled with more stuff, will weight much more, and be much more uncomfortable to lug around.
• Some hostels will have lockers for you to lock your backpacks in; however, keep in mind the size of a locker... anything much bigger than a 65L probably won't fit. Also, if you are travelling through a country like Thailand, your main mode of transportation will be tuk tuks, trains, and busses with little room for large luggage. 
• Most 70L+ backpacks are actually intended for backpackers who will also be carrying their camping gear and truly roughing it! For more "fluffy" backpackers and hostel dwellers, a 65L is more than enough.
• Any good retailer of backpacks will also be able to add weights to the backpacks so that you can truly experience how approx. 20 kilos will feel when carried on your back.
• A good retailer will also be able to properly fit you for a backpack and teach you how it should be done up. The basics are really that most of the weight should be on your hips, while a smaller load of weight will hang off of your upper back. The straps should fit well around the back, over the shoulder, and down the chest. Any gaps in this area can be adjusted with an adjustable backpack or a various size.
• Adjustable backpacks are a good investment if you plan to hand it down, share, or sell after your trip. This means that the backpack can be resized to almost any height, with a standard weight capacity remaining.
• Like I suggested earlier, if you can find a backpack that will open from the top and the side, you will have the convenience of a backpack and duffle bag in one. 
• If you are going on a longer backpacking trek, I would recommend investing in a brand like Osprey - they are probably the most comfortable backpack and they have a lifetime warranty. We heard a story about some Scouts who had bears rip apart their Osprey backpacks, the Scout group brought these backpacks into Sail and Osprey gave them entirely new and better backpacks! On the other hand, if you are going on a shorter backpacking trip, such as ourselves, you might want to choose a backpack that is more affordable. Northface backpacks were in the $100 range while Osprey backpacks ran for $300+. 
• Consider purchasing a rain cover for your backpack. This will help you, of course, in the rain, but also while in transit to prevent any of the many backpack straps from getting caught in conveyer belts.  For us, we did't want to spend $30 on each rain cover - a clear garbage bag will work just fine!
• When packing the backpack, it will be helpful to create 3 piles: need, want, and nice to have. You will most likely not be able to bring the nice to have, but it will help give you a reality check. It is also a good idea to leave room in your backpack for additional purchases during your vacation, unless you plan to mail most of the purchases home to yourself. 

I will also be sure to follow-up on this blog post when we return from backpacking if I have any other useful tidbits! In the meantime, if you have any backpack purchasing or packing suggestions, feel free to share here! I will be sure to let you know how the packing experience goes!