BootsnAll Travel Community

Im going to SA for a year, have my 50 L ready to go, but I am trying to settle on my second "day" bag.... I am torn between a day pack and those shoulder strap bags known to me as messenger bags. I am curious as to what are the pros and cons for each bag, and which one you recommend. For the most part, i will need the bag to hold my Travel Book (LP or footprints), digital SLR with lens, bottle of water, and other little knick knacks. also, I would love the flexibility of being able to leave the 50L somewhere and taking just the bag for a 2-3 day trip off path
(aka, be able to hold 2 days clothes..... Thanks for any advice/info....

I think it comes down to which is more comfortable to carry around all day when fully loaded.

I have a Timbuk2 small messenger bag that I could pack for a couple days. It's a great bag, rugged, comfortable, etc. One of the pros of the messenger bag would be that you can sling it so its more in front of you and theoretically you can see/feel more readily if someone tries to steal things out of it. As a note, if you are carrying a messenger bag always have it slung crosswise so that the strap is on the opposite shoulder from where the bag hangs. This makes it much more difficult to rip off.

All that said, I would still go for the backpack. I like having the weight distributed to both shoulders. Your shoulders, neck and back will thank you at the end of the day.

It comes down to figuring out what is more comfortable to you. If you don't have a messenger bag borrow one from a friend (tons of people have 'em) load it up with realistically what you'll be hauling on a 2-3 day jaunt and see how it feels walking around ALL day long.

I think the best think about a shoulder bag is that it's easy to wear your big backpack and a shoulder bag at the same time. It's possible to wear a daypack on the front, but it's not fun and looks really weird.

That said, I usually opt for a daypack, because they're much more comfortable to wear on an extended basis than a shoulder bag.

- Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Callilucy:
All that said, I would still go for the backpack. I like having the weight distributed to both shoulders. Your shoulders, neck and back will thank you at the end of the day.

quote:

Originally posted by mikeym:
That said, I usually opt for a daypack, because they're much more comfortable to wear on an extended basis than a shoulder bag.

Another vote for the daypack. It's just more comfortable.

Plus: it doesn't scream "steal this gringo's laptop!"

I tend to stick with messenger bags soley for the look. I don't like having a backpack on my shoulders all day because they usually come in larger sizes and I just feel like it separates me from the locals to a degree I am not comfortable with. I know that it is kind of superficial but it I just feel more relaxed having a shoulder bag. I usually have a small one. Just enough to fit a camera, guide book, maybe a bottle of water and a few other things.

Thanks for responses so far. So I have always used a backpack, loved it, but taking/putting on/off is slightly annoying, esp in crowded market places. I was getting excited to buy my first messenger bag, now i have some doubts (no offense to Joey). I am only truly trekking in Peru, other than that, i have never been a huge trekker therefore am not expecting to set off into the mountains for a couple days, i need a bag that i take with me when I leave the hostel for the day.... I was looking at the Timbuk2 medium/large messenger bag, or just take my northface day pack..... any more help would be great, also, is weight distribution only reason Backpack over messenger bag. I do not carry a lap top, just the camera, book, and some bottles of water..... thanks people, have a good day....

A messenger bag can work... but they are designed to allow your back to carry the weight, while leaned over the handlebars of a bicycle. The second part... easy access to whats in the bag, slack the strap and swing it around front.

Less than 10-15 pounds and you are ok walking around for the day... any more than that and you'll have a messed up back and shoulder. With heavy weight, after a few months use, your back/shoulders adapt to carrying weight on one side only. Can develop some muscular imbalances.

On a bike the idea is to wear it as high up your back as you can, so it rides on you instead of hangs off. That keeps it from sliding around on you. When walking this is not where you want to carry weight! To be comfortable they end up down by your hip, slapping you on the ass every step.

My .02, go with a back pack unless you need quick access more than comfort. I've got a timbuk2 that I use to commute to school on my bike, backpacks suck on bikes... everything heavy lays on the small of your back.

If you do decide to go with a messenger bag, Chrome makes some that are water proof. They also make some that you can fit small humans and kitchen sinks in. Get the smallest that will fit what you need to carry.

Great post Rocknrod, that's exactly how I feel. It's really annoying when a messenger bag hits your butt at every step!

I only use messenger bags for work-related stuff, since I think they look a little bit nicer than backpacks, but are still functional. For travel I use a daypack when necessary. Often I can get everything I need to fit in my pockets.

quote:

Originally posted by mikeym:
Often I can get everything I need to fit in my pockets.

Now that's the best strategy! Go cargo pants!

On my last trip I used a small shoulder bag. Sort of like this (but not that color!).
I never carried too much--a book, small notepad, maybe a map. I usually had my camera on my belt but at times I would keep it in there. The only downside was that I couldn't really fit a bottle of water in there, so I had to always hold it.

Backpacks are definitely more comfortable and can fit more stuff but if there's too much stuff I think it can become more of a burden than a small light shoulder bag.
But really, the only reason I didn't use a backpack was because it's on my back and people could get into it. Sometimes I carried important stuff in there and it was nice to know I could look down and see it and keep my hand on it.

However, when hiking, backpacks are defintiely the way to go.

For carrying water bottles when you don't have a pack...

Grab a piece of string or thin rope... tie a bowline in it.

http://www.iland.net/~jbritton/bowline.htm

Loop it over its self, and grab the neck of the bottle with the knot. The other end you can loop around your belt, tie a caribeener to it... Or my favorite, have a big loop of thin nylon webbing and use it as a shoulder strap.

(You know those tiny finger holes in glass bottles? They are meant to be carried this way! The proper knot is a jug knot, but its a pain to tie, and I can't ever remember how... )

Good tip, thanks.

I'm with Joey - I prefer a messenger bag, especially in the cities. It's not as useful for trekking in the countryside, but it's much more functional in crowds and on planes. And looks are important! A knapsack in the city pretty much screams 'tourist!' A messenger bag blends and just feels a bit more sophisticated.

It's also much easier to carry when you already have a large pack on.

Well, when I think of messenger bag, I envision something pretty fricking big and unwieldy. I think you are probably talking about a Haversack(Weird name, but better than purse). If this is the case. Then I am with you. you can work with the thing without taking it off and it´s just easier to carry around.

When you say clothes for 2-3 days do you mean complete outfits or just a couple clean shirts and underwear? I ask because I use a hydration pack (bladder removed) as my daypack. The one I have looks like a mini daypack with the main zipper compartment and then another smaller on the front. I can roll a shirt or two, put in a bottle of water, gum, deoderant, chapstick, a small book, and perhaps a few other small items. I guess it depends on your size and the bulk of you clothes but it works for me so I thought I would suggest it. Luckily I found a nice sturdy off brand at Target on clearance for $15. I have used it quite a bit in the past 2 years. Keeps me from having too much weight because I can only fit so much in it.

Gotta agree with JOey on this one - to me, a there's nothing more that sets one apart from the locals as a daypack. There's also the "sweaty back" syndrome that i suffer from - cant stand that!!

I carry a Gatorbag on my travel over the last few years and find it perfect for a day's worth of accessories.

happy travels!

Jeelan

I take one of each. I mostly use the messenger bag, it's a sportsac model with lots of room but very lightweight. I also pack my clothes into a lightweight vaude daypack inside my regular backpack and use it kind of like a compressions sack for the clothes. I like being able to have both a backpack and a messenger bag available.

Check out the bags from Tom Bihn.

http://www.tombihn.com/

Dave in Hong Kong

My bag-plan is to have three bags.

1. Pack with most of my stuff
2. The removable day pack that came with my pack. I plan on using this for books and things I need to get to quickly, but also for 2-3 day trips where I leave my pack in storage
3. Eagle Creek Guide Bag - this will be my day pack. Its fits a bottle of water, guidebook, camera, ipod, wallet, and if I squeeze it in my journal, along with a few other small items.

I'm with the messenger bag camp, mostly for safety reasons- I can hold it in front of me and still not look like a big loser like I would if I wore a knapsack on my front. However, I'm not carrying around a SLR and lens in mine. On one hand, it's heavier and you need more room, so a daypack would be better- but on the other hand, it's probably worth more than all the contents in my messenger bag combined, so it's more worth being safe and not carrying it on your back.