BootsnAll Travel Community

Hi there...

I'm in the planning stages for a 3-6 month backpacking trip on my own around Europe, and I've been looking at some backpacks. I've come across one for a really reasonable price at Kathmandu (I'm in Australia), the "Kilimanjaro" model.

Has anyone used this pack, and if so, how did you find it?? It looks pretty good to me, but just thought I'd ask around before I made the big purchase. As soon as I buy the backpack, I'm actually really going... How exciting!!!

Thanks...

Joe Erhlich is sort of our resident equipment expert and I've read posts from him before in regard to Kathmandu packs. He has very strong feelings about them and I'm sure as soon as he sees your post he'll enlighten you.

Hint...they're very negative feelings.

They are junk.

It took me ten times as long to post that Joe Ehrlich would write about it as it actually took for Joe to write about it. I need to work on brevity.

A backpack should, in my humble opinion, be made well enough to (1.) survive the rigors of baggage handlers (2.) survive being picked up by the straps and put down again many times (3.) be constructed using sewing techniques that prevent failure (and backpack failure only happens when the pack is loaded and one is far from home) and (4.) be comfortable or at least, tolerable enough to wear during your trip, when the bus from the hostel isn't running on a Sunday morning and when you need to hike through town to the train station.

The Kathmandu packs have nothing to recommend them (except that they are always on sale!).

Unless you are going to make only one trip in your life and carry nearly nothing, I would strongly urge my antipodean pals to consider Mont or Mac Pac and leave the Kathmandu brand travel packs to the wannabe wussies.