BootsnAll Travel Community

Hi, I'm looking to buy a backpack with wheels and I'm not sure what to look for. Any advice on what size. What's a good weight. What brand is recommended and what should I reasonably expect to pay.
Thanks.

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Friends help you move, real friends help you move bodies.
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Just go and get a Mont Astro Cruiser 80L.

Hey gee, thanks Static. Just checked closest shops and I'll give them a ring today (if they're open). The one I'd looked at earlier was Eagle Creek but they're not all that cheap and didn't have the extra doo-dahs that this Mont Astro one has. Ta mate.

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Friends help you move, real friends help you move bodies.
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quote:

Originally posted by static:
Just go and get a Mont Astro Cruiser 80L.

Wow. It says this backpack is 'bomb-proof'.

I guess it's handy to know that when you've been blown up by terrorists your luggage will still be intact.

imo, osprey packs are designed and constructed better than eagle creek packs. if the Mont pack doesn't work out for you, you might look into the Meridian. the Mont looks better on paper though because it is lighter weight (3kg vs 4kg). most likely, the weight difference is due to beefier construction and more padding for shoulder carry. osprey hip belts are considered pretty good too. the only drawback of the meridian is the awkward placement of the daypack.

disclaimer: i recently switched from an eagle creek(bought on deep discount) to an osprey pack and think eagle creek sucks.

Did you get that on a Pro-deal?

And what about the Eagle Creek pack sucks?

quote:

Originally posted by Craze_b0i:
Wow. It says this backpack is 'bomb-proof'.

I guess it's handy to know that when you've been blown up by terrorists your luggage will still be intact.

It's a comforting thought to know there's something that can be passed on to the next-of-kin.

quote:

Originally posted by static:
Did you get that on a Pro-deal?

And what about the Eagle Creek pack sucks?

no pro deal- i bought it at a semi-annual sale at the local REI. what i didn't like about the eagle creek pack (non-wheeled, but basically the same feature-set as the wheeled models):

-rugged build overall, but a few underbuilt stress points, such as with the load lifting harness strap and the seams on the zipper on the daypack
-overbuild in a few areas that contribute weight and bulk, but don't significantly enhance performance/functionality (zipper to attach daypack to main pack- why not go with straps which are lighter and easier to fix if broken; padding in front of daypack- why? instead i would have used abrasion resistant strips)
-beefy hip-belt and moderate shoulder straps, but almost non-functional hip belt stabilizers. with such a weighty pack that is intended to carry 30-40 pounds on top of the 8 pound pack, all adjustments should be fully functional.
-too wide when fully loaded. trying to walk down bus aisles and some doorways was an adventure.

some these observations are subjective, that is why i put the 'imo' in the post. i don't work for any outfitter or gear manufacturer. i thought i could get away with using the eagle creek pack for my travels but after 8 months with the pack, it did not fit the bill. i replaced it with the equivalent osprey model (waypoint 80L) and it was better in all the ways i found the other pack lacking. even though the hip-belt on the osprey is much smaller, overall adjustments make carrying the same load much better. osprey just seems to know how to make hip belts work well. both packs have the same feature set, but imo, osprey implements them smarter. one key feature i like about the osprey is the built-in shaping guards in the main pack. the eagle creek did have two compression straps that was intended to help laterally squeeze the main body, but i found them ineffective. there is no way one can load 80+liters of crap into a ginormous pack and use the two wimpy straps to shape it into a reasonable form.

i could do a full blown review on the eagle creek pack, having suffered with it for eight months. i just bought the osprey a month ago so i can only tell you some of the superficial observations i made above. however, i know osprey makes solid hiker's packs. i am hoping that this extends to their travel packs. i am travelling in all sorts of environs and expecting to do most every activity. i hope this pack works out for me. i don't want to go back to a lighter weight technical pack because i am carrying a bit too much weight and don't like many of the options out there for my mode of travel. the 'luxury' category of packs offers some less threatening looking products and i want to be able to travel with them (i look crazy-enough dressed in my hiking/traveling clothes all the time).

are you affiliated with any specific product manufacturer or store?

No, not any more, but I used to be with the competition. I still know people from Eagle Creek, but I have never worked for them or Osprey.

Osprey is certainly one of the best pack companies.

yeah, they were the standard last year as far as hiking packs go, though a few other companies were catching up quick. i tried on a bunch of packs before i decided on the osprey. just the other day i saw a fellow hosteler roll in the wheeled version of my pack and i thought it was rather attractive. osprey is like the lexus of a few years ago- not much bad one can say about them.

i just noticed you are from the bay area. why the hell is it so cold here in august, and why are there such few good bars within walking distance of ft mason? and why do the people in the 'specialty' stores in this area look like i am insane when i ask them why they don't stock aqua mira or at least the steripen? i'm from chicago with no hills but the REI stocks all that stuff. the freakin sierras are here. but i digress and am sounding like a tourist and think there is some twisted marketing error so i'll stop.

quote:

why the hell is it so cold here in august, and why are there such few good bars within walking distance of ft mason? and why do the people in the 'specialty' stores in this area look like i am insane when i ask them why they don't stock aqua mira or at least the steripen?

It's always like this, but it gets hot in October. The hot Sacramento valley is sucking in the fog right now.

Try the Horseshoe Tavern, but yeah.

Because most people are morons and REI put all the good stores out of business.

quote:

i could do a full blown review on the eagle creek pack, having suffered with it for eight months.

namehere, I wished I'd read your review yesterday. I've spent the last 3 days researching travel packs and have tried the Osprey Waypoint 80, MacPac Orient Express and a few other cheaper ones. I didn't like the osprey because the day sack was tiny and didn't like the zip on day sack on the macpac.

So I ordered the Eagle Creek Ultimate Explorer LT online (so am getting it blind). I know this is a big no no but can return within 7 days if it doesn't fit.

Now your review has really cast some doubts! Is this the bag you were slating?

I love my Ultimate Explorer LT, and it has already proven itself on the road.

My eagle creek LT arrived today. First impressions are looks solidly built, plenty of space but not too big. The security sack looks quality and shouldn't rip that easy. Day pack is adequately sized.

Yeah looks a good purchase. Obviously the pending 6 month world trip will be the real test!

no- it was the transcontinental model that didn't agree with me. perhaps the Explorer model is differently sized than mine, but i found it too bulky side-ways. the pack on the osprey waypoint is much smaller than the eagle creek, but in some ways i like it. it keeps me from bringing more than the essentials, and in the long run, i like that it's a bit more inconspicous to carry around just about anywhere. i can fit a my mini-laptop, small nalgene, hefty travel book, chargers, camera, mp3 player, shell jacket, and all the extra little junk that i find needing everyday. with the eagle creek pack, i was carrying all that and had a bunch of room to spare. however, it was sized almost like a regular pack and i felt it drew more attention. the eagle creeks seem rugged. i think it'd take a good deal to drestroy the fabric. the osprey, a bit less so.

nevertheless, the pack must fit the wearer and i was pointing out MY dislike for it. i'm sure it fits others just fine. packs are like cars or women... never mind.

I think comparing Eagle Creek and Osprey packs is a little bit of an apples and oranges thing.

Eagle Creek packs are fine for what they are: tough pieces of luggage with "sort of technical" suspensions adequate for hauling the things short distances between train stations and hotels. There's nothing wrong with that, and if it's all you need, then cool.

If you have to spend any length of time carrying your pack though - especially on a trail - Osprey wins hands down. They're one of the best pack manufacturers in the US, and I'm guessing that a good deal of the technology that makes their outdoors packs so good has probably filtered down to their travel packs as well.

That said, I did my RTW with a Bora 80 from Arc-Teryx - another top-of-the-line manufacturer - and that thing felt like a freakin' anvil on my back. I agree with namehere: get the one that fits YOUR body best.

Decisions, decisions.....

Though to be fair choosing a travel pack is one of the most enjoyable things about going travelling!

I got the Eagle Creek Ultimate Explorer LT home, packed it and fitted the pack to my back. Fine. However there were a few things that annoyed me.

1) The security shell was a bit of a pain to get on when the pack was fully loaded. I appreciate the concept that it keeps everything locked off and straps tucked away, but one rip in the shell (which was completely possible, it was no way "travel proof"), then the security element is gone. It also doubles as a rain cover, but I won't need that because I'm leaving England for some sunny weather! Also, it can be a duffle (second large bag) but then you've got the problem with storing the rucksack straps away, which tends to annoy airport check-in staff. So even though the security shell at first looked a good idea, I don't think it had many advantages over zip away/stowable straps.

2) The buckles on the compression and shoulder/waist straps were unbelievably weak. They were just outright flimsy. I just didn't see how they could load bare 80+ litres over the long run and once one of those straps didn't lock off, then the bag was essentially useless.

3) To get into the main sack, you had to detach the daysack, then undo the compression straps. It was just a bit fiddly. It's a travel pack so I'm guessing I'm gonna be constantly in the thing, grabbing stuff out, sticking stuff back in. I just want to open the thing and shove in/grab stuff out, quickly. This is why I'm buying a panel loader in the first place.

So for the reasons above I've gone for the Osprey Waypoint 80, which has everything I'm looking for. The day sack also looks a reasonable size and I like the fact that it doesn't zip on, which means I might upgrade it for a proper trekking day sack.