Honestly, how big is your pack???

Pieterv, yes, the thermarests are new enough that they fold and roll up small. And Tim, we're going to Spain, so food (pieterv) isn't going to be too much of a problem since this isn't exactly wilderness - I'll be buying grub every day, just like at home. Plus coffee for the mornings (MSR has one of those old fashioned permanent filter things).

My pack is a Gregory Banshee (maybe 4 years old?) and 2600 ci. It's absolutely perfect. It fits a sleeping bag and everything else I need with room to add things as I travel. Wouldn't go bigger or smaller if I had the chance.

How does anybody take their pack as a carry-on? I like to take some sort of knife or tool with me, which doesn't seem like it was last through airport security... I didn't even think you could get tweezers through airport security anymore! Then again, I am flying out of Boston Logan...

You can check knives, leatherman, etc. seperately at the ticket counter. Then carry on the rest.

Mine is 3500. I had a smaller one but I had a bunch of stuff in my pack (basically, everyting but my clothes) and it was pretty full. So I love my deva60 (gregory pack).

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Originally posted by Elis:
You can check knives, leatherman, etc. seperately at the ticket counter. Then carry on the rest.

you can?? do they give you a container/bag or should you supply your own?

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fantomulo, i'm in the same predicament as you. I desperately want to go small, but I also want a laptop. I have tried a few smaller bags, but I feel that they don't stand the weight of my gear and the laptop and accessories very well. And I feel I would need more of a 40L pack to get the basics and a laptop.

I've sent bigtripblog a message cuz i know they went small - looks like Kevin actually has a 45L pack and a crumpler messenger bag for his laptop... so perhaps you could do the 35L pack and a messenger bag for the laptop? just an idea.

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I am committed to having a small pack & committed to my laptop. Will I have to go with only the clothes on my back to do this?

That is a big ask.... unless you have a sony vaio or something like that. Have you considered what exactly you need the laptop for. There are a lot of good pda's out there that will do 90% of a laptop with a plug in keyboard. My tungsten t3 is wi-fi compatible, stores my word files, photos, books, music and is maybe 10% of the size of a laptop..... and yes, I have a 40l bag.

If you really do want to take the laptop and some clothes, go to a dollar store and buy a cheap neoprene back support. It makes a great clothes compress

elv

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Jordan & Tyler & anyone else who knows about the REI Vagabond: Can you lock the zippers

The two zippers to the main compartment are designed such that they can be locked together. The outside compartment also has 2 zippers so, although technically not designed to be locked together, could easily be locked together as well.

I am not going to say you can't put all your stuff and a laptop in it because I don't know how you pack. But you certainly won't have much room to play with.

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I think it depends on the dimensions of your pack. If the height isn't tall, then maybe you can get by...

65liters on the main compartment with 10 liters in the bottom section. Oh and a removable day pack

I backpacked across Europe for a month with a 25 liter daybag. I found it surprisingly easy to use the same backpack I used in school with me to a foreign country to carry all of my possessions. Of course, I wasn't doing any camping or rugged trekking at the time so a larger bag wasn't warranted.

I'll be taking a U.S. Army standard issue ALICE pack with me to Asia next month. At 2400 cubic inches and 39.3 liters, it's an ideal medium-sized bag. I've never taken it on a commercial flight though and wonder if it will fit in the overhead luggage. Does anyone have any traveling experience with an ALICE pack?

Also, after perusing the previous posts I'm shocked to see so many people carrying behemoth packs around with them. There is nothing worse than turning your vacation into a grueling charade as you lug your 100 pound ruck out of the train compartment as if you're about to storm Leningrad.

Cheers,
Jimmy

I travel with my husband, and between the two of us we pack a 90 litre suitcase (which he lugs), or, since that broke, a backpack of similar size which I'll carry since its my old one and a perfect fit for me.

I'm not sure if 90 litres is good or bad for two people? I know we don't exactly travel light, but I've seen people carry a lot more for shorter stays.