Right now I'm travelling with a MEC 60 litre, I think it's called the Pangaea. It's a travel pack, so it's got a lot of convienent backpacking features. So far, it's treated me pretty well, although it really needs to be adjusted just so if you're doing a lot of walking.

on my first trip to Amsterdam I lugged an 85L pack.
It did quite fine, but I did stash it anywhere I had a chance.
After that, I took a day-and-half pack to Holland for five days. And travelled around quite extensively. I didn't stash it quite as often but, packing judiciously, I did quite well with that too.
The PX here sells a Bug Out bag made out of courda nylon (the best fabric ANYWHERE), and I'll tak that almost anywhere. Spacious, stable, configurable, tough, carry-on-able. Expanded, its advertised at 55L.

45L. That's about the largest you can carry on a plane, and it holds everything I need.

I bought McKinley Freeway 35L, but I have used it only once on the 2,5 weeks Eastern Europe strip. The bigger backpack I wouldn't like to hump with me, I'm not a bull.

I'm a little obsessive to pack everything to very compactly. So even if I took a few useless things, there left unused space. Altough along the travel it filled with stuff I bought abroad.

My suggestion:
Carry only what you can (and are willing) to hold on your lap for six or eight hours on a non-air conditioned bus. Otherwise, make sure any bag you haul with you -- and it's contents -- can stand up to having four or five hundred pounds of coconuts piled on top of it. It will happen.

Just take the bare basics in a small pack, and ship home any purchases. A good sized school backpack, or a bag just bigger than that is enough. If you need more space, take a messenger bag or canvas tote that zips closed. This can sit at your feet on the bus, while you hold your backpack on your lap.

I just bought a pack today from MEC in Vancouver. It's 60L and looks like it will fit everything (teny will strap to the side) and more for whatever I pick up.

James, I'm curious to know which 60 litre MEC pack you chose?

I'm the market for a new pack and am considering the MEC Brio 50 litre. I still have have to get to one of their stores and try it on as the small model's harness might still be too long for me.

I actually chose the 60L Brio. I looked at all of the ones there and I liked this one the best.

Nice pack!...MEC's Brio line is certainly good value for the price. It looks like it's nicely streamlined as well.

went out and bought the osprey waypoint 80L. i was using the eagle creek transcontinental (85L), but found it was a bit unwieldy to navigate narrow doorways and buses. i'm in the process of dropping a bit of weight and bulk to make it more streamline. i think this pack is supposed to carry around 30lb comfortably. right now i am at 35+ so some things will be shipped home or left behind in a hostel.

quote:

Originally posted by Applette:
Nice pack!...MEC's Brio line is certainly good value for the price. It looks like it's nicely streamlined as well.

Yes! I was surprised at the price of it at first. Only $99! I was going to go for the 70L pack, but after reading some of this thread I decided on the 60 after a long internal deliberation comparing and trying on the packs.

I filled it up last night with a bunch of things to see how it would do when loaded up and it was pretty comfortable. As long as all the straps are tightened to the appropriate length you should have no problem with it.

The pack I'm getting is 2800 cu-in. (46 l)
It seems too bomber to pass up.

It's the Mystery Ranch Big Sky. Mystery Ranch packs are designed by Dana Gleason who made Dana Design packs before K2 bought them and then Marmot bought that. The best part is the really unique 3Zip design. It works as a standard top loading backpack, but can also zip down the entire back to have access to all your gear. Decently expensive, but the most comfortable thing I've used. It's a bonus that the showroom is just down the road from me. Custom fits from people who sew the bags together is a real treat.

http://mysteryranch.com/packs/pack.php?ID=48

I have a karrimor, its only 30 or 35 l bag. I used it for 2 months in europe, couldnt collect anything and i traveled lite, but i loved it. everyone i met had huge bags and they hated them, would talk of burning them when they returned home!

smaller the pack, the happier the traveller. trust me


http://www.sporter.cz/karrimor-hot-ice-30l-600-7775.jpg

I've officially downsized my pack from a 60 litre panel-loading travelpack to a 48 litre top-loading pack.

Went to MEC on the weekend and tried on several packs (top-loading and panel-loading). In the end, I bought a Brio 50. I had to get the short model which is 48 litres. Has a zippered opening down the side which is handy.

Have to say that it's a very very comfortable pack for the price and just the right size to hold all my gear, including a down-filled sleeping bag (in a compression sac).

Currently I'm using this monstrous pack from MEC called the Alpinelite.
I found that the straps on the 'standard' sized pack, which is 85 litres, were too short and dug into my armpits so I went for the large pack with longer straps. At 92 litres the damned thing is practically a bivy sack in itself, but it compresses down nicely to a much smaller pack. I'll never want for space but at the same time if I ever managed to fill it up I'd never be able to lift it...