One of the first things that goes through one’s mind when embarking on a crazy 5-month trip around the world is, “how the heck are you going to bring everything you need for a trip everywhere around the world in all conditions?” Not only do you need to bring all your clothes for a variety of climates ranging from blistering hot deserts in China/Mongolia to windy mountainous terrain in Europe to the continuous Thailand rain in May, you have to bring toiletries (including toilet paper for undeveloped countries), shoes, camera, and various electronics to allow blogging and uploading pictures.
We narrowed down our search rather quickly to the large hiking pack category. A hiking pack in the 70L range would allow us to pack enough volume yet walk long distances and maneuver through busy trains and subways. I looked at virtually all of the lightweight hiking packs and didn’t like the way they were essentially top-loading stuff sacks – it’s a pain to keep unpacking and repacking all the time when on the move.
Then I stumbled on the REI touring line of packs. The Grand Tour is a hybrid of sorts -- hiking style, yet cleaner on the outside and built more rugged to withstand the rigors of being thrown around in the cargo hold of a bus or airplane. The pack is designed to open like a suitcase which is much more convenient, and all zippers are lockable. There's also a detachable daypack which seems to be pretty useful, and a rain/dust cover is included for the pack. All in all, it has everything we need, so we bought it (on sale too!)
1 comment:
Wow. How many TSA locks are you two going to need? 6?
Make sure you bring a headlamp! My sister & her husband ended up walked through a dark tunnel in Italy. It not only led to cuts and bruises but also a chipped tooth!
Are you going to use a solar charger?
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