1

I'm taking a 45L for 5 weeks, packed everything I want to take and still have plenty of room. And I tend to overpack!

2

One that fits all the stuff your bringing ...

3

One that is 75% full after fitting all the stuff you are bringing.

4

One that is 75% full after fitting all the stuff you are bringing. why???

a travel pack that is not well packed, loose and cannot be strapped down sufficiently is not desirable. Your belongings will move around a lot and it is a PIA!

as Joe says, take a pack that will fit everything you need, leaving a quarter empty is ridiculous.

I'm in my 6 month of travel in SEA and have seen / met folks with 80L packs and those with 35L packs - choose one that fits you well and has enough room for all your gear.

Get a good pack cover as well.

5

Much debated topic here if you like to do a search!!

6

#4, the reason I say this is because most people end up buying things on their travels and it sucks to have to lug around a second pack. It's quite easy to put your stuff in smaller rucksacks in the bag so stuff doesn't move around too much. Most backpacks have dividers anywhere to hold things in place.

7

Something with an extra compartment that when, unzipped and
opened-up gives another 10 litres, or so.

I wouldn't be too worried about having some slack inside the bag, ready for the odd souvenir.
Now-a-days you're unlikely to walk more than a few hundred metres with a pack on your back.

8

#6, if your pack is so tightly packed that you cannot fit a few more clothes or a souvenir in there.....it is too small to start with.

of the 6 backpacks I own,only the larger ones (45L Plus) have a divider between the bottom compartment and the main cavity....I don't understand your comment about "dividers" that hold things in place?

Doc -**Now-a-days you're unlikely to walk more than a few hundred metres with a pack on your back.** speak for yahself mate....some of us actually use this equipment for whats it's designed for.....I spend up to 2 month at a time independently trekking in Nepal, India and Sth America I certainly don't use porters or leave 25% of my pack free for souvenirs or.........whatever??

Get a Pack that comfortably fits all your gear, but not jammed so packed that you can't squeeze a couple T-shirts or Nic Nacs into.

9

re #4

No it's not. I also leave space for the unexpected. And so, I do things different from you .. are you in the habit of calling everyone different from yourself ridiculous?

It's a meaningless objection, paticularly when you take the last condition -- 'strapped down sufficiently' -- into account. For starters, any decent pack will have compression straps to tighten the sides. And then, if the unused space is at the top, you simply pull down the top of the pack tight enough.
75% full does not mean not well packed.

10

IMHO, leaving that much space in a Pack is ridiculous.....the idea / suggestion, not the person.

If I left a quarter space spare in my current Pack I'm using, the top / lid section would not compress down, no matter how tight I use the compression straps etc.

I'm just voicing my opinions and experiences. I don't believe my objections are meaningless.....have you done multi day / week / month treks with loose packs that are not strapped down / compressed sufficiently because of too much "free" space??? Please, regale us with your anecdotes :)

11

am i supposed to be impressed?

its a freaking backpack.. for a 2 month Thailand adventure..

12

Doc, If I was trying to impress you, I'd stick to your specialist topics.....squeezing zits and jerking off, remember??

2 months in Thailand.......yeah, I should never have replied to this thread :)

Ciao.

13

have you done multi day / week / month treks with loose packs that are not strapped down / compressed sufficiently because of too much "free" space??? Please, regale us with your anecdotes

Yes to having a bunch of free space, no to it not being compressed enough. I have always figured out how to compress my bag sufficiently. Gotta love the Gregory Palisades pack.

Yes, I've done 12 straight weeks with a backpack hiking 5-6 days a week (half of that time, I used a survival pack made with a tarp, chord, and straps). My pack was not full and it was completely fine when I switched to backpack. We hiked 5 to 20 miles a day.

I've also done independent trekking in Nepal and had absolutely no problem with my pack not being completely full. I've never finished a trek in my life without my bag 75% empty by the end (you carry food and eat it on the way). Never been a problem.

The 75% bag thing got me from Spain to Thailand by land with no problems, including lots of walking while hitch-hiking in Siberia and Mongolia. I think a good pair of shoes is more important... don't do that kind of trip in boat shoes.. it sucks.

Though, all of this is not relevant to traveling in Thailand. Most travelers in Thailand aren't doing multi-day solo treks. Most treks are a few days and they suggest bringing small backpack if anything. It's true that most travelers to Thailand don't use their backpack for more than walking to a cab and carrying from the cab to the bus, then the occasional walking around searching for a guesthouse for 20 minutes with a bag if they have nobody to watch it when they go off without it. Most people aren't going to spend 2 straight months trekking while traveling with a guide, let alone without one.

14

Cool story Bro :)