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The Osprey Sojourn 60L has WHEELS. Groan, this is not the best way to go unless you have back problems. Wheels add weight, the number one enemy of a backpacker.

First, FIT is the primary criteria. So without suggesting any particular make, what matters is that you try various makes and models looking for the best fit for you. Using Osprey as an example only, then I would suggest looking at the Farpoint 55 or the Waypoint 65 at most.

Adding a separete Osprey 33 to go with a Sojourn 60 just adds more WEIGHT again. Here are the weights to look at.

Osprey Sojourn 60: 3.53 kg. PLUS Osprey 33 at even .6 kg. for the superlight Hornet 32 gives you 4.13 kg. total.
Waypoint 65: 2.5 kg. including the 15L attached day pack.
Farpoint 55: 1.70 kg. including the 15L day pack.

That is a difference from the heaviest to lightest of 2.43 kg./5.36 lbs. !!!!! Taking 5 pounds off your back is very noticeable in terms of increased comfort. And that is just the pack weight itself, before you put one item in the pack!

Then I have to ask where will this day pack BE when not in use? In your Sojourn pack? Taking up space? That just forces you again into a larger pack which weighs more.

I strongly urge you to resist these weight adding thoughts. You are talking about a 33L day pack and I use a 29L 'daypack' for all my needs. Most experienced backpackers find that each time they undertake an extensive trip they move to a smaller and smaller pack. They learn the hard way that saving just a few pounds makes life so much easier. Many find they get down to a 30-35 L pack for all their needs with no difficulty. I'm not suggesting you start at that point, but something in the 50-60L range is more than enough including your day pack needs.

Everyone has to decide for themselves what they consider a need. The ultimate backpacker is 's/he who carries the least weight with the most comforts.' To that you can add 'andsafety'. So the idea is not to do without anything you feel you need, that would go against comfort and safety but to do so by finding the item that gives you the comfort and safety you need with the lowest weight possible.

So you can decide you want to read for example and the answer is to find the lightest way to do that. An e-reader or iPad is the obvious answer to that. Someone who can go without books to read has an advantage but it is not about giving up YOUR comforts, so you find the lightest answer.

Footwear is necessary. Which specific item is up to you. If you feel you need good walking shoes/boots and also a pair of sandals then that's fine. Now find the lightest of each that you can. Footwear is actually very important not just in terms of how much does a pair weigh if you put them in your pack, but how much do they weight on your feet.

There is a well known saying in wilderness backpacking circles that says, 'a pound on your feet equals 5 pounds on your back.' You can find studies that have been done that bear out this saying. What it means is that the amount of energy (measured in calories) used to lift and move one pound on your feet is equal to the amount of energy it takes to carry 5 pounds on your back. What this means to you the backpacker is that if you reduce the weight of the shoes on your feet by 1 pounds it will increase your comfort as much as taking 5 pounds out of the pack on your back. That is huge!

So, WEIGH the footwear you are thinking of taking and look for lighter alternatives that will meet your needs. A leather pair of hiking boots for example vs. a lightweight nylone/suede hiking boot can have up to 2 lbs. of difference in weight. Even a pair of sandals (Teva, Chaco, Merrell, etc.) can vary in weight. Find the lightest ones that you like.

I keep trying to explain to people that if you do not know what every item in your pack weighs, I guarantee you are carrying more weight than you have to.

Cameras are a quandry for many travellers. If you are really into it then it is for you a necessity. But obviously it is an area that can add tremendously to the weight of your pack. People agonize over 'should I take a tripod and should I take 4 different lenses, etc.' You are talking about 3 cameras. A point and shoot, a 'bridge' camera (which is neither fish nor fowl) and a waterproof camera.

Just like technology makes looking at taking an iPad to cover several individual needs with one item, the same is true today of cameras. So I would scrap all 3 of those and go for one camera that is newish to the market but rapidly becoming the camera of choice for travellers. http://gopro.com/hd-hero3-cameras

If you watch tv programs you will see this camera being used all the time. Not only to take great pictures but also to shoot great video and not used just by 'amateurs' but by serious professionals. Check this video shot using a GoPro. http://gopro.com/ Nor is this camera priced outside of the reach of someone who would consider buying a 'bridge' camera.

Then look at the accessories available for it. Underwater, normal, strapped to your chest, on your head, attached to your snowmobile, how about on your surfboard, what other camera does that as normal?

Like the iPad (which can substitute itself for a point and shoot camera) it covers multiple uses in one product. What does it weigh, you so rightly ask, well if you go for the top of the line Black Edition it comes in at a hefty 2.6 oz. Yes, OUNCES. Add a few mounting accessories if you like and you still won't get to half a pound. Compare that to your THREE cameras.

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21

Hi all,

Thanks for taking the time to respond! That's useful information about the Ipad and Kindle files, thankyou.

Yes, the Sojourn has wheels. I've tried the 80L and the fit was good (they've got a fully adjustable back harness, one of my critieria). I used a wheeled duffel bag in Peru and there were times when it had it's advantages - trudging around airports, for example. I was going for Osprey as I understand they are one of the lightest makes...

I've tried doing daytrips with a 25L rucksack and found it just wasn't large enough - by the time you've got waterproofs (even packamacs), picnic, camera and water in there, if you get hot and peel a layer off it was overstuffed...and the daypacks I've seen that attach to travel packs are rubbish, no decent hipstraps etc. The Sojourn has the facility to strap other Osprey packs to it, so I'd strap the day pack to the Sojourn...

The boots I'm thinking of taking are Ecco Goretex - suede and fabric combo; nice and light! :-)

Yes, the Gopro Hero3 is the camera I was eyeing up for the waterproof one. Problem is the Hero3 has had some terrible reviews and lots of problems - looks like they released it too soon - so I may look into the Hero2. And it has no zoom! :-O Being into ruins and architecture a good zoom is one of my requirements for a camera; the compact I have has a 24mm - 480mm zoom and the bridge I'm considering has 24mm - 800mm :-) (Canon and Nikon both have larger zooms out on a bridge, but the top end of those zooms have come in for some slating - I'm looking at the Panasonic with a Leica lens...). I'm not going for a DSLR as it's too much kit to lug about...

Thank you!

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22

check out scuba diving seasons by time of year & aquatic life cheers.

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23

Just on the note of Osprey Sojourn - we (family of four) 2 adults and 2 kids did an 11 month rtw trip (read homeschooling, various seasons etc) and we had one 80 litre and one 60 litre sojourn for all of us.

I love them - yes they have have wheels (thank god) as there was only a handful of times we needed to change it to the backpack whereas wheeling was a breeze - (done the backpack thing when single and that was fine but after having the Osprey and being that bit older I couldn't imagine going back to lugging things on my back anymore - ugh)
If it was just me (no kids, no schooling needs etc) then a 60 litre would have been more than ample - probably I agree possibly still too big for just one person. However as we travelled they were just perfect - they took some battering on buses/trains/planes/boats and never missed a beat and still look in good nic. Love my Osprey Sojourn!

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