April 28, 2019 -
I love gear. It's no surprise really. I have always liked toys. It goes hand in hand with my basic immaturity. I can easily get carried away. I have gotten more than a few questions about what we take on the road, so I wanted to put together this post.
As we started planning The Road to Bali we both started researching everything. We had never traveled before for weeks at a time. So after learning how to pick air flights that are affordable and wading into the byzantine world of Air BnB, I began to think about gear.
We both had standard large suitcases that we used for travel in the past. But the blogs we were reading talked about the importance of traveling light. Everything in a carry on bag if at all possible was the ideal goal. If you look elsewhere in the blog you will find an excellent lecture on how to pack effectively. No one on a trip every wished they packed more stuff.
There was so much I did not know and as I mentioned elsewhere in the blog, none of what we are sharing are original ideas. These tips are hacks we learned from other sources like our travel influencers mentioned in an earlier post.
So these lessons lead me to start looking for gear! It was a happy (and ongoing) hunt.
The first issue was packing cubes. I never used them before and I found them instantly appealing. They kept my clothes organized and very easy to pack. They also allowed compression which made even more room in my bag. Here is a great video talking about the virtues of the cubes. They are widely available in different sizes and colors.
The next issue was what bag to take? I soon found out that this is a very personal issue. Everyone likes their own gear and style and there are a myriad of choices.
Colleen, for example, likes a roller bag very similar to the one shown. She found a very cheap one at Cost Co for $30 and it has worked well for her. Fully loaded it can be a little heavy and she sometimes has trouble getting it into overhead compartments. But, she likes the roller feature very much and will place her personal bag over the handle to make it a complete unit. She is able to take everything she needs for a 6 week trip in this bag.
It is a personal choice and must fit your own style.
It helps to keep two goals in mind. The first is you want to try to take everything you need to take in one carry on bag. The second issue is thinking about where you are going. Are you going to just a city? Are you going to be in the country? Both? What would it be like to move your bag from point A to point B comfortably?
I looked at options and favored a backpack style. The main reason for this choice is when worn, it would free up my hands and it was easier to negotiate airplanes, taxis , and trains.
As one of the bloggers points out, I am not talking about technical backpacks that are used for camping or climbing a mountain. Those bags are too large, usually top loaded only, and are built for a different purpose. No, I am talking about travel backpacks that usually open in a clam shell style and have various organizational pockets.
There are innumerable choices in this category and, if you are a gear junkie like I am, it is fun to shop. The main problem is the bags can be significantly more expensive than the price of Colleen's bag.
Here are the two hipsters The Vagabrothers. They make a lot of helpful videos for travelers and it is worth exploring their channel. There are A LOT of other choices but I wanted to share with you some places to start your own search.
Finally, here is where I settled, at least for now, on the bags I use. Below video you will find links to the three bags described.
Here are links to to the three bags mentioned.
(1) Rick Steves Convertible Carry On
https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/carry-on-backpack
(2) Osprey Farpoint 55
https://www.amazon.com/Osprey-Farpoint-Travel-Backpack-Volcanic/dp/B014EBLI7Y/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=osprey+farpoint+55&qid=1556477325&s=gateway&sr=8-1
(3) Osprey Farpoint 40
https://www.amazon.com/Osprey-Farpoint-Travel-Backpack-Volcanic/dp/B014EBM3KA/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=osprey+farpoint+40&qid=1556477366&s=gateway&sr=8-1
Honorable mention - not shown in the above videos -
The Nomatic 40L travel bag. I tried this bag out. It is loaded with great features but in the end, I felt the Osprey better fit my needs. It is also an expensive product. Still, this is a great bag and worth a look.
https://www.nomatic.com/products/nomatic-travel-bag
I hope this is helpful. See you on the road!
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