Backpacking through China & Central Asia, what bags…

One thing you might consider is to use an old bag or pack. Luggage on the roof of a bus, for example, may get riffled through. If your gear appears old and knocked around, maybe they won't bother with it… It also wants to be comfortable to live with, e.g. to sleep against – no rough or hard edges. Not too wide for the aisle of a crowded bus or train; and will let you put your head back to look up. Also, something that carries well when you decide to walk over the pass covered by snow, or you get dropped several miles from the border or nearest shelter. Finally, I'd take a pack that I have a good relationship with; I have several (ok, many) vintage packs that make me feel good, and make me want to travel or adventure with them (the only drawback being their weight).

This is BPL, right? :)

I recently backpacked a year overseas. 35L was plenty of capacity for my clothes and electronics. Are you carrying gear?

Thanks guys. The ideas for a rugged bag seem like a good idea, I'll take that into account Robert.

As for the size – Sean, my trip will be one month through China, about two weeks through Tajikistan, and then another month through China; 35Liter you think is okay for this? I am not bringing much "gear" per-se (no tent), just clothes, some basic electronics, and misc stuff (first aid, some emergency food). I've read online for trips like this that larger than 50L would be suggested, but obviously smaller would be preferred if possible.

If you were to ask what backpack you'd need to hike the Wonderland trail, one of the first questions we typically ask is what are you carrying? Will you need a sleeping bag and shelter to sleep in the wilderness or will you spend all your time in hostels and hotels?

Here's the backpack I carried through India for a week, This is all I need for anything from a weekend to a year and everything in between assuming I'm staying in hostels and $10 hotel rooms. This picture was taken the last day in country and filled with souvenirs for my kids, nephews, neighborhood kids, and coworkers.

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I have no idea what the volume is but it's less than 50L and perfect in this environment. If I were to need a sleeping bag and other stuff like that, I'd bring a frameless 50l pack, like the ULA CDT.

I went with two sets of clothes including the ones I was wearing. I never paid for laundry and washed all of my clothes in the sink and hung them to dry in my private room. Three sets of clothes (again including the ones on your body) is more than enough and I wouldn't bring more than that.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=59114

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=73267

i think any important question is whether or not gear will be necessary. I went to costa rica for a week and carried around my tarptent, to never use the thing. I'm planning an extended trip to india or china or somewhere, but I don't yet know if camping is going to be something I'll even do. At the most I may just carry a small silnylon tarp, but then i'll want a sleeping bag. Maybe someting like an enigma 40 degree. Or I won't bring gear at all and just plan on being inside always, i'm not sure how safe it is to randomly camp out in india anyway.

There are so many good Ben threads on this subject and it gets asked so often he should write an article…Here is another pack recommendation for world travel ,this is older and I am sure he has many more updated suggestions but it gives you an idea.

I spend three months in China in 1997 (went for a month in 1996, spend the year learning conversational Mandarin, and went back).

If you are not going to bring a tent and sleeping bag, cooking kit, etc etc than I think you can stay really small.
If I were to go again I would try to take a 32L panel loader, perhaps a 38L which would be more than enough for me.
I had a lot of gear with me (Chinese language books and lots of rolls of slide film included) and used nothing except two t-shirts, long and short pants, couple of shorts/socks and a sweater. Remember you can also get gear in country.

I traveled on bus/hitch-hiked,road horses through the mid to west to south in the second trip and the only thing that kept me busy when I arrived in a new village was getting water/food and a place to stay for the night. Then how to get transport later on to continue the trip, then perhaps a shower/dump in the lake/river. Really would have liked a sleeping bag liner when sleeping on concrete floors in somebodies storage room with heavy wool blankets on top of me.

I would just get gear that might be difficult to get there, like your favourite fleece, UL down jacket or rain gear.

One point about packs.
They went on top of cars or carts or busses, or in the bottom. There is almost always flooding, and if your pack is in the bottom, it will get wet from below. If it is on the top it will get wet from the top. I had a pack cover, put it cover down when in the hold if busses would wade through flooded areas. If your pack is smaller you can take it with you inside the car/bus. Lot easier.

If you want to take a lot of gear, you can also think about a bigger semi waterproof duffle (like a North Face Basecamp Duffle) and leave that where you stay, and have a smaller day pack. Personally I would just take one bit bigger day pack for everything, but it depends on your intensions too (staying longer in one place all the time vs mostly moving).

If you have time, would be nice to learn the language. Lot more fun if you can talk to old men/women you meet on the trail, and gives you more freedom to arrange transport or go places there is no tourist transport for.
Sounds like a great trip – have fun.

del

Yeah those are nice. I also like the Erawan duffles from Boreas, really nice carry and easy to live out off. Easiest carry, nice organisation, bit backpack like, and easy to stow away shoulder straps. Bit more fragile, only a bit, and rather expensive. Can't go wrong with the TNF duffles either though. I like the access of the D shaped opening over the Arc ones, as well as the compression the Boreas and TNF provide.

You can also go the other way around, bring your day pack, and once you arrive throw everything except what you need for the day in a ultra light Sea to Summit duffle. When travelling I always take one as an extra, don't feel the weight and as small as a kiwi when folded up.

http://www.carryology.com/reviews-2/drive-by/drive-by-boreas-erawan/

I have spent a "few" days in China. To make your trip the best you can manage, you'll want to fit in as much as possible. For some of us, that is ridiculously difficult. But fitting in with a 70L pack is going to be impossible on top of all the normal circumstances.

Trust me. You will have way more fun if you blend in as much as possible. Gigantic bags are not going to allow that. However, supplementing that bag with the language advice the guy left earlier is way more beneficial. If you can communicate, you will blend in more, which will offset that bag.

I love China. Love, love. But would never bring a bag that large. I really hope you have fun. Books are hard to read from. Take a couple Chinese classes at community college if you can. I also bought an electronic translator which turned out to be the equivalent of gold over there.

Just some opinions. :)