Ultralight pack suitable for international travel

how many cubic inches do you need?

Frankly, I’m not sure. Can you judge from the gear list I gave?

Miscellany should be relatively small addition in terms of volume. Add a 1/3 reserve volume or so for stuff acquired along the way (eg native clothes) between post office shipoffs.

I went to Morocco and Tunisia for a month earlier this year — traveling, not camping. Without needing to carry any camping gear, everything fitted inside my campus bookbag, and my total pack weight was about 12 lbs. (1/3 full with 2/3 space for souvenirs).

You can save A LOT OF TIME and hassle, not to mention minimizing the chance of lost luggage by traveling only with one carry-on size backpack.

With camping gear, I can easily fit everything inside my Mountainsmith Ghost — which is also carry-on size. Really, if you pack like you are camping, then the additional stuff required for traveling is actually quite minimal — passport, tickets, a guidebook or two, and maybe an umbrella!

Alas, if you want to avoid checking in, then three things must stay home: knife/multi-tool, trekking poles, and fuel. For me, that’s only a minor hassle, since I don’t absolutely need trekking poles (can always find or buy a stick if need be), and both fuel and serviceable tools can be bought locally.

The risk of your unlocked pack getting rummaged through does exist, but is exaggerated on the whole. Equally important, the security of a small lock is also greatly exaggerated! I wouldn’t worry about an unlockable pack. Bringing along a smaller pack makes it easier for you to keep an eye on. Get a small Eagle Creek lock and cable so you can tie your pack to the luggage rack of your train or bus (to discourage pack snatchers while you are away from your seat, using the toilet or something).

If you are interested in reading more about packing light, let me know.

http://forums.backpacker.com/thread.jspa?forumID=20&threadID=74812

http://forums.backpacker.com/thread.jspa?forumID=4&threadID=75619

If everything fits into your 2001 version of the contential journey, then 3000 cubic inches would be a good working size.

I agree with Ben than taking a carry-on size pack is the right way to go. The mountainsmith ghost is a really nice pack, but it is (at least size L) larger than legal carry-on for some airlines. Most airlines don’t strickly enforce carry-on weight / size limits, but there is a risk you will would be required to check it through.

As to being lockable… I agree with Ben that lockable is over-rated. The micro locks don’t stope people who are intent on getting your stuff. The only protection against these folks (who are happy to take your pack and then ransom it back to you after they have removed what they want) is to keep your stuff with you. Small locks only stop people who don’t want to face the shame of discovery. You can get the same effect with numbered tape or zip ties which can be applied to almost any pack clousure.

As far as what packs to recommend. I would take a good look at the Six Moon Design StarLite. Reasonably durable, and provided you don’t overpack it, it will be carry-on legal. Don’t worry about locks, just put numbered tape over the clousure to encourage people to stay honest.

As far as clothing goes. I would recommend supplex pants and shirt because they give good protection and dry quickly after washing in a sink. I would consider a wool sweater as part of your insulation because beside providing body warmth, it can make you look more dressed up if you are in town. My adventure travel trips (which didn’t include back country camping… but I think the clothing wouldn’t change) I typically worn & brought 2 pairs of supplex pants (at least one zip-off), a technical tee, 2 long sleeve supplex shirts (different colors), a warm wool sweater, a synthetic insulated vest (or jacket if it was going to be cold), wind shirt, and a light weight rain jacket, wool hat, and a sun hat. Some of my thoughts on the “travel” part at http://www.verber.com/mark/travel/packing.html

–mark

I used a Six Moon Design pack last year for air travel with no problems. I was however suprised when I realized that I was getting on and off the plane with the metal stays, easily removable, in the pack. I took them out to avoid having them confiscated before my next flight. If you are using a pack with stays just a heads up

John – Thanks for the links. Will take a little while to go through the former one, but looks like he’s doing the same thing as me, so that should be helpful.

Benjamin – Yeah, I’d like to keep it within carry-on size. Fuel I can purge, and I’m fairly iffy about whether I want to get poles (I’ve never used ’em, just my [very stout] oak walking staff) anyway.

My packing list for travel isn’t all that much more than for camping. The “second aid” kit is a bit bigger – antivirals, antimalarials, etc – plus the various paperwork, paperwork-concealers, and more personal care / “look presentable for the nice border guard with the AK” stuff.

I’m not actually sure it’d fit in 2900cuin. The main pack of my CJ is 2700; the tent and bag take up a pretty significant amount of that… but I don’t have the rest of the gear just yet (freshly ordered), and I know there’s more room in there than there appears, so maybe it is. I was expecting to need something on the order of 3600cuin/25lb purely after reading the various backpackers’ travel guides, but I haven’t updated the volume estimate at all since then, as I’ve not been keeping track.

I know the “cable the bag to the rack” trick, and I intend to use it; what concerns me is that, as far as I can tell (I haven’t seen most of them in person), those packs have nothing but a cinch or a buckle to keep them closed. That doesn’t help me when I fall asleep, or when my bag gets tossed on the roof of a bus (and other people inevitably care to take the “suicidal” seating section).

The lock, really, is to prevent that level of prying. I don’t have any belief that they’d withstand a few minutes alone with tools; I’ve broken (and picked) locks before, and I’m not that naive about them. But I’d feel a lot more secure if it did require someone to break out the dykes, rather than just open up and look around. Lockable zippers would do that. (Your Ghost looks, from the pics, like it might be capable of this – y/n?)

A side question: do you find it necessary to use a daypack, given that your main pack is already fairly small? I suspect that would simplify matters yet further if so.

Mark – Let me restate my point about locks (I think what I just wrote may not have been accurate enough). They’re not protection, they’re a delaying / awareness-raising tactic. That’s what any security system is; ain’t nothing that can’t eventually be beat, or with the willingness to make enough noise. I’m just willing to bet that they’re not willing to make that much noise (or effort) right next to me, though, or in public – which is the level of protection I’m looking for. I’m fully aware that if they do steal my *pack*, then yeah it’s a cinch to break the locks. (This is where insurance comes in.) I just don’t want to be robbed *before* that happens (and also, that’s where cable-locking to a rack works – since they can’t take the bag away…)

What’s “numbered tape”? And, um, tape over the closure? Wouldn’t that be a pain *and* wearing (or at least gumming) on the pack?

Clothing: One thing I’m a bit confused about is what functional roles I need to fill. I’m only used to civvie clothes. My understanding from what I’ve read is that it’s:
a) capilene undies (of any weight?)
b) one soft-warm-general-use jacket
c) one wind/water proof shell
d) one pair general-purpose pants

Is that correct? Or is the ‘insulation’ layer separate? Or for that matter, would you need the same split functionality in pants also?

Dressed up is good; I’ll need to at least be *able* to look decent, for fancy (or legal, or diplomatic) situations – not much of a consideration on the trail. :-P

I think best when I have a set role to fill, can then compare specs / reviews, and then choose amongst the top candidates based on feel. As it is, the ambiguity of which slots I need to fill for what (and with what potential range of candidates) has me somewhat decision-paralyzed.

(The best I’ve come up with so far is that it seems like Integral Designs eVent Rain Jacket is the leading wind/water proof shell significantly [and looks pretty], and that the Buff and Polar Buff would probably make good replacements for a bandanna and cold-weather-headgear respectively.)

Thanks.
– Sai

(Incidentally, that rain/water proof shell would be awfully nice to have right now. Looks like the weather doesn’t like us much today. Yay, wind and deluge!)

– Sai, in Oakland CA

Kevin:

Packs with metal stays will NOT be confiscated! There are no laws against bringing metals on board as carry-on’s. The carrry-on restrictions apply to specific types of items like blades, box cutters, ski or hiking poles, etc. — not metals per se.

Ilya:

Clothing – you are correct. Same applies to both hiking and travel. Here’s a suggestion:

Two sets of synthetic, quick drying, wicking undies, shirts, pants and socks — one on your person, one in the pack. Mixing means 4 different outfits. Supplex is a wonderful shirt and pants material. You do laundry late at night and you’ve got clean, dry clothes by early morning. No more hauling dirty laundry!

Add one cap/hat, waterproof/breathable jacket, insulation jacket, a pair of swimming trunks that’s “streetable” as shorts, and an umbrella — and you have a complete wardrobe for any and all weather. Two pants and one shorts, then why not convertible pants, you ask? Well, my bias is that convertible pants are great for trail use but ugly as heck in town, so I avoid them for city wear. Avoid shirts/pants/jackets with that exaggerated outdoor look. Simple styles in white, blue/navy and khaki will work anywhere.

Shoes – choose something that’s comfy for long walks, looks good in restaurants/theaters at night, and also low maintenance (i.e. never needs polishing) — then all you need is one pair. Nubuck in dark brown or black with simple design will satisfy all the above criteria.

Second aid kit. Don’t go overboard. Bring only sufficient quantities for 2-3 days’ usage at the most. Pharmacies are everywhere, so just bring enough to handle emergency usage. BPL sells tiny bottles and pill boxes that will help cut down on the size and weight of your “second aid” kit tremendously.

The one exception is prescription drugs — bring appropriate quantities of those.

Finally, this day and age, the clothing described above will be appropriate for 98% of all occasions that travelers might encounter. So, unless you plan to have tea with the Queen, you won’t need anything fancier. :)

Hope this helps.

Re: Weapons on planes

I wonder how much of that is revoked by the new rule saying some small pointy stabbies are okay? (Was in news ~1-2 weeks ago)

Two sets: should they be identical? E.g. 2 pair midweight full-length undies (vs different weights / lengths), or different types of pant/shirt/sock/…? (E.g., I’m mildly confused that there are *multiple* kinds of pants, but it seems to be a relatively clean analogue to “light” vs “wind/waterproof” in spectrum.)

Not much point hauling dirty laundry just for variety’s sake. :-P

Cap/hat – does a Buff count? For that matter, I don’t seem to see any reviews of something that’s good for both rain *and* sun (though ones that are praised for one of the two, yes) – ought I take one of each, or just find something that’s decent in both?

You mention “shirts” as different from “undies”; I was under the impression that torso-undies *were* shirts, effectively. No?

There surely are some convertible pants by now that don’t actually scream “I AM A CONVERTIBLE CARGO PANT!”…? After all, it’s a zipper; it can’t be *that* hard to make low-key…

But yeah, I was figuring I’d have the Basic Male Color Spectrum to work with here: black, navy, khaki, and forest green. :-P Which fits me just fine (and makes everything go together, yay).

Shoes – exactly the sort of spec I wanted. I only intend to have one pair (maybe some shower/beach-flops also), and they’d better last. :-) Nubuck is that sort of brushed-sandy-soft leather finish, ya?

Second aid: Yeah, that’s the plan. Enough keep me suplied until I limp into the nearest place with more supplies, plus some extra in case they’re out.

Most 3rd-world pharmacies ought to have most things I’d be wanting prescription-wise. I hear they’re better stocked than American ones sometimes, and not always worrying so much about the prescription bit either if you have the cash. I wonder how much of an issue that would be though if I repackaged ’em for space… the border types might get a bit itchy (unlabeled pills in unlabeled [or self-labeled] containers)… and most likely, that’d be itchy for some graft. :-/

Tea with the Queen – well now, it depends on which Queen you’re talking about, doesn’t it? :-)

But yeah, I’m just aiming to look nice and respectable (read: backed by America, don’t mess with him too much, he’s bringing us money anyway) for the nice and respectable people with guns. Or for the odd queen I might run into along the Amazon.

One point that concerns me is that, for any given period of time, I’d probably be in more-or-less the same environment. Which would mean using most of the same clothes – shifting to the other ones as conditions change. Perhaps that wouldn’t be too much an issue if the base layers are in duplicate though.

– Sai
(aka Ilya, but I only use that name for legal / monetary purposes these days)

No weapons on planes. TSA no longer considers scissors and tools 4 in. or under as “weapons”. No blades though, no matter how small.

Undies — I was thinking two s/s tees and two briefs or boxers. For camping, you might also add a set of long undies.

Shirts and pants – get different ones that can be crossed matched so you have effectively 4 different outfits (e.g. white and blue shirts, khaki and navy blue pants). Alternatively, one of the shirts can be a nice tee that can double as undershirt at night or in cooler climates.

Cap – assuming you aren’t going to truly cold places, the REI UL cap might be a good choice — blocks the sun, and is waterproof, breathable.

I’ve yet to see a decent looking pair of convertibles, but obviously, this is subjective.

Nubuck – click below for mine (in brown):

http://www.zappos.com/images/103/103914/827-7075-p.jpg

Don’t pay that exorbitant price! You can get new ones off Ebay from time to time at 1/3 that price! Truly good and comfy for long trail and urban walks. But for more serious hiking on less well-maintained trails, then you’ll need something with better traction and support.

Finally, refering to what you wrote:

“read: backed by America, don’t mess with him too much, he’s bringing us money anyway”. Lose that attitude. I know you wrote it tongue in cheek, but when you behave as you would a guest in someone else’s home — local people will almost always go out of their way to help you! At the end of the day, no matter how beautiful the scenery or how historic the ruins, it’s the people that can really make (or break) your trips.

Hope this helps.

> No blades though, no matter how small.

Um, d00d… you just contradicted yourself. Scisoors = 2 knives. = blades, ya?

But the question was, do they consider walking-sticks that happen to have little carbon tips on them to be weapons? What if you remove those tips? (*are* they removable?)

S/s =? And, why not replace that with say, one silkweight & one medium weight long, w/ one short for when you’re wearing shorts over it (which I don’t think I’d be doing all that often)?

Cap – “truly cold”? Assume that as I want to be comfy-ish down to 10F and survivable to -5F or so.

Nubuck – *what* exorbitant price? The pic doesn’t list any. (Did you mean to link to the product page?) Anyhow, I filter all this through Froogle first, so it shouldn’t be a problem. :-P

Attitude: yeah, ‘s meant to be tongue in cheek. Honestly, I don’t actually think that way (though I do think that some people do – does that count?). I agree with you philosophically; I’m just adding a little bit of pragmatism in pointing out that I’m likely to be put into particular roles anyway, and that’ll affect how I have to (or choose to) come off. E.g., the “journalists / students / Americans / rich people / poor people aren’t allowed in” thing – that’s politics and social psych, ne? Not as personal (both ways).

– Sai

> REI UL cap

How ’bout a Ex Officio BuzzOff instead? (That would have bug-repellant and the neck-cape thing.)

When you are dealing with bureaucrats, you will soon learn not to look for logic or consistency, or even bother to ask ‘why’! :)

Yes, a pair of scissors can be viewed as two blades. Nevertheless, TSA’s new rule: You can’t carry-on a blade. But if you drill a hole and screw two blades together to mimic a pair of scissors, then it’s AOK — welcome aboard — as long as it’s under four inches.

Carrying on a walking stick with carbon tip — probably not, unless you are elderly and it is somehow obvious that you require that stick to be mobile. Since you’re 23 and a hiker, count on being asked to check it.

Cap and clothing appropriate to your temp. range — Given the myriad of choices out there, I highly recommend that you go to a good store (REI, etc.) and ask and compare before making your final choices. There are just too many choices and variables — plus you are looking at a wide temp. range. Most likely, you will end up buying different weights and configurations — and then taking only selected ones, depending on your particular trips.

If you watch a lot of CNN, you get the feeling Americans aren’t particulary welcomed in places around the world. With few exceptions, this is FALSE! It is truly, truly sad how distorted an image we have of the world when we see it through news media (ditto for foreigners watching their local news — so distortions are actually compounded!). Most people you will encounter will treat you as an individual. If they dislike Bush, it is unlikely that they will hold you personally responsible. Instead, most will politely listen to what YOU have to say. Of course, it should work the other way too.

When you are dealing with bureaucrats, you will soon learn not to look for logic or consistency, or even bother to ask ‘why’! :)

Yes, a pair of scissors can be viewed as two blades. Nevertheless, TSA’s new rule: You can’t carry-on a blade. But if you drill a hole and screw two blades together to mimic a pair of scissors, then it’s AOK — welcome aboard — as long as it’s under four inches.

Carrying on a walking stick with carbon tip — probably not, unless you are elderly and it is somehow obvious that you require that stick to be mobile. Since you’re 23 and a hiker, count on being asked to check it.

Cap and clothing appropriate to your temp. range — Given the myriad of choices out there, I highly recommend that you go to a good store (REI, etc.) and ask and compare before making your final choices. There are just too many choices and variables — plus you are looking at a wide temp. range. Most likely, you will end up buying different weights and configurations — and then taking only selected ones, depending on your particular trips.

If you watch a lot of CNN, you get the feeling Americans aren’t particulary welcomed in places around the world. With few exceptions, this is FALSE! It is truly, truly sad how distorted an image we have of the world when we see it through news media (ditto for foreigners watching their local news — so distortions are actually compounded!). Most people you will encounter will treat you as an individual. If they dislike Bush, it is unlikely that they will hold you personally responsible. Instead, most will politely listen to what YOU have to say. Of course, it should work the other way too.

> When you are dealing with bureaucrats, you will soon learn not to look for logic or consistency, or even bother to ask ‘why’! :)

Of course not, I’m a scientist. I ask “how” not “why”. :-p

I wonder what happens if you, say, snap two knives together with some regular button-snaps? Look, they swivel! And they pop off quite easily to give me two! (But honestly, if you’re going to be sneaking weapons on board, there are much better methods…) (“to think of all the marvelous ways they’re using plastics nowadays” … aah, Tom Lehrer, still so disturbingly yet funnily relevant)

I would imagine that there would be legal issues with being forced to prove my need (or perceived need) for a walking-stick. (It’d set precedents for required registration of handicaps…) But I also imagine that the people at the gate don’t know nor care…

CNN? Try Fox. *shudder* This is one of the reasons I’m glad I don’t own a TV – the times I end up walking by one I find myself feeling mildly ill from the disgustingly obvious platitudes, propoganda, and … well, let’s stop there.

It’s been my experience (even non-internationally) that once people can get past the “OMG [or perhaps “oh damn”, depending] it’s a ____” reaction, then yeah they interact personally. If anything, from people I know, it seems Americans are less likely to get past that, and to lump people together with their governments.

Nevertheless, should I happen to visit Iraq, I think I’ll be wearing robes, a man’s head-shawl, and staying away from the active war zones. :-/

Gear:

Hats: one other limiting factor in practice is the fact that my head circumfrence is 35″ (that’s an ‘8’ or ‘8+’). They practically never have anything that can fit me in stock. :-/

Thing is, while it’d be nice to have a selection to pick from… I am essentially taking one, highly diverse trip. That’s what all of this is intended for at least. Having more diversity for when I’m at home – or within short range of home – would be nice. But for my purposes, it has to be “queen of all trades”.

Most places in the world, you can easily and inexpensively buy clothing you need in the country in question. It won’t necessarily be exactly what you want, but it will almost certainly be cheap.

Sometimes cheap is pretty optimum.

You almost certainly will buy some clothing on an extended trip anyway.

For air travel and being in cities, I like nice cotton button-front shirts with big chest pockets and a collar. The collar is important because if you keep your passport in one of those eagle creek pockets hanging from a loop around your neck, the collar serves the important function of making that loop harder to see.

Get an old funky wallet and put expired credit cards and old id in it. Leave a smallish amount of local currency in it too. This serves two purposes: it distracts pickpockets from where your money really is, and it also is helpful if a local police officer wants a bribe. You can take your wallet out and give them all the money you have (in the wallet). Don’t keep all of your cash in one place on your body, usually it is best to keep smaller notes and coins separate from larger bills, and distribute the larger bills among two or three pockets. Pants that have deep, zippered pockets (I have a pair of Mountain Hardwear hiking pants like this) are awesome because it will be hard for pickpockets to get into them without you noticing.

Just some random thoughts…

*nod* Oh, I’ll definitely be getting native garb when it’s interesting enough to me. (Note the other thread – I kinda like dressing up in other cultures’ clothing.) But I’ll still want me primary set to do most of the work, and be the only stuff I actually depend on.

I don’t think I’d be comfortable wearing a neck-pocket; I’d choose either the armpit gunslinger type or the waistbelt tye. And probably a “money belt” (the belt-belt kind) for an extra cash-and-passport-photocopy stash in case I really get mugged (hey, you’re not going to take my *pants* are you? Here, have my wallet and my backpack…)

Thanks for the reminder though. :-) Yay for the “this is all I have to bribe you with, sorry I’m just a student” gag.

To get back to the original question…

I like the Eagle Creek Explorer Trek.
Slightly heavy at 3lbs, but considering its a fully functional travel pack, with a proper legal carry-on size (a 3000ci pack isnt big, but its big enough to get the stink eye when boarding. The explorer trek meets FAA regulations) and can double as a quality off trail backpack.

Plus the durability of the bag makes the 3lbs negligable. A 4oz pack might be OK for on-trail wanderings, but for international travel you never know what you might encounter, or who, and having a rugged bag is worth the weight.

Oh, and make room in your pack by carrying less stuff, and carrying more cash.

Anything you NEED, you can buy. If you NEED it, so do the locals. If they dont NEED it, you might reconsider why you NEED it so bad. This has the added benefit of ensuring that you have A) fully experienced the area your travelling through and B) that you have the “proper” things (like clothes) for the area, and dont stick out like a sore thumb.

Anything you TAKE, you should be ok with it getting lost, stolen, damaged, or sold for pennies on the dollar for the trip home.

[double post]

I wouldn’t buy a pack that is right up to the carry-on limit (adding to 45), but instead would get one slightly smaller than carry-on dimensions, say 40-43.

Ben Tang and others, please link to some brown/black shoes to use for a trip like this. The link you gave was only to a pic of the shoe.

John:

Here it is (also comes in black color):

http://www.happyfeet.com/istar.asp?a=6&id=6414-942!208&csurl=/iStar.asp?a%3D29%26manufacturer%3D208

You can occasionally find these — new, of course — on Ebay for about 1/3 the price.