Winter in Europe - Travel Backpack Options

iforgotmysocks on 20/07/2016 - 09:45
Last edited 20/07/2016 - 09:49

Hi Team,

I'm heading to Europe for 4 weeks in December/January.

I currently have an Osprey Farpoint 40 backpack which I use pretty much weekly for short domestic journeys for work, and it worked well for a week in Japan in the spring.

I'm currently weighing up if it'll be big enough for winter in Europe, my current thoughts are it won't… I've done a test pack of some clothes and found while I could cram a fair bit of gear in there, it's not quite as much as I'd like (with no room to pick up anything along the way).

Does anyone have any recommendations of larger backpacks, or experiences of what they've used in cold climates? Purely for city hopping and the like, won't be hiking with it. I find backpacks far easier to negotiate on trains, and around cities than any other option. I'm also a bigger guy and relatively fit, so a heavier pack doesn't really deter me. I'm thinking something in the 50-60L area gives me a useful bump over the 40, and gives me 10L or so to accumulate things along the way. Flying with Qantas so check in isn't an issue.

Some of the ones I'm looking at are the larger osprey bags, deuter (transit/traveller), and the kelty redwing. Musts are a decent laptop pocket (one of the only negatives with the farpoint I have is the location of the laptop pocket), decent enough frame/carry system, and the ability to stow away the shoulder and hip straps for check in. I'm not sold on the merits of an integrated day pack, they seem to make the bags quite deep, and I'm happy whipping out my little kathmandu day pack that scrunches up to something the size of a wallet to tool around the suburbs.

Thanks in advance.

Travel

Comments

  • Heracles26 on 20/07/2016 - 09:58

    I have the Deuter ACT Lite 40+10L which I took to Nepal for 6 weeks last year. I'll be taking it to Vietnam later this year. I found that this was perfectly sized.

    Do you have a gear list? Personally I wouldn't want to take anything larger than this 40+10L pack.

    • iforgotmysocks on 20/07/2016 - 10:19

      Initially, the list is;

      Clothes
      1x Down Jacket
      1x waterproof shell
      1x scarf, beanie and gloves
      3x pairs of long pants (chinos)
      5x underwear (maybe more)
      5x socks
      2x long sleeve thermals
      2x thermal pants
      5-6x shirts (combo of long sleeve and t-shirts)
      2x pullover wool jumper
      1x hiking/walking shoes
      1x pair shoes (more dressy looking, they're like a black converse style)

      Other gear
      Laptop (13 inch, lightweight thing that weighs about 1kg)
      Laptop charger
      Power bank (charged through laptop, and charges phone)
      Power point adaptor
      Collapsable Daypack
      Sunglasses and glasses
      Headphones (thinking of getting some good in earphones instead, these take up a signifcant amount of room)
      Toiletries
      Passport holder, which also has itineraries, tickets etc.
      Water bottle

      I can cram most of this gear in the Farpoint, minus the stuff I'll be wearing (shoes, pants, shirt, pullover etc) but it's completely full. When it's full though, the compression straps on the front put stress on the laptop which is concerning. Would prefer the laptop sleeve to be closer to my back.

      • Heracles26 on 20/07/2016 - 10:27
        +1

        Maybe try cutting down on a few things. Get rid of a pair of pants, take a single pair of thermal pants, fewer shirts, a single wool jumper.

        It will be cold so you proably wont be sweating much and could get away with wearing clothes a bit longer without having to wash them :D

  • macrocephalic on 20/07/2016 - 10:03

    I have one of these: https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/explore-planet-earth-torino-55l…

    But it doesn't have a very good laptop pocket. The daypack zips onto the bag - but it's pretty fiddly. If I was carrying both then I would wear the large bag on my back and clip the small back to the front. This also allows you to keep valuables in the front literally right under your nose.

    I did 6 weeks in Europe in December-January and had more than enough space.

  • BuyoTheCat on 20/07/2016 - 11:01
    +1

    Dude, where is your camera?

    I recommend merino clothes. They do not smell which means you can pack fewer items.
    I also recommend stuff sacks for your clothes. I have about 3 of them
    I have one for socks and jocks, tshirts, pant, stuff everything inside, then use the strap to compress them.
    Something like this

    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BlueField-Sleeping-Bag-Compressio…

    I also recommend uniqlo's untra light down jackets. Once you layer up, thermal, tshirt, down and waterproof shell, you will usually be nicely toasty

    • iforgotmysocks on 20/07/2016 - 17:57

      Camera is in the gf's bag :P

      Compression bag looks like a good idea, the far point has two internal compression straps but that doesn't cover any of the smaller stuff.

      Have a mountain designs down jacket which stuffs into a sack marginally bigger than a can, it's awesomely warm

  • altomic on 20/07/2016 - 23:49
    +1

    I did Europe for 2 months from late Nov 98 - Mid Jan 99. London to Capadocia (Turkey)

    I had a 45ltr pack and a record bag.

    my day to day "uniform" was-
    steel cap docs
    explorer socks
    target business trousers (easy to wash, quick to dry, relatively wrinkle free, neat enough for dinner or opera)
    jocks
    bonds singlet
    long sleeve tshirt or shirt
    thin thermal cardy
    heavy nepalese coat.
    sometimes beanie + gloves.

    carried 3 spare pairs of socks (explorers) and jocks.
    another pair of trousers
    shorts
    1 spare tshirt
    pair of thongs
    toothbrush
    travel towel - i.e. hand towel.
    a clothes line (5 meter para cord)
    sleeping bag

    because it is cold then you will not be sweating much (if at all). it's europe -you'll stick to cities.

    so basically, your clothes aren't going to get dirty or sweaty. you really just need an emergency change of clothes.

    also, when you stay in hotels/hostels/airbnb there will be washing facilities or a laundromat nearby. also these places are heated so when you arrive then you can change in to your clean set -, then wash the dirty set and hang it out to dry. it will dry by the morning.

    less is way better.

    remember, if you need more clothes then just buy them. I only needed to buy a beanie (Ceske Budjevocie), gloves (Budapest) and jocks (Bratislava).

    My record bag held my lonely planet guide, a novel, pens, notebook (an actual paper book), camera and snacks.

    I met this Irish girl in Prague (we travelled together for 6 weeks). she had had her backpack stolen from her tent in France and was only left with 2 small day packs and a few spare items of clothes (other than her regular travel "uniform"). she just travelled with these 2 day packs. one on the front and one on the back. each weighed about 5 kgs. she had to buy a few tshirt, knickers and a bra. but other than that she had very little. but it was great. sort of liberating to take less. I looked at my clothes and though that I could get rid of a few things and I thought I was already travelling light.

    • altomic on 21/07/2016 - 00:00
      +1

      from your list I'd suggest;
      Clothes
      1x Down Jacket
      1x waterproof shell
      1x scarf, beanie and gloves
      2x pairs of long pants (chinos)
      5x underwear (maybe more)
      5x socks
      1x long sleeve thermals
      1x thermal pants
      3-4x shirts (combo of long sleeve and t-shirts)
      1x pullover wool jumper
      1x hiking/walking shoes
      1x pair shoes (more dressy looking, they're like a black converse style)

      Other gear:
      5" smart phone or 7 inch tablet.
      Power point adaptor /usb phone charger
      Sunglasses and glasses
      in ear Headphones + MP3 player -uses less power than a phone. save your phone power. small.
      Toiletries
      Passport holder, - get a little bag thing that goes around your neck. scan all your documents/tickets/CC etc and email them to yourself and keep a copy of them on your phone (with password). and if you really want then put copies on a USB stick also print 2 copies and put one in your daypack and one in your backpack o(in case things go wrong)

      Water bottle - just buy a 1 litre pet bottle there and refill it til it's too dirty or battered and then buy another one. they can be squashed down

      just take stuff that you would have no hesitation in dumping at a seconds notice if you had to. or if it was stolen then you'd be like "meh"

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