We are currently on the prowl for our gear for the next four months. I've learned a bit from my mistakes on previous trips and hope I can do this one right! Here's what I'm looking for in my next pack:
- Panel Loading: Fumbling through your bag to find something buried at the bottom is a HUGE pain. With panel loading packs you can just open it up and see everything you need right there.
- Smaller capacity: My pack from my first trip was 50L I think and is currently gathering dust in my parents' attack. On my three weeks in Turkey I just used my 25L school backpack. It was tough to whittle down my stuff to such a bare minimum, but I did it! The trick with bags is you can only pack as much as it will hold. I'm hoping if we buy small packs we won't have any choice but to pack light.
- Another perk of smaller capacity is being able to carry it on flights. I'm hoping we can fit ours in the overhead bins.
- The pack that seems most appealing right now is the REI Lookout 40. They have both men's and women's style. Is it too cheesy for us to have the same pack in different couple? Next thing you know we'll be wearing matching track suits.
As for other stuff on our list:
- Packing cubes: A few girls I traveled with in Cambodia rocked the packing cubes. These little guys help you compress and organize your stuff. It's easy to just pull out the cube you need instead of rooting around in your bag for one shirt. Plus, it condenses things. Yay for more clothes!
- Day packs: I'm hoping to carry a cross-shoulder purse. But what should Micah use? Drawstring backpack? Satchel? Murse? We don't know yet. Hmm..
- About a thousand other things. We're gonig to save it all for the last minute, but I'm sure it'll be fine....right?
