secured a summer job earlier this year so i was fortunate enough to be able to splurge on one of my dream bags :)
I only received this today so haven’t done a full load out (just a pillow for now). Buy initial impressions are - I like it, very light but doesnt seem fragile. The 30L seems a good size with decent amount of storage. Laptop is protected by a stiff plate between it and the backpack straps. Backpack straps are nicely padded, nuch nore robust than their Lite ready packs.
The main compartment and top pocket zippers do not having locking loops on them, but the lower pocket and thr laptop pocket have a fanncy zipper where it can only be opened if the zipper is lifted up.
There’s also an attachment loop top right of the bag, that lines with anothet loop bottom right of the bag, which would seem suggest a shoilder strap for duffel carry, but Bellroy doesn’t supply such a strap.
I know X Pac has tendency to develop x patterns over the time, but what can cause this kind of bumpy delimitation very quickly? I received this CPP last month, but didn’t use it till yesterday. I realized this bumpy things after a couple of hours of driving, so what I came up with is heat from sunlight in the car, but AC was on all the time so I don’t think it got hot. Nothing was stored in the admin panel. Does your CPP keep the flat surface or have more pronounced (bumpy) X Patterns?
My partner and I are shortly setting off on a long planned round the world trip, September ‘24 - August ‘25. We’ll be starting in London and hopefully ending in Indonesia, going through Europe, South Asia, East Asia and South East Asia. We’ll be trying to go by train as much as possible.
Packing list (photos attached) and country list are below, would be interested to get some thoughts! Although don’t rip it apart as we are going in two weeks 😅
You’ll notice I do quite like Merino…
Photo 1: - Packed out Decathlon Forclaz 40L (used before and loved)
Photo 2: - Osprey Daylite Tote Bag: For day-to-day use, and can be stowed in main bag when travelling
Photo 3: Coats/Jackets - Patagonia down hoody - Patagonia Torrentshell - Patagonia R1 Air half zip (worn)
Photo 4: Shoes - Nike Pegasus Trail 4 - Teva Hurricane XLT 2 (worn)
Photo 5: Clothes - Arne Clo shorts with hidden zip pockets - Arne Clo trackies with zip pockets - Seagale Performance Shorts with hidden zip pockets (worn) - 3x …
I swear some of the bloggers are bringing their entire closets, while I’m going as bare-bones as possible for my weather conditions and barely squeezing it all in.
Take this woman’s article for example - she’s bringing so many clothes and things like a yoga mat and nail polish (not large, just pointing out the inclusion of luxury items), I am utterly confused how she is doing this. I use compression bags and roll clothes as needed. I’m using a 46L osprey sojourn and keep having to get rid of items to make it work.
Does this make sense? Am I missing some magical packing strategy?
Update: I have managed to pack absolutely everything I need and want into my 46L with some space for anything I bring back if I’m willing to really pack it full. I really can’t imagine how cumbersome it would be to pack everything that woman did, but if she made it work that’s cool.
Flying out tomorrow so hopefully I’m not missing anything too big haha. First trip with the Osprey Farpoint 40L and I’m pretty impressed with how much I managed to fit in. I know I probably overpacked on the clothes, but I genuinely hate doing laundry so the more time between loads, the better 🫠
Not pictured: collapsible water bottle and a small towel.
This is what I’m taking for a year and a half trip starting in October starting in SE Asia (~8 months in SE Asia and ~8 months in central/South America). I am a big outdoorsy person so will be soaking in lots of nature going on day hikes, exploring, etc. In terms of toiletries plan is to just buy as I go where I’m at. Official bag packed weighs in at 7.9kg however to reduce weight stuffed in my black puff jacket around my waist will be speaker, backup phone, laser, portable charger, and small lock. After doing that bag weighs in at 6.9kg(7kg limit for carry on in se asia). I need the laser and speaker because I am a stargazing guide and will be running tours at various places during my trip.
Introduction
For the past few years I’ve used quite a few backpacks for travel. I started out with a simple Eastpak for a week of Spain. That really got me into one bag travel because I loved the simplicity of it. My first real travel bag was a Tropicfeel Hive which was great but had some flaws as well. I’ve tried a Decathlon 40L (similar to a Cotopaxi bag), I’ve tried the Thule Aion 28L (which is now my EDC bag), the Aer TP3, the Patagonia Mini MLC 30, some photography bags and much more.
With testing you’ll quickly find out what you like and what you don’t. I personally travel without a laptop and mostly need something for a maximum of 3 weeks by car or plane. What I noticed I’d want in a bag is a big open space, good water bottle compartmen(s), a clamshell opening, preferably on the backside of the bag, the ability to shrink it down or expand it when needed and a front pocket and some reliable quality.
So with that said in mind I found the Peak …
Just wanted to share some instances during a recent trip where the Heroclip came in clutch:
Lisbon: The coat hangers in our hotel weirdly had no hooks. Had to get a bit creative to hang-dry my shirt.
Bern: Sea-to-summit clothesline was a bit short. Luckily I had a solution.
Definitely bringing the Heroclip in future trips :)
I recently travelled to Europe for four weeks with Experiment #427 Bombtwill Ravers as my only pair of long pants. I was not paid or compensated for this review.
I’m 5’10, ~155 lbs, and a size 29 waist. When these dropped the smallest size available was size 30, despite it appearing on the product page that the model was wearing a size 29. The pants as they arrived were a little large and too long to be practically worn. I wore them out once as was, but needed a belt to keep them comfortably around my waist and NYC streets being the way they are, I immediately stepped in some gum that was a pain to remove from the fabric.
I ended up getting the waist taken in by about an inch and a half and the length hemmed to be just above the ground when worn with shoes and standing still. This gives them a “floating” effect while at rest and in motion instead of the original “black puddle of fabric”, but there’s still enough room for adjustment in …
A couple of years ago I accepted that the pair of lightweight (150 gsm, I think) Icebreaker merino tee shirts that had served as base layers in the winter and a go-to breezy, quick-drying, no-stink-holding option in summer for nearly ten years, were really starting to show some wear and tear (first pic) and would need to be replaced. No complaints, I absolutely got my money’s worth out of them, especially as I originally got them at clearance prices. Unfortunately, Icebreaker hasn’t made that model, or any kind of direct replacement, for years.
So I tried what Icebreaker offers now, along with options from Ibex and Smartwool. The ones that ultimately clicked with me were Outlier’s lighter weight merino options, especially Dreamweight. Some of the most comfortable pieces of clothing I have ever owned, though I had some concerns about durability. And indeed, several pieces didn’t last very long. The one in the second pic might have been a victim of a washing …
A work pant fit for the 21st Century, sewn up in the rugged yet super-comfortable Workcloth fabric. Relaxed cut with counterintuitively elegant details; a hidden shank, angled-on-seam pockets, oversized belt loops and a discrete dime pocket in the rear.
A right between loose and lean experiment [#467]. Straight passing but not too straight, a technically superior five-pocket pant with a dialed in fit and gusseted crotch for freedom of movement. Made with the hardcore yet secretly soft Bombtwill fabric, this pant can take a hell of a beating and still look great.
A lightweight, soft, dry and near-perfect t-shirt made with Daydry Merino. An intimate blend of 75% top-capped 16.5 micron merino with 25% bioremediating Ciclo poly to take nature’s finest performance fiber to another level. Faster drying and more open than pure merino, the 150gsm jersey is lightweight but sturdy and ready for persistent wear. Cut One is our classic cut, straight and long.
A lightweight, soft, dry and near-perfect t-shirt made with Daydry Merino. An intimate blend of 75% top-capped 16.5 micron merino with 25% bioremediating Ciclo poly to take nature’s finest performance fiber to another level. Faster drying and more open than pure merino, the 150gsm jersey is lightweight but sturdy and ready for persistent wear. Cut Two is our box cut, squared out with broad-shoulders and a high neck.
A lightweight, soft, dry and near-perfect …