I’ve been researching for my RTW trip almost every day for a few years. I haven’t been actively searching for certain facts but I’ve been absorbing information from various sources. Recently I’ve been investigating backpacks. I have a backpack, it’s been thrown on buses, taxis, airplanes, wagons, trains – and most of all my back – through over 20 countries. It’s a cheap backpack and I’m surprised that it’s held up, not so much as a strap has broken or come unstitched. It’s always been a bit big on me, but when I bought it most companies didn’t make women’s models to fit wider hips and narrower shoulders.
My bag’s not always full, but I can easily fill it. However I usually carry cold weather clothes, boots and my SLR camera equipment. On my RTW trip I’m not bringing those things or cotton clothes, they just don’t dry. I like to bring my bag with me on buses in third world countries, it makes me really nervous having it tied on top with the bags of rice and chicken coops. So I’m going to get a new, smaller bag. I just called the manufacturer of my bag to find out how big it is so I can compare it with newer bags.
4,490 cubic inches (73.58 liters)
That’s big. The models I have been looking at are 2,440 cubic inches (40 liters). That’s almost half the size! I don’t know if I can do it. I can do it, but it’s not the things you would think that take up so much room. On my trip to Peru the biggest space went to my medicine! Toiletries are a close second and I don’t even bring any makeup. So we’ll see, I might have to fudge up to 50 liters. I keep changing between the two because a few packs I’m looking at are European or Australian (they come in liters) and most people on the message boards talk in liters. The crazy thing is most people I’ve seen in the past 4 years have had much bigger packs than me, they must be 90 liters carried by girls only 5’2″.