Howdy - in preparation for the Great European Journey™ I'm researching backpacks for my partner and I.
We're not going to be packing heavy and we want to be able to a week's worth of clothes, our personals and probably a sleeping bag each, in case of dodgy hostel beds. It'd be nice if it had one of those systems for securing the packs for check-in. We are, after all, Australians with a stop-over in Asia. We'd like to reduce the chance of being accidentally turned into drug-mules.
Any suggestions?
(BTW - turns out we won't be doing France after all now, unfortunately. Our Austrian hosts convinced us that given the time of year our 'trip through the countryside' had fewer benefits than visting Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Hall, Shaffhausen, Zurich, Barcelona and London, spending a few days in each, but concentrating most of our time in Hall - which is right near Innsbruck - skiing!!!!!)
Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :
Unless you actually plan on camping, I'd go for a liner in the place of a full sleeping bag. It's much lighter and more compact.
Posted by Troubadour (Member # 83) on :
Oh no. No camping. It'll be the dead of Winter while we're there. The only reason we're taking the sleeping bags is to avoid mangy hotel linen.
Posted by Joldo (Member # 6991) on :
Then you don't need much more than fresh sheets, no?
And drug muling is actually an effective way to pay for your trip. Really.
Posted by Troubadour (Member # 83) on :
Obviously you haven't been paying attention to how Australians are being targeted in South-East Asia at the moment!
I've had the sleeping-bag given to me on good advice - sheets tend to pick up dirt, smells and other unsavoury stuff - particularly as it can be difficult to keep track of which side was up against those oh-so-unsavoury beds.
With sleeping bags you're always warm, you always know which side to not sleep on, and you can snuggle up in blankets if you're on trains and can't afford sleeper-class.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
quote:Originally posted by Troubadour: Obviously you haven't been paying attention to how Australians are being targeted in South-East Asia at the moment!
Um, no. Please expand on this comment. Posted by Nato (Member # 1448) on :
Here are a few news stories about Australians arrested in Asia recently on drug charges.
Posted by Troubadour (Member # 83) on :
Additionally, Indonesion authorities have confirmed (tho I saw it on the TV news, so I don't have a link) that because of our party attitude in Asia, that Australians are targeted by their police force for potential drug charges.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Nato, thanks for the links, but all they are are accounts of Australians up on charges. Nowhere did it even say that Australians were being targeted, unless I'm blind.
I did, however, find this article which says, in part, this:
quote:Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says he does not believe Australians are being targeted by Indonesian police in a crackdown on illegal drugs.
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
I would recommend checking out Jansport brand. They have a long history of developing backpacks that work well as luggage. I just bought a sort of "locker" on wheels that has backpack straps on it too. I used a backpack/duffel all over Europe one year and it became my favorite bag until a shampoo bottle exploded inside it. Turns out some component of shampoo sets off the bomb detection equipment at airports (in the US at least). This bag will never again pass the "swab test" at an airport because some cheap shampoo bottle leaked.
Arrrggghhh.
Oh well, I now have a better one that has wheels and a GREAT handle. Definition of great handle is one that I don't have bend over like Quasimodo to use, and it doesn't sit in rails on the outside of the bag (because then you can NEVER check the bag and hope to be able to extract or retract the handle ever again.
Anyway, Jansport will almost certainly have something that will meet your needs.
Posted by Troubadour (Member # 83) on :
So what happens to unsuspecting travellers that have had this type of shampoo leak and try to go through US customs?
See, this is why I didn't get an around-the-world ticket and visit the US as well. Every single one of my friends who has been to the US has a horror story about getting through.
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