Recommendations for a large rucksack for backpacking

[B-9]

Definitely look at REI

Best bang for your buck, Jansport being a good runner up.

I have many external frame packs and they are not nearly as comfortable as a internal frame pack or even lightening your load and just grabbing a 30L daypack with no frame but good waist belt and padding.

500cm kit is a beast to lug around sight seeing. Got anything smaller!? You might find yourself missing out on the exerperience juggling photo gear and friends patience.


Can't really recommend a specific bag for you, all the brands have very similar offerings. Find a color combo you like and keep a close eye on bag weight. A lot of these packs will have you starting off with 6+ lbs of bag.

Best of luck!

 

[Jake Mongey]

Where else are you (thinking of) going

Currently the plan is to get the Eurostar to Brussels, spent a bit of time in Brussels then head to amsterdam, then Copenhagen, back down to frankfurt and from then on not too sure.

Gonna be a rushed trip but theres a lot too see in only 15 days - at the moment im still trying to sell my Mamiya to finance the rest of it!

 

[retinax]

Currently the plan is to get the Eurostar to Brussels, spent a bit of time in Brussels then head to amsterdam, then Copenhagen, back down to frankfurt and from then on not too sure.

Gonna be a rushed trip but theres a lot too see in only 15 days - at the moment im still trying to sell my Mamiya to finance the rest of it!

Give me shout when, or before, you're in Frankfurt! Although I don't recommend wasting much time here if you're on a two week Europe trip, there are far more interesting places.

My advice is keep it light! If you really must carry the Hasselblad and three lenses, keep everything else to a bare minimum, better do laundry a few times than carry too much.
Unless you plan on bringing camping gear or using the backpack for such trips, a ~40L backpack should do and keep you from packing too much.

 

[Nokton48]

Hey Jake,
Good Luck to you and have a lot of fun.
Shoot lots of film.
-Dan

 

[peter_n]

I would look for a used f-stop bag, like the 40L Ajna or the 50L Tilopa. They are the best camera backpacks you can get, with top and rear entry. f-stop also sells ICUs (internal camera units) to hold your gear. They are expensive but excellent for a moderate amount of gear and clothing/food/drink. I use an Ajna - best pack I've used so far. Below it's on a trail here in western Massachusetts. You can get copy ICUs from eBay at a much cheaper price than f-stop's. f-stop store in Europe.

 

[NaChase]

I just came back from a backpacking trip using anew Gregory 65liter pack. I've done a lot of backpacking before, but this was the first pack I bought new. I found that going to REI and getting the pack fitted to me made a world of difference in terms of comfort.

 

[Archlich]

Do learn how to pack, like putting your weighty staff in the lower-middle section to push the weight onto your hip. You can find lots of resources on the internet. Then trim the unnecessary. Travel light.

You can even get by using a frameless pack in this way, saving lots of weight. But the ones with simple frames won't hurt - since weight is not the top concern, a suspension system would be better for summer. A used Osprey (like the Exos) or Gregory plus a set of insert would do. Go to your local outfitter to try one out. You'll need a liner inside the pack - a large, unscented garbage bag. The lighter packs aren't waterproof by themselves.

I still think you might be lugging around too much gear. If you're just need the pack to hold everything then it would be OK. If you're walking a lot with the pack, it would be better to think twice. Taking the thing on and off constantly to change film and lenses won't be much fun...