Huge backpacks. WHY?

There's one thing that I haven't understood during the last ten years. Why
on earth do people carry huge backpack while travelling (or should I say
budget travelling)?

When we go for a few months trip with my wife we usually have one medium
size pack (like about 60 liters) and one day pack (maybe 30 liters). That's
more than enough for both of us. And I'm travelling with a woman :-)

Would someone tell me me what do you have on those huge packs. Quite a
common sight is a couple with two huge packs (maybe 90 liters) and two full
day packs. What do you carry there? I'm just curious...

And please don't tell that a longer trips requires larger packs. My opinion
is that two weeks is sort of a limit. If the trip takes two weeks or four
months there's no difference when you are packing. Opinions?

sleeping materials (bag, tent, mattress), cooking gear + food, climbing
gear, diving gear, souvenirs, TV set, laptop, the concise lonely planet
collection, makeup, ...
;-)

just my guesses (i never carry more than 65 litres)


"Joni" wrote in message
...
There's one thing that I haven't understood during the last ten years. Why
on earth do people carry huge backpack while travelling (or should I say
budget travelling)?

When we go for a few months trip with my wife we usually have one medium
size pack (like about 60 liters) and one day pack (maybe 30 liters).
That's
more than enough for both of us. And I'm travelling with a woman :-)

Would someone tell me me what do you have on those huge packs. Quite a
common sight is a couple with two huge packs (maybe 90 liters) and two
full
day packs. What do you carry there? I'm just curious...

And please don't tell that a longer trips requires larger packs. My
opinion
is that two weeks is sort of a limit. If the trip takes two weeks or four
months there's no difference when you are packing. Opinions?

Lots of books - when you don't read English, it can be problematic
to rely on book exchange options during your trip. And if not a laptop,
at least a sun collector to recharge the batteries in the digicam. Some
not totally informal dress so you don't feel ashamed when you visit
one of the fancier places. Medicine and other emergency stuff. Large
mosquito net to comfortably fit over a double bed. etc.

BTW, I find weight more important than volume. We never carry more
than 15 kg per person.

-- Sebastian

"Ben" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
sleeping materials (bag, tent, mattress), cooking gear + food, climbing
gear, diving gear, souvenirs, TV set, laptop, the concise lonely planet
collection, makeup, ...
;-)

just my guesses (i never carry more than 65 litres)


"Joni" wrote in message
...
There's one thing that I haven't understood during the last ten years.
Why
on earth do people carry huge backpack while travelling (or should I say
budget travelling)?

When we go for a few months trip with my wife we usually have one medium
size pack (like about 60 liters) and one day pack (maybe 30 liters).
That's
more than enough for both of us. And I'm travelling with a woman :-)

Would someone tell me me what do you have on those huge packs. Quite a
common sight is a couple with two huge packs (maybe 90 liters) and two
full
day packs. What do you carry there? I'm just curious...

And please don't tell that a longer trips requires larger packs. My
opinion
is that two weeks is sort of a limit. If the trip takes two weeks or
four
months there's no difference when you are packing. Opinions?

Joni wrote:
There's one thing that I haven't understood during the last ten years. Why
on earth do people carry huge backpack while travelling (or should I say
budget travelling)?

I usually carry a *lot* of photography equipment with me.
--

Alfred Molon

http://www.molon.de/Galleries.htm - Photos from Myanmar, Brunei,
Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, Egypt, Austria, Budapest and
Portugal

In addition to the other items mentioned ... footwear tends to take up
a lot of space. In the worst case I need sneakers for everyday wear,
hiking boots for serious hiking, decent shoes for really nice
restaurants (I don't care much about style but I love great food,
which sometimes requires dressing up), and some sort of sandals for
the beach. Often I can omit some of these or at least cache them
somewhere, but sometimes they all end up on my back (or feet) at the
same time. And I haven't even mentioned ski boots!

Bruce

Joni wrote:

And please don't tell that a longer trips requires larger packs. My opinion
is that two weeks is sort of a limit. If the trip takes two weeks or four
months there's no difference when you are packing. Opinions?

Depends if you are shifting climates during your trip.

"Joni" wrote in message ...
There's one thing that I haven't understood during the last ten years. Why
on earth do people carry huge backpack while travelling (or should I say
budget travelling)?

When we go for a few months trip with my wife we usually have one medium
size pack (like about 60 liters) and one day pack (maybe 30 liters). That's
more than enough for both of us. And I'm travelling with a woman :-)

I travel regularly, often gone for 2-3 months at a time. I usually
travel with one carry-on and a briefcase type bag.

I see these people (and not just backpackers) who look like have
packed all of their worldly belongings and just don't understand why.

5 changes of clothes, and a spare set of shoes. Toiletries, camera,
etc. All will fit in a single carry on.

Would someone tell me me what do you have on those huge packs. Quite a
common sight is a couple with two huge packs (maybe 90 liters) and two full
day packs. What do you carry there? I'm just curious...

And please don't tell that a longer trips requires larger packs. My opinion
is that two weeks is sort of a limit. If the trip takes two weeks or four
months there's no difference when you are packing. Opinions?

Agreed. Do laundry more often.

(Tchiowa) wrote in message . com...
"Joni" wrote in message ...
There's one thing that I haven't understood during the last ten years. Why
on earth do people carry huge backpack while travelling (or should I say
budget travelling)?

When we go for a few months trip with my wife we usually have one medium
size pack (like about 60 liters) and one day pack (maybe 30 liters). That's
more than enough for both of us. And I'm travelling with a woman :-)


I see these people (and not just backpackers) who look like have
packed all of their worldly belongings and just don't understand why.


Would someone tell me me what do you have on those huge packs. Quite a
common sight is a couple with two huge packs (maybe 90 liters) and two full
day packs. What do you carry there? I'm just curious...

I try not to go over 15kg but this trip (for a year and a half) I have
- Clothes (couple of pair of long trousers, 4 t-shirts and shorts)
Toiletries, admin stuff (tickets etc) and a sleeping bag. The main
part of my 2 stuffed bags is 2 SLR camera bodies, 4 lenses, large
tripod, filters, cleaning kits, 80-100 rolls of film, digicam, light
meter.... then all the power supplies for a minidisc, mobile phone,
digicam etc. If someone could find a way of combining all these power
suplies I'm sure that would be a kilogram of weight gone straight
away!
In my experience the Japanese backpackers I've met normally have far
more stuff than any other race of people, their packs are normally
biggger than they are!

"Phil" wrote in message
om...
(Tchiowa) wrote in message
. com...
"Joni" wrote in message
...
There's one thing that I haven't understood during the last ten years.
Why
on earth do people carry huge backpack while travelling (or should I
say
budget travelling)?

When we go for a few months trip with my wife we usually have one
medium
size pack (like about 60 liters) and one day pack (maybe 30 liters).
That's
more than enough for both of us. And I'm travelling with a woman :-)


I see these people (and not just backpackers) who look like have
packed all of their worldly belongings and just don't understand why.


Would someone tell me me what do you have on those huge packs. Quite a
common sight is a couple with two huge packs (maybe 90 liters) and two
full
day packs. What do you carry there? I'm just curious...

I try not to go over 15kg but this trip (for a year and a half) I have
- Clothes (couple of pair of long trousers, 4 t-shirts and shorts)
Toiletries, admin stuff (tickets etc) and a sleeping bag. The main
part of my 2 stuffed bags is 2 SLR camera bodies, 4 lenses, large
tripod, filters, cleaning kits, 80-100 rolls of film, digicam, light
meter.... then all the power supplies for a minidisc, mobile phone,
digicam etc. If someone could find a way of combining all these power
suplies I'm sure that would be a kilogram of weight gone straight
away!
In my experience the Japanese backpackers I've met normally have far
more stuff than any other race of people, their packs are normally
biggger than they are!

Just wondered.... Do you use extra special film of some kind? Malaysian and
Thai prices are a lot less than UK.( if thats where you travel to, of
course)
I usually carry 6 or so spare rolls and just buy to top up
Jan

Phil wrote:
then all the power supplies for a minidisc, mobile phone, digicam etc. If
someone could find a way of combining all these power suplies I'm sure
that would be a kilogram of weight gone straight away!

If they have the round little connectors, you probably can get a single
switchable-output, multi-tailed power supply for all of them. The trick is
finding one with a high enough current rating for your most power-hungry
device.

Something like this may do the trick if nothing exceeds 1 amp:

http://www.dcacpowerinverters.com/cg...on&key=GS-1000

miguel