So what are the important considerations?

Size

Yes boys and girls, it does matter. It all really does depend on you. Some people are flashpackers and must take 6 pairs of shoes in which case you might want a bigger backpack. Some people purposely take a smaller backpack to limit how much they are carrying around with them in case they get tempted to shop. General rule of thumb would be anything around the 60 litre mark. I know some guys who travel light with 50 and some girls who travel with 70. Anything more and you are in danger of falling over and any less and you won’t have room for anything.

Day Pack

These days a lot of backpacks come with a 10-20 litre detachable day bag. Pretty good idea for when you need a small bag for treks or excursions. You might have your own ideas on a day bag and therefore won’t need one.

Wheels

I am personally against wheels. I think it is part of the backpacking experience to lug around my 22kg backpack. (I have no idea how it got so heavy. When I left Heathrow it was 14kg). Let’s be serious though. Wheels are a good idea in principle. Sure they take a load off but they also can add an extra 2 or 3kg of weight to your backpack. If you are taking cheap internal flights, Air Asia for example, you will be eating into your weight limit and risk having to pay extra.

Design

The most important design feature of the backpack is how it opens. From my own research they are commonly called travel packs as opposed to rucksacks. What this means is that the zip opens all the way round like a suitcase. Under no circumstances purchase a top loader. Not only will it be the bane of your life but I will personally come and find you, roll up a newspaper, hit you on the nose with it and say “told you so”.

Fit

I hate to get all Harry Potter on you but you don’t pick the backpack. The backpack picks you. Make sure that you are getting the correct sexed bag. Female backpacks tend to suit, well females. If you are a tall female it might be worth looking at a male backpack as it might be a better fit. Go in to your local outdoor store and try the backpacks on. You’ll just feel which one is right for you.

If in doubt just ask the sales assistant who looks like he doesn’t want to be there…

The Top 10 Backpacks

I am a strong believer in the Berghaus Jalan. I’ve been using it for six months now and it is my home away from home… that I carry on my back like a snail. I digress. It’s a great backpack and I see a lot of people with it. It might not be for you so below is my Top 10 Backpacks.

1. Berghaus Jalan

2. Karrimor Global

3. Gelert Discovery

4. Lifeventure Altai

5. Vango Freedom

6. Aztec Hobo

7. Vango Traveller

8. Caribee Thunder Bay

9. Caribee Lynx

10. Caribee Dakar

I’ve tracked down the best and essential travel items so you don’t have to.

Travel Guide

Two main choices here: Lonely Planet and Rough Guide. Having used both I would recommend the Lonely Planet travel guides. No travel guide is ever going to stay up-to-date however I have found Lonely Planet to be far more accurate.
For those travelling Asia: Southeast Asia on a Shoestring. The brand new Thailand guide is also very good. For Australia I would suggest either East Coast Australia or the more bulky Australia Lonely Planet guide. Those heading to Latin America I would strongly recommend the newer Rough Guide to South America on a Budget.

Travel Towel

Lifeventure do some great travel products and one of their best is the travel towels. Light, compact and quick dry, they are perfect for travelling.
Lifeventure do two sorts of travel towels: Soft-Fibre and Micro-Fibre. Soft Fibre is thinner and lighter but the Micro Fibre has more of a towel ‘feel’ to it. Depends on whether you want to balance home comfort vs. weight and size.
For men an extra large towel will be sufficient (a large won’t fit round your waist) and you can get the Soft-Fibre and Micro-Fibre options.
For the ladies, a giant towel in Soft-Fibre or Micro-Fibre would be best to properly cover your modesty. The even do it in pink!

Travel Locks

Knowing your backpack or suitcase is secure is one less thing to be concerned about. Firstly, you don’t want to be worrying about losing keys so always get a combination lock. Secondly, you want a TSA approved lock. This means that if airport security wants to check your luggage they can do it without smashing open your locks.
That being said the best travel locks are the Lifeventure TSA 3-Digit Pack Lock or 4-Digit Pack Lock.
Your luggage may be locked up but what’s stopping someone from walking off with the whole thing? A great deterrent is a Mini Cable Lock . Loop it through your bag lock and attach it to your bed frame, door hinge, pipe, another backpack or whatever you can find!

First Aid Kit

Golden Rule: Safety first. You have several options available to you depending on how much room you have and the kind of activities you will be doing. If you want something more heavy duty and are planning on being off the beaten track you will want something like the Solo Traveller or the World Traveller. Something a little more basic is the Trek and more midrange would be the Explorer.
If you are going to be travelling remote parts of Asia or South America it would be advisable to buy a sterile kit. Do you really want to trust the needles? I would recommend the sterile kits by Lifesystems or Care Plus. Lifesystems also do a mini one too!

Silk Sleeping Bag Liner

There is nothing worse than getting to your guest house or hostel and seeing some rather dubious bed sheets. A silk sleeping bag liner is a great remedy. It weighs nothing, is compact and is comfortable to sleep in when it’s hot. It’s also a good protection against mosquitoes.
There are a few brands out there like Travelproof and Sea to Summit. Whether you prefer a mummy or rectangle design is up to you. I opted for the rectangle as I like the leg room but some people like to feel snug. I would exercise some caution over buying cheap sleeping bag liners from EBay. These can have bad stitching and the colours may run.

Backpack

Probably one of the most important things you will buy for your travels! There are some important things for you to know. Firstly, you want a travel pack not rucksack. What’s the difference? Rucksacks tend to be top loaders whereas a travel pack is one that zips all around and opens like a suitcase. The latter is far more convenient. Secondly, the backpack picks you, you don’t pick the backpack. You must go into a Millets or Blacks and try it on and get a feel of it. Then hop online and buy it cheaper!
I firmly stand by the Berghaus brand. I personally have the Berghaus Jalan 60+15, which is a great backpack, well designed and ideal for guys. If you are a tall woman might be worth looking into this one too as the women’s version may not fit you properly. For the ladies try the 55+15 or the 65+15.
If Berghaus isn’t for you, try Karrimor. They do some good backpacks in the form of the Global 70 – 90, Global Hobo 65 and the Global Gapper 65. Some like the Gelert, especially as it’s one of the few decent backpacks you can get in pink.

Mosquito Gear

They are pesky little things so you should do your best to avoid being bitten.
Discuss your needs with your travel professional as to whether you will need a Mosquito Net. You will need a Hanging Kitto go with it.
Deet based products at 50% strength are scientifically proven to be the most effective mosquito repellent. No more and no less. Try the Nomad or Lifesystems spray.

Travel Adapters

Pretty simple this one. You are going to need one for your camera, phone, mp3 player, speakers, shaver, hair dryer etc. If you are travelling to a few countries it is advisable to get a Universal Travel Power Adapter With Surge Protection. Come to think of it, get two. You’d be surprised how useful they are!

Camera Memory Cards

You might have a small camera card that has done its job so far but you will be far more trigger happy with your camera when you are travelling. There are lots of brands out there including some cheap ones but photos are forever and I would never want to risk my photos vanishing. I only use SanDisk products as a good balance between price and quality.
For SLR users you will want a decent compact flash card. At the very least an Ultra II in 4GB or 8GB. If you have a decent SLR or just want to ensure your camera is writing images at an optimum try the SanDisk Extreme III ( this is what I use). Get either two 4GB or an 8GB.
For compact cameras depending on what card it takes, you would do well with the SanDisk 4GB SDHC or the SanDisk microSDHC 4GB Card. Double check you are buying the right card for your camera. For example, Sony cameras will take either a Memory Stick Pro Duo or a Memory Stick M2 Micro.

Power Monkey

You’ll never be without power with a solar powered Power Monkey. You may not have heard of one of these nifty little gadgets but they are a genius invention. Read the product description, you’ll see what I mean!

Many backpackers don’t know where the next meal is coming from and with the constant moving around your diet will be ever changing. Are you really getting everything you need?

It’s a rather simple solution, become a pill head (the good kind). Take a multivitamin supplement and cod liver capsules daily. This insures you get the good stuff you need and the cod liver will keep your joints healthy when you are doing those long treks and adventure sports that you wouldn’t normally do.

Simple really.

*Warning* Do not bite into a cod liver oil capsule. I know it tastes bad but this didn’t stop me doing it anyway. Learn from my mistake.

- Engrish Dictionary x 1
- Extra Small Superman Y-Front x 2
- Sense of Adventure x 5
- Furry Dice x 1
- Playing Cards x 1 (Remove Aces to hide up sleeves during high stakes poker)
- Sleeves
- One lucky friend selected at random (must be small)
- The ability to talk louder and more slowly to locals who don’t understand you.
- Dignity (to be lost repeatedly)
- Teddy Bear x 1
- Condoms x 6 (One with holes in to play Russian roulette)
- Credit Card (Must not be your own to avoid debts)
- Ability to charm local aussie hunk/beauty to gain citizenship
- George Foreman Grill (The Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine variety)
- Caddy to carry backpack for you
- Banana Hammock x 3
- Sense of humour (can be picked up while you are out there)
- STI’s (can also be picked up while you are out there)
- Alton Towers Map (In case you get lost in Malaysia; I’ve heard it’s very similar)

And on a less serious note…

- Silk Sleeping Bag Liner

*List Ends*

Anything I missed?