Looking for a general purpose backpack..

[KevinL]

Enough to throw a couple of days of clothes into, plus miscellaneous other odds and ends (including lights). I'm planning to be flying a bit and would prefer to avoid check-in if possible. So this pack has to be airline legal.

I don't need something that fancy, just spacious. No special features inside. In fact, forget all the crap 'laptop' compartments. I treat neither my laptops nor cameras with kid gloves. For that matter, forget camera compartments too, they just tie up valuable space. A big hollow internal inside would be great

I'm not looking at one of those gigantic backpacker bags. A 'hollow' version of the Fastpack 350 or similar size would be something along the lines of what I'm thinking about:
http://products.lowepro.com/product/Fastpack-350,2087,14.htm

Comfortable on the shoulders would be important too. Weight of the pack unloaded should be as light as possible. I've seen camera bags that weigh six pounds dry - with airlines actively WEIGHING carry-on these days, that eats up a lot of your seven permitted kilos.

 

[PapaGary]

Look for the Osprey Porter 46. It meets carry-on specs, holds a ton of stuff and usually sells for less than $100.

 

[carrot]

It doesn't come cheap, but then again when has good quality ever? Chrome Bags makes backpacks and you will be blown away by their build quality. They are also all waterproof, and carry a lifetime warranty. If you ever mess one up they will repair it also.

 

[cistallus]

Also check the information and recommendations in the "What To Pack It In" section of http://www.onebag.com/

 

[KevinL]

Onebag is pretty interesting.

I like his recommendations......I was thinking "Oh here we go, flashlight section, out is gonna come some minimaglite...."

Quark and LD20 huh, ok I can start to take this guy seriously :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Me? I'm flying with my Pocket Rocket, no matter how impractical that is to 'field reload' with batteries, 700lu at the press of a button is just TOO GOOD to give up

3 days on a 18650 - it's only dark 10 hours of the day, even if there's a blackout for 3 days there's enough juice on the 18650 to get me home It's variable power....it can be dialed down...

 

[cistallus]

Onebag is pretty interesting.

Indeed - I tried it on a 10-day trip a couple years ago, and it worked - just one carry-on - every other trip I'd brought a suitcase, this was way better.

I take it you mean the MG P-Rocket SST-50 NW? I've been following mentions of it on these forums; main thing that cools me to it is the memory feature - I like to have a light always come on at a known level.

 

[KevinL]

Indeed - I tried it on a 10-day trip a couple years ago, and it worked - just one carry-on - every other trip I'd brought a suitcase, this was way better.

I take it you mean the MG P-Rocket SST-50 NW? I've been following mentions of it on these forums; main thing that cools me to it is the memory feature - I like to have a light always come on at a known level.

Download's custom version of the PR, very well made I must say.

I do wish it always came on forced-high but I figure you can't have everything it would be kick the @55 of the E1B if that was the case!

 

[Vesper]

Look for the Osprey Porter 46. It meets carry-on specs, holds a ton of stuff and usually sells for less than $100.

I also have this bag - it's really nice. rei.com has some good reviews on this and other bags as well.

main thing that cools me to it is the memory feature - I like to have a light always come on at a known level.

Totally agree. Memory feature drives me nuts.