I carried around a 5.11 Rush 12 backpack with a Camelbak bladder because I suffer from migraines if I don't hydrate properly and I'm often just to darn lazy to pull a water bottle out of a bag. Also, I carried books, camera gear, and other purchased knick-knacks to limit the trips back to the hotel over the course of the day. Once adjusted, the straps are comfortable for a full day (not that you won't still enjoy throwing the pack off your shoulders at day's end.)
It's roomy, rugged, and versatile for my other hobbies. If I were to mark a downside is that if can feel heavy towards the end of a weekend and is certainly more cumbersome than a "sackpack". In crowded lines I would to put it at my feet in order to avoid bumping into others. If I didn't have the camera gear and the books, I would have gone with a slimmer hydration carrier.
In regards to travel, I last used it as my sole bag for a weekend trip to New York. It was packed to the gills and still fit snugly under the airplane seats, although to be honest, I don't need a ton of legroom, either. It certainly did not have any room for souvenirs, however.
Throwing a sackpack for day to day use into a carry on bag sounds like a good way to go. Empty and rolled/folded it would take virtually no space in the larger carry on bag which would have your clothes and larger items. Just need to make sure you leave space for any goodies you're coming home with or be prepared to ship things home as suggested.
First purchase made. So I've been looking for gear to take me beyond just this trip. I don't have my main bag yet, but I finally made a decision for my personal bag. getting http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/ef1f/?srp=1
I got it for several reasons. The integrated cross strap. Sized well for me. 20% off and free shipping makes it about $40 cheaper here than anywhere else.
I got my travel list and it goes: carry on bag > walking shoes > travel clothes.
I have a bunch of time, so I'm not really worried about it all. The tortugas are coming back in stock, but I have a really hard time spending over 100 on a bag, so I might stick with the condor pack which has a good hip belt.
I have mixed feelings about Condor in terms of quality. I purchased a Condor-branded nylon double rifle case to carry a couple of my airsoft replicas. Within a year there is a noticeable tear in one of the corner seams. It's still usable, but I'm keeping an eye on that rip. Just don't fill it with really heavy gear, I guess.
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It's roomy, rugged, and versatile for my other hobbies. If I were to mark a downside is that if can feel heavy towards the end of a weekend and is certainly more cumbersome than a "sackpack". In crowded lines I would to put it at my feet in order to avoid bumping into others. If I didn't have the camera gear and the books, I would have gone with a slimmer hydration carrier.
In regards to travel, I last used it as my sole bag for a weekend trip to New York. It was packed to the gills and still fit snugly under the airplane seats, although to be honest, I don't need a ton of legroom, either. It certainly did not have any room for souvenirs, however.
Throwing a sackpack for day to day use into a carry on bag sounds like a good way to go. Empty and rolled/folded it would take virtually no space in the larger carry on bag which would have your clothes and larger items. Just need to make sure you leave space for any goodies you're coming home with or be prepared to ship things home as suggested.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/ef1f/?srp=1
I got it for several reasons. The integrated cross strap. Sized well for me. 20% off and free shipping makes it about $40 cheaper here than anywhere else.
I got my travel list and it goes: carry on bag > walking shoes > travel clothes.
I have a bunch of time, so I'm not really worried about it all. The tortugas are coming back in stock, but I have a really hard time spending over 100 on a bag, so I might stick with the condor pack which has a good hip belt.