What is a good brand?
I'm travelling to New Zealand for 2 weeks but would also like to use it for other trips like Europe which would go for longer.
I thought maybe 80L would be a good size?
I'd prefer one with a zip off day pack and don't really want to spend too much, about 0-0 AUD!
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Hi – depends where you are.
If you are in Australia :
Macpac, mountain designs & karrimor are all good brands.
80L is a big pack for a female.
Before choosing, you need to think about what you intend to do. If you are into hard core walking long distances you need a smaller pack that loads from the top only – Macpac would be your brand of choice for that. It should be higher and more sausage shaped.
A "travel Pack" is more like a soft suitcase – the zip runs around the whole outside and you can access the whole of the pack. It is more square in shape and much easier to get along with if you are moving from accommodation to accommodation rather than walking long distances. A Mountain Designs "latitude 70L" may be good (in fact – they were on sale last week). They are generally cheaper and slightly heavier but more robust.
Stay away from the ones with wheels built in – they are the worst of all worlds in terms of weight vs convenience, and quite uncomfortable.
Lots of good, cheap packs on ebay. There is not a long that can go wrong with them other than the Zip. (Stay away from Caribee – cheap rubbish).