Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PRICING OUT A BACKPACK
Most backpacks cost between $99 USD for a small model and as much as $300 USD for a large backpack
from a brand name. The medium-sized store-brand names generally cost around $199 USD. Backpack prices
depend a lot on size, fabric, and brand. Store brands are cheaper than big name brands like North Face, Os-
prey, and Gregory.
I don't believe any backpack is worth $300 USD, no matter how nice it is. These expensive backpacks
tend to be large and have more bells and whistles, special padding, and material than you really need. I
think any backpack under $200 USD (not including tax) is fine. That's the most I'd be willing to pay for
something I was going to use for a long trip and could use for years to come. The difference in quality
between a $200 USD backpack and a $300 USD backpack isn't that much. Everything a $300 USD back-
pack can do on the road, a $200 USD backpack can do just as well.
One way to get backpacks cheaper than the listed price is to buy last year's models at a discounted price
at an outlet store. An outlet store sells all of last year's products that brands got rid of to make room for
the new models. REI has a good outlet store (rei.com/out let), and others include Backcountry (backcoun-
try.com), Sierra Trading Post (sierratradingpost.com), and Campmor (campmor.com). All these companies
sell gear for about 30-50 percent less than the current model's price.
To find the perfect backpack, I recommend visiting any of the stores listed below to try one on. Stores
will allow you to try them on and will help fit you for the perfect backpack. I tried on more than ten back-
packs before I finally settled on the one I currently use.
Additionally, you'll find that most travel backpacks are hiking backpacks. Hiking backpacks are packs
meant for camping and multiday treks in the woods. Buying a backpack that was meant to be used in the
Rockies instead of the streets of New Zealand doesn't matter—backpacks are pretty interchangeable these
days, and getting a backpack meant for the outdoors simply means you'll have a stronger and more durable
pack.
So what's on my back? I use an REI Mars pack. REI (Recreational Equipment Incorporated, rei.com) is
a sporting and outdoors company in America that sells a wide variety of sporting, outdoors, and travel gear.
I've had this backpack since 2004, and it works, looks, and feels just as good as the day I bought it. You
know those advertisements where they try to destroy products in order to prove how good they are? Well,
my life is that ad. I have put this backpack through the wringer. It's been crushed, thrown around, dropped,
squeezed into tiny places, dragged, and kicked around. Most people think it's a brand-new backpack and are
shocked to find out I've been carrying it around since 2004.
Besides selling their own gear, REI sells gear from other quality manufacturers, like North Face, Eagle
Creek, and Osprey. They are an excellent company, with locations around the United States that offer very
good prices on backpacks and other travel gear. I find their customer service superb and their sales staff to
be very helpful and knowledgeable.
But they aren't the only game in town! Another option is EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports, ems.com),
another U.S. company, similar to REI. They usually have backpacks $10-20 USD cheaper than REI, though
REI allows you to buy a membership that saves you 20 percent off your purchase. The company MEC
(Mountain Equipment Co-Op, mec.ca) is the Canadian equivalent of these two companies. Moreover, any
large sporting goods store will have a good selection of backpacks to choose from.
In the end, you have to try on a variety of backpacks to see which one is the perfect fit for you and which
matches the size needs of your trip. Just go with what feels right. After trying out a lot of packs and even
road testing a few, I found the best backpacks meet a lot of the above criteria.
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