Backpack – From 85L to 50L

20 months have passed since I’ve bought and 15 months using my backpack. On top of that, it took a few months and many visits to many stores until the final decision. Crazy? Maybe. But since I was looking for a big, comfortable and right fit for me, I think it was ok.

I went for a Macpac Genesis Aztec 85l, 70l for the main pack and 15 for the daypack. A huge bag, so I could fit the world on it. Also, it took me another couple of visits to the store to learn how to fit, adjust and weight loading test.

I love the bag, love the size of it and love the idea to carry things that we don’t actually need but was good to have close just in case. Although perfect, it has 3 big defects:
1. The zipper system is terrible to operate once the bag is fully loaded;
2. It is huge, I mean really huge, it is 80x40x30cm and there is no way to walk without knocking someone down and also so easy to go beyond the 23kg baggage allowance in planes. Actually, during the first months, while driving in New Zealand, the bag was loaded with almost 30kg;
3. It has to be checked in. It means, we have to be at the airport earlier, get the queue, weight and do all the not so funny part of a travel. Also, the idea of it getting lost of broken was always surrounding us.

So, after many discussions and readings, we’ve decided to change it. From an 85l, I’ve changed to a 50l. Looking this way, may not appear a big change. But it is.

Airports. Long waits…

The chosen on was a Deuter Transit 50l. Simple, half the size and under most carry on regulations.

Both bags are composed of 2 bags, the backpack itself plus a daypack.
Macpack Genesis – 85l = 70l + 15l.
Deuter Transit 50l = 38l + 12l.

Now you can see the difference. No magic, we had to reduce again. The only way was to distribute things across everyone’s bag, drop some unnecessary items and rethink clothes. Being big and tall, like me, my clothes are heavy and need lots of space and as per today, I have just enough clothes for 7 days without washing.

Our 50L bags (Blue Osprey Farpoint 55 / Grey Deuter Transit 50)

No big deal, but I still have one more test to do. Airport and airplane. We haven’t been to an airport since the change and hope to be like boarding trains, easy and nobody checked or had concerns about size and weight.

So far, packing and unpacking during train travels were so easy with the Deuter. Zipper and compression straps worked very well.

That’s all! Hope to post my first flight experience soon, when we leave Canada.

How about you? Do you prefer to do carry on or checked bags? Enough clothes or some spare ones?

Let me know any doubts or if you have any suggestion for me!