Backpacking Europe

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

VTCruiser

VTCruiser

10 Year 15 Year 20 Year
Joined
Sep 12, 2003
Threads
266
Messages
3,476
Location
Tacoma, WA
I am going to Europe this fall to study abroad from August through December. I will be studying in southern Germany but traveling extensively throughout the semester. I will have 4-day weekends to travel so each trip won't be longer than that but I am going out about 1.5 weeks early to backpack around scandinavia.

I need a small-ish, comfortable internal frame pack. Something I can take skiing in the alps or to the beach in Italy. I will also be staying in hostels so I will be carrying mostly clothes, some food, and my Nikon D50. It needs to be lightweight and compact and good for both urban and rural use. I have been out of the scene for a while so i would like suggestions on some sizes and brands to get me started. I'd like to find one for under $200 but may pay a little more for a good pack i know will last.

I also need a pair or two of good shoes/boots. These will be invaluable.

:bounce:
 
1)Try Asolo boots, always seems to fit like a glove for me.
2)EMS have pretty good inexpensive quality packs and they are in your area.
3)get a carabiner for hanging your sandals on the side of your pack to dry out.
4)carry alot of plastic bags around for putting dirty clothes and trash.
5)get fast drying clothes made of polyester and bring a little string for drying in the hotel room/hostel.
6)Lonely planet is a good publisher, tear apart guide books for specific sections( or photocopy) so you don't have to carry the whole thing.
That's all that I could think of right now.
 
Lucky guy, I wish I didnt' have a job right now so I can backpack the rest of europe. Are you planning on doing serious backpacking/hiking/skiing/outdoor activities, or more city traveling and sightseeing?

Eagle creek makes good travel packs, that can also be used as a passable backpack. one good thing about them is they're not too obvious, meaning you won't look so much a guy who's backpacking through europe all the time. They're also expandable, which comes in really handy when your load is always changing.

If you're gonna to be doing real backpacking or outdoors stuff, then you probably want a decent backpack, maybe gregory, arcterx, or similar. REI ones are ok quality, so if you're only planning on using it for this trip, they're much cheaper than some of the name brands. Sizewise, I'd think something around 3000 ci would be about right. Any larger and it's too much of a hassle to carry around everywhere. I also brought a cheap duffelbag with me in case I needed more room to bring stuff back, and also I used it to cover my backpack when checking it in during flights.

And I second what archie said

1) Feet are different, so you just have to try on different boots. Since you're only doing 4 day trips at the most, I'd probably recommend a lightweight hiker over a heavy backpacking boot. It all depends on what kind of activities your'e going to be doing. Almost any name brand shoe will be good as long as it fits. Don't forget a pair of cheap sandals, its a necessity in those hostel showers.

2) keychain Carabiners and clothespins (or binder clips) and plastic bags are really useful.

3) If you're gonna be going from hostel to hostel, you NEED fast drying clothes. Cotton T-shirts won't dry overnight, no matter what. Jeans, once wet, will be wet for the rest of your trip. You could always stop by a laundromat and dry your damp clothes, but sometimes it's a hassle.
 
Last edited:
I would recommend a good pair of merrell low tops...they will give you enough support and wont be quite as bulky...when i traveled over there for a month all i had was a pair of merrell slip ons (jungle moc) and a pair of Nike Shox...worked out fine for me...have fun!

barrypt5
 
ducktapeguy said:
Are you planning on doing serious backpacking/hiking/skiing/outdoor activities, or more city traveling and sightseeing?
Click to expand...

i plan to do both. We will be hitting some cities like rome, london etc. but I also really want to go skiing and do some climbs. Probebly too much to ask from one pair of boots. I think I will plan to buy some lightwieght sneakers for the warmer urban stuff and a good pair boots for the colder hiking trips.
 
The only thing bad about polyester is that it holds odors more than cotton, but it sure dries faster. This is a good time to buy silk underwear if you ever wanted to have faster drying clothes and it's lighter also.
Stuff that doesn't wrinkle easy is another good choice.
I think the less stuff you gotta lug around the more you can enjoy the trip. Most stuff you can easily get in the city anyway. Check in on MUD when you're in Europe and tell us how many cruisers you spot.
 
as im in finland doing this right now let me give you this advice. what ever you pack cut it in half you will be over packed i promise you, and get on some backpacking forums in a mod on eurotrek.net lots of info and helpfull people who knowwhat they are doing
 
your around greenville arnt you? if so go to applitian outfitters, jonathan will set you up with everything. be sure to buy boots from him, he will fit them to you perfect! he has set me up with new gear from my first campout to my recent month long backpacking trip to nm
 
sc40 said:
your around greenville arnt you? if so go to applitian outfitters, jonathan will set you up with everything. be sure to buy boots from him, he will fit them to you perfect! he has set me up with new gear from my first campout to my recent month long backpacking trip to nm
Click to expand...

yeah i actually went there today looking at packs (orchard park right?), its right across haywood rd from my apt. I talked to a guy named Ben though, really helpful. I never got around to boots though.

good info coolcruiser, i figure i will over pack initially but I will also be bringing my camera + lenses which will take up a good bit of space. I figure the 50L (~3000cui) packs are plenty big for the 4-day trips (some of which will be cold weather) and the 1.5 week long trip at the beginning.
 
VTCruiser said:
yeah i actually went there today looking at packs (orchard park right?), its right across haywood rd from my apt. I talked to a guy named Ben though, really helpful. I never got around to boots though.

good info coolcruiser, i figure i will over pack initially but I will also be bringing my camera + lenses which will take up a good bit of space. I figure the 50L (~3000cui) packs are plenty big for the 4-day trips (some of which will be cold weather) and the 1.5 week long trip at the beginning.
Click to expand...
trust me on this you will be over packed :D i brought alonga full pack that size and have now sent home half of what i brought and could fit my pack inside a normal backpack. so get on some forums read around :beer:
 
Just one bit of advice, invest $$$ in clothing.

It took me a long time to justify spending $25 on a freakin pair of skivvies, but the right, lightweight, fast drying, packable clothing is the best traveling investment I have made.

Oh, and those skivvies, brand called Ex-Officio (that is not spelled right) are the absolute best ones I've found. The EMS ones are good but these dry twice as fast. They make other clothing as well check it out.
Have fun.
 
For quick drying clothing, Walmart sells some $10 Under Armor knock-offs that are the quickest drying shirts I've tried. They actually come out of the washer almost completely dry. They look and feel a lot like spandex tights, but it's good base layer to wear underneath a shirt or something so you don't stink up your outer clothes. If you're gonna be in colder weather, a good polartec fleece sweater would also be a nice thing to have. Actually, any type of polartec clothing is good, it dries fairly quickly, and most of the times you can just wash it and wring it out and wear it. And don't forget some good hiking socks. Damp cotton socks suck big time.

And here's a good site for packing light, has a lot of good info.

http://www.onebag.com
 
Travel Pack or Hiking Pack? Travel packs are designed to hold up to Airline and Bus luggage compartments. Hiking packs can be destroyed under baggage handling stresses. Atmos 50 is an awesome pack with a 35 lb capacity and a really nice light frame system designed for light backpacking(hiking). If you are carrying more than 35lbs and you're gonna toss it around like a duffle or check it into baggage on the airline you'll kill it quickly. I assume you will be packing a larger gear bag for the long term nature of your study abroad. If so then the Atmos may work well as a carry-on and for your treks around Europe.
 
Ted44 said:
Travel Pack or Hiking Pack? Travel packs are designed to hold up to Airline and Bus luggage compartments. Hiking packs can be destroyed under baggage handling stresses. Atmos 50 is an awesome pack with a 35 lb capacity and a really nice light frame system designed for light backpacking(hiking). If you are carrying more than 35lbs and you're gonna toss it around like a duffle or check it into baggage on the airline you'll kill it quickly. I assume you will be packing a larger gear bag for the long term nature of your study abroad. If so then the Atmos may work well as a carry-on and for your treks around Europe.
Click to expand...

Yes, I will be packing other bags as well to get out there. This pack will be used for the 4-day weekend trips as the only bag i carry. I plan on packing it in a large duffle to check it on planes and so forth to try and keep it protected. I looked at the Osprey "waypoint" travel pack but its bigger and while some features are nice, i think I would get more use out of the Atmos 50 for other hiking/camping trips when i return from Europe.
 
If you're presently in Vermont try The Mountain Goat in Manchester or Mountain Travelers in Rutland, the owners of each of these shops are very good people, very knowledgable and they carry plenty of name brands. I've had good luck with Osprey, Dana Design, Gregory, and The North Face packs. As far as large duffels go, the Patagonia, North Face and Gregory(not that cheap but worth it in the long run) are all kick ass, you can severely misstreat them and they hold upvery well. Patagonia, Ex-Officio, Ibex, Mt.Hardwhare and Arcteryx are all awsome brands for lightweight sythetic clothing. I second Asolo and or Merril for a good pair of treads, also check out Five-Ten, The North Face, Salomon and La Sportiva. Good luck and have fun
 
yeah, i know the Goat (i went to BBA) but right now I am in SC, and i don't know if i'll have time to look around when I get home before leaving to Europe. Thanks for the tips.


Gus said:
If you're presently in Vermont try The Mountain Goat in Manchester or Mountain Travelers in Rutland, the owners of each of these shops are very good people, very knowledgable and they carry plenty of name brands. I've had good luck with Osprey, Dana Design, Gregory, and The North Face packs. As far as large duffels go, the Patagonia, North Face and Gregory(not that cheap but worth it in the long run) are all kick ass, you can severely misstreat them and they hold upvery well. Patagonia, Ex-Officio, Ibex, Mt.Hardwhare and Arcteryx are all awsome brands for lightweight sythetic clothing. I second Asolo and or Merril for a good pair of treads, also check out Five-Ten, The North Face, Salomon and La Sportiva. Good luck and have fun
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom