Gave in and bought new gear!!!

[bakubo]

For the last 10 years I have been using a Kelty Redwing 2900 backpack (2900 cubic inches, 47.5 liters). It still works fine and is in reasonable condition, although the color has faded. I have used it for travels to Greece, Italy (2 times), Austria (2 times), Germany (2 times), Switzerland (2 times), France (2 times), England, Netherlands, Hungary, Japan (several times), Ecuador, Thailand (2 times), Cambodia, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and Mexico. Here is a photo of it in Ecuador more than 5 years ago:



I just bought a new backpack for my month of travel in Vietnam starting on Monday!!! New gear! Whoopee! Now I know how those of you who have bought new stuff feel! I bought a Kelty Redwing 3100 backpack (3100 cubic inches, 50.8 liters). Actually the size of the 2900 has been fine for many years, but with digital I have been carrying a bit more gear than I used to and there are 2 battery chargers, extension cord, plug adaptors, etc. too. Then last year I decided to carry a netbook also to Egypt. My 2900 used to have a bit of spare space, but now when I get all my photo gear, clothes, netbook, and the myriad of other items (toothbrush, razor, small first aid kit, etc.) it is all really tight. I also put an empty daypack inside the 2900 and that takes up space too. The 3100 will give me an extra 200 cubic inches, 3.3 liters so that should be just right! Here is a photo of the new 3100:

[Dusty]

Come on, Henry, a Marine should be able to go 3 days with everything he needs in just a butt-pack!

My old ALICE pack is full of long term survival gear, no need for something like that unless I'm heading into the bush for a month or 2. Looking at your nice new pack, maybe I'm in need of an update!

Dusty

[KevinBarrett]

I love these guilt-free G.A.S. indulgences. It's the really practical purchases that feel the best.

[bakubo]

Come on, Henry, a Marine should be able to go 3 days with everything he needs in just a butt-pack!

I could pretty much do that too -- if not for the camera gear!

The truth is that if I didn't have any camera gear and no netbook I could go for weeks or even months with just a daypack. Believe me, it would sure make things so much easier! Half of the volume and 2/3 the weight is the camera gear. A bit worse now when I add in the netbook too. My daypack has to fit inside the pack also and even when the daypack is empty it takes up quite a bit of space. Alas, I finally decided just a bit larger pack would make it easier to close the zippers and also give me a little breathing room.

[bakubo]

I love these guilt-free G.A.S. indulgences. It's the really practical purchases that feel the best.

I usually buy stuff when I see a real use for it and a clear identifiable way it can help me out. I hate to get even a slightly bigger backpack, but with all the digital stuff I carry these days it just finally became necessary. I can tell you though that when I travel I always see people with much larger backpacks and people comment on how small mine is. The funny thing is that they don't even carry any camera gear other than maybe a little digicam. Most people use huge backpacks and stuff them full of stuff. Also, strangely, almost everyone uses top loading backpacks which are terrible for travel. Everytime you want something you have to unpack the whole thing and you then look down into a deep, dark hole with a flashlight trying to find stuff. I always use the type of backpack that is front loading. Unzip and everything is exposed and easy to find and get to.

[Birma]

Ah! Sweet GAS Congrats on the new pack Henry. I recently aquired a new photo pack (kata 33-N-1). I fell in to the "buy it too big" trap. I can put some much kit in it that it is way too heavy for hiking. Is is a great pack - as long as I don't try to fill it up . I agree that camera kit is really heavy compared to just about anything else you'd want to travel with.

I expect there are several of us looking forward to your trip Henry . Do you have any plans about where you're going and what you want to see? Will you be giving us any updates during the trip? What lens are you taking?

[bakubo]

Ah! Sweet GAS Congrats on the new pack Henry. I recently aquired a new photo pack (kata 33-N-1). I fell in to the "buy it too big" trap. I can put some much kit in it that it is way too heavy for hiking. Is is a great pack - as long as I don't try to fill it up . I agree that camera kit is really heavy compared to just about anything else you'd want to travel with.

Carrying too much is always something one has to watch out for! It is so easy to think, "Well, just one more thing...."

I expect there are several of us looking forward to your trip Henry . Do you have any plans about where you're going and what you want to see? Will you be giving us any updates during the trip? What lens are you taking?

I will try to make occasional updates. I have been going back and forth about carrying the netbook, but it sure came in handy in Egypt and these days so many guesthouses, hostels, hotels have wifi. I plan to take my standard travel camera kit:

A700 + 2 batteries + charger
A100 + battery (backup body)
18-250mm f3.5-6.3 + UV filter + polarizer filter + lens hood
11-18mm f4.5-5.6 + UV filter + lens hood
24mm f2.8 + UV filter + lens hood
50mm f1.7 + UV filter
F36AM flash + 4 AA nimh batteries
Canon A590IS digicam + 2 AA nimh batteries
AA nimh battery charger
several memory cards

I am seriously thinking about leaving the F36AM flash + 4 AA nimh batteries at home this time though. The fact is that I have never once used the flash while traveling.

[Birma]

Bon voyage Henry

(Here's hoping you take the NetBook!)