I’m currently travelling through europe and my two-bag setup is a chore. Can any of you recommend top loading backpacks that I’d be able to find in a store, or that has reasonably quick delivery time (within a week)?
I’d love to get a tortuga, but they don’t ship to where I’m from.
I might settle down somewhere for a bit longer in which case I could probably order anything, but I’d love to ditch my old backpack asap so any suggestions would be appreciated!
[Minaal][1] ships around the world, looks like within 3-8 business days. It’s specifically designed for and by digital nomads, and has a number of cool features.
[1]: http://www.minaal.com/products/minaal-carry-on-bag
The Boreas Bolinas looks promising too.
I like the minaal’s aesthetics. Is there anything specific that justifies it being $100 more than the tortuga though?
Stumbled on the gobag today which looks pretty cool. Only available for pre-order at the moment though… http://www.wearegobag.co.uk/
I’m a huge fan of the Patagonia backpacks:
http://www.patagonia.com/us/shop/luggage-packs?k=1G-am
The 35L Black Hole backpack is awesome
I have a Osprey Farpoint 40. You’ll get it in every major backpack/travel/outdoor store. It’s the (current) maximum allowed on flights, I’ve had no problems with it, flying in the EU. It’s also available as a 55l version with a small daypack that can be clipped onto the big part, so it seems as if it’s one backpack.
The quality is pretty good, I’ve had it for a year now and had no problems. For ~100€ it’s a good backpack.
Thanks all for the replies so far. I’ve just settled down in Budapest so will go take a look at what they have in stores and report back.
Tortuga sells to Hungary, by the way: http://www.tortugabackpacks.com/pages/shipping
I’m planning on getting one myself, when I get over the annoyance of having to pay $50 for shipping + additional 23,5% EU import fee (which is BS)
Yea it is annoying. The bigger problem for me is waiting in one spot for the delivery (since they only give an estimate).
I’ve found the farpoint 55 in a store here, no 40 though it seems. Might give it a try
I’ve spent the last six months travelling round the world with a 46 litre Osprey Porter backpack and it has been BRILLIANT. Has a compartment which fits my 13" Macbook Pro, and lots of pockets. The main focus for me was to be able to travel without checking in any luggage and so far (I have 1 more flight on my trip from LAX to LHR today!) it has passed the test. Cannot recommend this backpack enough.
That’s good to know - I’ve seen them in stores but haven’t found the farpoint 40 yet. Thanks!