The Backpack.

Although I may not have been prepared for everything, I definately feel prepared for packing. I bought [well, Dad bought me :-) ] a North Face Women's Terra 40 backpack. It has a 40 liter (or 2450 cubic inches) capacity, which is mid-sized. At Hudson Trail Outfitters, they advised me that it would be good for one to two weeks of clothing. You can check out details of the backpack here. It is listed at $109, which is pretty good for the type of pack that it is. We got it for about $85, because we were lucky enough to catch the Father's Day sale. But! I would definately advise not to be too concerned with the price if you want to buy a backpack! Having a comfortable backpack that suits you right is way more important than saving twenty or thirty dollars.



I figure that bringing only the backpack and a carry-on will be the easiest way to take my packing. Althought I have a large rolling suitcase, it is clearly not the most versatile piece of luggage. Trying to get around on public transportation with it is basically impossible. The backpack is also much smaller than than the suitcase, but I think this will be beneficial, since I am a chronic over-packer.



My plan is to pack everything that I need in the backpack and one carry-on. I'll bring what I think I will need, I can't over-pack, and I can buy things that I didn't bring, but need when I am there. And, all the stuff I end up buying I can bring back in a second piece of checked luggage. Seems great, right? Let's hope it works out that way.



Dad and I tested out the pack on a five-mile hike on the Rock Creek National Park Trail. While I tested mine, he wore an old external-frame pack that we have had for a while, but never really used. He wore it to see whether it would be usable for the Grand Canyon trip this winter, and even though it was probably 10 years old, it was still comfortable and perfectly usable. We had about 20 pounds worth of clothes in each of our packs - a comfortable amount. They sat differently, of course, since they are made very differently, but they were comparable in comfort.



Dad found some cool websites that give good evalutations and tips about backpacking travel: artoftravel.com and backpackgeartest.org.



Now, what am I actually going to pack?