Backpack Question

[inspiredwriter2012]

I will be going car-free in a few months and am wondering if anyone had suggestions,idea's,etc about what would be the best backpack to buy and use for public transport and bicycling riding. Thanks

[herbgeek]

"Best" is relative to your needs, and I don't know what those are. Here are some items you might want to consider in your decision making:

If you need something for both, you might also want to consider a sling bag or a messenger bag (one strap instead of 2 like a backpack). Figure out how much stuff you need to carry- backpacks are typically sized by the cubic inches they hold. Also, if you need to bring work files or a computer back and forth, you'll need to make sure the backpack will hold those. A nice feature to have is one that is expandable, eg for those few times where you might need to bring more stuff, but you don't necessarily want a bigger backpack all the time - particularly if you're like me and prone to fill up regardless of the size. :) Do you want leather or something else? Leather wears well and "dresses up" well but is heavier and more expensive. If its not leather, you might want it to be coated so that you can wipe it off easily. You could also consider panniers for your bike, some are convertible to a bag. I have a bag that clips on the front of my bike, but has handles for bringing to the market and the like.

[Rosemary]

I far prefer a backpack to something that gets held on one side or sling-style when I'm carrying any significant amount of weight.
Lands End makes some really lightweight backpacks and you can frequently get them for 30% off the clearance (overstock) price on the website. REI also makes very nice backpacks, often with chest and waist clips.
I don't have particular brand loyalty but rather look at the design - a comfortable fit to my height, large enough, convenient access for wallet/pens/small things, and pockets for water bottles on the sides.

[Miss Cellane]

What do you need to carry? The bag needs to be big enough to hold everything.

What will you need access to while en route? Transit pass? Water bottle? Reading material? You'll need outside pockets for some of that. Or a messenger type bag with lots of pockets and slots under the flap.

Where will you use it most? Wearing a backpack on your back can be an issue on crowded buses and subway cars. There may be times when you will need to take it off and hold it, because there isn't room, or because you are thwacking people left and right if you keep it on your back. Whereas a messenger bag isn't usually as bulky and sits on your side, not your back.

Can you secure valuables, like your wallet and transit pass and iPod, easily? Outside pockets on a backpack that is on your back are easy for someone to pick. You might want a backpack with some easy to access inside pockets or divisions, or a messenger bag that is easier for you to keep an eye on.

Get something that's waterproof.

Also check out how easy it is to open and close. Zippers are great, but pulling off a glove in sub-zero temperatures to fiddle with a tiny zipper tab that's frozen to the backpack with snow is another issue altogether. Think ahead to the types of weather you will encounter and make sure it will work for you.

[ctg492]

You are my hero going car free! Just my dream to be car free.

[flowerseverywhere]

I am carfree except for once or twice a week so most of my travels are on a bike. Even most of my grocery shopping except for really heavy loads like a big bag of birdseed or cat food, but those are easy to stock up on in advance.
I have a small backpack and a big backpack I can use, but what I use most of all are my panniers when I bike. They have handles and when I lock up my bike I just thread the lock through the handles if need be. I also take them right into the stores and put things directly in them. They balance the load and can hold a lot. I have a basket I can add to the front, but I find if I put anything heavy in it the bike can be thrown off balance. I use the basket to put towels in say when I go swimming, or sometimes if I go to yard sales or thrift stores and get clothes.

the panniers attach to a rack, and I also can bungie cord something right to the rack if need be inside a tote bag. You would be surprised what you get can get by with.


PS I am almost 60 and find the more you bike, the easier it is.

[Zoebird]

we have a car that we currently drive once a week (to get our groceries), and are otherwise car free.

Mon and Tuesday, DH goes into the office with a backpack that holds our work, and our larger computer. He takes the bus in and out. mid-day, DS and I go into the office. I bring a bag with lunch and the second computer, and DS brings a backpack with a change of clothes and a snack, and his library books if it is library day.

Wednesday, DH stays home with DS and I have a "full day" in the office. I take the back pack and "big" computer, plus our work for that day.

Thursdays, Dh goes in as per mon-wed, and then I come in with a suitcase and my small computer. The suitcase holds my derby gear. I come in later, so DS and I have lunch before we go in, and DH has his lunch there which he carries it in himself. DH and DS go home with the little computer (now recharged), and then after work, i bus to the derby practice, and then bus home after derby practice.

On Fridays, we drive into town -- DH drops me off and he and DS go grocery shopping. Then they park in free parking near the park, and DS plays until I walk over from the office. Then we drive home! It works like a charm. :)

All of our bags, are old and used. DH's using his LLBean bag from 1990 -- that's our main pack. Then, i use a free tote that I got from lands end on my mon/tues. On Thursday, i use one of our suitcases. I think we got that suitcase in 1999? On Friday, we don't carry either computer in -- since we are really just doing what we need to do.

This works for us.

[lhamo]

If you end up going the backpack route, be sure to get one that has the mesh vent type covering over the padding on the back. This allows the air to circulate and in my experience keeps you MUCH cooler/more comfortable than a standard fabric covered covering. I bought a backpack with this feature from Victorionox (the Swiss Army Knife company) a couple of years ago and LOVED it. I could do the 15 minute ride from the subway stop to my language program in incredible heat and humidity and not end up a total sweaty mess.

If you will be carrying heavy loads and your bike doesn't allow you to sit up straight, you should really consider a sling bag or panniers, though. Wearing a heavy backpack while leaning over the handlebars makes you quite unstable, and it probably isn't good for your lower back, either.

Hope this works for you! I wish I could commute by bike, but its 17 km to my office and no good/safe route.

lhamo

[inspiredwriter2012]

I would be using the backpack to carry things like a wallet,small purse,phone,water bottle,sometimes some small amount of groceries that sort of thing. Because I will be returning to the Pennsylvania to achieve my car-free status,I need a backpack that will be able to stand up against less then happy weather,such as rain and/or snow. I would prefer not to use a messenger back as I don't think that would distribute the weight evenly and because this will be the first time in a long time since I've used a bike and public buses to get about.

I looked at an rei but was getting overwhelm by the choices. I want something durable and that will last.I am willing to invest the money,just wondered what others used in their travels.

oops I almost forgot to say I work from home so commuting to work is a non-issue.

[herbgeek]

I have one of these, its quite small, so not suitable for groceries, but good as a purse substitute. http://www.zappos.com/patagonia-atom-magenta I like that you can swing it around while you are wearing it to access things inside, without having to take it off.

Would you be getting groceries BOTH on the bike and on public transport? If its just the bike, then panniers would be the way to go.

[iris lily]

I found that when I was schlepping books back and forth I wore out one backpack a year. The corners wore a hole in the fabric.

Once I stopped that, I've used the same backpack for years.

[Rogar]

I did bike commuting for years and would highly recommend panniers and a rear tire rack for bike commutes. No stress and sweat on the shoulders and back and you can use one or two depending on the load. Now that I'm not working, I do errands and shopping with them and they can carry an amazing volume with a little extra pedal power, but no load on shoulders and back. Most have handle for carrying short distances.

If you think a backpack would be best, I'd go down to a good outdoor shop and try on a few different brands. I bought my hiking pack from REI and had a good salesman who was very helpful, so maybe you just had a bad salespersoan to help. There are differences in how comfortable they fit and how the pockets are designed and sized for the loads you will carry. I like panel loaders vs. top loaders for easy access. Some models have an attached rain cover for wet weather, which can come in handy. Once you have an idea of size, panel load vs. top load, and whether you want the attached rain fly, it will help to limit the choices.

If you are going to only carry smaller personal items, Mountain Smith makes some excellent fanny packs of different sizes.

[RosieTR]

I'm going to be a contrarian here with the messenger bag thing. I've done some bike commuting and found that a backpack suitable for hiking is also suitable for biking. My temp range has been 15F to 115F (two different locations, in case you're wondering). Now, if you're not commuting and thus using the pack for shopping and stuff, definitely go on the bigger side of day packs. The pack I just bought with birthday money is an Osprey Kestrel 38, which is about as big as I would go. The problem with a messenger bag, esp if you're putting the bike on buses and stuff, is that you can't easily fit a helmet in it. Also as you mentioned, the weight isn't distributed across both shoulders and your hips. One possible thing to try is take a couple of hours at REI to try stuff out. They sell both packs and bikes, so you should be able to get the salespeople to let you put on a pack, weight it (ask for weights or put some gear from the store inside) and try one of the bikes that is similar to yours. See how the pack feels both wearing around the store for awhile and while riding. Many of the hiking day packs have an integrated rain cover that pulls out of a pocket in the bag, so if you're somewhere and it starts raining, you just pull it out and cinch it. Since they are sewn in, you aren't going to forget or lose it. If you don't know what I'm talking about, ask when you're browsing packs.
If you decide to go with panniers, definitely bring your bike in and have them fit the panniers on (REI or a bike shop) before you buy. I got panniers as a gift and they never fit my bike so I wound up returning them which meant REI ate a good chunk of the money and I wasted time.
One other option to consider is a bike trailer-bulkier for locking up and stuff but possibly more useful for around-town errands since you can put a small cooler inside for groceries and the like. I'm not sure how these do in snow, however.

[Selah]

I don't know how good this backpack is for biking, as I just ordered it to use for my upcoming new life as a Hebrew student without a car. I'ts a JanSport "Big Student" backpack. The reviews from customers seem very good, and high points for me is that customers with lots of different professions (nurses, teachers, students) all said the same things about it. Durability, waterproofness, and lots of different pockets for things, including one section that could easily hold a laptop, were the selling points for me. I had JanSport backpacks all throughout high school and college, and loved, loved, LOVED them. They've adapted now and aren't just in the same old boring colors, and this one even has a compartment sized to fit a laptop into.

Things slung across my shoulder give me terrific neck, shoulder and back pain. Only your body can know whether positioning a bag like this works or not.

Be careful when choosing bike panniers, though. I had some cheapie ones in the past that were too squishy and strappy, and the bits often got caught in the spokes. Big drag!