Rucksack Problem- South America

[troutman]

Hello All,

I have a bit of dilemma on what to do about my rucksack for an extended trip to south America. Since the route involves a lot of walking and public transport I have decided to take the smallest rucksack I can get away with. I have estimated that I can fit everything I need into my Deuter 32L rucksack. I have a 70L rucksack but really don't want the hassle of having to store it on buses etc. I would prefer to keep my bag in sight and on my person where needed (I am not staying for more than 1 night per place).

Now here's the problem:

Being a 32L bag it is fairly small which means I don't just want to put it in the hold of the plane. Also I have had experiences with rucksacks getting broken by baggage handlers. Usually I take a mountain equipment 70L duffel bag which is bright yellow and tough. As I have to carry my bag it is not an option. I can't take my rucksack as hand luggage due to liquids (first aid kit) and sharps (SAK)- plus it is slightly too big. Does anyone know of a bag which I can put my rucksack into? so as to: A) secure it and B) protect the buckles etc. I was thinking about putting it inside the duffel bag but it is too bulky to store when I arrive.
Any thoughts?
Thanks
troutman

 

[Dave]

No suggestions, but Im wondering if you are going over there to do some fly fishing, trout bum style?

 

[troutman]

No suggestions, but Im wondering if you are going over there to do some fly fishing, trout bum style?

I really would love to do some fly fishing over there! Patagonia would be my main choice followed by Argentina. Sadly I don't think my travel mate would put up with days and days of fly fishing! Maybe one day I will treat myself to a full on south America fly fishing trip- those Peacock bass look great sport too!

 

[lou1661]

Wrap it in shrink wrap at the airport?

 

[ged]

Over the years my wife has made quite a few draw-string bags of different sizes for me. They can be made of heavy material like canvas or light material like poly-cotton. One of the lighter ones would probably do what you want, it would pack down really small, they're very useful for other things as well and they're very simple to make up.

 

[Dave]

Oh god Yeh. Trip of a lifetime.

Patagonia would be amazing. Have you seen the Trout Bum vids? Where they just hire a jeep and travel all the way down Argentina, fly fishing for Wild Brownies and bivvying roadside?

Now thats trip i'd be up for.

[video=youtube;e7qw0xJOpik]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7qw0xJOpik[/video]

Enjoy Your trip. [Didnt mean to hijack your thread.]

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

If someone wants to get into a bag they generally will no matter what you do. if you put it in another bag they could just force the zip. Sometimes you just have to risk it. Id whack a pack cover on it and tape it up with black nasty

Im impressed you can get gear for an extended trip in a 32l pack . Whatever you decide have a fantastic time mate.

 

[Jared]

Wrap bubble wrap around the buckles, and shove the whole thing in an ikea carry bag and add duct tape?

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/search/?query=carrier+bag

Packing a field replaceable buckle might not be a bad idea either.

 

[Ahjno]

Hello All,

I have a bit of dilemma on what to do about my rucksack for an extended trip to south America. Since the route involves a lot of walking and public transport I have decided to take the smallest rucksack I can get away with. I have estimated that I can fit everything I need into my Deuter 32L rucksack. I have a 70L rucksack but really don't want the hassle of having to store it on buses etc. I would prefer to keep my bag in sight and on my person where needed (I am not staying for more than 1 night per place).

Now here's the problem:

Being a 32L bag it is fairly small which means I don't just want to put it in the hold of the plane. Also I have had experiences with rucksacks getting broken by baggage handlers. Usually I take a mountain equipment 70L duffel bag which is bright yellow and tough. As I have to carry my bag it is not an option. I can't take my rucksack as hand luggage due to liquids (first aid kit) and sharps (SAK)- plus it is slightly too big. Does anyone know of a bag which I can put my rucksack into? so as to: A) secure it and B) protect the buckles etc. I was thinking about putting it inside the duffel bag but it is too bulky to store when I arrive.
Any thoughts?
Thanks
troutman

I flew more than once with fluids in my hand luggage, though it always fitted in the 1ltr ziploc bags. Are these personal medication or just part of your FAK? Can you trim more of your kit? Shamoo & showergel: a piece of soap will do just fine. SAK - buy local, and post it back home on your return (nice souvenir). Same goes for any other kit: what can you get local - though you probably thought about this, as you have estimated it'll fit in a 32 ltr bag.

 

[ebt.]

Stick it into a slightly bigger drybag. Once you've got there, put the drybag inside the rucksack and you've got your waterproof liner sorted.


I use cable ties to act as 'locks', since as paul says anyone who truly wants in will get in.

 

[Shewie]

I have a thing called a PacSafe which is a steel wire cage you wrap around your bag and then lock it with a padlock, not sure if they're still around as I've had mine for ages.

 

[Damascus]

The simple solution is to go to the charity shop and buy a cheap duvet cover and put the bag in side it then cable tie it secure and stick a baggage label on it, when you get at the other end if its in ant descent shape use it as a sleeping bag liner or if stopping in a hostel a sheet, otherwise just discard.

 

[troutman]

Thanks everyone! It has taken a few days to really go over what I will be taking with me and what I can get away without taking. The dry bag and ikea bags seem like a good idea so I may well go for that. If not I have found that Deuter do a rucksack cover which should do the trick. I would like to buy a SAK etc when I get over there, but for practicality and easiness I think I will just take mine. The liquids are mostly DEET, Suncream, antiseptic etc.

I would have even more space if I was not taking my Rab Primaloft jacket, but I think it will be a necessity when it gets cold at night!

 

[troutman]

Oh god Yeh. Trip of a lifetime.

Patagonia would be amazing. Have you seen the Trout Bum vids? Where they just hire a jeep and travel all the way down Argentina, fly fishing for Wild Brownies and bivvying roadside?

Now thats trip i'd be up for.

[video=youtube;e7qw0xJOpik]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7qw0xJOpik[/video]

Enjoy Your trip. [Didnt mean to hijack your thread.]

Thanks Dave, I will have a look at those! Patagonia does look great, not the right time to year to visit it though really when I plan on going. There used to be some great free shows (Cabela's TV) on the Cabelas website- (not sure if there still is). They had some good ones on Costa Rica too...now there's another place I wouldn't mind fishing!

 

[troutman]

If someone wants to get into a bag they generally will no matter what you do. if you put it in another bag they could just force the zip. Sometimes you just have to risk it. Id whack a pack cover on it and tape it up with black nasty

Im impressed you can get gear for an extended trip in a 32l pack . Whatever you decide have a fantastic time mate.

Thanks Paul, totally agree about people getting into it. It was more just so that I would know if anyone had. Especially with people putting illegal substances into other peoples bags etc.

 

[Dave]

Yeh. We've been spoiled by Paul Young! All his vids are available on youtube STV channel. Some crackers in South America. I'll have a look for those on Cabela's TV.

I would deffo take the fly rod though. Buy a cheap one for your mate. You know how addictive it is.

 

[Nomad]

I've flown a few times with a 33L Webtex Cadet as carry-on - never had an issue with size, although I'd have to say that I don't have it filled. Height and width, it's full (oversize lump of a work laptop, stuff in top pocket), but front to back probably about half as much as it could be. Don't know what shape the Deuter is, but maybe a different pack will make the difference.

Also, it is often okay to have a separate 'shoulder bag' type of thing as carry-on, like a laptop bag or small camera bag. If you add a cheap (ie, disposable) haversack, you could decant some stuff into that to get the main pack smaller. Another option is a travel vest with plenty of pockets used in a similar way.

For liquids, certainly consider buying locally if you can't reduce them to the '100ml each and all in a placcy bag' rule. Agree on the SAK - buy local, post home.

The other way to do it is to get a small overnight size suitcase and put nearly everything in that, with only the essentials in the carry-on pack. Then either dump the suitcase on arrival and buy another when leaving, or maybe store it somewhere for the return trip if you're going home via the same place you arrive. (A cost to balance, of course.)

 

[sandbender]

Thanks everyone! It has taken a few days to really go over what I will be taking with me and what I can get away without taking. The dry bag and ikea bags seem like a good idea so I may well go for that. If not I have found that Deuter do a rucksack cover which should do the trick. I would like to buy a SAK etc when I get over there, but for practicality and easiness I think I will just take mine. The liquids are mostly DEET, Suncream, antiseptic etc.

I would have even more space if I was not taking my Rab Primaloft jacket, but I think it will be a necessity when it gets cold at night!

32 litres is impressively small and should sit on you knees nicely on those fifteen hour bus journeys. Make sure you photograph all your gear before and after the trip so we can see what you took and what you kept.

You can buy rucksacks almost anywhere and you can buy warm jackets and everything else you need anywhere too, so don't get paranoid about losing your gear, it might not be the brand you want but if the locals use it, it'll probably do the job.

Fluids in hold luggage will be fine just make sure they are wrapped individually in poly bags, it is no fun opening your pack to find everything covered in shampoo.

I never carry shampoo, I just cut all my hair off before I go on a trip. DEET is another thing though I have bought some in a far off place which had been watered down (or was simply water) so take some from home.

I wrap my rucksack in two industrial strength rubble bags from B&Q, I then seal the opening and cover any obvious hardpoints (buckles etc.) with gaffa tape. At my destination I try to save as much of the gaffa as I can by wrapping it around a marker pen and I save the rubble bags for use as rucksack liners for clothes and sleeping bag.

I usually use a 47 litre Crux rucksack which is as small as I can manage for long trips in far away places but then I like a decent sleeping bag and often carry my own food when out and about.

I used to have another crux pack (also 47 litres) which had a detachable lid pocket, I would use this as my shoulder bag for any flights I was taking.

Good luck and take plenty of photographs.

 

[santaman2000]

32 litres is impressively small and should sit on you knees nicely on those fifteen hour bus journeys. Make sure you photograph all your gear before and after the trip so we can see what you took and what you kept.

You can buy rucksacks almost anywhere and you can buy warm jackets and everything else you need anywhere too, so don't get paranoid about losing your gear, it might not be the brand you want but if the locals use it, it'll probably do the job.....

Yes but the locals usually aren't my size.

 

[garethw]

Hi there
Decathlon on line sells these:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/aeroplane-cover-id_4382082.html

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/light-travel-rucksack-cover-id_8210757.html

Might be a bit big for your pack...
cheers
Gareth