backpack or suitcase for 1 year traveling ?

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holidayqueen

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Hi
Can anyone give me advice for my daughter who is going to Thailand for 3 weeks moving around the islands and then onwards to Australia for a further 11 or so months, would a suitcase with wheels that can fit 20kg of clothes be ok or would she be better off with a backpack with wheels. she will also have a small carry on bag. Does anyone have any experience of this she was thinking of the suitcase but has been advised she should be able to put it on her back.
 
Backpack, easier to carry. Don't bother bringing too many clothes as they are cheap to buy when she arrives and she will probably dump Irish clothes fairly early on in trip. Thats what I did anyhow!
 
20kg is far too much to carry (either backpack or suitcase -she'll have to lift it regardless at some stages). She should be going with no more than 15kg. Also, someone gave me the good advice to never bring your favourite clothes backpacking - you either ruin them (or a laundry does) or leave them behind when they get too heavy.

My sister went the wheelie backpack (a sort of hybrid) route in India and regretted it every step of the way. Finally, get a backpack that can open all around (not just the top) as it's far easier to get at things that way, rather than rummaging from the top.

Sprite
 
Get a backpack and she should make sure it is comfortable - some shops measure you and adjust the backpack to fit. I bought a Lowe alpine back pack (60 litres) for a similar trip. It opened all around - very handy as already suggested. It also had a cover that zipped over the back of the pack covering all the straps - great for the airport. Also a small day pack that attached to the front of the pack - I used it as carry on bag. And the main section of the bag could be locked.
 
I had a lower back injury when I went travelling and brought a rolly suitcase and it lasted about 5 minutes ! Way too awkard as streets are too crowded to be dragging around a suitcase and there are a lot of dirt roads so the bag ripped within 2 days. I then bought a rucksack over there for about 20quid, make sure she gets a large travel towel as real towels way a ton. If she is staying in hostels she should sleep inside an empty duvet cover as you can catch things of the sheets.
 
Definitely go with a backpack. Best to travel light and buy what you need in Thailand.
Also I'd recommend a silk sleeping bag liner for hostels. Expensive in Dublin but much cheaper in Thailand.
 
When she gets back to Dublin be careful of the backpack on the Luas as they regularly root through them and steal any valuables. She'd probably get half way round the world safely and then have stuff stolen on the Luas ;)
 
sueellen said:
When she gets back to Dublin be careful of the backpack on the Luas as they regularly root through them and steal any valuables. She'd probably get half way round the world safely and then have stuff stolen on the Luas ;)
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Thanks for reminding us about that as she will be getting the train to Dublin next week and getting the Luas into the city centre to meet with her friends so it would be a bad start to be done over before you left the country!
 
holidayqueen said:
Thanks for reminding us about that as she will be getting the train to Dublin next week and getting the Luas into the city centre to meet with her friends so it would be a bad start to be done over before you left the country!
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Too true. See it happening on a regular basis. :(
 
Things I really found useful (excluding medications):

Sleeping liner (silk)
Empty pillow case (for dirty laundry and can also act as actual pillow case in hostels)
Detergent
elasticated washing line
global sink plug
torch (head torch or standalone prop-up one - depends on where you go)
wet wipes
face cloth (in day pack - for sweat and cleaning face)
all cotton clothing - esp underwear
Cap for toothbrush (get in any boots)
Deet
A hat
International power adapter
Plug in mozzie stuff (I didn't bring this but regret it)

Do not bring (Some of which I regretted bringing)
- too many shoes - if in hot climates, you'll probably not wear any closed-toe shoes other than hiking boots/shoes. Deffo would bring hiking shoes rather than boots myself
- too many long sleeved tops - I'd put 2 in (now!)
- non-cotton underwear
- water purifier - unless really going off-road for long periods
-perfume
- make up
- expensive jewellery
- Sleeping bag (unless camping for significant periods)
- mozzie net
- a massive swiss army knife - a little/medium one is fine and will do all the stuff you need it to do
- too many batteries (too heavy and are easily available - there's a Boots in Bangkok for e.g!)


If she is going to Thailand, she should bring baggy enough clothes - it's a fairly conservative country and wearing string tops and short skirts on the street is sometimes frowned upon. She can also get clothes made in Thailand - another good reason to leave space in the backpack. There are also great street stalls with backpacker-wear in Bangkok where you can pick up stuff for next to nothing. If I went back to Thailand, I'd carry 2kg and fill up in Bangkok for the trip (really!) Finally, posting stuff home from Oz is really easy so she can send stuff back from there.

Sprite
 
Backpack definitely. Get one with as many pockets / storage areas as possible, some have hidden compartments. Try to get a backpack cover so that a) it is protected in the rain and b) when on the trains, buses etc, a visible pocket can be cut open, but if the whole thing is covered, it is not obvious where the pockets are.
Travel light - I would say bring four sets of clothes and buy cheap as she travels.
 
Sorry to hog the post, I am looking to get two (LARGE)suitcases, preferably one that will fit inside the other. Have purchased Samsonite before and (it arrived in Dublin airport in a plastic bag- supposedlly got caught in landing gear!!!) would not be inclined to do so again. not too pushed if it is hard or soft case. Can anybody offer recommendations or where to buy.
Looked in Arnotts over weekend but didn't see anything that caught my eye. Is there anywhere anyone could recommend on line???
 
Something I found really helpful was the really large sandwich bags. I rolled clothes into them and had one for tops, one for trousers, one for underware etc. It was esp. helpful for those one night stops enroute. Instead of pulling every single thing out of the rucksack I had eight or ten of these bags, so could just locate the bag I needed, take what I wanted out of it and then pop it back in. Saved me lots of time when trying to leave hostels after sleeping in! Also handy that some of them can turn into 'dirty clothes' bags while waiting to laundry. keeps the clean clothes fresh and separate.
 
The most useful feature that my 60litre backpack had was the ability to open all the way around, like a suitcase, but with backpack ease of carrying.
 
Don't even consider getting a suitcase! Some backpacker tour companies strongly discourage passenger from bringing suitcases. Backpack all the way. Just make sure there's not too many pockets on it; and that the pockets can be secured using padlocks of similar. I travelled with a Sporthouse backpack and I'll be using it again next December, money very well spent.
 
Irishgurl said:
Sorry to hog the post, I am looking to get two (LARGE)suitcases, preferably one that will fit inside the other. Have purchased Samsonite before and (it arrived in Dublin airport in a plastic bag- supposedlly got caught in landing gear!!!) would not be inclined to do so again. not too pushed if it is hard or soft case. Can anybody offer recommendations or where to buy.
Looked in Arnotts over weekend but didn't see anything that caught my eye. Is there anywhere anyone could recommend on line???
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I don't know of any places online, but there's a really good luggage shop in Dublin called Adamson Luggage (they do have a website, www.adamsonluggage.com, but it's not fully up and running yet). The shop is on King Street, opposite the Stephen's Green shopping centre (near the Gaiety Theatre). I always go with soft cases - the hard ones are way too heavy, and eat into your baggage allowance. Antler do a great range of lightweight luggage. Actually, I just did a quick search and found their website: [broken link removed]. They deliver to Ireland - for a fee.
 
I got a brilliant backpack in Arnotts, it has really good straps that fold away into a pocket and also has wheels on the bottom and retractable handle for pulling it around. There is a compartment bag attached to the front that is a smaller back pack for excursions etc and it simply sips on and off. I would have been lost without it, the brand is Sierra Nevada.
 
If she is going to Thailand, she should bring baggy enough clothes - it's a fairly conservative country and wearing string tops and short skirts on the street is sometimes frowned upon.
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???????? Isnt Thailand famous for a certain type of tourism ?:confused:
 
csirl said:
???????? Isnt Thailand famous for a certain type of tourism ?:confused:
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It certainly is but that type of tourism seems to be well contained (I saw no direct evidence of it). The Thais are generally modest people and seeing hoards of backpackers in minis and string tops can be frowned upon, but they would be far too polite to actually say anything to you directly. Notwithstanding the sex tourism that goes on, it is still a pretty conservative country.

Sprite
 
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