When it comes to travelling for the first time, other than maybe buying a plane ticket I reckon there’s nothing that tells you that you’re really ‘doing it’ more than going into the store and buying your backpack. Striding up to the counter, credit card in hand and a big smile on your face, proudly telling the poor shop assistant exactly what it is that you plan to do with your new purchase. “Oh, I’ll be carrying this for six months around Europe”, you happen to slip into the conversation. “I hope this is big enough to fit in everything I need for my round the world trip”, you proudly proclaim.
As with all important purchases, however, it’s vital to pick the right option. Especially when that option is going to be sitting on your back with all of your possessions in it for the next several weeks, months or years. Getting it wrong will almost certainly result in frustration and unnecessary expense, limit your options and probably provide you with a visit to the chiropractor to boot. Here’s a few pointers that I’ve come up with over the years that I wish I’d known when hitting the travel stores for the first time.
