http://spreadsheets.google.com/feeds/list/o06996531621457208767.1275442097903647886/od6/public/basic/dupz12009-11-03T07:16:52.328Zcountryonyourpassport: USA, firstname: Brad, yourage: 27, travelascoupleorsingle: Single, whatisthelongesttimeyouhaveevertraveledoutsideyourcountry: Trip around Spain for 5 weeks, brandnameofbackpack: Granite Gear, whatdidyoupayforbaginu.s.dollars: $140, listtheitemsthathavebrokeonyourbag.: One tear in outer fabric at intersection of shoulder strap/top flap, whatarethebiggestproblemsyouhadwiththebag: Needed a bit more support/framesheet when hiking 9 hours a day @ ~33 lbs. Pack only weighed 2 lbs, but would have preferred the 3-lb model with more supportive framesheet, whatfeaturesorbenefitsdoyouwantincluded: For my future traveling of city/wilderness exploration, something smaller than 60L and more than 1 external pocket. Not sure exactly, curious to see what your vastly-superior hobo knowledge suggests!, howmuchweightdoyoucarryinthebag: 25 pounds in mixed traveling, didyoureturnwithmorethanbagsthanyouleftwith: Nope, bag got smaller and lighter as the hike progressed! I am already quite familiar with "throw out half your stuff before you leave". By the 4th month of the hike, I could tell the difference between an extra 3 ounces in the pack. Every ounce counts, howoftendidyouusethewaistharness: Always on the hike, probably just sometimes in mixed traveling though, wasyourobbedonthetrip: Nope, didyourbagfallintothewaterontrip: Nope, didyoucarryatent: Yes, didyoucarryasleepingbag: You bet, a Lafuma 20-deg F synthetic bag, 2.3 lbs, $45 from Amazon and worked great! Starting to rip near the head, but served its purpose and was a good value, didyoucarryacamelbackwaterpouch: Yes, 100 oz. Blackburn HydraSak. Bought it used off eBay, $10, lasted 5 of the 6 months on the hike, using every single day. Loved it!, whatitemsdidyounotneed: Not many, sent some extra clothes home., didyouloseawaterbottle: No, explainyouropinionsonwaterbottles: I carried a 1L Glaceau SmartWater bottled water bottle. It's tall, slim shape fit perfectly in the side pocket of the pack, much better fit than the wider, big mouth Nalgenes. , doyoucarryandumbrella: No, wheelsornowheelsbag: No wheels - used for hiking/trekking in wilderness for 6 months, howmanybagsdidyoucary: One, linktophotosofyourbag.: www.granitegear.com, doyoucarryarainponcho: A rain jacket, yes. I ended up turning it into a rain cape -- putting on the pack first. Then the jacket, leaving it unzipped, my arms through the jacket arms, and the back of the jacket draped up and over the pack to keep the rain off both the pack and my back., doyoucarrryacomputerexplainhowyoucarry: I didn't on the hike, but I just bought the new Asus EEE PC 901 for my mixed traveling -- 2.3 lbs, 8.9" screen, solid state hard drive, 1.3 megapixel webcam, WiFi and Bluetooth equipped, 5-6 hour battery time. We'll see how she does!, didyoubreakacameraorlose: Nope, Pentax W20 waterproof, dustproof, shock resistant, beast of a tiny point & shoot, battle tested!, averagepriceofroomsyoulivedin: $45 USD, whydoyouloveyourbag: It stored my life on my back for 6 months! Without it I would've never made it to the end of the Appalachian Trail. And the simplicity and freedom of traveling with everything you need on your body is beautifully liberating., howdoyourepairabagwhentraveling: DUCT TAPE!, doesapersonneedhikingboots: Doubt it, I had no trouble pushing 15-20 miles per day on trail runners (overbuilt tennis shoes made for running off-road)., explainhowyoumanageguidebooks: Carried it in the side pocket of the backpack., doyouclimbmountains: Damn right!, doyoulikeallthelittlepocketsinsidethebag: My pack had two side pockets, no internal pockets. Almost a "sack with shoulder straps". Didn't seem to miss them, I only carried 7-10 specific items for hiking, and small stuff was in ziploc bags. Internal pockets and containers will probably be much more convenient when mixed city/wilderness traveling., didyougetyourbagslashedwithrazor: No, wouldalargedufflebagworkgoodenough: Probably, but shoulder straps make it so much more comfortable to transport. Also one large bag makes it more difficult to keep your loads stable and adjusted, so heavy stuff can shift to the bottom and become uncomfortable., doyoulockyourbag: No, explainbagsecurity: Out in the middle of the woods all year, our packs were very safe. Traveling in cities and around the world though, I am almost positively going to use a Pacsafe or other steel mesh pack lock. Any built-in provisions to attach these devices would be a big plus in a bag., doyouknowofanyonewhohadthebagstolenexplainwhathappened.: No, whatfeaturedoyoudreamofonabackpack: A backpack that would also double as a set of rear panniers on a bicycle rack would be awesome, but the panniers-vs-backpack shapes are different enough where it would be difficult to get one pack shape that would do both excellently.