http://spreadsheets.google.com/feeds/list/pv6W-xHCsGGGOPCCZ1EezEQ/od6/public/basic/cpzh42009-11-03T07:16:52.328Zcountryonyourpassport: England, firstname: ash, yourage: 21, travelascoupleorsingle: single, whatisthelongesttimeyouhaveevertraveledoutsideyourcountry: just over 2 months in india/ nepal, brandnameofbackpack: Karrimor, whatdidyoupayforbaginu.s.dollars: 120, listtheitemsthathavebrokeonyourbag.: one of the plastic things that they put on the end of loose straps to make it look pretty. No buckles or other bits. (duck tape is to try and make bag look older)., whatarethebiggestproblemsyouhadwiththebag: has a duffel-close top with rain-flap. This is not lockable, so I had to make the modification flap with the zippers (see images). The logo was embroidered into the front, rather than a sewn on badge, so it was impossible to remove without cutting a hole in the bag. This meant I had to sex a patch over logo and use duck tape. The bag is NOT waterproof: this is a HUGE issue. , whatfeaturesorbenefitsdoyouwantincluded: main compartments should be double-zippered to be padlocked. A secure point on the bag to attach a cable lock would be a bonus, as using the carry-handle is not secure. waterproof is a must for any future bag. the chest and tummy straps are very useful for long treks. points on the top to tie excess items, e.g. hiking boots. the adjustable straps need to be adjusted depending on when the bag is full/ half full. having guages on the straps would be useful to set them quicker. I draw these on in Biro., howmuchweightdoyoucarryinthebag: 35k, didyoureturnwithmorethanbagsthanyouleftwith: no, but did use small duffel bag for extra items in between flights. before flights, I discarded lots of items i didn't need to take home (almost everything). , howoftendidyouusethewaistharness: during long walks and on treks. when walking up or down stairs or steep hills, as it lowers centre of gravity., wasyourobbedonthetrip: no., didyourbagfallintothewaterontrip: no, didyoucarryatent: No, didyoucarryasleepingbag: No, but i have on subsequent camping trips inside britain (using publicc transport only). It is a very small pack. I have also attached a tent to the bottom of the pack for domestic travel. I'd like to put inside bag, but the poles do not fit..., didyoucarryacamelbackwaterpouch: not on this trip. used in smaller bag for a mountian climb in scotland. they are useless, inpractical things that make water taste like plastic and are hell to clean. , whatitemsdidyounotneed: medicines. my first aid kit was useful, but the extra things like flu, heartburn, headache, cough etc. pills were pointless. they were readily (and more cheaply) availible locally and not needed. I could have taken more rehydration medicine though. Swiss knife. cheap craft knife and cooking knife were useful. As usual, swiss knife was useless. cooking tins were not used, as food was much cheaper than i budgeted for, so I decided to be lazy. was useful for holding chopped fruits though. compass! everything else had useful moments., didyouloseawaterbottle: No, explainyouropinionsonwaterbottles: buying bottled water yeilds perfectly good, cheap, reusable bottles. buying a specially made bottle is a ridiculous thing to do., doyoucarryandumbrella: No, wheelsornowheelsbag: no wheels. this is a normal backpack, probably designed for hiking not travelling. 65 litres if jam-packed, with interior back-board not external frame., howmanybagsdidyoucary: 2, large on back, 30 litre 'Kathmandu' bag on front (never full). (Kathmandu is a brand of outdoors stuff I found in london, not seen elsewhere). I refer mainly to the big bag., linktophotosofyourbag.: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashbeck/sets/72157605277659985/, doyoucarryarainponcho: I carried a lightweight waterproof jacket. This was also a windproof layer, important on mountains, but not in many other places., doyoucarrryacomputerexplainhowyoucarry: No, I carried various memory devices and things to use in cyber cafés., didyoubreakacameraorlose: No. tiny peice of sand got in case and scratched the LCD screen a bit, but I noticed quickly and was careful in futute. , averagepriceofroomsyoulivedin: 4-5 USD, whydoyouloveyourbag: I don't. it is far from perfect. The small pack I prefer, and now use as a 'school bag' for college., howdoyourepairabagwhentraveling: I carried a small amount of duck tape and a small selection of sewing equipment and a spare buckle. linen sewing thread and a mattress-making needle (curved, thick needle) were used for the top modification. , doesapersonneedhikingboots: if they plan to hike a lot. I took hiking boots and sandals. The problem with boots is they look expensive, and are. but fortunately noone in india has size 12(UK) feet. , explainhowyoumanageguidebooks: These go in the bottom compartment inside a sworn-off petrol can (thanks for this travel tip!). I took one guidebook (lonely planet india) and it was far, far too big. In nepal i didnt bother, and I was glad., doyouclimbmountains: yes and no. I trek up mountains. I do not use my hands and I do not use ropes etc. so it's more walking than climbing. I can trek in the nepal mountains, I won't be climbing everest., doyoulikeallthelittlepocketsinsidethebag: the big bag has one along by the back-board which was useful to keep documents in tact and for maps. it also has access to behind the backboard (i don't know why) and I used this to stash a small amount of english and US money in a plastic bag. one of my emergency funds. In the small bag, the front pouch has pen holders, a phone-sized pouch etc. These are usegul for storing pens, toothbrushes and small easy-to-lose items (batteries etc.) It also had a small mesh pouch at the top of the main compartment, I used this to store sweets (for journeys) and a few low-denomination coins (I collect coins)., didyougetyourbagslashedwithrazor: no., wouldalargedufflebagworkgoodenough: No. As above, everything needs to be lockable. I also like that the main compartment of my bag is accessible from the bottom (via the bottom compartment). makes it easier to get to items in the middle, as every single item has a specific place., doyoulockyourbag: Yes, explainbagsecurity: bags MUST be lockable. my bag had additional compartments on all sides, so one razor-slash wouldn't get you into the main bag. I also tend to keep all the items inside the bag inside a large plastic bag. This is used to keep the contents dry from external wet (objects are also in zip-lock bags to protect from internal wwet items that leak). This aslo stops items spilling out if there is a hole in the main bag. Locking a bag to things is a good deterrant, but again not fool-proof. Small bag I would knot the zip-pull-tabs together to slow down opening. Valuable items go in my trouser pockets, which have extra zipped pockets concealed inside to protect from single razor-slash (thanks for this tip!). Tried to make bags look older/ dirty. The fat white man stands out nonetheless., doyouknowofanyonewhohadthebagstolenexplainwhathappened.: no., whatfeaturedoyoudreamofonabackpack: waterproof!! I cannot find!