Week In Review ~ 22 December

The holidays are upon us and as such this Week In Review has a bit of a holiday travel theme to it. We’re checking out the likes of backpack tips, carry-on tips and EDC survival kits so put your feet up, get into a relaxing holiday vibe (even if you’ve still got work to do, give yourself an early seasonal gift with some carry indulgence time) and enjoy the read…

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Getting the best out of your backpack

The chances are pretty high that at some point in your life you have owned at least one backpack. They’re highly functional, versatile and pretty much awesome – well, as long as you have one that fits properly. There’s nothing that detracts quicker from backpack carrying comfort than a pack that doesn’t fit you correctly. So if you’re in the market for a new pack it’s important to measure your torso properly because choosing the right pack size is all about torso length, not your overall height. Backpacker offers some great advice for how to choose a backpack that fits you and suits your needs, as well as handy tips for traveling with your pack and doing pack maintenance and repairs. Their advice is well worth checking out whether you’re a regular adventure traveler who lives out of your pack or even if you just use a pack occasionally.

Creating your own compact survival kit

Survival kits can help you overcome minor inconveniences during your day-to-day traveling or while you’re venturing further afield but they can also do exactly what their name says – help you survive. However, one of the problems with survival kits is that people might not actually have access to them when they need them. Field & Stream assembled an article a few years ago on how to put together your own survival kit using an Altoids tin and though it’s an old article, the information it contains remains relevant today for creating a compact kit that you can keep close to hand. Slide 18 provides a useful overview of things to include in your own kit but going through all the slides is great for gathering ideas. Some items will be more relevant than others for your own use so you can tailor your kit to meet your personal requirements and don’t forget that it doesn’t have to be in an Altoids tin. Perhaps you’ve got a small pouch or some household containers lying around that could serve perfectly as a container for your kit. Just remember, the smaller your kit, the more likely you are to carry it with you every day so you might want to consider making two kits; one for EDC carry and a second larger kit for storing in your car or taking with you during your travels.

Justification for a new pack purchase

Buying a new bag can sometimes involve a bit of guilt…do you really need it? Isn’t there something else you should spend your money on? Are you actually going to get good use out of it? Well with Just Porter’s Kickstarter project you can get a choice of three amazing bags that are designed and built to be functional and durable whilst fulfilling different uses. The Sable rucksack is great for adventure travel, the Hazen Professional backpack offers smart style for commuting to the office, while the PIKO Series backpack works well as a daypack for diverse carry needs. These packs are made to last for many years so you save money in the long run by not having to replace cheap bags that fall apart on you. Now the packs in themselves are great but what makes this project even better is that with each pack bought, Just Porter will donate a backpack with school supplies to a child in need. If that’s not enough motivation, our very own Taylor Welden served as a design and quality control expert for the project so you can rest assured that these packs are a quality investment.

Notebook protection covered

If you’re looking for some last-minute gift inspiration for a fan of Field Notes notebooks (or fancy something chic for yourself), check out these five leather Field Notes covers. You might be thinking it’s a fair amount of cash to be spending on a notebook cover but it’ll keep your notebook safe and can be used again and again for each successive notebook you fill up. Plus, to get more value out of them you could get a bit creative and utilise them for different purposes, such as a passport protector and somewhere to store your boarding pass if you’re traveling.

How to choose a great carry-on piece

Speaking of passports, if you plan to fly during the holidays try to avoid checking luggage if possible and instead try to limit your luggage to carry-on only. This means there’s less to transport on your travels and you can avoid the hassle of checking your luggage in and waiting around to collect it. Plus it completely rules out the possibility of being informed that your checked luggage decided to take a little trip of its own to a completely different destination and that you’ll have to make do with what you’ve got on you. All in all, a much less stressful way to travel if you can manage it. Now you’ll need the right carry-on to make traveling as smooth as possible so check out our guide to buying carry-on luggage so your journey doesn’t turn into a carry-on.

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Happy holidays to all our readers! Your interest and support is amazing and we hope you have an equally amazing holiday period full of fun, relaxation and perhaps some carry awesomeness too. 🙂