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Hi all,
In short, I'm looking for a pair of shoes, and a backpack.
Predominant use will be for 2 weeks travelling across Malaysia/Thailand in August all being well, but will also be used for walking/scrambling around the Scottish Highlands, inter-railing around Europe for a week hopefully, and various other stuff.
On the Asia trip, we won't be carrying camping gear, so just clothes/cameras/other holiday tat.
Don't plan to do multi-day hikes or anything, but I imagine we will be walking a fair bit, touristy type treks into the jungle etc.
So thinking;
Bag- 40litres ish, back vent, ability to hold hydration bladder (I already have a couple), pull out waterproof cover.
Shoes- breathable (not waterproof), fairly light, decent soles. Something like a trail running shoe?
Really don't know where to start looking for each to be honest, been looking around various guides for information, but not sure what shops to check out.
Popped into Decathlon the other day, will go back for a better look, seemed they had some half decent stuff.
Any recommendations on gear to get/shops to check out/tips in general for this kinda thing?
Budget wise, again really no clue as not really spent much money at all on either before, but is under £40 for shoes and £50 for bag reasonable? Budget can be stretched I guess (I understand both are quite important for a trip 😛 )
Oh, and also, my girlfriend who is coming with me will also be needing a bag and shoes, so any women-specific tips would be appreciated too.
Any input would be great.
Ta, Duane.
One thing I noticed with the Decathlon bags is that there is normally just one internal pocket, although with two entrances. Is this normal? Does it not make getting stuff out a pain if it's not in separate compartments?
Oh and there's a chance we might do some wild camping in the highlands, so would need to carry camping gear with us. But on the other hand don't want something excessively big for Asia trip.
Shoes and comfort are obviously a fairly subjective experience, but I can thoroughly recommend the Inov8 Flyroc 310s. I've been using these a fair bit for days out on the hill and they were slipper comfy straight out of the box. If you shop around, you might be able to find suitable Inov8s for somewhere close to your budget. Other brands with a good reputation include Salomon, Keen and Merrell.
With rucksacks, I tend to store stuff in mesh bags or dry bags - Alpkit do a good range for not a lot of cash, and it means you can minimise the amount of faff if you're looking for something in your sack. You're spoiled for choice in terms of rucksack options at sub 40l - I tend to be a bit of a gear addict when it comes to bags, so I've got a few different ones floating about - TNF, Osprey, Lowe Alpine, Macpac. My current favourite is a Deuter Guide 45, which I find very comfortable to wear, and a good balance between weight and robustness.
Thanks. Food for thought.
By the way, the 40litre bag is just a guess, if anyone has any thoughts on bag sizing, please speak up 🙂
Duane... - MemberHi all,
In short, I'm looking for a pair of shoes, and a backpack.
For travelling in Thailand & Malaysia for both men and women.
From Cotswolds outdoor shop.
Shoes - too hot/warm to wear all day so you are better off with this one from Keen sandals. You need sandals that cover your toes.
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or if you must wear shoes then go for this one:
Haglofs Mens Vertigo GT Shoe. (they have women size too)
Keen Gypsum or Keen Alamosa WP. (so far they are men only size there are on sale at other outdoor, not Cotswolds, shops too)
There is also a good Teva approach shoes for women on offer at Cotswolds at the moment.
Rucksack - hmmm ... with bladder ... not so sure but I know plenty about so check it out. Try not to drink tab water there unless you have a very strong stomach. I wouldn't.
Budget wise ... shoes/sandals will be from £55 onwards to £125.
Rucksack ... £50 to £70.
🙂
p/s: I am heading in that direction in August ...
Keep an eye out for any sales, especially shops closing down. I got a 65l rucksack for gbp20 a few years ago. Been on several backpacking/train trips and it's still in good condition. Also the straps can be tightened to squash it down when it's not full so I don't need several different sized bags. Too bulky to cycle with though.
OK thanks.
Think I'd much rather take shoes rather than sandals to be honest.
So what are good outdoor shops to check out? And what are brands to avoid - The North Face?
So was in Cotswolds yesterday, had a good chat with the lady about bags and shoes.
There were some Salomon trail running shoes that felt great, but they were £100, which is a bit more than I can afford.
Anyone seen any good deals around on trail running/light hiking shoes?
Ta, Duane.
Cheap Salomon shoes: [url= http://outlet.snowandrock.com/trail-shoes/run/fcp-category/list?resetFilters=true#filters=BRAND!salomon ]Clicky Thingy[/url]
I use these for pretty much everything up in The Lakes/ peaks when walking..
[url= http://www.inov-8.com/New/Global/Product-View-Recolite-190-Azure-Grey.html ]Desert Wellies...[/url]
Have a look at the [url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/garmin-thomson-lowe-alpine-cateye-e13-pics ]Lowe Alpine Rucksack[/url] that I've got in the For Sale section. It will meet all your needs, side or top pockets will swallow a 3 litre water bladder with ease, the FIT strap system keeps the rucksack off your spine allow for good airflow. Bottom section keeps your dirty kit seperate and water proof cover keeps the whole thing dry.
We did some trekking in Thailand last November and Mr MC used his Vans and I wore some Merrell Goretex trainers, you don't need much!
Remember though Thailand in August is rainy season though??
Thanks guys.
Yeah, don't need anything too fancy, just want something a bit better than my current worn out Converses 😛
Yeah, done a bit of reading, hopefully the weather shouldn't be too much of a hindrance.