The fact that the entire backpacking lifestyle centers around a person traveling across the world with their possesions strapped over their shoulders, says to me it is not a decision to be taken lightly. And so I didn't. Being me, I studied dozens of choices, trying to figure out which was best. I had to decide things like how much was I going to carry? What kind of security did I really need? Did I care about looks? Did I need a lot of features? How concerned need I be about comfort? Should I just buy a burlap sack and be done with it?

Ultimately I decided that the backpack should be considered utilitarian- a vessel to carry what little stuff I choose to bring, from point A to point B, without causing any herniated discs, attracting too much attention, or falling apart.  It should have some features that keep my things safe, and if it looks good, that's OK too. Most importantly, it is only a backpack, and a backpack is not going to make or break my trip, so I should pick one and get on with my life.

So I bought the Eagle Creek Thrive 90L, a brand new model from a company that is reportedly very reputable. As you can see, it came in a fantastic shade of tree-frog green, which I am trying to convince myself was not its biggest selling point for me. Actually, it's a great bag. It's comfortable, reasonably big, full featured, snazzy, and secure, and has enough straps and buckles to hold down a small office building. Best of all, I got it for $50 bucks off regular price from eBags.com, which brought it right down to my $200 self-imposed backpack spending limit. It even has a built-in detachable daybag for when I lock the big puppy up and want to carry something small around for a day in town, so that will save me some money.

While I was at it, I ordered a couple combination locks, so as far as I can tell I am almost all ready to go! Now if I can only track down some of these men's capri pants I hear all the french guys are wearing these days!