Choosing a backpack is one of the most important steps in planning your trip to Queensland. A good
one will be your friend, but if you don't get it right it will become your enemy.You will spend a fair bit of time carrying it, so it makes sense to get the fit right at the shop so it is comfortable and doesn't detract from your enjoyment of your holiday.
It really is worth spending the money to get something that fits you properly (and incidentally, the same goes for boots - budget travel means lots of walking!).
Size
First issue is how much stuff are you planning on packing? Does it all have to go in the backpack? Maybe you need to look at the packing section
first and work up a list of what you will carry in the pack.
Waist Belt
Don't buy a backpack without a good, wide, padded waist belt - because ¾ of the weight of the pack sits on your hips. And a good chest strap is a big help also. Are these belts comfortable? When you put the pack on does it sit on your hips and feel comfortable? Imagine you are on your backpacking trip and you have been carrying it for a couple of hours...
Loading
Does it load everything from a big flap at the top or does it have zippered access to the main compartment at the sides and bottom? ie. can you get something from the bottom without taking everything out? Imagine it's raining...
Does it have compartments that are easy to get stuff in to and out of? Can you lock the zippers? Will it be easy to adjust the load to distribute the weight?
Daypack
If your only luggage is the backpack (then it will be a larger one) it is a good idea to look into the type that has a removable daypack. There are plenty of shorter side trips in Queensland where you might not want to take the whole backpack along.
Material
A key point about budget travel is money well spent rather than just cheap. So check that the construction materials good quality; and check that the fabric is water resistant. Are the buckles and catches of good quality? Like, really good quality - imagine you stood on the big buckle - would it break? Most of the plastic ones will. If there is any doubt buy a spare buckle of each size on the pack.
Security
Can you put locks on all the flaps and openings? Imagine yourself in airports and railway stations - going to the bathroom - in queues - maybe sleeping - will you be able to maintain security?
Guarantee
Does it have a good guarantee? How do you know it's good? After all, you really don't want to have to make a warranty claim on the other side of the world.
So the main value of the guarantee is to find out if the shop is confident about it. And if the shop folks are not (like really) confident, then maybe you should not buy the pack?
Pack Bag
A good backpacking tip is to get a light strong nylon mesh bag suitable to put your pack in when it goes in the aircraft hold - this stops the straps snagging things and perhaps getting broken. And when you are hiking it akes a great dirty clothes bag.