Packin' It on My Back :-)

Bill's phone sounded a little while ago. It was the Fastway Couriers guy who was downstairs with a box. Bill went down to get it, opened it, and handed me a new backpack. Yay! It was a surprise and a welcome one at that. This old pack served me well for 17 years (and it may have been used when I got it). It has held a lot of stuff in various states and countries--light loads and heavy loads. But it was starting to wear out with the fabric on top pulling and some of the stitching that held the straps on coming loose. I still used it, but I had become mindful of the fact that something might come apart while it was in use. I just hoped it wouldn't be when I had it loaded with groceries or library books!

I liked the design and construction of this one--one large compartment with a smaller pocket in front. I stopped driving and started walking a year before I got this pack and it's been full of groceries, library books, and other things in 3 states on a regular basis. It came with me when we camped in a tent across the northern US and hauled things around while we were on the road. It was on the plane with me when we moved to Ireland. And it's carried groceries and library books on this side of the pond. When we would go away for a night, I'd pack my stuff in this bag. It's been in lots of different towns and villages in 3 countries. So many memories. I have a larger backpack that I use when necessary, but it's a bit cumbersome for everyday use, so I used this one much more. Bill has a different design with three compartments and I find that impractical. I can fit more in mine which is a consideration when hauling groceries home or going away for a day or two. 

My new pack is pretty much the same design, but improved. It still has one large main compartment and a smaller pocket in front, but the pocket is wider and sits higher.

Instead of one handle at the top back, this one has two handles with the zipper in between.

This is good, because where the fabric is getting pulled on the old pack is at a pressure point. When picked up by this handle, the weight shifts forward and there is drag. This is where the fabric is pulling apart a bit. I use the top handle to get the pack on the bus, which is small--a 16-seater van. The middle aisle is very narrow, so if I try to get a loaded backpack on the bus using a strap, it's cumbersome and difficult to control. Having two handles placed where they are and padded will make this easier. 

This pack also has padding on the back, which should be comfortable when it's loaded. There have been times I've been poked by the edge of a box or something that was stuffed into the old backpack, which had almost no padding on the back.

Finally, this one has side pockets. Yay!

That's the one thing I liked better about Bill's pack--he had pockets. Sometimes things would have been easier with pockets. When we lived in Dungloe and I used to go sit on the pier with a cup of tea, I carried my travel mug in my hand--even though it says it's leak-proof, I didn't want to take a chance and end up with a wet backpack interior. It wasn't far, so that was fine, but for longer walks/journeys, the pocket is more handy. I've made carriers for my coffee travel mug and my stainless steel water bottle, but even so, I was either carrying them in my hand or trying to tie them to the pack somehow. Now I'll just stick stuff in the pockets.

At one time in my life, backpack use and design were not even things I thought about. But once I opted for the slow lane on foot instead of zipping around in a car, my focus and priorities shifted. Once we bought a small tree for our yard and I even carried that home in my larger backpack. There were some amused drivers that day, I can tell you! Yup, when everything is being carried on my back, the pack needs to be just right, so I'm grateful for this new backpack with the same things that were great about my old one and the few improvements that make it even better. 😃

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