Backpacking in Scotland

So part of this course is a week in Scotland where we will lightly backpack through the Northern Highlands and Skye. The deal with backpacking is that you NEED a backpack to do it.

I've been trying to decide what type of backpack I want to get for the trip and have come down to a couple decisions.

One of those decisions is that backpacks are incredibly overpriced. Trying to find a good buy is like trying to find a pregnant nun. In other words, next to impossible.

With that said, I've found a couple backpacks I think I like. I know I need one that is large enough to hold five days of travel stuff, so for me that's probably a sweatshirt, and five days change of clothing. Probably a couple pair of jeans, and maybe a pair of shoes as well (other than the pair I'll have on my feet).

So I started checking out easternmountainsports.com and Dicks Sporting Goods. They have some okay options, but even better, some pretty reasonable options.

I know I need a mulitday pack, and preferable a frame pack. These are the two I'm pretty much down to:

THE OSPREY A pretty nice pack that has 2300 cubic inches. It may be a little small, but I like the way it looks and feels.

Here's the second:

The Sentinal

I think I like the Sentinal better. It felt better on my back, and it is also nearly 4000 cubic inches. I think it's perfect for a week long trip, and it's only $120 dollars.

So that's the thought process I've been going through lately. It's a nice little distraction from grading, overseas travel budgets, and making sure everything is in order on the homefront before I leave for London.