Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Rucksacks

What on earth possessed the rucksackmakers to make a 30l rucksack?

Now if you ask me, a proper rucksack should be at least 75l - don't you think? Mine was in fact just that, 75l - and I loved it like a member of my family. I am a big believer in forgiveness but I don't expect I shall ever forgive Rach for leaving it in Nottingham.

I have been forced to borrow a tiny little 30l which quite frankly is smaller than some of the year 7's school bags. I don't think this is right - although I am of course grateful to Eilidh for lending me it, then again - she's never used the thing.

I consider myself to be quite a light traveller - never bring more than you can comfortably carry is a good motto I think. I've just got a few t-shirts, a few jumpers and I guess two pairs of trousers - plus essentials and bathroom stuff. Nothing that I don't need.

But can I get this damn bag to close properly? Noooooo. Sorry Mr Eurohike but I think you're very silly for passing off a bag of this size as a rucksack.

I intend to write to, uh, the relevant authorities with regards to this matter.

xxx

8 comments:

Gordon Strachan said...

I got my rucksuck for a fiver when I started the Duke Of Edinburgh award. A perfectly good 65l rucksack lying in a car boot sale. Caused no end of agony for the whole of Bronze and Silver.

Zed0 said...

I've got a fairly nice little 50-75l one which did me through DoE, though of course we didn't need them for gold, doing it in canoes and all. I found however, that I never used even 50l of my pack up.
Just as well because I usually ended up taking an extra tent and a half. I usually didn't take as many sets of clothes as most people and didn't bother with a dirty great Trangea in favour of a little firefly stove that burnt pasta in a few minutes.
Spare shoes are a no no too, unless you are in a canoe.

Good times....

Nikita said...

i only had the inner of the tent for silver, but i did have two trangias. and a certain member of my group's tent pegs. by the third day i somehow managed to accumulate the poles too...
the stupid little bag doesn't even have the clippy bits to put the sleeping bag through underneath!!!!

Zed0 said...

What!?? No clippy bits? Blasphemy!

Mine did but I always but the tent there instead of my sleeping bag, since my sleeping bag fits into a tiny tiny little bag.

Nikita said...

i lied, it's 35l. still.
sleeping bag - well i have issues with it just now.
pillow - forget it.

Gordon Strachan said...

Ben's sleeping bag really is magically tiny. Think of a pillow, and shrink it to quarter of the size, and that's it!

LauraEllen said...

its stupid. a nice 65ltr is fine, through gold and silver, used a 40 ltr i think or something like that for bronze.and the clippy bits, theyre just essential! as is the walking pole hook that is good for carrying tent poles on. huh, i still think that DoE'rs are going to suffer from back complaints later on, from carrying the weight. yeah its good team building and a really, really good enjoyable experience when its not through school/college, but still. I ask you, why do people always foist the whole tent and trangia and food onto one person, as well as their necessaries? hmm? I'll tell you. so other people can carry lighter bags and still complain! gah. rant over, but yes, mr eurohike should not have made stupdly tiny bags, although those really small ones for day hikes are ok, jsut enough for snacks, a camel back and an essential first aid kit. they work well!

LauraEllen said...

so how was your scottish holiday?