"It doesn't even feel like I am wearing a pack!"
"It doesn't even feel like I am wearing a pack!"
July 17, 2024 3 min read
I've been solo-traveling in Thailand for a month. When packing for thetrip I knew I would be taking my Aarn Packs Peak Aspiration to carry my life around.I’ve taken my Peak Aspiration to some pretty exceptional placestramping in New Zealand, whichis what it was designed for. Iwasn't expecting howabsolutely perfect this bag would be for city-hopping in a new country. It really is a jack-of-all-trades kinda bag. I am entirely unconvinced I will ever find a better one.
It's not too big.
As a self-proclaimed minimalist, I still struggle with over-packing. I am only 160cm tallso I wear a small pack, which is 50L. This is plenty of space to fit everything I need (climbing gear, book, laptop, raincoat and day bag included) but not too much extra space to bring thingsI'm never going to need (kitchen sink, pack raft...).
The small size is also great for travelling. Maneuvering through crowds, navigating public transport, sitting on the back of a scooter or squeezing 4 people + bags into a Tuk-Tuk is much easier when your bag is small enough to comfortably sit on your lap.
It's SO comfy and light.
I'm traveling on apretty tight budgetsoI've been getting creative getting from A to B. This has involved a few long-ish walks, navigating busy streets and public transport.The U-flow harness is one of my favourite featuresand makes the bag move with my body. WhileI'm dragging my climbing gear around Thailand (not light), the bag itselfdoesn't add much weight, coming in at 1,420g for the small back length. This makes the hour-long walks at 42° less miserable.
It's *basically* waterproof.
While the Peak Aspiration is advertised as having a 'semi-waterproof liner',when new,it's basically waterproof.Don't drop your bag in a river, but for a dash through the old town during Songkran (Thai New Year), it did a great job keeping all my valuables safe and dry.As we head into the rainy season,it's abig relief to know my laptop is safe when hit by a surprise downpour.
To balance pocket or to not balance pocket.
After much consideration, Idecided to leave my balance pockets behind on this trip. I desperately wanted to take them but decided to ship them to my next destination instead.
I had a few reasons for this, the first being not needing the space. I, straight up,wasn't going to be bringing enough stuff to fill them.
And secondly, if I had been expecting to spend hours and hours at a time with my bag on my back, I would definitely have brought my pockets.
Without the pockets on, I felt much less balanced, something Ihaven't been since I started using an Aarn pack. I really noticed not having them with me.
All that said, I am excited to be reunited with my balance pockets when I arrive in Canada in a month.
Blog written and photographed by our lovely Aarn-bassador Hazel Meehan! You can check out more posts on her blog here: My (Mis) - Adventures and check out her epic adventures on Instagram here: @hazeldoesstuff - all opinions and thoughts shared in this blog are Hazel's own.