This time next week I’ll be in bed. But this time next week tomorrow (?) I’ll be jetting off to Shanghai with my Mum and Uncle. It’ll also be my first visit to Schipol airport.
This will be my fourth trip to China and the second this year. I’ve already covered the itinerary in an earlier post, but to quickly go over it we’ll be visiting Xiaoxiao’s parents for the New Year, before flying to Bangkok; then we’ll be off to Siem Reap/Angkor Wat in Cambodia, shortly followed by a flight from Phnom Penh to Beijing. In Beijing we’ll be doing the usual touristy sites, before flying to Xi’an in Shaanxi province for the Terracotta Warriors; the two flights will be to Shanghai, and then home.
I spent today working from home, and took this opportunity to knock off a little early to allow myself some time in Reading to gather necessary items. (once I got back from Reading I made up the hours I’d taken off :)
The result is a nice new shiny bag, and a pair of Merrell shoes.
The bag is a Berghaus Freeflow 35+8. Why is this so good? Well, it has one of those funky mesh-back thingies that holds the back of the bag away from your back, which hopefully means you don’t get as sweaty as you otherwise might.
That’s a photo of the back of the bag… with any luck you’ll be able to make out the back of the bag, the mesh panel and the rigid pipes that hold the bag away from the mesh.
In addition to the mesh back, the shoulder straps are specially designed to allow airflow… here you can see that instead of being “solid” fabric, there is a honeycomb foam. In fact, there are two overlapping layers of this foam, this provides extra padding but still allows airflow.
Above is a stock image from an online website… I think this is the model I have, if not then it looks very similar. Mine is a slightly different colour scheme, but not by much. According to the staff at Blacks these bags are brand new and they literally got them in a week or so ago.
This is the second bag that I’ve bought recently… the last was a LowePro SlingShot 200AW (a camera bag). I try and research my major purchases, but no amount of research can stand up to a good field test. Unfortunately the SlingShot didn’t really meet my requirements: it’s a great bag, but I find it too limiting in terms of accessing equipment. For the next trip I’ll likely be going back to my trusty LowePro Stealth Reporter 400AW… this is a traditional shoulder bag with all the benefits and drawbacks they bring.
Of course, a travel backpack and a photography backpack are entirely different things. I think that a camera bag is a more personal choice as it really does have to fit in with the way you work. But with any luck the features of this new bag will work well next week.
The bag has a 35l capacity… this is well down on the bag I took last time, which was a whopping 70+15! In addition to the 35l it has pockets that boost it up another 8l. Needless to say the capacity is one thing I’ll have to work with… it is a shorter trip (by two months!) so hopefully I’ll get away with carrying less stuff. I think this will be the biggest problem I have with the bag, but I need some experience—I met a travelling photographer in Laos that had a single backpack: it held his camera kit (a body and a couple of lenses) and one change of clothes and pair of shoes. That’s all the guy had for his travels. Obviously travelling as light as this requires certain sacrifices (washing clothes in the sink every day), but the benefits are enormous!
My other purchase was a new pair of Merrell shoes. Again, this was something I’d researched on the Internet, but none of this was any use. Once I tried a few on I quickly found what was and wasn’t comfortable. In the end I’ve come away with a pair of shoes I don’t even know the name of! These were a little cheaper than my last pair of Merrells… they also seem more comfortable. These are bog standard light walking shoes… no fancy GoreTex (which I don’t think really brings that much benefit).
Here’s a fairly shonky photo of one on my foot. They look okay, but for my tastes are a little fancy. I bought these with practicality in mind, so I’ll have to let that pass.
They’re a snug fit and provide plenty of support. My main issue with the last pair I had was the seam created by the tongue and the shoe… unlike all other shoes I’ve worn, the tongue is sewn in all the way up the shoe, instead of towards the toes only. This is great for keeping water out, but the way it folded over was unfortable (for me, at least). This new pair has a much-improved seam that I cannot feel: good job Merrell.
I’ve bought these shoes on the understanding that I can return them if I decide they’re not for me. I’ll be wearing these around the house until Saturday, where I’ll make the decision to make a return trip to Blacks/Millets to swap them for another pair. I was looking for something that was reasonably light but allowed my feet to breathe. So far they seem to be doing a reasonable job… but I have a nagging feeling that I may well be able to find something better if I make a return trip.
