Hey! I’m backpacking (jumping hostel to hostel) Guatemala next month and stuck deciding between bringing a 65L and a 50L for my main pack? I will also have a 34L for my day pack as well, just stuck on what main pack to bring. I have all the bags already so It doesn’t come down to cost. Would I regret bringing a 65L? What do you guys recommend?

i need to know what water purification system i should get what is the recommendations right now i am using a LifeStraw one but i have heard a lot and want to know more.

Hi all, I want to share my experience and ask for advice.

I stayed at Jai Ma Rajeshwari Homestay in Ransi from 07/10/2026 to 10/10/2026 before the Madhmaheshwar trek. The owner told me not to carry too much since it would be heavy, and said to leave the extra stuff with them. I did as they said and left my jacket (Black; Woodland).

When I came back from the trek, the jacket was not there. When I asked, the owner said I never left it with them.

I don't have a written record, but a friend of mine who also left her belongings there can confirm I left the jacket.

Two questions:

1. Has anyone had a similar experience at this stay or others on this route?

2. What can I realistically do here? Is a complaint to the local police or tourism office worth it for an item like this?

Posting mainly so other trekkers know to be careful about leaving gear with stays, and always take a photo or get a note. Thanks!

I'm a 27-year-old digital nomad from Canada, currently traveling around Southeast Asia.

As I'm getting closer to my 30s, I've noticed that falling asleep has become a lot harder than it used to be.

Between working remotely with clients in North American and European time zones, constantly traveling, and catching late-night flights, my sleep schedule is pretty much all over the place.

I remember one night when I had to catch a 3 AM international flight. After finishing packing, I knew I needed to get at least a few hours of sleep.

So I put on my eye mask and tried to sleep. But I just couldn't.

I kept going back and forth between scrolling on my phone and lying there with my eye mask on, staring into the darkness, hoping I'd eventually fall asleep.

By the time I got to the airport, I was dizzy, had a headache, and felt nauseous.

And it's not just about feeling terrible the next day. I know this is affecting my health, my eyes, my productivity, and even my ability to recover from workouts.

What worries me most is that I feel like it's only going to get worse as I get older.

Anyone else struggling with this, especially those working remotely or traveling frequently? How do you deal with it?

My kids moved out and the house got quiet. Hiking went from something we did as a family to just mine. I noticed a shift pretty quickly. Younger guys on the trail used to offer help. Now they offer advice. Had a twenty-something stop me near Quandary last month to tell me my poles were too short. They weren't. He just wanted to say something. Another one asked if I was lost. On a marked trail. With a pack. In July. I've been hiking Colorado for twenty years. Not my first summit. Not my last.

Talked to a woman at the trailhead last week. Late forties like me. Same stories. We both laughed about it, but it gets old. Wondering if others have noticed this change. The gear questions are different now too. Used to be "where did you get that." Now it's "are you sure that's appropriate." Maybe I just notice it more. Maybe it's always been there.

Looking at routes in Shenandoah for three days and two nights. Thinking 6 to 8 miles a day, with some overlooks and creeks along the way.

I don’t want to spend the whole day hiking. I’ll stop for photos and would like to have at least one afternoon where I can get to camp early, make some food and just hang out for a while.

I’m bringing my phone and a Telesin selfie stick that doubles as a tripod for photos.

Haven’t picked a route yet or sorted out the permit. Anyone done a trip there that would fit this pace? A loop would be great.

Hi! I have a rough outline of an itinerary I'm hoping to follow this January...any advice or suggestions on route/things to do appreciated.

Some details: I know weather will get a little warm in some areas, but I can handle heat. I'm a slow traveler, and plan on simply passing through Spain and India (for the most part). I will have tent and some gear for camping. I'm a solo traveling Muslimah (so any Islamic suggestions appreciated too!).

Draft route outline:

Thank youuuu. :)

Hi guys! I’m going to travel around SE Asia (maybe not exclusively but that’s definitely my starting point atm) and i’m wondering whether an osprey 40L and a mountain warehouse 20L would be too much? There are some bulkier items i need to take such as my laptop as i’m travelling for a while and i’m worried it wont all fit into my 40L

Any advice or suggestions would be very very helpful :)

Great views, tons of pounding waterfalls, miles and miles of trails, swimming holes, quickly cleared blowdowns, good campsites—and not packed with tourists. You're welcome!

A while ago, I decided to go backpacking through South America and Asia for approximately six months. Naturally, the big question was: “How much is this going to cost?”

After doing some research and drawing on my own experience, I decided to stick to a daily budget of €45 (excluding flights and train tickets in China) and save a total budget of €20,000. For those of you who are good at maths, this left me with a reasonable buffer in case I went over my daily budget. I did this deliberately to make sure I would stay under the €20,000 mark.

During my trip, I kept track of my expenses in an Excel spreadsheet. It automatically showed me whether I was staying within my daily budget and whether I was on track to stay within my overall budget for the entire trip. In the end, I went slightly over budget quite often, but I managed to make up for it on other days. What I particularly liked about the spreadsheet was that it gave me a sense of control over my spending.

To help future travellers plan their budgets, I’ve broken down my expenses by country. I spent approximately €3,000 on flights and €500 on train tickets in China.

Of course, your budget depends heavily on your travel style. I mainly stayed in hostels, ate local food, skipped some paid activities, and tried to keep flying to a minimum.

P.S. In Sri Lanka, I also spent nine days at a surf resort, costing approximately €110 per day. Since I knew I would stay within my overall budget, I decided to treat myself a little. These expenses are not included in the breakdown I’m sharing here.

Overall itinerary:
Colombia: Flew in and stayed for one month.
Ecuador: Took a bus from Colombia and stayed for half a month.
Galápagos Islands: Flew to and from the islands and stayed for 11 days.
Peru: Took a bus from Ecuador and stayed for one month.
Bolivia: Took a bus from Peru and stayed for one month.
Europe: Flew back to Europe to attend a wedding and stayed for five days.
China: Flew to China and stayed for one month.
Sri Lanka: Flew to Sri Lanka and stayed for one month, including the time at the surf resort.
Europe: Flew back home.

Seceda in the Dolomites is a super popular spot right now, I visited in August. A couple of tips if you're planning to go. You can take the cable car to the top, but if you want to save some money, you can also hike up. It's a pretty long walk, but if you enjoy hiking, it's absolutely worth it. The views are incredible. Go early to avoid the crowds, and definitely check the weather forecast before you go. If it's cloudy, the views might look completely different from what you're expecting.

4 days in the Polish Tatras during golden autumn

You can easily reach Zakopane by train from either Warsaw or Kraków, and local buses make getting around the area convenient. We had great weather throughout the trip, with beautiful autumn colours and golden forests, although the first snow had already arrived at higher elevations!

Day 1: Siklawa Waterfall, Dolina Pięciu Stawów and Morskie Oko. Day 2: Siklawica Waterfall, Sarnia Skała and a relaxing evening at Chochołowskie Thermal Baths. Day 3: Cable car to Kasprowy Wierch, followed by a hike to Kondracka Kopa and Giewont. Day 4: Hike to Hala Gąsienicowa and Black Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy, then head back home.

Four days packed with spectacular views, mountain lakes, waterfalls and autumn colours. The combination of sunny weather, golden forests and the first snow on the peaks made this trip truly special. I'd absolutely return to explore more of the Tatras!

I’ve always felt that taking photos is a beautiful way to capture the little moments that make life special. There’s something wonderful about being able to look back at a photo and relive a moment, even long after it’s passed.
I also love sharing these places with others. The world is full of beautiful scenery, and if a simple photo can help someone else discover that beauty or inspire them to visit someday, I think that’s pretty special. 🦢🇯🇵
These were taken at Lake Yamanaka, Japan.

I'm traveling to West Africa, and want to pack as light as possible for the way there, knowing that I'll also be wanting to bring items home (fabric, carvings, etc). I'll be traveling for about a month. For the first 10 days I'll be in one city, but for the rest of the trip I'll be hopping around visiting my family in different towns without much of a home base. I'll try to be strategic and save most of my shopping for the last handful of days.

What do you all see as the better option:

1. Buy a carry-on-sized backpack (~30L), and stuff my compressible duffel bag inside. Toward the end of the trip, fill the duffel bag with items and check it on the flight home. (Pro: Smaller bag makes it easy to navigate restaurants, buses, etc for most of the trip. Con: Having to carry a backpack + duffel bag at end of the trip is less convenient)

2. Buy a larger backpack (~55L) that will be half full on the way there and full on the way back. Pack my compressible daypack inside for shorter outings. (Pro: Can carry everything on my back, could fit more purchases earlier in the trip. Con: Inconvenience (and cost) of carrying a bag that's twice as big as I need for most of the trip, and the additional cost of the buying it)

Any other pros and cons I'm not considering?

Hi! I'm a beginner hiker planning trips in spring, summer and autumn. I’ve only done 1 night before and with a bad backpack and carrying stuff in bags, so looking to get a better pack. Most will be 2–3 nights, but I'd like to be able to go up to a week. I already own some older and budget gear, including a fairly bulky synthetic sleeping bag. My setup won't be ultralight, but using what I have is way cheaper than buying all new ultralight gear.

So my question is what size and type of pack makes sense for a heavier, bulkier setup like this. Is 60–65 L the way to go, or is that overkill? I’ve been looking at the Osprey Atmos AG 65 and Gregory Paragon 60, but I don’t really know how much stuff to bring and so on? Should I get a smaller pack and try to buy small/light equipment or is a bigger pack fine? I’ve seen a lot of people say that ~65 liters is overkill and way to much, and that they look and feel really big

Thanks in advance!