5 of the best travel backpacks for global adventures

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One of the most important things a backpacker can find is a great travel backpack. It holds all your gear, it’s with you almost all the time, and in some bizarre, anthropomorphic way, it’s your best friend. I still remember the feeling of coming back from my first solo backpacking trip, and walking around without a backpack. It felt wrong. Like something was missing.

Over the years, I’ve gone through packs like nobody’s business. I’ve never used the same pack for more than two trips, and no matter how many hours I spend either online or in the store, it seems like finding the right pack is always going to be a horrific ordeal.

Discomfort, poorly designed features, dangly straps, sizing issues, and all manner of nonsense have thwarted my path at every turn. It’s tough finding something that fits you properly, and I think, given the high user ratings of certain packs I hate, maybe I just have a bizarrely crooked spine and it’s not their fault.

But I refuse to let them get away with rant-free ease.

“Travel” packs barely exist

Part of the problem is that, up until very recently, the only options were top-loading hiking backpacks, or wheeled suitcases. Other options like duffel bags or school backpacks exist as well, but these are rarely suitable for round-the-world travel.

But since these were the only options, accepting their flaws was all I could do. And besides, high-quality hiking backpacks will stand up to most abuse, and they’ll be super comfortable if they fit you properly. But they’re not ideally suited for travel.Hiking packs work, but we’ve only been using them because nothing else was better.

The problem(s) with hiking backpacks:

Now don’t get me wrong; hiking backpacks are great, and I’ve used them on plenty of trips. Some designs have none of these flaws; it’s just that they usually do:

• Packing inconvenience: Hiking packs are usually top-loading, cavernous cylinders that swallow your gear and you have to dig everything out to find whatever’s at the bottom. You can mitigate this problem with packing cubes, but suitcase-style openings are so easy to manufacture that it’s insulting how rarely they’re implemented.
• Extraneous strap dangle: Hiking packs have all sorts of compression straps and attachment points. These are useful for walking around, but they’ll get scratched up when you throw them in the luggage compartment for a bus ride. And I’m including shoulder and hip straps here, too. If you ever have to check your bags for a flight, they’ll come out a little more damaged every time.
• No locking mechanism: Top loaders usually use a drawstring opening, which offers no security whatsoever against unscrupulous hostel bunkmates. This problem can be mostly solved with a laptop sleeve that can lock itself to a bed, but lockable zippers would be easier (though I’ve softened this requirement, as zippers can be easily bypassed, even when locked).

And in many cases, plenty of hiking packs have dumb design errors anyway, even if you’re just hiking.

The problem(s) with so-called “travel backpacks:”

Several companies design what they call “travel backpacks,” which have betterfeatures, solving some of the problems listed above, but they generally screw things up in the meantime as well:

• Size: They’ll make them so gigantic that you have to check them on a plane. Some of these “travel backpacks” go up to 80 liters. I’ve done RTW travel with 20. The carry-on max of 45 liters is plenty! Who the hell needs 80?!?!
• De-hydration pockets: They’ll skip the damn water bottle side pockets and then where the hell do they go?!?!?
• Filthy dirty lie “panel” loading: They’ll forget to make the suitcase-style opening go all the way around, thus defeating the purpose of the panel in the first place.

Sigh.

Which is why I’m so gleefully pleased that certain companies have been designing travel backpacks. Correctly, I might add.

I don’t know why the other people didn’t bother doing it before.

What the best travel backpacks get right

I’ve compiled a list of some of the best travel backpacks for carry-on use I can find. These packs are made for travelers, not hikers. They’ve got panel-loading convenience, not top-loading caverns; they’ve got lockable zippers, not drawstring uselessness; they’ve got carry-on dimensions, and minimal, hide-away straps, not monstrous bulges and streamers hanging from every angle. They can be carry-ons, or they can be checked luggage, without getting ruined.

Oh, and they’re not ugly. To me, that counts. Who the hell ever thought fluorescent orange was sexy? The 80s? Yeah, stay there.

I’ve organized this list by type. Let’s begin:

Full size and full-featured:

These packs have everything you could want; maximized dimensions, panel access, a laptop compartment, and lots of internal and external organizational pockets. There’s nothing missing.

1) Tortuga Backpack

Tortuga V2 Backpack: Panel-loading, lockable, svelte, classy pack.

Tortuga was started by a random team of people who found themselves complaining about how they couldn’t find a travel pack that didn’t suck.

The full-length panel-loading design allows plenty of easy access to everything inside, and a dedicated laptop compartment keeps your kitten-picture machine safe and sound. Locking zippers, too. The side pockets opens up to accommodate a water bottle.

As with other travel packs that are actually travel packs, it has a minimum of exterior straps, so although it’s designed as a backpack, you could stow the backpack straps and send it through as checked luggage if necessary. It also has a seriously padded hip belt, which is rare for these packs.

You can get it from Tortuga, or Amazon. Their blog is also great, with all sorts of packing and travel tips.

2) Rick Steves Convertible Carry-on

Rick Steves Convertible Carry-on: Designed by a traveler, for travelers.

Long before anyone else got started in the carry-on travel backpack game, Rick Steves was galavanting around Europe with his own personal travel gear, designed exactly the way he liked it.

This pack has quite a few of the obvious features you’d expect, such as a fully opening panel that allows easy access to everything, and hidden backpack and waist straps in addition to the suitcase-style handles. Exterior pockets are also quite generous.

But it has a few extra touches, such as a separate interior compartment for shoes or dirty clothes, and includes two mesh bags and a removable documents pouch, which you can remove and take with you instead of leaving it in a room. A separate laptop slot has been added to this newer version as well.

The pack is sized to accommodate carry-on dimensions, but can expand with a compression zipper in case you stock up too much on souvenirs. It’s also quite cheap compared to others. It’s a good one, and it’s what Rick Steves himself has used for…quite a few trips.

Svelte and Slim:

At 35 liters each, these are for lighter travelers who don’t need to max out on the size, but still want all the convenience of easy packing and laptop compatibility. They’ve got all the important features you’d want, in a slimmed-down size.

3) Minaal Carry-on Backpack

The Minaal travel backpack: Svelte and simple, but with fold-open convenience.

This one is yet another creation in the long, adorable line of things that were invented because people got sick and tired of endlessly having to deal with things that sucked.

This Kickstarter-backed project came about when two long-time travelers decided to make the pack they would have wanted. They set out to create the perfect travel pack for digital nomads, and its design (and Kickstarter success) just goes to show how rarely some of the major players stop to think about the needs of backpackers.

In addition to the expected features, like the full-length, suitcase-style opening, a locking laptop compartment, several exterior pockets, no dangly things, and hide-away straps, it also has a rain cover. It also has a hip strap, though it’s not padded. That’s fine for smaller packs like this one, but you might want to take extra breaks if you’re hauling it around for a couple hours at a time.

4) Gregory Border 35

The Gregory Border 35: A well-designed pack from a company less well known than it should be.

So Gregory is primarily a hiking pack company, and not as widely known as some of the bigger names in the industry, but whose packs I think are designed better than many of its competitors.

Their Border series consists of urban/travel backpacks, and this 35 liter version has not only a full-length panel-loading main compartment, but also a full-length panel loading laptop compartment; this means you just unzip and unfold this compartment, and lay it down on the airport security scanner, rather than removing the laptop at all. It’s quick and easy, and makes airport life just a little more convenient.

Other features include several exterior pockets, including a stretch mesh outer stuff pocket for stashing wet clothes, and although it’s missing a side water bottle pocket, lately I’ve gotten in the habit of finding a good zippered compartment that’ll hold a water bottle more securely than side mesh pockets, and I think the top pocket would do it.

This is not a convertible backpack; the straps can’t be stowed, and it has no suitcase-style carrying handle. But if you’re only ever going to use it in backpack form anyway, then you’ll be fine.

12 Tips for Choosing Toys for Your Child

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A reporter called me the other day to ask for my opinion about the new toys on the market for this holiday season. I’m certainly not an expert on every toy that beckons from store shelves, but I do have some opinions about what makes a good toy. I thought maybe if I talked about some general principles, we could pool our thoughts and information to help each other pick suitable toys from the lot offered this year.

I told the reporter that adults often seem to forget what toys are for. Play is the “work” of childhood. While they play, our children are learning new skills, defining themselves as individuals, and practicing relationships with others and with the physical world. When this is also fun, they are learning that learning, being themselves, and sharing are all pleasant experiences. Good toys are toys that help kids do those things.

Finally, the toys adults choose to buy tell us as much about those adults as they do about the kids they are buying for. Your values — the things you think are important for your kids to learn about in terms of skills, identity, and relationships — are conveyed in your gift, whether you do it consciously or not. It’s interesting to take a look at the toys you put in the shopping basket as a statement about yourself.

There are always new and colorful toys for the choosing. Many do have good play-value. But there are some basic toys that a well-stocked playroom should have to encourage children’s development. My list of a basic dozen for girls and boys from preschool to around age 8 follows. You’ll find that most quality childcare programs, preschools, and kindergartens have all of these toys. If your child spends a good part of the day in such a setting, don’t worry about having everything at home too. If I had to choose only three items from the list for guaranteeing constructive indoor play at home, I’d get the unit blocks, the animals, and the art stuff. Have fun!

Marie’s list of most important toys

1. Unit blocks. Plain wooden blocks (lots of them) in enough sizes to encourage hours of construction, alone and with others.
2. Legos or some other manipulative toy that encourages development of fine motor skills and creativity.
3. Baby dolls and a few basic changes of clothing. Nothing fancy. I’m not crazy about the dolls that crawl, eat, say something, etc. They usually break too easily and they reduce the amount of creativity required to play with them by whatever thing they do. I do suggest having dolls with various skin tones in the playroom. When children love their dolls, they are practicing loving people who look different from themselves.
4. Play kitchen stuff and a play toolbox — both toys for both genders. Kids love to imitate their parents and other adults around them and their play helps them get comfortable with doing lots of different things.
5. Dress-ups — scarves, hats, animal masks, leotards. Look in your closets or in the local Salvation Army store and put together a box full of stuff for hours of creative play.
6. A collection of sturdy rubber or plastic animals (farm animals, zoo animals, and definitely dinosaurs) and a fewvehicles scaled to work with the blocks. Your kids will spend hours making farms, zoos, and dramatic scenes.
7. Art stuff. Lots of it. Playdough and cookie cutters, chunky crayons and paper for little kids. Older kids like glue, glitter, safety scissors, and lots of colors of paper.
8. Finger paint. Every kid deserves to be messy once in a while. You might also include an inexpensive plastic tablecloth to put on the floor when it’s finger painting time.
9. Something for making rhythms and music. A pot and a spoon will do for kids under two. Jingle bells for the young child. Something more complicated like a thumb harp for older ones.
10. A sturdy dollhouse with some basic furniture and durable dollhouse dolls that represent everyone in your family. The house needs to be big enough and open enough that the kids can really get in there and play. (Don’t be surprised if you find the dinosaur or the zoo animals in there sometimes.) You don’t have to take out a second mortgage to buy one of those expensive wooden houses. This can be a fun family project. Find a few sturdy boxes for rooms, cut out windows and doors, decorate the walls and put a scrap of fabric down for a rug. Small boxes, jar lids, some fabric and scraps of wood can be easily transformed into furniture. Dolls can be made out of old-fashioned clothespins. Even if you aren’t the creative type, remember that your kids are.
11. Anything that encourages physical exercise: jump ropes, balls, basic sports equipment, skates, age-appropriate riding toys. Too many of our kids lack physical confidence and competence.
12. An age-appropriate board game or two to encourage cooperative play and problem solving.

In summary, to foster learning as well as fun . . .

• Remember that play is the “work” of childhood. Good toys help kids learn new skills and practice relationships with others and their world.
• When you choose a toy, ask yourself if it is really for the child or for yourself. (It’s okay to use toy buying as a nostalgia trip. Just don’t expect the child to share your enthusiasm.)
• Don’t get hung up on gender-specific toys. Little girls and little boys both need to learn to be comfortable with babies and with tools in the world they are going to inhabit as adults.
• Get in there and play with your kids. It’s part of the fun of being a parent.

Choosing the right toys for your child

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The best toys for kids
Toys can be a great way to kickstart your child’s play and support your child’s development. But your child might not need as many toys as you think.
The best toys for children are ‘open-ended’. These are the toys that your child can use in lots of different ways. They encourage your child to use her imagination, creativity and problem-solving skills.
Open-ended toys include:

• blocks – one day your child uses them to build a tower, and the next day he might bring the block up to his ear and pretend it’s a phone

• balls – they’re great to bounce, look at, roll, hold and throw

• cardboard boxes – your child can pretend these are shop counters, ovens, cars, boats, doll houses and more

• dress-ups – with some hand-me-down clothes and bits of fabric, your child can become anything or anyone he likes

• crafty bits and pieces – coloured paper, stickers, crayons and washable markers can get your child started on a masterpiece.

You don’t always have to buy toys. Everyday household items like pots and pans, plastic containers, pegs, clothes baskets and blankets often make great open-ended toys. Just make sure that any household items your child plays with are safe, so avoid sharp objects or small objects that could cause your child to choke.
Choosing toys for kids
Many toys have age-range information on their packaging. This can be useful, but in terms of play, it’s only a guide. Your child’s interests and stage of development will probably give you a better idea of what to choose.
Age-range information can be important for safety, however – for example, when toys contain small parts that a baby could swallow. In these cases, it’s wise to follow the recommended age-range information.
For your baby, the best ‘toy’ is you, a carer or other close family member. Your baby will delight in watching your face, listening to your voice and simply being with you. Even play activities like looking at a brightly coloured mobile, listening to a wind-up musical toy and learning to reach for a rattle are more fun when you and your baby do them together.
Toddlers love to play with boxes, and often have more fun with the wrapping a present comes in than the present itself. Other good choices for toddlers include construction toys like building blocks (for example, Duplo) and clothing for dress-ups. Toddlers also enjoy simple musical instruments that they can shake and bang – a drum made from an upside down pot and a wooden spoon can be just as much fun as a purpose-built toy.
Older children often like to solve problems and use their imagination. Puzzles or games that get your child playing with others are also good choices.
You don’t need to spend lots of money on toys – toy libraries are a great way to keep surprising your child with new toys. Most toy libraries charge a membership fee, but then you can borrow toys for free. You might also like to read more about homemade toys and free activities for kids.
Toys and your family values
You’re the person who decides what toys are OK for your child to play with in your home.
If you have strong feelings about certain toys, it can be a good idea to talk to your child, especially as he grows older. You could mention your family values. For example, ‘Guns can scare and hurt people very much. No-one in our family has a gun’.
But drawing too much attention to toys – for, example by banning them or refusing to buy them – can actually make your child want them more.
It might work better to try linking your family values with the way your child plays and uses toys in daily life.
For example, say your child wants a new plastic toy, but environmental values are important to you. Instead of buying the toy, you could help your child make toys from things around the house – and you could also talk with your child about how this is an example of recycling. Or if your child wants a tablet device or gaming console, you could try making more time to get outside to play together – and you could talk about how physical activity is better for your child’s body than screen time.
And whatever family values you decide to share with your child, it’s a good idea to be consistent. For example, children might get confused if they’re allowed to watch violent TV shows or play violent video games but aren’t allowed to play with toy guns.
If you don’t want other grown-ups to give your child certain toys as presents, a short, calm explanation of your feelings should do the trick. In the end, it’s your decision.
Toy weapons and ‘sexy’ dolls
Some families find that particular types of toys don’t sit well with their family values – for example, toy weapons and dolls with a very grown-up body shape or clothing style.
Toy weapons
If your child plays with or makes toy weapons and you’re concerned, it’s a good idea to look at how your child is playing with the toy. For example, your child might be using the toy weapon as a prop in a make-believe game of cops and robbers. You might think that’s fine.
But if your child is using the toy weapon aggressively towards other children, it’s not good for his social and friendship skills. That’s because it can scare other children, who might not want to play with your child. It might help to guide your child towards friendlier ways to play – for example, ‘Why don’t you and May-Ling be on the same team and pretend you’re both fighting the bad guys?’ The weapon itself might not be the issue.
It’s pretty common for children to make toy guns out of everyday objects like sticks, celery or toast. This might not be something you want to encourage, but a gun made of toast doesn’t have the same power as a toy gun. A toast gun is a symbol, and is less likely to be used to scare others.
Sexy-looking dollsPlaying with dolls can be great fun for your child, but some dolls have a grown-up, ‘sexy’ look – for example, some female dolls come with sexy clothing like microskirts, fishnet stockings and very high heels.
This might seem fun and innocent, but it can also create an image of women that you might not be comfortable with or want your child to copy. For example, these types of dolls can give children, especially girls, the message that the most important thing about them is the way they look, and that the best way to look is ‘sexy’.
Again, it’s worth watching to see how your child plays with dolls. If you’re concerned, you might want to offer dolls with more child-like features so your child is exposed to dolls of all styles and body shapes.

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5 Fab Alternatives to Stainless Steel Appliances in the Kitchen

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Last month, Curbed launched a debate about whether stainless steel mania has peaked, as the look has long been invading kitchens old and new, and of various styles. A corresponding poll that asked readers how they felt about stainless steel drew nearly 2,000 votes and though a whole lot of people vouched for the shiny, "industrial-chic" material as the modern standard, the greatest number of votes (849) went to "Open to other options." So, here now, are five groovy stainless steel alternatives worthy of considering, many drawn from readers' wisdom left in the comments section. Is brown the new black? Is "colored" stainless steel a strong new contender? Take a look.

1. "Colored" stainless

Samsung's new black stainless steel suite—Photo via Samsung

Samsung, LG, and KitchenAid all very recently launched "black stainless" collections, which essentially offer the same ol' stainless steel appliances with a smooth, black-hued coating. In a similar vein, Whirlpool has been working on a new kitchen suite featuring a "sunset bronze" look, though purchasing information has yet to be made available. Blue Star, which specializes in commercial-style appliances for residential use, has a "Precious Metals" collection that includes finishes like "Infused Copper", "Statuary Bronze," and "Enchanted Sand."

The "Sunset Bronze" series from Whirlpool has yet to go on sale—Image via Whirlpool

2. Glossy Black, Brown, Slate

"Truffle brown" ovens from Miele—Photo via Miele

Major appliance-makers like Samsung, GE, and Miele all sell fridges and ranges in glossy black and white finishes. Miele even has it in a groovy "truffle brown."

3. Matte Black or Slate

The Slate series from GE—Image via GE

Not a fan of gloss or shine? GE also offers a selection of its kitchen products in a matte slate finish. The aforementioned "Precious Metals" line from Blue Star also includes a matte black option.

4. Modern Color

A bright red range from Bertazzoni—Photo via Bertazzoni

Brands like Viking, Bertazzoni, and Blue Star offer commercial-style modern appliances in colors like red, blue, orange, and yellow (Blue Star actually offers ranges in 750+ different colors.)The Big Chill's "Pro" line delivers modern without the professional-grade look; the clean-lined fridges and ranges come in 12 colors, including green, cream, and cabernet.

5. Retro Color

Colorful appliances with a groovy throwback look can be had with products from brands like Smeg, which offer fridges in dreamy pastel blue, green, pink, orange, and more (They also offer ranges in black and red), as well as The Big Chill, which sells retro fridges, stoves, and ovens in eight (also mostly pastel) shades.

6 ways to style school uniforms

School uniforms can relieve kids and young adults of a lot of pressure to wear trendy (and expensive) clothes. And how about all that time it can help often sleepy students save in the morning? But uniforms can be (let’s be honest) kind of boring and make it hard for kids to express their unique personalities. This is where a little creativity and playfulness can go a long way. Here are our six favorite tips for styling school uniforms, whether your child is in elementary, middle or high school: 

Wear the least popular color 

Wait, isn’t school and youth about fitting in and going with the crowd? Not when it comes to making a uniform look unique. For instance, if blue is the most common accent color among kids, choose another color like red (assuming it’s an approved color). Likewise if multiple plaids are available, choose the one that’s less popular with most kids. 

Bows, ties and belts 

Girls can add pretty ribbons to their hair. Button up a shirt and tie a fun bow around the collar or wear a neck scarf. Boys can play with different neckties and even bow ties. And girls and boys alike can accessorize easily with belts. 

Shirts 

Girls can make plain button-downs their own by varying the shirt collars (Peter Pan versus pointy). In cooler months, both boys and girls can layer colored shirts underneath button-downs. 

Socks, shoes and tights 

Many adults assess an outfit from the feet up, and with good reason: footwear choice can show a lot of personality. Girls can play with boots that have varying shaft heights, ballet flats and shoes with interesting buckles. Both girls and boys can express their unique style through athletic shoes and rugged looking boots, as well as by replacing standard laces with colored ones. Fun socks look great when they peek out from underneath pants. And girls can mix it up with opaque colored tights or knee socks. 

Backpacks and purses 

Personal style can be functional too, especially in school when you have all those books to lug around. Backpacks can look sleek, modern, playful, athletic or rugged. Older girls can add a purse or clutch for a touch of extra style and those quick trips to the ladies’ room. 

Just for girls 

If the dress code allows it, girls can personalize their look with jewelry, makeup and nail polish, hairstyles and hair accessories like barrettes and headbands. 

With a little imagination and a willingness to try new things, it’s relatively easy to look uniformly stylish every day, even in a school uniform.

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