Travel / hiking pack recommendation?

Does anyone have any recommendations for a pack that can handle travel -- I mean being stuffed into overhead compartments, bus storage, car trunks; being scuffed on the concrete; tossed around by baggage handlers -- but can still transform into a decent hiking pack?

I'd like something of decent size that can still be used for carry-on (I'm thinking maybe 40-50L?) and would have a good hip belt and load support system, like you'd expect of a hiking pack. But I would think that the straps and belt would have to be removable or fold up or something so that it can go into compartments.

My hiking packs mostly are trampoline-backed and technical, so they are ill-suited for the travel part and would get eaten up pretty quickly.

Well, a pack that can stand the abuse of airline luggage handlers (whom I've seen at work, horrors) is going to be heavier than a standard backpacking pack.

The pack I still travel with was bought from REI in 1992. I have no idea if they still carry it. It has been all over Europe five times and has made many trips in the US (at least once a month to visit grandchildren), and still looks like new. It has a zippered panel in back to contain the shoulder straps and hipbelt so they don't get caught in conveyor belts. It also has internal stays so is reasonably comfortable to carry, although not as comfortable as my backpacking pack. With the straps hidden, it looks like a normal suitcase, should I decide to visit a more upscale lodging. I wouldn't want to take it backpacking, though, one reason being that it weighs about 4 lbs (the fabric is heavy nylon of the kind usually used for suitcases). It still meets the requirements for a carry-on, although this might change with new requirements coming up. Proposed airline carry-on requirements. (I checked-- mine will still fit if I don't stuff the outside front pockets!)

I know that many who take their backpacking packs on airlines use a duffle bag to enclose and protect the pack. This solves the shoulder straps/hip belt issue. Of course, if the pack in its duffel bag meets the new carry-on requirements, you won't have to subject it to the airline baggage handlers!

I'm going to go ahead and share what I use, even though it's not quite what you're looking for.

See, in school I had a talent for killing bookbags. I went through an average of two a year. I didn't own my own backpacking pack, though I'd done a couple of trips, but I do travel extensively and find backpacks to be much more convenient for transporting my belongings than any other packaging.

In '06, after the death of yet another bookbag, I took a drive across the river to the local military surplus store. I was planning a trip to Ecuador for a biology course, so I told the owner that I wanted a backpack that would survive the Amazon.

I ended up purchasing a German Army backpack. Now, it's not made for backpacking. There's no hip supports and while it's a good size (I've stuffed 30 lbs or more of gear into it), it's not 40L. It's also not light for its size, but when it comes to durability, I haven't met anything that can match it.

I've managed to get 30 lbs or so of stuff into it. And it has been to four continents and almost every environment you can think of, desert to rain forest, tropics to sub-alpine and temperate winters, not to mention urban environments. I have carried it, dragged it, thrown it, sat on it, stepped on it, caught it on things, stuffed it under things, washed and dried it in very questionable machinery known for eating unworthy items, dropped it in the river, overfilled it to the point where the seams were straining...
I carried it almost every day for about 8 years, still use it regularly, and only reduced my use because 1) I don't carry a backpack at my job the way I did at school and 2) after 8 years of daily abuse, I managed to wear a dime-sized hole through the bottom, in an area that would be extremely difficult to patch.


I asked for a replacement for Christmas, and my parents bought me my Osprey Kestrel. Which is a great pack, but when I look at it, I see something that will die a quick death should I ever use it for travel!

When my wife and I did some hiking in Europe I bought one of these things, and have mixed feelings about it. This was about 5 years ago, I got a Osprey Waypoint 85 travel pack. It weighs 5.7 pounds (!), but that weight includes a zip-off day pack which by itself is 1.45 pounds. This literally zips onto the back of the pack, the idea being that you use that as your carry-on or for shorter dayhikes, but connect it to the big pack otherwise. Most recently when I used this pack I left the daypack unit home and didn't miss it, so the pack weighed about 4.3 pounds. It has a zipup cover to tuck waistbelt and straps away.

It worked okay for hiking in Europe, and there are times when I'm not that concerned about having the lightest pack weight where I'll continue to use this.

More often when I hike --- such as an upcoming trip to Spain this coming autumn --- I'll use a lighter pack and either just go as carry-on, or wrap the bag in a trash compactor bag or check it as baggage inside a cardboard box (for the outbound direction anyway).

In terms of using the Osprey as a pack, it's okay. A couple of stretchy pockets on each side can carry a big water bottle or poncho or the like. No stretchy mesh on the back, unfortunately. Zips open wide so easy to access contents. Decent waist belt and straps. Other than the weight, I find it fine to hike with. The weight is just part of "the deal" of having a pack like this.

I've only flown with it a few times, but it's come through undamaged and even unmarked thus far. It has a suitcase type handle on one side and a generous grab handle at the top.

For some types of trips this might indeed be worth the money. Again, mostly I strive to not have to use it, but do find it helpful on occasion. Sometimes for domestic driving trips I'll use it if I figure that having luggage that I can carry nicely on my back is a good choice.

Thanks for the responses so far. Just to add some info., I would expect the pack to be quite a bit heavier than my standard hiking packs -- those packs are definitely not robust enough to be tossed around as baggage. And I won't be going on huge hikes on these trips where I will care that much about weight.

We've flown quite a few times using pack duffles from EMS to protect our packs. They are light enough and fold small enough to carry on the pack when not needed. If I was traveling more by other means than my feet for the majority of the time, I'd probably rethink it, but not necessarily come to a different conclusion. Haven't had any damage so far, even to trekking poles thrown on the side of the packs. Then again, we've only flown domestically .

I use a Mountainsmith Tyrol for short airline trips and hikes. It only has about 30L capacity but it is bombproof and comfortable. The hip belt (unpadded, much like their Lumbar series) folds away to keep,it protected and out of the way. It uses the Delta suspension system that Mountainsmith is famous for. It even has a chest belt. What it doesn't have is a lot of pockets and straps. My wife used it just this past weekend for a trip to Victoria. She is not a backpacker type but loved the pack for convenience and comfort.

PS I love MS gear, especially the older stuff. If you can find an old style Bugaboo it might just be the perfect pack for what you are looking for.