Bring everything You Need Without Checking a Bag Why Living On Your Terms MattersTo be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. Today I’m bringing you the first in a new series called Travelosophy that I’ll be publishing at least once a month in the Zero To Travel Podcast. In this series I share thoughtful questions around long-term travel and/or travel as a lifestyle choice for any period of time. These questions I pose in this series have no right or wrong answer and my thoughts are my travelosophy or travel philosophy. I’m curious what you think so if you want to add to this discussion you can email me, send me a message on twitter, or leave a comment here. In the next Travelosophy episode I’ll share some of those comments with the community – the zero to travel worldwide caravan of listeners. Now, let’s get into today’s question What if your calling is to travel?

Well, what is a calling? For the purpose of this show, I’m defining it as something you feel compelled to do. The word ‘calling’ has a lot of implications and potential pressures around it. If someone asks you what your ‘true calling’ is you might not like that question because you don’t have an answer and you wouldn’t be alone. Some would argue that there is such a thing as a one true calling; something you were meant to do …and others would disagree. That’s not what this is about so I’ll define ‘calling’ further as something you feel you need to do for a period of time. Meaning, it does NOT have to be something you do for the rest of your life…we never know how long that will be anyway. Now I want to ask you, what if you feel, right now, that your calling is to travel for some extended period? Travel is something your gut and your heart tells you to do repeatedly. The urge to travel is a knowing that pops up in your mind, your heart and your soul on a regular basis.

It’s something that hangs around so long you can’t ignore it any longer. Is travel an acceptable calling to have? What happens when you begin to think that ‘travel’ is the path you need to choose right now? Do you judge that thought? Do you scoff at or dismiss it? Because often times many or at least some friends and family around you won’t get it, and that’s fine, they can have their opinions. And society as a whole sees travel as a hobby, or activity - not a calling that is understood as something one must do. Our minds can be harsher judges then society. If you feel travel may be your calling right now, and dismiss that thought it’s no different than unsupportive external influences and people. Isn’t it reasonable to consider travel as a calling? Through my personal experience I know that I felt exploring the world was something I needed to do. I wasn’t sure how initially but those details got figured out. The important thing is if you feel compelled to travel for an extended period of time now or in the near future it’s imperative to support yourself internally, without judgment.

Now, let’s go external for a moment… Have you noticed that it’s acceptable for someone to make a statement of knowing, a statement of conviction, when that statement falls in line with what our culture and society deem acceptable or to be at a certain imagined level of status? For example, if someone feels in their heart they want to work in the medical profession and states “I want to become a doctor” that person will have the vast majority of support from everyone.dcshoecousa backpack Doctors universally received a high level of respect, admiration and status. planet backpack dkbEven the bad ones get it.fibo backpack I do believe being a doctor a noble profession.]]scrotum backpack purchase

Hiking Spain, Pack Hacks and How To Meet Other Travelers : Zero To Travel Podcast Tue, 22 Sep 2015 10:30:04 +0000 Have you ever considered walking as the best way to travel? Worried about what to pack for your next adventure? Want to learn how to meet other travelers and connect organically? In this episode of the Zero To Travel Podcast, you'll hear expert Pack Hacks from Fred Perrotta, co-founder of Tortuga backpacks.atrix backpack hepa vac I also sit down (on a bus!) for a spontaneous interview with my new friend Dave. backpack afstellenWe met outside of the bus terminal in Peniche, Portugal and we discuss his pilgrimage from London to the Camino de Santiago in Spain. In this travel podcast you'll learn: 3 stupid simple ways you can meet other travelers The one thing all travelers have in common

Packing strategies to make your next trip super easy General size guidelines for your pack Tips for taking the unofficial route to Camino de Santiago How to adjust to walking for 77 days Essential items for the pilgrimage (and how to not over-pack) Why it is easier to travel with no real plans Keys to meeting new people when you travel Tortuga Backpacks- use discount code 'Travel' for 10% off International House Sitting, How to Travel the World and Stay Anywhere, For FREE If you are feeling up to it, send me a postcard from your next travel adventure!  I'll give you a shout out on the show. And be sure to check out the archives to get some more travel tips and inspiration. The post Hiking Spain, Pack Hacks and How To Meet Other Travelers : Zero To Travel Podcast appeared first on Zero to Travel.]]UPDATE (10/30/2016): Tortuga just completely revamped their backpack and it looks great! Click here to read my complete review of the new Tortuga Outbreaker.

I’m always on the lookout for new backpacks designed for traveling — especially bags designed for the modern Europe traveler. That’s why when I saw the Tortuga Travel Backpack, I got pretty excited because it looked to be designed specifically for urban travel. I got my hands on the Tortuga so I could do my own review of the backpack for you all. Let me start by saying that a lot of people who backpack around Europe use a hiking-style backpack. These are great, but they’re designed for backcountry hiking and not city travel (check out our guide to choosing a backpack). These hiking-style bags not only look pretty silly when placed in the urban setting, but many of their features are simply not suited for city-to-city travel. The Tortuga Travel Backpack is different because all of its features are geared toward the urban traveler. At first glance, you’ll notice that it is pretty sleek (at least compared to other travel backpacks) and it is much less conspicuous than the typical bright red/blue/orange hiking bag.

That’s what actually first caught my eye about this bag. I can see myself wearing this in cities like London or Paris and not feeling totally out of place. But even the best looking backpack needs to be functional. Continue reading for my thoughts on the Tortuga Travel Backpack. The Tortuga Backpack is carry-on sized, so you won’t have to pay all those extra checked baggage fees (often $30-$60 per bag) or worry about the airline losing your luggage. Being that this bag is carry-on sized, you will have to be conscious of traveling light. This is actually a positive thing because I believe that traveling light is much more freeing and enjoyable. For those of you who might not consider traveling with a single carry-on bag, I strongly urge you to consider this option. As you can see, I found that I could still fit a good amount of stuff in this bag. Check out our packing list for Europe for more info on what to pack. Dimensions: 44 liters (2,685 cubic inches); 22 x 14 x 9 inches (55.88 x 35.56 x 22.86 cm).

The Tortuga backpack has a large main compartment that zips open like a suitcase. This not only maximizes packing space, but it allows you to easily access the contents of your bag without having to pull everything out of it. I prefer this system to the traditional “top loading” bags because it is much more practical for urban travel (you can read our guide on top-loading vs front loading backpacks for more information on the subject). One thing to look for in a travel backpack are the padded shoulder straps and hip belt. Most will offer some padding, but some have hardly any. The Tortuga’s straps and hip belt offer plenty of padding, so no worries there. The suspension system on the Tortuga isn’t the most advanced I’ve seen, and it doesn’t have load lifters that add extra comfort, but it does do a pretty good job for its intended use. If you need a bag that you can wear for a few hours at a time, you might want to get something else. If you’re mainly going to be wearing your bag from the train to the hostel, you’ll be fine.

All the straps on the Tortuga can be zipped away behind a cover. This is great if you ever do find yourself having to check your backpack while flying so you don’t run the risk of getting a strap ripped off from an airport conveyor belt. It is also nice if  you want to carry the bag and not wear it on your back. I really like how the bag is streamlined and just contains the things you’ll need for urban traveling. There are no extra straps or anything else to get caught while you’re on the move. It may not seem like a big deal now, but having two sturdy handles comes in super handy. As you can see from the photos, the bag can be carried from the top or from the side. This is important when carrying your bag through narrow plane, train, and bus aisles. This is something I wish my previous backpacks would have had. Carrying a laptop is always a bit daunting, so it’s nice to see that this bag includes a place to stash your laptop. This bag can carry up to a 17″ laptop (you can see my 13″ Macbook Air in the photo above).

There is one external pocket, two water bottle pockets, and a pocket on each hip belt. The main external pocket is big enough to carry some books, a light jacket, and a few other odds and ends. It does expand a bit, so you can shove extra stuff in there. The water bottle pockets are actually big enough to carry a bottle of water — this isn’t always a given in other bags. These pockets zip so you can store other stuff in there as well. The pockets on the hip belt are good for storing things like tickets, small pads of paper, hand wipes, Band-aids, etc. On the inside of the flap, there are two mesh pockets for storing stuff. On the inside of the case, there are two additional zippered pockets. These pockets buckle together to form a compression strap which keeps your clothes from moving around as you move. The zippers have little loops on them that allow you to lock them closed. It is a nice extra touch that helps keep thieves away from your things. Here are a few photos of me wearing the bag.

For reference I’m 5’6″ (168cm). I really like this bag, and I think it would be great for traveling Europe (or anywhere else). It is sleek, well-made, minimalistic, and designed specifically for urban travel. I also like how it can be converted into a suitcase by stashing away the straps. The only thing I’m not crazy about are the shoulder straps because they lack the load lifter straps, so it’s not designed to be used for long periods of time (which isn’t a big issue for many city-hopping travelers visiting Europe). Therefore, overall, I think this backpack would make a good choice for just about anyone wanting to travel around Europe. The Tortuga Travel Backpack is available on Amazon for $235 or you can buy it directly from the Tortuga website for $199. We hope you’ve found this article helpful. We get a depressingly small commission when you purchase anything on Amazon after you’ve clicked the link — this helps us keep the site running… & maybe buys us a few beers.