Walk The Line (part 4)

So lets talk bags.
Although suitcases look nice and organized, they tend to weigh a lot and no amount of light packing will get you out of that.
A sports bag you can get anywhere. They come cheap, courtesy of sweatshops in Unspecifiedville, they smell a bit funny and the straps will A-L-W-A-Y-S break. No matter how much you pay for one of these bags, the zipper will fly off, just as you’ve closed the bag. While you’re carrying it, an ominous ripping noise will be heard across the train station. You’ve guessed it: It’s your bag. Ripping. Ah, gravity, thou art a cruel mistress indeed. So take my advice. Skip the bag too.
Wait for a sale. Everybody has them. Then storm the store with Viking-like viciousness and head for the camping section. Therein lies the promise land. The land of the coveted BACKPACK. Backpacks are just awesome. If you don’t care much about your clothes getting wrinkly, that is. If you take a backpack that has some 60l (that’s about 16 gallons), you’re all set. Make sure your backpack is waterproof, has good padding around the shoulder straps and back, adjustable clip straps around the waist and most importantly check that all the zippers work and that the fabric isn’t ripped anywhere. If you’ve taken the advice in part 3, you should have more than enough space to pack your stuff and perhaps even souvenirs on your way back.
Depending on how long your trip will take, you might want to get an impermeable cover for your backpack, so it doesn’t get wet. Running into a nearby coffee shop or train station does just as well in protecting both you and your backpack from getting soaked, though.
Another thing you might want to have along is a sleeping bag. Why is this useful? You never know what a hostel’s policy on linen washing is. And you don’t really want to know all the things that happened on that mattress you’re sleeping on. If both of these seem like things you’d think of, you need your sleeping bag, because you know where it’s been, who’s been in it and what they were doing at the time.
Sleeping bags come in all shapes and sizes, materials, colors. If you’re not doing serious camping (tent, bears, bugs, the works), I suggest just grabbing the cheapest one you can find. Make sure you’re not allergic to anything in it, though. The nice thing about sleeping bags is that they’re very light and can usually be strapped to the bottom side of your backpack, so you need not worry about carrying them.
And last but not least: Shoes! Nobody really cares that you have super duper, brand spankin’ new shoes with real leather, reinforced steel rims, an alarm system and a Swedish lingerie model attached. If your shoes are new, don’t travel in them. Walking all day in museums and parks, partying all night and dragging your drunk behind back to the hostel is no time to break in new shoes. Take your trusty old shoes. Even they might turn against you and cause swelling and blistering. Get some Moleskin (not the notebooks) or something. Do NOT pop or cut your blisters off or the blister fairy will come and smack you over the head with a very large brick! Where were we? Oh yes, shoes. So bring old comfy shoes. Preferably waterproof ones. But if you, as I, are an avid fan of Converse, be prepared to be soaked.
You may think only little old ladies use shoe pads, but trust me: shoe pads are your friend. At the end of the day, you will thank the heavens for having them. Any kind will do, as long as they’re soft. Don’t take the fuzzy ones. Spongy materials work best. You don't need them so much for correct support. You need them to cushion the blow of all-day walks. Your feet will love you forever if you do this.

Recap:
1)Backpack
2)Sleeping bag
3)Old shoes + Moleskin + Spongy Shoe Pads

And with this the ‘Walk The Line’ section is done. Other advice will be dispensed along the way.

In the spirit in which this section was written, I leave you with Baz Luhrman and The Sunscreen Song.