you know that feeling of buyer's remorse that you get when you purchase a piece of gear and you never end up using it gear acquisition syndrome or gas can be avoided if you really think through how you're going to be using a product before you buy it also ask yourself if it'll make your life easier or just take up valuable space in your luggage some flights are so short that you won't need to use a neck pillow and you can use your jacket instead or instead of a passport holder opt for a low profile wallet like the bellroy note sleeve and leave your passport in the hotel safe it's also easy to get caught up in kitschy gear that seems like it will make life easier on the road vacuum sealed bags compress clothing well but require a vacuum to pack everything back up plus packing cubes with compression zippers do a similar job rather than spending thousands of dollars on new gear before that trip consider using what you have on hand first you can even use household items like ziploc baggies to organize clothing or toiletries for airport security the best gear will add to your quality of life and can also be used even when you're not traveling speaking of quality let's talk about why it matters when it comes to selecting gear are few things as annoying as a broken zipper when you're already running late to catch your flight paying attention to quality and choosing a few great pieces will majorly improve your trip consider materials before you make a purchase replacing bad gear is more expensive in the long run so go premium on things that matter like shell fabric or zippers we recommend ykk zippers because we find them to be the most reliable that said you can compromise on gear that is easy to replace on the go like a toothbrush quality gear is also about performance and reviews are a great way to see how a product works before you end up buying it if you're eyeballing something like the peak design everyday sling to hold camera gear look for reviews done by photographers you'll get insider information on how well it works from the perspective of someone that has needs similar to yours and if you're here watching pack hacker you're already in the right place we have hundreds of gear reviews on our website and youtube channels and we even show products on different body types so you can get a better idea of fit that brings us right along to our next tip having a bag that is too large or a pair of shoes that is too small can put a damper on any adventure it's important to find the right size gear to avoid discomfort the best way to get this right is to figure out your measurements before you start your search this applies mostly to backpack sizing but it's worth knowing things like your head circumference for hats and foot width for shoes torso length is a key measurement to have when you're looking for a backpack or clothing to find yours all you need is the help of a flexible measuring tape and a friend bend your neck forward and find the bone that sticks out the farthest then rest your hands in the top of your hip bones with your thumbs facing towards your spine lift your head and measure the length between the two points along your spine and there you go you've found your torso length some brands will have recommended sizing based on your measurements this will ensure you're looking at the right gear and will make the fitting process go much smoother for additional help in finding your fit talk to backcountry's
START_SELFPROMO_TOKEN if you're here watching pack hacker you're already in the right place we have hundreds of gear reviews on our website and youtube channels and we even show products on different body types so you can get a better idea of fit that brings us right along to our next END_SELFPROMO_TOKEN BETWEEN_SEGMENTS_TOKEN START_SPONSOR_TOKEN additional help in finding your fit talk to backcountry's END_SPONSOR_TOKEN