Korean Job Discussion Forums

[chaz47]

Please recommend some good rucksacks for traveling that you may have seen or purchased here in Korea. Ideally it would be able to fit in and overhead bin but still hold quite a bit of stuff.

I have heard bad stuff about North Face here, does anyone have any actual experience with the chain here?

How about GMarket experiences?

OK... I did a bit of GMarket eye-shopping and like the looks and price of this one:

http://english.gmarket.co.kr/challenge/neo_goods/goods.asp?goodscode=176449724

My browser won't display all the Korean characters though so I'm kind of guessing at the dimensions. Does anyone know if this would be OK as a carry-on?

[ddeubel]

I really would go with Salomon. Our team was sponsored by them (Adidas) and we wore the heck out of their adventure racing packs and shoes.

I bought one to replace my 7 year old, through Alaskian bogs and N.Ont taggalders pack. It is also rugged, fits great and with all kinds of spaces/places...

If you know the Costco in Jang Jae , Kangnam. Go across the street into the big "fashion mall" . At the back of the mall on the main floor is a Salomon dealer. Reasonable prices....

DD
http://eflclassroom.com

[lhasa]

Personally, I almost exclusively buy Arcteryx packs. Problem with Korea is that they're twice the price you'd pay in Canada / USA.

[geedeebain]

I have the osprey mutant, great pack, can fit loads in it , is super light and is not loaded with heaps of unecessary pouches and gizmo's

[santafly]

There's basically 2 ways to go when you buy outdoor gear

1) research the products to find out which one is the best and then fork over whatever sum it takes to get it.

2) look for something that works and is as cheap as possible

there's no point really in a middle route.


Arcteryx makes the sweetest packs. Gregory, Madden, and Golite are also good.

I wouldn't ever buy a pack online unless I've tried it on in person first.

If your in Seoul there are some stores around the west end of Kwang Jang Shi Jang (south of Jongno 4-ga) where things are very cheap. This area also has an Arcteryx store, a Redface store, and a couple other upscale places.

[Kryten]

There's a guy selling one here: http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=172967

[chaz47]

[nautilus]

I buy the cheap army-issue stuff in Itaewon. Good value for the price.

[nomad-ish]

i bought a decent one at north face. it wasn't a real backpacker-kind of backpack though-- not a lot of support padding or brace in the back. also they didn't have large capacity packs when i went. i'm not sure what you're looking for, but if it's to fit in the overhead bin on the plane, i think north face would be a good place to check.

[santafly]

Be aware that in North America what you call backpacking we call traveling. When we say backpacking we're talking about being self-sufficient in the outdoors.

Anyway, what your looking for is called a "daypack" by the outdoor industry. I have a Madden daypack which is small enough for an airplane carry-on. I think I paid $120 for it in the U.S so something comparable that is from a non-Korean company will likely coast at least 220,000 in Korea, probably more. You have to realize the older generation in Korea is really into hiking - being that it's trendy, it's not cheap - this carries over to Korean made gear.

It sounds like you are mainly interested in cheap - also, traveling is no where near as hard on your backpack as real backpacking. I don't know where there are outdoor shops in Busan but I am sure you will find a handful of them near each other. Is there a designated market area in Busan? - something like Namdaemun or Dongdaemun in Seoul - I would look there for a shop that looks like they have old cheap equipment and just buy something that you like - don't worry about a good brand.