Best ukulele for heavy travelling?

Hey folks I've done some reading on this already but I decided to make a thread on this forum for direct opinions regarding this. Essentially I'm going on a backpacking trip around the UK. I'll be sleeping rough most nights with my tarp and bivy bag. It'll be a fun time but I want to take a ukulele along with me. Now I love the ukulele but I haven't really had much of a chance to practice it and I'm basically a beginner. I still fumble chords and struggle to keep a good strum. At anyrate I'll be taking my uke with my while I go backpacking. Currently I own a dirt cheap 'Vintage' soprano ukulele which I purchased from amazon:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vintage-VUK20N-Ukulele-Outfit-Tan/dp/B002QFX9O6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364577566&sr=8-1
My question is what ukulele is good to take on a long backpacking trip? I've looked around and seen some travel ukuleles which are thinner than most but I've also seen people recommend a flea ukulele for camping on this forum claiming that its a very durable instrument. I intend to invest on a very good ukulele ideally solid wood as I hear that solid wood is superior to laminate would anyone have any reccomendations on ideal ukuleles for my needs? I'm concerned a flea ukulele might have too wide a base to fit into my sidepocket. Essentially I have my uke stored in my sidepocket with the top poking out. Here's the backpack if you are interested: http://store.berghaus.com/p/packs/crusader-90-plus-20-mmps-rucksack/434644 It's worth mentioning that I'm a jobless student who spent most of his leftovers from his loan on travelling gear so pennies are tight

I'm considering this KALA travel uke series KA-SSTU-T any thoughts? Is a travel ukulele (thin body) worth having for my first tenor? Supposedly the sound is very good on this tenor but I currently have no experience on a tenor and I Intend to go and play around with one in a music store. Problem is the only store in my town does not stock ukuleles so I'll have to go on a ukulele hunt.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kala-Trav...800?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a2ad31c20

I have owned a travel soprano...meh...kinda expensive. I do not like fleas or flukes. I ended up getting myself a beat up cracked mainland red cedar concert for my backpacking trips. Every year I do one big trip (100 miles or so) and that is the uke I carry. I keep it in a plastic bag to keep from getting wet. I place it in my pack when hiking. I just have to remember not to drop my pack to hard.
That is what I recommend. Find something that is around $50 or less. That way if it is broken...the pain isn't to bad.

Dolphin would be my choice. And they play really nice as well.

My Tenor Fluke and Flea....

haolejohn said:

I have owned a travel soprano...meh...kinda expensive. I do not like fleas or flukes. I ended up getting myself a beat up cracked mainland red cedar concert for my backpacking trips. Every year I do one big trip (100 miles or so) and that is the uke I carry. I keep it in a plastic bag to keep from getting wet. I place it in my pack when hiking. I just have to remember not to drop my pack to hard.
That is what I recommend. Find something that is around $50 or less. That way if it is broken...the pain isn't to bad.

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I suppose that is the most sensible option I have a 'vintage' ukulele....http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vintage-VUK...X9O6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364780021&sr=8-1
but because I'm brand new to ukuleles I don't know if its any good or not. It sounds okay I guess but its dirt cheap and until I get my hands on a concert and tenor I'm not going to go buying any online. I think I would prefer a larger size however. The problem Is I can't keep practising the ukulele unless I take it with me on my travels which I really want to do.
I heard a scarestory on a Kala travel uke KA-SSTU-T review the reviewer explained that the neck was bending forward as if the strings where pulling it apart. This was just some random review on a retail site should I be worried based upon this? Every other review did not mention such a thing. I'll most likely get a dolphin If I can test it out to see how it compares to my current uke. A magic fluke is another but quite pricey option.

unijaw said:

I suppose that is the most sensible option I have a 'vintage' ukulele....http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vintage-VUK...X9O6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364780021&sr=8-1
but because I'm brand new to ukuleles I don't know if its any good or not. It sounds okay I guess but its dirt cheap and until I get my hands on a concert and tenor I'm not going to go buying any online. I think I would prefer a larger size however. The problem Is I can't keep practising the ukulele unless I take it with me on my travels which I really want to do.
I heard a scarestory on a Kala travel uke KA-SSTU-T review the reviewer explained that the neck was bending forward as if the strings where pulling it apart. This was just some random review on a retail site should I be worried based upon this? Every other review did not mention such a thing. I'll most likely get a dolphin If I can test it out to see how it compares to my current uke. A magic fluke is another but quite pricey option.

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dolphin will probably be similar to what you have. They are cheap and sound like it. There is a cultish following about them. Just use what you have. I used soprano ukes before, but once I got that mainland I quit bringing them. soprano ukes are easier to tote around in a pack.

Blackbird? Maybe overkill, but it will survive almost anything.

Bring that Vintage along and then play it until it's vintage.

:2cents:

I had a Kala spruce Soprano travel uke, it was fantastic. I recently sold it as I purchased a 8 string Lanakai, what a hoot. I recently came across a LENO LHT-SMF-CE-TB Splted Maple cutaway, what a beautiful ukulele, currently out of stock in Australia , but due in about 3 months. $359.00 au .

the Kala slimline is good and the price is right..check
www.theukulelesite.com
aka HMS
they sound good too and they do a setup for you n/c

I would take a flea. Worst case scenario if it didn't fit put it in a stuff sack and strap it on. 17cm at widest spot on soundboard. Depth of 6cm. Now you can measure and see if it fits.

After 5 years of carting my laminate Maholo U-300R soprano around - carelessly thrown in the back of my van, friends' truck, pack, snow, sleet, and rain - I suggest getting whatever $50 laminate that you can find, throw on some Aquila strings (and have a few other types in the pack to try out) and have fun on your trip.

Get something cheap that won't weigh you down with worry. Ambiance and mood has a lot to do with good sound. Don't wreck your mood worr ying about babying an expensive uke.

That said, the Kala travel uke I played aroudn with at my local music shop sounded pretty darn nice. Wifey prefered its plunky sound to the Martin concert I brought home too. But at $200 bucks I sure wouldn't want to leave it out on the ground very often.

It looks like they are taking pre-orders for these next week (outdoor ukulele). $100. They look very interesting.

dphansti said:

It looks like they are taking pre-orders for these next week (outdoor ukulele). $100. They look very interesting.

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definitely would be my next uke purchase.

dphansti said:

It looks like they are taking pre-orders for these next week (outdoor ukulele). $100. They look very interesting.

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That looks very interesting. i took a look at the website and currently there is no news do you know anymore about it? For the moment i'll stick with my soprano I'm too new to the ukulele to go spending too much on it. There's always a chance I will just give it up in a couple of weeks I like to think that isn't going to happen however. Are there special weatherproof ukulele bags? Or should I just use a gig bag and trash bags for waterproofing? Also I'm concerned that strapping the ukulele onto my backpack would damage the strings/ Should I have the strings pressed into the pack so the ukulele back is facing outward or should I do it the other way around? Thanks folks you've been a great help

My Ohana soft cases actually have a clip ring that you can attach a clip to. This way you just hook in onto you backpack.

I have a Lanikai Soprano Pineapple (LU-21P) as my roughing-it ukulele. It's cheap enough that I won't worry about it. But as it accumulates travel stories I grow more and more attached to it. Should it succumb to the hazards of the road my replacement choices would be a concert neck Flea or the Outdoor Ukulele.

You already have a cheap travel uke, use it. Why invest 2-4 times the value on a Kala Flea or Fluke? Use your cheap uke, practice, get better. If it survives that is great. If it gets damaged buy a new one just like it or else buy a more expensive replacement if you come into some cash.

I took it out travelling and although it felt a bit insecure with the gig bag handle attached to my backpack using a karabina but apart from that I got on quite fine. I took it to the woods and played it around the campfire. I only know like two songs at this point however but it was still fun. anyone know of any decent soprano gig bags that have attachment points which I can use to secure my ukulele properly?