Let’s begin: Option 1: Full size and full-featured To me, that counts. Who the hell ever thought fluorescent orange was sexy? The 80s? Yeah, stay there. They can be carry-ons, or they can be checked luggage, without getting ruined. They’ve got panel-loading convenience, not top-loading caverns they’ve got lockable zippers, not drawstring uselessness they’ve got carry-on dimensions, and minimal, hide-away straps, not monstrous bulges and streamers hanging from every angle. These packs are made for travelers, not hikers. I’ve compiled a list of some of the best travel backpacks for carry-on use I can find. I don’t know why the other people didn’t bother doing it before. Which is why I’m so gleefully pleased that certain companies have been designing travel backpacks. Filthy dirty lie “panel” loading: They’ll forget to make the suitcase-style opening go all the way around, thus defeating the purpose of the panel in the first place.De-hydration pockets: They’ll skip the damn water bottle side pockets and then where the hell do they go?!?!?.The carry-on max of 45 liters is plenty! Who the hell needs 80?!?! Some of these “travel backpacks” go up to 80 liters. Size: They’ll make them so gigantic that you have to check them on a plane.Several companies design what they call “travel backpacks,” which have better features, solving some of the problems listed above, but they generally screw things up in the meantime as well: The problem(s) with so-called “travel backpacks:” This problem can be mostly solved with a laptop sleeve that can lock itself to a bed, but lockable zippers would be easier (though I’ve softened this requirement, as zippers can be easily bypassed, even when locked).Īnd in many cases, plenty of hiking packs have dumb design errors anyway, even if you’re just hiking. No locking mechanism: Top loaders usually use a drawstring opening, which offers no security whatsoever against unscrupulous hostel bunkmates.If you ever have to check your bags for a flight, they’ll come out a little more damaged every time. And I’m including shoulder and hip straps here, too. These are useful for walking around, but they’ll get scratched up when you throw them in the luggage compartment for a bus ride. Extraneous strap dangle: Hiking packs have all sorts of compression straps and attachment points.You can mitigate this problem with packing cubes, but suitcase-style openings are so easy to manufacture that it’s insulting how rarely they’re implemented. Packing inconvenience: Hiking packs are usually top-loading, cavernous cylinders that swallow your gear and you have to dig everything out to find whatever’s at the bottom.Some designs have none of these flaws it’s just that they usually do: Now don’t get me wrong hiking backpacks are great, and I’ve used them on plenty of trips. Hiking packs work, but we’ve only been using them because nothing else was better. But they’re not ideally suited for travel. And besides, high-quality hiking backpacks will stand up to most abuse, and they’ll be super comfortable if they fit you properly. Other options like duffel bags or school backpacks exist as well, but these are rarely suitable for round-the-world travel.īut since these were the only options, accepting their flaws was all I could do. Part of the problem is that, up until very recently, the only options were top-loading hiking backpacks, or wheeled suitcases. It’s tough finding something that fits you properly, and I think, given the high user ratings of certain packs I hate, maybe I just have a bizarrely crooked spine and it’s not their fault.īut I refuse to let them get away with rant-free ease. I’ve never used the same pack for more than two trips, and no matter how many hours I spend either online or in the store, it seems like finding the right pack is always going to be a horrific ordeal.ĭiscomfort, poorly designed features, dangly straps, sizing issues, and all manner of nonsense have thwarted my path at every turn. Over the years, I’ve gone through packs like nobody’s business. I still remember the feeling of coming back from my first solo backpacking trip, and walking around without a backpack. It holds all your gear, it’s with you almost all the time, and in some bizarre, anthropomorphic way, it’s your best friend. One of the most important things a backpacker can find is a great travel backpack.
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