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Travel Luggage Dilemmas- Backpack vs Suitcase what do I take?
I see the following question asked a lot:
"I am going travelling to Asia/Australia/Canada/India, for 3/6/12 months (delete as appropriate), what sort of luggage do I need to take?"
Now firstly, I'm going to say- Girl you take whatever kind of luggage you want to take and that works for you. This is 2018. People transport goods all over the place these days (yes sometimes in a variety of interesting ways- case in point mopeds in Asia!).
Everyone is different, and what works for one may not work for the next.
This being said I have evolved some soft suggestions regarding this topic to maybe help make your decision a bit easier. This comes from my personal experience and is by no means the only way to approach this.
Firstly- Ignore how long you are going for.
Now yes this may seem to break the norms and if we are being realistic here a weekend away does not compare to a year away. However, I am going to go on the assumption that you are travelling for at least 2 weeks if not longer. In this case, length of your trip really has no bearing on your luggage choice. Why I hear you ask? Because honestly, what you pack for 2 weeks *should* be the same as what you pack for 6 months.
Cue horrified music and anxiety inducing thoughts. 😂
Let me break this down. When you take a 2 week holiday, you pack for 2 weeks knowing full well you have enough outfits (usually too many), for the time you are away. Usually without the need to do laundry. You know when you return, if you are anything like me and my mum, that one of the first things to happen when you get back home is that the washing machine goes on and the laundry gets sorted.
Now think about this- are you logically going to take enough clothes to cover a 6 month trip? Not unless you are Kendal Jenner and have an army of staff to pack and transport it no. You are, at some point or another (and I know this varies whilst travelling, trust me, I know SO SO well) going to do laundry. So yes what I am saying is that, you have no need for any more clothes than you would take on a 2 week holiday, in fact probably less, so time should not count towards luggage choice. so throw that itineray out the window and lets move on (don't really, maybe just move it to the side a little!)
Secondly- Look at where you are travelling too and when.
Are you going to South East Asia in rainy season? Are you going to Canada/ North America in Ski season? Are you going to Australia in summer (thats November-Feb guys just to clarify for you northern birds 😜 ).
I ask this because both season and infrastructure WILL affect luggage choice.
I live in a developed country, in the far north of such a place, so in effect I have 2 seasons - wet and dry. Regardless of the fact that it has been this way for years, is a modern developed place, and has good infrastructure- it floods!
Now you think about dragging a suitcase through this on your walk down the street from the bus station to the hostel and you can see my point. Some situations a backpack has advantages.
Imagine Asia in wet season. Thailand, The Phillipines, Laos, Cambodia- you see where I am going with this right? Less developed, less infrastructure, will get you from A to B but can you imagine a tuk tuk in this? Your feet dry far quicker than your case and your contents.
On the flip side- When it is 35-45*C (which it can be over this side of the world), humid, dry as a bone and not a cloud in the sky- do you really want to resemble a turtle with a 60L shell on its back?
I once walked over a mile in The Phillipines to my accommodation. My backpack was a 40 L one and at that point weighed approx. 7-9kg. What started off as feeling totally achievable soon became the heaviest most cumbersome thing you can possibly imagine. I cannot imagine doing it with anything else. In this case wheels (of any kind) seemed the most attractive thing to me!
Where you are travelling also has an impact because of local transport. Where you live UBER may be second nature. Plot twist. It does not exist everywhere.😮 I live in Cairns, Queensland. Backpacker hub and first or last stop on the east coast trail depending on which way you go. UBER has only just made it here the last 4 months. (shocking right!) Busses are ok but not the most widespread, and taxis cost a fortune.
I have been on countless modes of transport with my luggage during my travels. Boats, busses, mopeds (yes with my luggage and a driver!), tuk tuks, jeepney (Phillippine old school bus they converted into a cross between a tuk tuk and bus), coaches and planes.
Take a moment to think about where you are travelling and the TYPE of transport you are likely to encounter along the way. There is no way I would have been able to do what I did with a case. However, that being said, this was the way I chose to travel. Which leads me nicely onto my next point which is....
Know what is important for you when travelling.
This for me is the biggie. It is not fixed and has evolved over my travels, but without a doubt is the main factor I consider now when I travel and which plays into my luggage choices.
What is important? Is it to get from point A to point B as cheaply as possible (therefore likely to be utilising local transport, more likely to take the backpack) OR is it to get there with the least amount of hassle (therefore likely to be utilising more convenient but more costly modes of transport, more likely to take the case).
When I first started out my aim was cheapness. I looked for the deal in everything. I quickly realised this was exhausting and not really my scene if i'm totally honest, so settled on the middle of the road option which served me well for the majority of my time. I had a backpack and was happy to walk some distance with it. I was happy to take public transport with it, and ultimately felt I had found a good balance.
Recently things changed. I got sick of being a turtle and dragging my life around with me on my back. I still longed to travel, but I was over the effort. I was over walking for busses when I could catch an UBER for an extra $5. I was over spending 27 hours on a plane to save an extra $250 vs 14 hours. My priorities shifted and so too did my luggage choice. What was important to me before was not as important now.
This is the biggie.
I now have both a case and a backpack. I rotate them. I love my case for the convenience it offers and the ease of travel with it (and the fact I can clip my yoga mat on the front of it!!), yet my backpack still has a place for certain travels and will continue to serve me for years to come.
Finally a quick note- don't every feel like you have to justify your luggage choices to anyone! There is sort of an unwritten admiration for those who pack light and have little luggage, I get people are curious but I don't ask you about the contents of your family sized suitcase so why does it apply the other way? On the flip side those who bring cases not backpacks for longer travel are often cast as ' not real travellers' or princesses.
How you choose to transport your worldly goods around the globe is no one else's business but your own. you owe no one an explanation for why you have 5 pairs of shoes, 6 going out outfits and yet only one pair of beach shorts (I'm serious here- who cares if you dress up and put on a show to go out the hostel, its your life do what the fuck you want!). You will find with travelling people like to get in your business. thats fine, to a degree. But know that your choices and your decisions do not require an explanation or justification.
I hope this helped give you an insight into some factors to consider when picking luggage, what is arguably one of the biggest decisions when choosing to travel. I would love to hear your thoughts/ comments/ opinions below.
I have included the link to the backpack I use and have used for the last 2 years below. It has served me so well and I would highly recommend this brand/ backpack to others. This is an affiliate link so I will receive a small compensation should you click through my link. Please rest assured that I will NEVER endorse something on this blog that I have not tried, tested and stand behind. It is my mission to bring you quality, reliable information which will never be at the expense of a freebie or any other monetary gain. 💜The Backpack I used (and still do)!
"I am going travelling to Asia/Australia/Canada/India, for 3/6/12 months (delete as appropriate), what sort of luggage do I need to take?"
Now firstly, I'm going to say- Girl you take whatever kind of luggage you want to take and that works for you. This is 2018. People transport goods all over the place these days (yes sometimes in a variety of interesting ways- case in point mopeds in Asia!).
Everyone is different, and what works for one may not work for the next.
This being said I have evolved some soft suggestions regarding this topic to maybe help make your decision a bit easier. This comes from my personal experience and is by no means the only way to approach this.
Firstly- Ignore how long you are going for.
Now yes this may seem to break the norms and if we are being realistic here a weekend away does not compare to a year away. However, I am going to go on the assumption that you are travelling for at least 2 weeks if not longer. In this case, length of your trip really has no bearing on your luggage choice. Why I hear you ask? Because honestly, what you pack for 2 weeks *should* be the same as what you pack for 6 months.
Cue horrified music and anxiety inducing thoughts. 😂
Let me break this down. When you take a 2 week holiday, you pack for 2 weeks knowing full well you have enough outfits (usually too many), for the time you are away. Usually without the need to do laundry. You know when you return, if you are anything like me and my mum, that one of the first things to happen when you get back home is that the washing machine goes on and the laundry gets sorted.
Now think about this- are you logically going to take enough clothes to cover a 6 month trip? Not unless you are Kendal Jenner and have an army of staff to pack and transport it no. You are, at some point or another (and I know this varies whilst travelling, trust me, I know SO SO well) going to do laundry. So yes what I am saying is that, you have no need for any more clothes than you would take on a 2 week holiday, in fact probably less, so time should not count towards luggage choice. so throw that itineray out the window and lets move on (don't really, maybe just move it to the side a little!)
Secondly- Look at where you are travelling too and when.
Are you going to South East Asia in rainy season? Are you going to Canada/ North America in Ski season? Are you going to Australia in summer (thats November-Feb guys just to clarify for you northern birds 😜 ).
I ask this because both season and infrastructure WILL affect luggage choice.
I live in a developed country, in the far north of such a place, so in effect I have 2 seasons - wet and dry. Regardless of the fact that it has been this way for years, is a modern developed place, and has good infrastructure- it floods!
Now you think about dragging a suitcase through this on your walk down the street from the bus station to the hostel and you can see my point. Some situations a backpack has advantages.
Imagine Asia in wet season. Thailand, The Phillipines, Laos, Cambodia- you see where I am going with this right? Less developed, less infrastructure, will get you from A to B but can you imagine a tuk tuk in this? Your feet dry far quicker than your case and your contents.
On the flip side- When it is 35-45*C (which it can be over this side of the world), humid, dry as a bone and not a cloud in the sky- do you really want to resemble a turtle with a 60L shell on its back?
I once walked over a mile in The Phillipines to my accommodation. My backpack was a 40 L one and at that point weighed approx. 7-9kg. What started off as feeling totally achievable soon became the heaviest most cumbersome thing you can possibly imagine. I cannot imagine doing it with anything else. In this case wheels (of any kind) seemed the most attractive thing to me!
Where you are travelling also has an impact because of local transport. Where you live UBER may be second nature. Plot twist. It does not exist everywhere.😮 I live in Cairns, Queensland. Backpacker hub and first or last stop on the east coast trail depending on which way you go. UBER has only just made it here the last 4 months. (shocking right!) Busses are ok but not the most widespread, and taxis cost a fortune.
I have been on countless modes of transport with my luggage during my travels. Boats, busses, mopeds (yes with my luggage and a driver!), tuk tuks, jeepney (Phillippine old school bus they converted into a cross between a tuk tuk and bus), coaches and planes.
Take a moment to think about where you are travelling and the TYPE of transport you are likely to encounter along the way. There is no way I would have been able to do what I did with a case. However, that being said, this was the way I chose to travel. Which leads me nicely onto my next point which is....
Know what is important for you when travelling.
This for me is the biggie. It is not fixed and has evolved over my travels, but without a doubt is the main factor I consider now when I travel and which plays into my luggage choices.
What is important? Is it to get from point A to point B as cheaply as possible (therefore likely to be utilising local transport, more likely to take the backpack) OR is it to get there with the least amount of hassle (therefore likely to be utilising more convenient but more costly modes of transport, more likely to take the case).
When I first started out my aim was cheapness. I looked for the deal in everything. I quickly realised this was exhausting and not really my scene if i'm totally honest, so settled on the middle of the road option which served me well for the majority of my time. I had a backpack and was happy to walk some distance with it. I was happy to take public transport with it, and ultimately felt I had found a good balance.
Recently things changed. I got sick of being a turtle and dragging my life around with me on my back. I still longed to travel, but I was over the effort. I was over walking for busses when I could catch an UBER for an extra $5. I was over spending 27 hours on a plane to save an extra $250 vs 14 hours. My priorities shifted and so too did my luggage choice. What was important to me before was not as important now.
This is the biggie.
I now have both a case and a backpack. I rotate them. I love my case for the convenience it offers and the ease of travel with it (and the fact I can clip my yoga mat on the front of it!!), yet my backpack still has a place for certain travels and will continue to serve me for years to come.
Finally a quick note- don't every feel like you have to justify your luggage choices to anyone! There is sort of an unwritten admiration for those who pack light and have little luggage, I get people are curious but I don't ask you about the contents of your family sized suitcase so why does it apply the other way? On the flip side those who bring cases not backpacks for longer travel are often cast as ' not real travellers' or princesses.
How you choose to transport your worldly goods around the globe is no one else's business but your own. you owe no one an explanation for why you have 5 pairs of shoes, 6 going out outfits and yet only one pair of beach shorts (I'm serious here- who cares if you dress up and put on a show to go out the hostel, its your life do what the fuck you want!). You will find with travelling people like to get in your business. thats fine, to a degree. But know that your choices and your decisions do not require an explanation or justification.
I hope this helped give you an insight into some factors to consider when picking luggage, what is arguably one of the biggest decisions when choosing to travel. I would love to hear your thoughts/ comments/ opinions below.
I have included the link to the backpack I use and have used for the last 2 years below. It has served me so well and I would highly recommend this brand/ backpack to others. This is an affiliate link so I will receive a small compensation should you click through my link. Please rest assured that I will NEVER endorse something on this blog that I have not tried, tested and stand behind. It is my mission to bring you quality, reliable information which will never be at the expense of a freebie or any other monetary gain. 💜The Backpack I used (and still do)!
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