A few years ago, I wrote a ridiculously popular post about Wheeled Backpacks, and Why They’re the Best luggage for long-term travel. It inspired a massive string of over 100 comments from readers with their own luggage experiences, preferences, and questions. Pursuant to the title of the post, I extolled the virtues of long-term travel with a wheeled backpack, given the ease of using the wheels, with the additional convenience of having backpack straps to navigate long stretches of cobblestones or rough pavement, stairs, and other circumstances when rolling luggage isn’t practical. Since writing that post however, my luggage preferences and practicalities have changed; I’m now a roll-aboard girl only. Here’s why I made the change, and criteria for when you should choose backpacks, rolling luggage, or a hybrid of both as the best luggage for long-term travel. I started traveling full-time in 2006 with a backpack, before getting a different backpack, before deciding I hate backpacks.

(Read here to find out why I hate backpacks). My choices of backpacks probably weren’t ideally suited to travel, however the vast majority of travelers I know with backpacks use the same kinds. I don’t know how – or why – they do it. Despite my seething dislike for backpacks, they are good for long-term travel when: When I discovered wheeled backpacks, I was in heaven. As a “recovering backpacker” I still had an umbilical need for straps, but also a burning desire for wheels. In the ensuing years, I wheeled my way through two wheeled backpacks (the High Sierra Overpass and the Osprey Sojourn), and I loved them both. Curiously, however, I rarely – if ever – used the zip-away backpack straps. Because just to do a flight of stairs, it was hardly worth the hassle of pulling out the straps and putting the pack on my back. More often than not the wheels worked just fine, and when they didn’t I simply carried the pack by the top and side handles until I could set it down and wheel it again.

Carrying it wasn’t entirely ideal, however, since my pack weighed a good 20kgs. I still like wheeled backpacks, and if I hadn’t made some recent changes to my travel entourage (read on), I’d still own one. Wheeled backpacks work best for long-term travel when: For the last few years, I’ve stashed my wheeled backpack somewhere and done trips with carry-on luggage only lasting as long as three months. 40l backpack for sale philippinesInitially I just stuffed what I needed into my Outdoor Research Drycomp Summit Sack which wasn’t entirely ideal for long-term travel, but which I loved as a useful component to my full-time travel entourage since it doubled as a compression sack in my larger luggage.yonex backpack malaysia But eventually I realized if I could survive for months on end (even in varying climates) with carry-on luggage only, I didn’t need the larger bag at all. osprey poco backpack

Thus, I converted my full-time travel entourage to carry-on sized luggage only. It’s occasionally a wee bit stressful since there’s no room for additions, but the ease of traveling with carry-on luggage is not to be underestimated. And more importantly, my carry-on luggage is pure and simple rolling luggage. Why don’t I need backpack straps any more? laptop bags rundle mallBecause if and when I can’t wheel the luggage, I can simply carry it by the handle. ftb backpack modSince it’s carry-on sized, it’s not bulky and doesn’t weigh much more than 10kgs, thus it’s easy to carry by hand. tls professional slim laptop backpack canadaI could get a carry-on wheeled backpack, but the zip-away backpack straps use up valuable carry-on luggage space, and fitting a full-time travel wardrobe into carry-on sized luggage is enough of an ask as it is.backpack jax breathe

My luggage of choice is the Pacsafe Tour Safe 21 which is lightweight, sturdy, has nifty security features, and some handy organizational features on the inside. Rolling luggage isn’t always the perfect fit for long-term travel, but here is when it makes sense: I recently met a 76 year old woman who wears her “backpacker” status as a badge of pride…solely because she owns a backpack. However she never actually puts the backpack on her back; instead she uses a portable luggage cart and wheels it around. (She looked at me like I was the messiah when I told her about wheeled backpacks). Although portable luggage carts can be handy, they also add some degree of weight and bulk, and are generally intended for conventionally-shaped luggage. And truly – if you never use your backpack as a backpack, why would you own a backpack to begin with? Just get rolling luggage – it’s not a sign of defeat, trust me. My carry-on luggage system wouldn’t work without my additional daypack, which houses my computer and other essentials that never leave my side.

Most carry-on flight regulations allow for one piece of carry-on luggage (ie: my Pacsafe), plus an extra “purse/briefcase” type of bag. My daypack is that additional bag. (Although I carry a small purse as well, if I were challenged on it I could put the purse in my daypack). This daypack is practical for outings to cafes with my computer, carrying shopping and groceries, and even for multi day treks such as the 5-day one I did in Peru. Here’s what I look for in a daypack: As an inadvertent Pacsafe poster girl, my daypack (which I won a few years ago) is the Pacsafe Ventursafe Daypack. I love it to pieces. If however, you want a no frills ultra-light day pack, you might want to check out the little brother to the Outdoor Research DryComp Summit Sack (36 liters, mentioned above) and get the Outdoor Research Dry Peak Bagger (25 liters), which also makes a great addition to checked luggage as a compression sack while traveling, and a daypack for small excursions.