The backpack is a trusted companion: thoughtfully designed to withstand the rigours of the road, with pockets and compartments to help you stay organized in your travels.
Two viable options can be classified as travel backpacks: a school-style backpack or hiking-style backpack.
Here are the benefits of having a backpack as your travel companion:
1. Makes you look more like a local
If you bring a black travel backpack, it won't broadcast "I'm a tourist" vibes, and you'll look more inconspicuous. You can easily be people-watching and blending into the local culture without standing out and making yourself a mark for criminals.
Choose a backpack with a low profile design that you won't stick out as a tourist in the same way you do with traditional hiking backpacks.
Bring a suitcase and you'll be taken as a visitor.
2. Faster
The most significant benefit of using a travel backpack is the ease of movement it provides.
If you're late for your connection at the airport and you have to rush to get to your gate, a backpack is always much easier to run with.
When you're traveling in the world, you're most likely gonna be taking the stairs instead of waiting in line for the elevator or standing on the escalator. A travel backpack will take you much further and will alleviate you from curb hopping, bag jostling over bridge steps, or awkward whole body twisting required to pull a suitcase.
A travel backpack is also easier to maneuver through a crowd of people.
3. Budget Airlines ignore backpacks
Airline staff always expect that backpacks are light. Staff on budget airlines are not that rigorous about the maximum dimensions of luggage.
You can sometimes travel with a lot more than you're supposed to if you take a backpack, but be sure to keep it on your back while queuing up at the gate to board your flight.
According to Erin McNeaney, author of "The Carry-On Traveler: The Ultimate Guide to Packing Light," she and her boyfriend dumped their office jobs years ago and headed off on permanent travel around the world. They traveled with just one backpack each. The baggage fees amounted to none, and they waited no time waiting for the baggage carousel.
A small suitcase and a decent size backpack can pack pretty much the same amount of stuff.
Suitcases are rigid and can waste a lot of space whereas backpacks are more flexible and hence you can cram things a lot more effectively into backpacks.
4. Organized
Many travel backpacks are designed with several compartments to store smaller items i.e cellphones, passports and water bottles. All your necessary items and accessories are within easy reach. You are free to overpack because it will feel comfortable no matter how much you're carrying.
Since different compartment can hold different items, this discourages mixing up of many items under one compartment. Hence, this maintains neatness.
Were your needs met by the backpack?
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
