I’m sure every traveler at some stage has found themselves in the situation where they’re stuck traveling with the wrong kind of bag.
Whether it’s trying to lug a suitcase through the jungle and beating the crap out of your wheels (been there), or throwing everything into a hiking pack for a stay at a luxury hotel, a travel experience is often about choosing the right kind of bag.
And there are many different types of bags, which will be suitable for different types of trips. So don’t fall into the trap of thinking any bag will do, because you just need something which will transport your things.
Bags are not sacks. They are not meant to be used as sacks. Bags are painstakingly blueprinted to strike a perfect balance between design and utility, for specific types of trips.
So to avoid committing ‘bags faux pas’, consider the following types of bags, and which will be most suitable for your upcoming trip. This post has been bought to you by Bagail.com.
An Overview of Different Travel Bags: Choose the Right Bag for Your Trip
Duffel Bags
Travel duffel bags are the kind of bags which come closest to the utility of all-purpose sacks. Duffels are generally easy to carry and have two handles so that two people can share the weight while carrying it.
This is one of the best features of a duffel bag. In fact, nowadays duffel bags with separate cell phone pockets and certificate holder compartments are available in market. You just have to make a wise selection.
Backpacks
The major benefit of carrying backpacks is that you can go hands-free with it. You won’t get tired even if you’re carrying a month’s luggage. Backpacks are the popular choice of bags for campers, trekkers or any outdoorsy person.
Outdoor activities never come without a considerable exposure to mud and dirt. So intelligent travelers should choose a color which won’t stain easily. And, if you’re after a camping backpack, you should choose a style that can be hand washed easily.
When it comes to organizing and categorizing your belongings, a downfall of many backpacks is that they’re like an open sack, and can often be difficult to reach things at the bottom. So you should look for something with compartments and pockets – the more the better.
The quality of the shoulder straps of a backpack is an aspect which distinguishes a good backpack from a mediocre one.
Suitcase
Now, suitcases might not be the most convenient lightweight luggage option, but there are trips which require suitcase travel. And, it’s a lot easier to organize your clothing, and keep them crease free.
For instance, a luxury or business trip calls for a suitcase. Trips to attend weddings or high profile social gatherings need a suitcase. Why, you ask? Because only suitcases can provide the ultimate luxury that your best outfits demand.
Packing Cubes
Travel Packing cubes are small pouches which are used to segregate items in our bags, be it duffel bags, backpacks or suitcases. How many times have you put in the time to neatly pack your luggage, only to find that transit has reduced it to a hot mess!
Using packing cubes is the best way to prevent such situations. And using them is a great way to stay environment friendly. They come in different sizes and colors, and allow you to categorize and organize your clothes into different cubes.
If you’re packing for family travel you can assign one cube to each family member (or different colors to make organization easy). Organizing clothes like this makes unpacking less messy and saves a lot of time. They can also be used as carry on if you need to quickly unpack to to avoid excess baggage charges (been there!)
Travel is About Blending in
No matter which bag you decide to bring with yourself, be sure it suits the style of the trip. Don’t be a sore thumb and stand out in the crowd. After all travelling is all about blending in!
ONCE YOUR BAG IS SORTED, OTHER TRAVEL ESSENTIALS WE RECOMMEND ↓
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- Overview of different travel bags.
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- Overview of different travel bags.
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15 Comments
Very helpful post, especially for frequent travelers. Thanks alot. Bookmarking it for reference. :)
Loving this post! Also agree on the packing cubes front, I started using them and they were game changing.
I’ve been debating for a while whether or not to get cubes. I have those thick plastic bags that you can roll/squeeze all the air out, which is great for that first initial pre-trip pack and dirty laundry along the way…but not much in between. I’m thinking it’s time to invest in some!
Best thing I ever came across was the packing cube. Been using them since our first trip to Europe in 2013 and never looked back. One thing I always ponder is hard shell or soft shell suitcase?
I definitely more of a backpack girl myself, I use them for everything and especially for camping! However, my other weapon of choice is the cabin sized suitcase as I city break a lot and hate checking in baggage. That said, I have just come across the wonder that is the packing cube and they have genuinely changed my life! Cannot wait for my next big trip to use them again!
We have been long time hikers and have pretty sturdy camping backpacks that we have been travelling with but we could still upgrade to a more suitable traveler backpack. The primary difference would be:
1) Straps: A hiking pack has a lot of straps that are required to perfectly distribute the weight for a day of wear. These straps are unneeded to cart a bag from the train to your room and unwanted for air travel because they can get caught in the conveyors at the airport.
2) Dimensions: an optimal piece of luggage should follow the maximum dimensions for air travel to maximize volume in your pack. Hiking packs tend to be taller and narrower to allow you to maneuver on trail and distribute the weight lower on you back.
3) Pockets and packing: A hiking pack has a bunch of little pockets so you can easily access your stuff on the trail. This is exactly a design that you can not secure from wandering fingers in a crowd or train. You would also want the pack to open fully so you can reach the bottom of your pack at any time. If you have to take your stuff out it adds complexity and exposes your clothes to bed bugs. Also, you would want a compartment big enough to slide a lap top which wasn’t an option with our current packs. Also, a common feature on hiking packs is an area for external strapping of tents, which just will not be used for urban travel and throws off the entire weight paradigm. You end up having your weight too high because you don’t utilize the heavy strap space at the bottom of your pack.
4) Support: A hiking pack devotes significant resources (weight / volume / cost) to distribute the load while you hike. Imagine the old school external frame pack… All of that frame will be wasted on the short haul trips of urban travel. A nearly equivalent overhead it devoted to an internal frame pack but you just don’t see it.
I definitely need some new cases. I have had mine nearly twenty years and although they tell a lovely story, showcasing the many places I have been, I think I have to accept that they have outstayed their welcome. There are such better cases to use these days so maybe it is about time I took the plunge and got one which was easier to drag
I’m more of a flashpacker, so I like the look of the suitcases in this list. I’d definitely invest in one of those! The duffel bag is also a nice alternative. I can see myself using it during city breaks.
Its my first time hearing about a Duffel bag! Is it that what you call this kind of bag! I will use it with my husband tomorrow and see if he understands me!? I always use my dear backpack since 2002 and to everywhere. It has been with me since my first interrail in Europe in 2002 to our latest RTW in 2014-2015 and I will hand it over to my two years old daughter for our RTW as family this coming summer. My next travel bag will be a backpack BUT you can aswell pull it. You should add it to your list!?
You summed up very nicely the available choice of travel luggage. But nowadays there are so many variations in styles that it’s worthwhile to look out for detail.
Like with suitcases: you have the choice of soft and hard-sided cases, some with external compartments, some without. I would never buy one with 4 wheels, like you promote in your photo and your comment as well. I find them really awkward to maneuver, and they seem to be only suitable for perfectly flat surfaces. If you put one down on the slightest slope they develop a life of their own and roll downhill. And have you ever tried to roll one along a cobbled street or footpath?
My preferred choice of luggage is a front-loading backpack, as they are easier to pack. These usually come with an additional flap to zip away the shoulder straps, so they don’t get entangled on conveyor belts or tight luggage spaces on buses. Once this flap is closed they almost look like an ordinary bag – suitable to book into any hotel. But you have the added benefit of a backpack, which is much more comfortable to carry for longer distances. Of course, they aren’t designed for serious wilderness tracking.
On a recent trip I started thinking about the need for a different type of travel bag. Thinking about getting a backpack so I don’t have to use the roller suitcase for every trip.
This is such a helpful post, often we get confused on what kind of bag when to take..keeping it bookmarked
A cool comprehensive guide, I personally opt for suitcases because I am awful at carrying light and it is easy and convenient! Thanks for sharing!
I love the post, its really very helpful for travelers. I always confuse for selecting suitable Travel Bags. But after read this post i totally changed my mind, Now i can easily choose which traveler backpack is suits me. I like Travel Packing cubes its very spacious, I think this Travel Packing cubes make our traveling easier.
I am a frequent traveler and I am always looking for the best way to pack my things. I have tried many different types of travel bags over the years, and have found my favorite to be the backpack.
In my case, I love backpacks because they are comfortable to carry, even when they are full. They are also very versatile, and can be used for all kinds of activities, from traveling to hiking.
I leave you one of my favorite stores to buy leather backpacks.