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The Best Carry-On Travel Backpacks for Any Adventure

Whether used solo or packed alongside other bags, the best travel backpacks we’ve tested hold plenty of stuff and make it all easy to access.

By Will Sabel Courtney and Ben Bowers

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission.  Learn more

An excellent carry-on-sized travel and adventure backpack can be a packing game changer. Whether used solo for shorter trips or carried along with other luggage for extended journeys, the best options offer plenty of storage space for clothes and a slew of easy access and protective pockets for water bottles, laptops, and other personal items.

Having spent many days on airplanes crisscrossing continents and oceans for work and play alike, here are the best carry-on travel and adventure bags we’ve tested and recommend hovering in the 35–55 liter size range.

Carry-On Travel & Adventure Backpacks We Recommend

Best Overall

Best Rollaboard Replacement

Best Bargain

Best Multi-Use

Smartest Feature Set

Most Distinctive Option

• Made in America

Most Versatile

Best for Awkward-Sized Gear

How We Test Travel & Adventure Backpacks

Our tester journeyed far and wide on numerous trips by plane, train and automobile with these backpacks, loading them up with apparel, gadgets and gear to see how they handle the stress. They were loaded and unloaded into luggage racks, trunks and back seats alike, carried on long walks to and from terminals and destinations, and left to bash about in the closet between trips.

For many of the tests, he loaded it up with a typical array of clothing and equipment one would need for a business or personal trip of several days time: an extra pair of jeans or slacks, 2–3 T-shirts, 1–2 overshirts or button-downs, a pair of sneakers, gym shorts and shirts, a DSLR camera , iPhone charger and Apple Watch charger and of course, several changes of undergarments.

To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here .

Best Overall Travel Backpack

Peak Design 45L Travel Backpack

• Can expand from a 35L day bag into 45L multi-day gear hauler
• Offers many ways to load & access contents
• Backpack straps can hide conveniently out of site via magnets
• Weather proof shell
• Main pouch less accessible than some other bags on the list
• Cinch straps only work okay
• $299 at Peak Design
• $299 at Huckberry
• $299 at REI
• $299 at Backcountry
• $299 at Amazon

Peak Design’s travel backpack has been a top pick of ours for a while now , and suffice it to say, it’s still impressive. You can tell it’s a premium product from the first moment you lay hands and eyes on it; it looks and feels nice, from the action of the zippers to the smooth, almost waxy waterproof exterior to the soft, gentle gray fabric of the interior. But look closer, and you’ll find more features you might have missed the first time; hidden magnets seamlessly tuck away the backpack straps when not in use. (Just be sure you check the straps’ length every time you pull them back out, as they can slide out longer a little more easily than some bags.)

Of course, none of that would matter if it weren’t capable of carrying a bunch of gear. Luckily, this bag excels at that. Two main pockets easily enable the carriage of several days’ worth of apparel, while smaller slots for everything from toiletries to cables to headphones to laptops are found inside. There are grab handles for one-handed toting, multiple zippers for easy entry from several angles, and slots for water bottles on the sides, of course. We also love that unlike most other options on this list, this bag can contract down to a smaller-sized bag 35 L capacity for shorter trips or bulk up to a 45 L if you need to bring more along (or wound up acquiring a few items while out on the road.) All in all, it’s probably as close to the perfect travel backpack as you might find on sale today.

Best Rollaboard Replacement Travel Backpack

Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L

• Designed to maximize allowable carry-on space
• Opens and packs like a carry-on suitcase
• Featured padded hip belt with side pocket for better weight distribution
• Accessing items in main compartment can be awkward on the go
• Lacks luggage pass-through sleeve
• Slightly heavier than other options
• $350 at Tortuga

Tortuga’s Travel Backpack Pro is regarded as one of the best travel backpacks for good reason. Its rectangular shape lets the bag maximize its available storage capacity while ensuring its dimensions fall within standard airline carry-on guidelines. The primary storage compartment also opens as a suitcase to reveal a large mesh zipper compartment side and a spacious main compartment. Depending on your use case, this design detail can be a pro or con. On the one hand, it’s great to lay the bag flat on a bed and unzip the clam shell zipper to reveal and grab whatever’s inside quickly. However, quickly grabbing something buried deep inside the main compartment can be difficult if you don’t have enough space to lay the bag fully flat. The bag’s space-maximizing design also means its physically and aesthetically a bit more boxy than other options we recommend. Tortuga sells a smaller 30L capacity version of the same bag if 40L feels too big for your needs.

Best Bargain Travel Backpack

Aer Travel Pack 3

• Features handles on all sides
• Tons of pockets, including a hidden one for Airtags / Tracker
• Includes luggage handle pass-through strap
• $249 at Aer

Aer’s Travel Pack 3 is a little more affordable than the Peak Design entry, but don’t hold that against it; this bag is a lot like the above model. There are an abundance of pockets; you won’t have any trouble finding a place for everything and putting everything in its place. And while it doesn’t look or feel quite as premium when standing next to the Peak Design bag, it still has the quality and appearance of a high-end product.

On the downside, the orientation of the main pouch can make opening it and filling the bag a bit trickier than some other entries on the list, and the magnetic clips for the chest strap and cinch straps feel like an unnecessary complication. It’s also a little smaller than other recommendations on this list. Still, overall, it’s a great choice for a few days on the road.

Best Multi-Use Travel Backpack

Yeti Crossroads Backpack 35L

• Made from thick, abrasion resistant nylon
• Stable luggage pass through sleeve
• Removable external straps for lashing on other gear
• Sold in multiple smaller sizes
• Laptop sleeve is a little smaller compared to other bags
• Less water resistance than other options
• Lack of DWR coating also means its more prone to staining
• $250 at Yeti

Yeti’s approach to backpacks is the same as its coolers . The brand’s Crossroads Backpack is a durably constructed and capable bag with a slightly less techy aesthetic than other recommendations on this list. It also includes a unique feature mix that makes it great for airports, city travel, and outdoor adventures.

For work-related trips or voyages within city limits, it’s got padded organization pockets for various items, including a laptop, and opens clamshell-style for easier packing. In cases of outdoor adventuring, it also features a pair of removal external straps for toting along other items like a rain shell, ground cover, or a lightweight camp chair. There’s also a pocket big enough to fit a 26 oz water bottle, although it’s located inside the bag, which might be a controversial decision for some. We lack the fact that Yeti sells smaller 22 L and 27 L versions of the bag for those interesting in something that’s closer in size to a more traditional backpack.

The Travel Backpack with the Smartest Feature Set

Matador GlobeRider 45L Travel Backpack

• Features a highly adjustable outdoor backpack style harness for optimizing carrying comfort and weight distribution
• Stowable main backpack straps can tuck away for checking
• Dedicated internal compartment that's great for keeping dirty / worn shoes from the rest of the bag's contents
• Looks more technical / camping oriented than other options
• Bigger compared to other tweener-sized options
• $350 at Matador
• $350 at Huckberry
• $350 at REI
• $350 at Backcountry

Smart design details distinguish all of Matador’s products, and their premium  GlobeRider 45 travel and adventure backpack  puts this part of the brand’s DNA on full display. While the sheer variety of features makes this bag stand out, its outdoor-grade harness, complete with adjustable load lifters, a contoured aluminum framestay, and a backpacking carry harness, make it one of the best travel backpack options for anyone who expects to walk long distances carrying it. The harness is also stowable behind the padded back panel, which can help prevent the bag from being caught up in machinery if you decide to check it. 

We also love the larger, built-in internal organization pocket that’s sizeable enough to keep a pair of dirty hiking boots separated from other packed items and the internal shockcord securement system on the other side for keeping contents in place when the bag is open. There’s even a “smugglers pocket” tucked away behind the back panel for keeping critical items like a Passport out of harm’s way.

Most Distinctive Travel Backpack

Cotopaxi Allpa 42L Travel Pack

• Available in more colorful outdoorsy-styled versions, including a randomized Del Dia option
• Includes removable raincover
• Includes strap for carrying crossbody
• Designed to work perfectly with Cotopaxi packing cubes and accessories
• Includes a lifetime warranty + repairs
• Less open space for cramming gear inside
• $220 at Cotopaxi
• $220 at Amazon
• $220 at REI

We gravitate to more unremarkable colors in bags. Still, if you prefer your equipment to stand out or like owning something unique,  Cotopaxi’s Allpa 42 L is an excellent option . It’s available in various standard colors, most of which mix and match various bright shades to give off a classic outdoorsy vibe. But there’s also the option of buying a one-of-a-kind  “Del Dia” version  made from leftover parts and pieces from other companies’ production runs. While you can pick the primary color you are interested in, the different colored elements of the bag are determined on the production line based on available materials. The result is an aesthetically unique bag that’s also more sustainably produced. 

But don’t assume the appeal of this bag is all aesthetic. It also offers plenty of practical travel-centric details, including various internal zippered organization pockets, a removal rainfly for foul weather protection, and a removable waist belt. Its primary harness straps can also be tucked away for easier checking. 

If you want to enter the Cotopaxi travel ecosystem fully, the bag is also specifically designed to fit the company’s packing cubes and fanny pack.

Best Made in the USA Travel Backpack

GoRuck GR3 45L USA

• Ridiculously sturdy and tough
• Simple design
• Harder to access laptop and other pockets on the go
• Expensive compared to bags with bells & whistles
• $455 at goruck.com

GoRuck is known for building bags that are sturdy as hell, and meant to go through it, too. The canvas skin feels thick enough to resist tiger claws. That’s not to say it’s harsh on the wearer; 201D Cordura straps and back panels feel plenty soft even over the long haul. We tested the smaller GR1, but even that 26-liter bag punched above its weight, proving large enough to carry our usual kit without much trouble; the 45-liter GR3 will no doubt prove capable of taking whatever you throw at it, inside or out.

With only one main compartment and a couple rather small pockets, it’s a bit harder to stash smaller items in their own areas — you may have to rummage through your underwear to grab your laptop — but if your priority is making sure everything in your bag stays safe and sound no matter what, GoRuck has you covered. Be aware that this bag is often sold out.

Most Versatile Travel Backpack

Osprey Farpoint 55 Travel Pack

• A built-in secondary pack is great for day trips
• Massive capacity
• More affordable than other options
• Re-assembly of constituent bags can be tricky when full
• Forces you to split your gear up between two bags when packing
• $220.00 at osprey.com
• $176 at Backcountry Gear $220 (20% off)
• $215 at Amazon
• $220 at L.L. Bean

Nerd alert: What does the Osprey Farpoint 55 have in common with the USS Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation? (Which, coincidentally, first aired with a pilot called “Encounter at Farpoint.”) Well, both starship and backpack can separate into two separate vessels if the need arises. In the case of the Osprey, that means the smaller, secondary pocket detaches to become its own daypack, perfectly sized for short hikes and office visits. Combined, the complete bag is a mammoth beast, capable of taking on a stunning amount of gear; if you tend to pick up souvenirs on your trips, this bag is for you.

On the less-appealing side, it’s a bit difficult to get into the main bag when “assembled,” and that assembly process can be tricky when both bags are stuffed. Combined, the overall package is bulky; it’s not an issue when wearing it (or at least it wasn’t for our six-foot-four-inch tester), but it does generally necessitate splitting the bag into its constituent parts on the airplane, stowing the big part in the overhead and the small one under the seat ahead.

Best Travel Backpack for Awkward-Sized Gear

Patagonia Cragsmith Pack 45L

• Giant pocket and wide opening make for easy packing
• Light compared to other bags
• Not as optimal for business travel as some other bags
• No true dedicated sleeve for laptops or tablets
• $152.99 at Patagonia $219.00 (30% off)

Of course, any list of high-quality backpacks wouldn’t be complete without a Patagonia entry. The Cragsmith may be made for rock climbing, but it’s also a good fit for travel, with ample capacity in a giant central compartment as well as secondary slots for other gear. That said, the lack of a second main compartment may be a turn-off for some, and the relaxed sleeve on the inside of the main cargo bay is better suited for rope than a laptop. But if you want a sleek travel backpack from one of the best names in outdoor equipment, the Cragsmith should treat you right.

Key details to consider before deciding on the right travel or adventure backpack for your needs.

• Do you plan on using your travel or adventure backpack frequently in conjunction with a rollaboard? If yes, we recommend keying in on options that feature a luggage pass-through sleeve. This will allow you to take the bag off your back and more easily roll it with your suitcase during extended treks in the airport.
• Do you plan on using your travel backpack off the beaten path or expect to be exposed to the elements for longer stretches? If yes, look for options made with DWR coatings or sold with an included rainfly as well as sealed zippers for added water protection.
• Do you plan on walking/hiking long distances while wearing the travel backpack? If yes, we recommend focusing on backpacks that offer integrated waist straps or, even better, more adjustable/tunable harnesses. Both features will allow you to distribute the weight of the bag better and for more comfort. 
• Do you plan on ever checking your travel backpack on an airplane? While less critical than the other considerations, bags with stowable straps and harnesses are better suited for checking. It’s an unlikely risk, but extraneous straps can get caught in conveyor belt machinery while being scanned.
• Do you prefer packing with packing cubes and smaller bags? If so, then we recommend looking at backpacks with less built-in organization pockets to maximize what you can carry. If you’re in the opposite camp, then many of the options that include a variety of pockets and zippered compartments can help you quickly find whatever you’ve packed.

An easy rubric for gauging the right sized carry-on adventure backpack for your needs.

If you are hoping to use a single backpack for a trip lasting more than three days, we recommend focusing on bags with a capacity of 40 L unless you are an extremely light packer.

A handy list of approved carry-on sizes for major U.S. domestic airlines

Approved Carry-on sizing reference table last updated 4/9/2024

To learn more about how big (or heavy) your carry-on can be, refer to our broader guide to the best carry-on suitcases for every trip .

Related Topics

The Best Travel Backpacks of 2024

Whether weekend road-tripping or jet-setting around the world, you’re going to need a pack to toss over your shoulder. Here are the best travel backpacks for every adventure.

There are a lot of great travel backpacks out there, but not all of them are created equal. A travel pack needs to be comfortable to carry, easy to organize, and durable enough to withstand being toted from place to place.

From hitting the road for the weekend to spending months traveling abroad, we’ve put nearly 30 different travel backpacks through the wringer. We tallied our airline miles, punched our tickets, and put our tray tables in the upright and locked position for close to half a decade now, taking domestic and international flights to as far as Iceland and as close as 30-minute island hops. And while there isn’t a single pack that suits every traveler, we’ve highlighted a variety of designs and price points to help you find the perfect travel backpack.

Choosing a travel backpack can be a dizzying experience, and we’ve shaken down the best to sort through the static. Each pack has seen its time on the baggage carousel, hostel luggage cart, and we’ve even had a few go missing for the full experience. We fully pack and live out of these bags to test them, and in the end, we’re confident that the 15 packs collected here are the best travel backpacks available today. Check in and check them out.

For all your travel pack questions, consult our buyer’s guide , where we’ve laid bare all the essentials. Compare each of the packs using our handy comparison chart , and if you’ve still got questions, check out our FAQ section.

Editor’s Note: We updated our travel backpack guide on March 20, 2024 to add the Evergoods Civic Panel Loader 24L — a supremely nice commuter-style travel pack, as well as the Thule Aion 40L and Osprey Archeon 30L .

• Best Overall Travel Backpack: Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L
• Best Budget Travel Backpack: Dakine Campus 33L Backpack
• Best Carrying Travel Backpack: Osprey Farpoint & Fairview 40 Travel Packs
• Best Organization in a Travel Backpack: Matador SEG45 Travel Pack
• Best Shoulder Bag: Patagonia Black Hole MLC 45L
• Best Commuter-Style Travel Backpack: Evergoods Civic Panel Loader 24L
• Best Personal Item Travel Pack: TimBuk2 Never Check Expandable Backpack

Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L

• Capacity 45 L (collapses to 35 L)
• Weight 4 lbs., 8 oz.
• Dimensions 22" x 13" x 9.5" standard, 22" x 13" x 11" expanded
• Compartment access Back panel clamshell design with #10 zipper
• Material Weatherproof, 100% recycled 400-denier nylon canvas shell; 900-denier waterproof bottom

• Compresses down to maximum airline carry-on size, and then expands once you’ve hit your destination
• Burly construction
• No details are overlooked in the design
• Side-carry handles are offset in an awkward position

Perfect is a dirty word in product design, but we’re about stumped when it comes to drumming up a quibble about the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45 L ($300). This redeye-ready clamshell design is made to the highest of standards.

It’s made of quality materials, utilizing aluminum hardware and a burly 400-denier nylon canvas — and it easily ticks all our boxes for the best overall travel backpack. The interior of the bag is split into two compartments: a larger main area for storing the majority of your kit and a secondary sleeve at the front of the bag with five zippered pockets. The main pocket also sports a foam-padded laptop sleeve and three more pockets.

One of the more impressive aspects we discovered along the bag’s inaugural leg from Seattle to Anchorage was how easily the straps of the Travel Backpack stow away into the bag. Two foam panels on the back of the bag flip away to secure them and then close with a magnetic closure — very slick. This was our favorite strap-stowage system, with the zippered panels of the Matador GlobeRider45 coming in a close second. We find the Peak Design bag compresses smaller.

Then there are the little details. An ID-size sleeve on the back panel provides all the information should your bag get separated from you. Zipper pulls thread through one another to keep what’s yours safe. And a collapsible system adjusts the bag from a full 45 to 35 liters.

In our review, there’s little about the Peak Design pack that misses the mark. The company leans heavily toward the camera-toting travelers among us, but the 45 L Travel Backpack makes no compromises and works just as well for any user group. The high price is undeniable, but for the scope of the travel pack, it’s a buy-once-cry-once purchase we would make again.

Also available in a 30L size , the range of Travel Backpacks from Peak Design is so well-thought-out that you can practically see the cogs turning in their creators’ heads. We think they make the best travel backpacks on the market.

Dakine Campus 33L Backpack

• Capacity 33 L
• Weight 1 lb., 10.6 oz.
• Dimensions 20.5" x 13" x 8"
• Compartment access Zippered top access
• Material Depending on print type, can be 600-denier recycled polyester, 420-denier recycled nylon, 630-denier recycled nylon, or 1,200-denier recycled polyester

• Cheap price
• Available in many different fabric prints
• Unique insulated cooler pocket
• Not many travel-specific features
• Straps don’t pack away

Even at the regular price, the Dakine Campus 33L Backpack ($75) is a great deal. And considering you can grab one on sale for $45, it’s a must-have budget travel backpack.

It has everything you need to keep your travels organized, without getting too big or complicated. This design has a padded laptop sleeve and a fleece-lined top pocket to keep your sunglasses safe. There’s an organizer pocket that’s perfect for pens, a phone, and easy-access essentials. We love pockets, and this backpack has plenty.

And if that weren’t enough, it also has an insulated cooler pocket to keep your snacks fresh on the go, plus double side pockets keep drinks handy. We found the straps comfortable during long travel days. Be sure to use the sternum strap when carrying a heavy load for the best fit.

While this bag does excellent at travel, it isn’t quite what the bag was designed for, thus it’s missing a few travel niceties like a compression system or the ability to pack away the straps. We didn’t find that we missed them desperately, but they would have been nice for a few instances. For similar-sized backpacks with more of a travel bend to them, look to the sleek Timbuk2 Never Check, or the uber-customizable Tom Bihn Synapse 25. But prepare to shell out some more for them.

If you’re looking for a sub-$100 backpack (under $60 during sales!) that does the basics, then the Dakine Campus Backpack is for you. It comes in a variety of colors and is also available in a 25L capacity .

Osprey Farpoint & Fairview 40 Travel Packs

• Capacity 40 L
• Weight 3 lbs., 7.6 oz.
• Dimensions 22" x 14" x 9"
• Compartment access Zippered back panel clamshell design
• Material Bluesign-approved 450-denier recycled polyester

• Supreme suspension system offers the best carry of any pack we tried
• External compression straps limit the volume well
• Comfortably padded grab handles
• Not much internal organization

No stranger to producing supremely comfortable suspension systems, Osprey injected a good bit of its tech into the Farpoint and Fairview packs ($185), which both sport LightWire frames, load lifters, and breathable framesheet and suspension straps. Our Farpoint pack was easily the best load carrier of any we tested and a close contender for the best travel backpack overall.

Far beyond what any of the other travel packs offer, the pack even allows you to adjust the torso length — unheard of in the typical travel pack. Newly updated, these packs have been tweaked to ride the line between traditional backpacks and functional luggage, a claim we can substantiate.

The 40-liter capacity is just about the sweet spot for domestic carry-on luggage limits, and these packs make good use of the space. We could easily pack away a long weekend’s worth of travel essentials into the bag with a little space to spare.

Whereas many other travel packs stash straps away into the body of the pack, the Farpoint and Fairview move in the opposite direction with a deployable strap cover that neatly seals in the suspension for safekeeping when checked. This produces a clean profile that’s ready to be slung around, but it’s not quite as easy and quick as the magnetic panels of the Peak Design Travel Backpacks, as you need to unclip straps to tuck them away.

The interior of the pack is rather spartan, incorporating only one zippered pocket, a laptop sleeve, and two internal compression straps. We would have rather seen a bit more organizational features involved like those that the Matador GlobeRider and Topo Designs Global Travel bags incorporate, but for those who stuff more than pack, the Farpoint and  Fairview may very well punch the ticket.

With one foot on the platform and one on the trail, these packs from Osprey will get you where you’re going and carry a trip’s worth of kit with ease.

Matador SEG45 Travel Pack

• Capacity 45 L
• Weight 2 lbs., 8 oz.
• Dimensions 22" x 13.4" x 10.2"
• Compartment access Full clamshell interior, additional front zippered access
• Material 420-denier nylon exterior, 100-denier Robic Dynatec interior

• Excellent storage organization options
• High-quality, strong, and lightweight construction
• No frame to speak of
• Shoulder straps don’t pack away

Aiming to do more with less, the Matador SEG45 Segmented Backpack ($200) proposes a future free of packing cubes and splits up the bag for you, making the organization of your travel pack a breeze.

The full 45 liters of volume is shared among the five segments (6, 9, 15, 9, and 6 L) and trades volume between the full clamshell compartment and the segments. Each of these segments is accessible via its own water-resistant zippers and can be collapsed as your needs change.

We found organizing by clothing type made the most sense in our own packing, but you could even pack based on the day of the week or the use. The clamshell-accessed main compartment was ideal for holding larger items like spare shoes or quarantining spent outfits.

Known for its overbuilt but lightweight bags, Matador didn’t spare the SEG45, utilizing 420D UHMWPE-reinforced nylon in the pack body, as well as 100D Robic Dynatec weave on the interior. It should be noted that this travel backpack doesn’t have any kind of frame and will rely on being packed well to carry correctly. Because of this, this pack won’t carry as well as bags like the Osprey Farpoint/Fairview, so consider packing mostly clothing in the SEG45.

Our testers felt this bag excelled as a travel bag you might deploy once you’ve hit your destination, as it packs away into larger bags so well. Unfortunately, however, the shoulder straps don’t pack away into the bag itself, so you’ll have to wrangle them into place to keep things tidy.

No matter what you’re up to, everything has got a spot to live in the SEG45 . Need a bit less space? Matador offers the SEG28 ($250) for that.

Read Review: Dresser in a Backpack: Matador SEG42 Review

Patagonia Black Hole MLC 45L

• Weight 3 lbs., 10.3 oz.
• Dimensions 22.8" x 8.6" x 14.5"
• Compartment access Back panel zippered clamshell design
• Material 900-denier recycled polyester ripstop with a TPU laminate

• Multiple ways to carry the pack
• Many different storage and internal organization options
• Burly external fabric
• Doesn’t carry the best as a backpack

Looking to squeeze out every last liter of allowed space? Patagonia named this pack in honor of the cause: the Patagonia Black Hole Maximum Legal Carry-On 45 L ($239). This bag can be carried in a number of different ways, but we found it shined during travel as a shoulder bag.

Borrowing fabric from Patagonia’s line of burly Black Hole Duffels , the MLC 45 is made for the long haul. The 900-denier polyester ripstop is coated in a TPU laminate and feels ready to take on the surliest baggage carrier. We certainly felt no remorse in tossing the bag around.

At 45 L, the MLC is certainly right at the cusp of the maximum allowed size, but thankfully that space is well divided up inside the pack. Inside the main clamshell-accessed compartment is a blizzard of zippers and mesh pockets and dividers. Anything we tossed inside was well-stabilized.

Because there isn’t much of a frame to speak of, the Black Hole MLC doesn’t carry the best when slung over both shoulders and can sag when not entirely full. But over a shoulder with the included shoulder strap, this pack feels great and can be easily accessed on the go. This is one of the only packs in our testing to feature a shoulder strap (the other being the Topo Designs Global Travel Bag).

On top of all this, we greatly appreciate that the Patagonia Black Hole MLC 45 L is made with 100% recycled body fabric, lining, and webbing. Perfect for grabbing and going, this pack is ready to move.

Read Review: Patagonia Black Hole MLC Bag Review: An Organized, Carry-On-Size Wonder

Evergoods Civic Panel Loader 24L

• Capacity 24 L
• Weight 3 lbs., 1.6 oz.
• Dimensions 18" x 7: x 11.5"
• Compartment access Zippered clamshell
• Material 840D ballistic nylon 6, 420D HT nylon

• Functions as both a laptop backpack and suitcase
• Well-structured and protected
• Full panel loading access
• Limited colorways

With an understated look that betrays the truly impressive fit and functionality inside, the Evergoods Civic Panel Loader 24L ($279) doesn’t need to brag — it knows it’ll tote your kit through the worst of your travel or everyday commutes without missing a beat. This bag is our newly anointed best commuter-style travel backpack.

From a fabrics and materials standpoint, it’s clear that someone at Evergoods truly nerded out when they brewed up this bindle. The 840D ballistic nylon 6 that makes up the exterior of the pack is burly (errantly spilled coffee wipes right off), and compliments the thick #10 zippers and spacer-mesh back panel. Even the Evergoods logo is low-key: a simple 2×2” patch on the front of the bag with a slash. That’s it — and we dig it.

Bar none, the Civic Panel Loader has the best laptop sleeve we’ve ever encountered in a backpack, and that’s saying something. The side-accessed zippered aperture can hold a 17” Macbook Pro, and nestles into a fully padded space at the rear of the pack. This sleeve is suspended from the bottom of the bag, as we’ve seen in many forward-thinking bags, but goes a step further and protects the laptop from the side with an aluminum stay — the primary functionality of which is to support the side handle on the bag. Genius.

The high-polish finish on the CPL24 feels reminiscent of the attention to detail we loved about the Tom Bihn Synapse 25, but we ended up enjoying this pack even more for a simple reason: side carry. The broad handle on the side of the pack is reinforced by that aluminum stay, and it creates a perfectly supported carry for jostling through crowded terminals.

On the interior of the pack, two large pockets are subdivided with a few smaller sleeves and pockets, which are oriented to be accessed with the bag on its side. We carried this pack for a month straight of remote work, lugging it to coffee shops and co-working spaces, and it supplanted all other packs we’ve used previously. “It’s hard not to love a pack that makes your life easier,” says Senior Editor Nick Belcaster. “This pack does that. Laptop, headphones, notebooks — a whole lot goes into the pack without a care.”

Up there with Nomatic, GORUCK, and Tom Bihn, Evergoods is certainly among the pack-makers that put intelligent design and smart material choice above all else. The Evergoods Civic Panel Loader 24L is the final word when it comes to a travel pack you can carry every day. We certainly do.

Timbuk2 Never Check Expandable Backpack

• Capacity 27.5 L
• Weight 2 lbs., 9 oz.
• Dimensions 18.9" x 11.4" x 5.9"
• Material 420x2000D Cordura nylon, 135D polyester

• Dang good looking
• High-quality trim and details, including anodized G hooks and supple webbing
• Supper cushioned back panel
• Exterior expandable water bottle pocket is a bit slim
• Pack straps don't stow away.

Pulling off a good expandable backpack can be a tough task, with fabric accordion folds often taking up valuable real estate on the interior when collapsed in lesser bags. Not so with the TimBuk2 Never Check ($209), which takes a simple backpack shape and elevates it with premium materials and design to create one of our favorite travel backpacks for tucking under an airliner seat.

Unlike a lot of the pure-function rectangular bags in our lineup, the Never Check is a real looker — easily one of the best styled in our testing so far, and we’d have no qualms about bringing it along as a business bag. Small details like rubber-covered zipper pulls, anodized G hooks, and supple webbing keep it looking sharp. The 27.5-liter size is just about dead-on for most airline ‘personal item’ size requirements, and this bag easily slides under a seat.

The main compartment is accessed through a clamshell zipper on the front of the bag, which is gusseted to hang open while you’re loading it up. During the few national and international flights our Senior Editor Nick Belcaster deployed the bag on, this was easily enough space for everything you might want during a plane ride. And for everything else, a front pocket is lined with multiple drop and zip pockets for organizing small gadgets like chargers or keys.

The back panel of the Never Check is a plush ½ inch of comfortable foam, and combined with the equally padded shoulder straps made for a very nice carrying bag. The straps unfortunately do not stow away, but on a lower volume pack such as this, it’s a much less useable feature in our opinions.  And finally, one of our favorite features: the wide laptop sleeve. This 15” opening is generous enough to accommodate the larger laptops of today, and is suspended from the bottom of the backpack to ensure bumps don’t turn into bruises.

Just like the name suggests, the Never Check Expandable Backpack provides a svelte solution to bringing a bag with you during airline travel — or even just to the office. Its clean profile and attention to detail impressed us, and it would make an excellent work-to-weekend bag.

Matador GlobeRider45 Travel Pack

• Dimensions 22" x 12.8" x 11"
• Compartment access Zippered clamshell design
• Material 420D UHMWPE-reinforced ripstop nylon, 100D Robic nylon mini-ripstop

• Incredible density of pockets and sleeves
• Tough UHMWPE outer fabric can be tossed around
• Shoulder straps tuck away in a novel and smart manner
• Laptop sleeve opening is a bit tight
• Price is up there

With a pocket or sleeve for pretty much everything, the new Matador GlobeRider 45 ($350) gives the Peak Design Travel Pack a run for its money when it comes to the best overall travel pack. 

Our Managing Editor raved about the GlobeRider after serious testing where she pretty much lived out of it for 3 months: “If you travel often and look for crucial components like internal and external pockets, laptop storage, and backpack and hip straps, consider the Matador GlobeRider 45. It’s a unique design in that the [pack] seems to have it all — every feature I’ve needed so far, both living out of it and in my travels — in a pretty packable size.”

What impressed us most was the way the GlobeRider was able to balance both an eye-watering amount of organization and versatility, and burly durability that ensures that this pack won’t shy away from tough travel conditions. In total (and we double-counted) there are 19 individual pockets on the pack, in all types of stretch mesh, zippered, and collapsible configurations. When good organization is key, the GlobeRider reigns. 

On the back panel of the GlobeRider, one of the more novel stowage systems we’ve seen packs away the shoulder straps and hip belt for when you want to slim down the pack. Two zippered panels — similar to the structure of the Peak Design packs, save for the closure — envelop the straps when not in use, and provide a lump-free panel for toting around. 

When it comes to downsides, the GlobeRider doesn’t miss much. The laptop sleeve aperture is a bit small at 9.5”, which in today’s age of mondo-screened computers may be limiting to some with larger devices. There also is no ability to convert the pack to a shoulder bag like the Patagonia MLC does, which can be handy when moving quickly through the airport.

Dang-near the top of the list, the Matador GlobeRider 45 would be an excellent choice for anyone who practices one-bag travel, or desires to have a place for everything in their journeys. The price does sting a bit, but based on the long-term testing we’ve completed so far, we’ve seen no indications that this pack will fade away anytime soon.

Read Review: I Lived Out of This Backpack for 3-Plus Months: Matador Globerider45 Review

Thule Aion 40L

• Weight 3 lbs., 3 oz.
• Dimensions 13" x 9.1" x 20.5"
• Material Waxed P600 polyester canvas

• Maxes out on carry-on-compliant space
• Internal roll-top TPU bag separates the clean from the to-do laundry
• Waxed canvas exterior has a classy look
• Centered side handle carries well
• Well-cushioned back panel
• No shoulder strap stowage option
• No hipbelt on a 40L is pushing it

Better known for their roof boxes and racks, it’s fair to say that Thule knows travel, and the addition of smart, organized, and comfortable travel packs like the Thule Aion 40L ($200) makes all the sense in the world to us. This pack is a finely-honed bag for international and local travel alike, and is decked out in some high-class materials.

Like the Patagonia Black Hole MLC pack, the Aion 40L aims to go for the maximum allowed capacity, and at our measurements (21.5” x 15” x 8”) the pack slides in just half an inch less than the normal 45 linear inches typically allowed. That’s efficient. The space is split up into two main compartments and a laptop sleeve, with the larger opening with a full clamshell zip.

This inner compartment hosts a few zippered pockets and internal compression straps, but the star of the show here is the integrated TPU rolltop bag. This sack can be used to cordon off your liquids (and easily presented for inspection), as well as separate your pile of ‘to-do’ laundry. This reminds us of the ActiveShield compartment in the Gregory Border Traveler pack, but we enjoy the removable aspect here even more. 

Round the back of the pack, the spacer-mesh swaddled laptop sleeve rivals the Evergoods Civic Panel Loader , and has an additional sleeve for items like tablets, notebooks, or chargers. The back panel itself is impressively cushioned (one of the more luxe in our testing) and that extends to the shoulder straps. 

Unfortunately, there’s no shoulder strap-stowage system here, so you’ll have to wrangle those yourself, and while we typically enjoy the lack of a hip belt in smaller travel packs, the absence in a 40-liter pack is a little puzzling. Fully loaded, the Aion could certainly benefit from one, and while a separate sling bag can be added to function as one, you’ll need to fork over $50 for it.

Ranking high up there with your Peak Designs and your Ospreys, the Thule Aion 40L nails the style and material departments, and with a full 40 liters of space on board, has all the room to pack for your week-long trips — no roof box required.

Osprey Archeon 30L

• Capacity 30 L
• Weight 3 lbs.
• Dimensions 20.5" x 13" x 11.4"
• Compartment access Zippered top-access
• Material 840D ballistic polyester with carbonate coating

• Extra-tough exterior fabric with carbonate coating
• High-polish details such as seatbelt webbing straps
• Mini-wing hipbelt tucks away easily when not needed
• Smart internal storage pockets that lay flat when not needed
• Laptop sleeve opening is a bit too snug
• Compression straps lay over the main zipper

First off, one word: Rugged. The Osprey Archeon 30L ($250) is a high-end build that spares little in the material department, and looks dang good while it’s at it. The 30-liter size makes this bag weekend travel-ready, and we greatly appreciated the fit and finish.

The overall design of the Archeon reminds us a good bit of the Peak Design Travel Bag (certainly the all-waterproof exterior zippers and curved side-entry pockets), but it’s the exterior fabric that really impressed. The 840D ballistic polyester is coated with a carbonate polyurethane coating, a bolstered recipe that increases durability by a magnitude over traditional PU coatings. In testing, we wore out before putting a dent in it.

The pack itself breaks down into two main compartments, with the main pocket opening behind a curved clamshell zip (we did have a little trouble with the zipper passing behind the exterior straps. Removing them fixed that). Inside, three expandable tech pockets tuck away all of your small kit, and do a good job of keeping things tidy on the interior.

On the exterior, Osprey doesn’t disappoint when it comes to suspension straps, which are comfortable, adjustable, and stashable. The mini wing-style hip belt earns special praise on packed flights, where we find traditional hip belts to be a hassle to store, and combined with the slick shoulder-strap stash pocket, the Archeon converts to minimal mode in under a minute.

Something the Archeon certainly could use, however, is a slightly larger aperture into the laptop/tech compartment. As-is, the zipper doesn’t quite extend down far enough to truly open up the pocket, and as such it can feel a bit like rummaging around in the dark looking for cords and chargers in the bottom of the pack. Extending these zippers down to the middle of the pack would seem to fix the issue, and we hope a later iteration might address this.

Nonetheless, we were still impressed by the Osprey Archeon 30L . There’s also a 40-liter version if you’re looking for a max-capacity carry-on, and even a smaller 24-liter for kicking around coffee shops day-to-day.

Read Review: Hack Carry-On Rules: Osprey Archeon Kit Gives Power Back to Passengers

Arc’teryx Granville 25 Backpack

• Capacity 25 L
• Weight 1 lb., 14.5 oz.
• Dimensions 22" x 12" x 9"
• Compartment access Drawstring top-entry
• Material N400r-AC² nylon ripstop

• Tough and waterproof exterior fabric
• White interior for easy viewing
• Floating laptop sleeve
• Not very much interior organization
• Simple webbing waistbelt

Made for moving through the city over the concourse, the commute-ready Arc’teryx Granville 25 ($220) takes travel backpacks to the streets in a sleek and tough design that we couldn’t keep from grabbing every day.

Crafted from the same N400r-AC² nylon ripstop as Arc’teryx’s high-end climbing packs, the mountain DNA is strong in the Granville, with fully taped seams that make the pack highly weather-resistant. In our impromptu “rain” test, a garden hose fired directly at the pack wasn’t able to get a drop past the tough exterior.

On the front of the pack, a single water-resistant zippered pocket was practically made for your keys, and could accommodate a few other essentials for when you’re on the go. Tossing back the shaped lid, a single drawstring entry leads to the interior space, which is mainly one large pocket, with a few zippered and drop pockets to separate smaller items. If you’re looking for the same style pack, but with a bit more organization built-in, the Tom Bihn Synapse 25 divides up its space well.

The padded interior laptop sleeve will accommodate up to a 16” laptop, and is suspended within the main compartment in a way that leaves us feeling confident in slinging our computer across a shoulder. Compared to other more airline-focused travel packs, the Granville 25 has its feet more firmly planted on the ground, and excels at bus, bike, or foot travel.

Whether your commute is just across town or across the country, the Arc’teryx Granville 25 makes for a good-looking carry-all that’s bound to be around for a while.

Topo Designs Global Travel Bag 40L

• Weight 3 lbs., 10.4 oz.
• Dimensions 22.5" x 14" x 7.5"
• Material 1000D recycled nylon, 400D recycled nylon, 210D recycled nylon, 1680D recycled ballistic nylon

• Overbuilt design with tough materials and chunky zippers
• Plenty of organizational pockets
• Bright interior
• Not the cleanest strap stowage

Chunky zippers, an overhead-savvy profile, and multiple ways to sling it over your shoulder: The Topo Designs Global Travel Pack ($229) has honed in on much of what we love in a travel backpack.

During a recent trip from Seattle to Southern California we were heavily saddled with the maximum the airline would allow. But this pack made use of every inch of space and reached the allowance of what we could check as our carry-on. The 40 liters of internal capacity is broken down into a series of dividers and pockets, which made condoning off things like electronics from the rest of our kit easy. And the interior of this pack is a cheery canary yellow, which helps with ease and visibility.

On the exterior of this pack, three separate carry styles are available to get you through the concourse in whatever way you choose. We found the full-featured backpack straps to be our go-to, which even sport load-lifters for a comfy carry. This suspension system does tuck away for when you might want to check the bag, though we found the hipbelt to be a bit tricky to fully retract.

Rounding out this travel-ready backpack is a tough build that makes use of 1000D recycled nylon and heavy-duty zippers, and we had no qualms with tossing this bag around during our trip. Perfect for anyone who subscribes to the one-bag travel ethos, the Global Travel Pack from Topo Designs makes the grade for those who want the most out of their carry-on.

And if you’re only going to be away for a short trip, the Global Travel pack is also available in a 30L capacity .

Cotopaxi Allpa 28L Travel Pack

• Capacity 28 L
• Weight 3 lbs., 4 oz.
• Dimensions 19" x 12" x 9"
• Material TPU-coated 1,000-denier polyester, 840-denier nylon paneling

• Burly exterior material holds up for the long run
• Plenty of zippered mesh storage pockets
• On the heavier side
• TPU-coated nylon can feel grabby

The Allpa 28L Travel Pack ($170) will change the way you travel. It’s sleek, durable, and able to fit an incredible amount of stuff in a small space. The zippered mesh pockets keep clothes organized. And the compression straps maximize what you can pack.

The tough polyester and nylon construction can take a beating without any signs of wear. And we appreciate that the externally accessed, padded laptop sleeve makes pulling out your electronics at security checkpoints a breeze. There’s also a small outer compartment to keep essentials at hand.

You can completely tuck away the backpack straps and carry the pack like a briefcase, or wear it comfortably as a backpack. We’ve stuffed this pack to the gills countless times and have never had a problem with the zippers. Light rain showers or spills roll right off the TPU-coated exterior, but for legit rainstorms, just pull out the included rain cover.

The Allpa also comes in 35L, 42L, 50L, and 70L capacities. As our editor noted in the 42L review , “Building on its fun and functional ethos, Cotopaxi beefs up its bestselling product. The Allpa Travel Pack earns big points for clever design, clean aesthetic, and a surprising number of handy — and hidden — features.”

Yes, the Cotopaxi Allpa packs are an investment, but anyone who travels regularly will find it a worthy one. These powerhouse travel backpacks are sturdy, versatile, and built to last.

Tom Bihn Synapse 25

• Weight 1 lb., 13 oz.
• Dimensions 13.4" x 20" x 9.1"
• Material 400-denier Halcyon, 420-denier nylon ripstop

• Many different fabrics and color schemes are available
• Built to last design and materials
• Removable webbing hip belt
• Suspension doesn’t pack away
• Side wing pockets are a little awkward to access

Refined and clean-looking, the Tom Bihn Synapse 25 ($243) is a high-end travel backpack we just can’t stop staring at. It just looks that good. Made of burly textiles and zippers, this pack was built to stand the test of tough travel and come out shining on the other side.

The Synapse 25 is the larger version of Tom Bihn’s Synapse 19 , a popular backpack made for daily carry. The bump in volume is appreciated in this travel-oriented version and is doled out in one large compartment as well as a set of pockets on the front of the pack.

We found all the pockets easily accessible, save for the side wing pockets. While these were excellent for the organization of smaller bits and bobs, the openings were a bit awkward to jump into.

Topped off by a cushioned suspension (the foam is a half-inch of supple EV50), this travel backpack didn’t weigh us down on long days of travel when fully packed. And when we wanted to go light, even the webbing hip belt was removable. In terms of the ability to bop around town as a daily driver, this pack is up there with the TimBuk2 Never Check and Arc’teryx Granville packs (we liked the back panel on this pack the most).

Along with being carry-on compliant, the Synapse is also one of the few bags on our list that are compact enough to fit under most airline seats without hogging too much precious legroom.

Osprey Nebula 32 Daypack

• Capacity 32 L
• Weight 2 lbs., 1.7 oz.
• Dimensions 19.2" x 12.2" x 11.4"
• Material 420-denier recycled nylon

• TSA-compliant laptop sleeve
• Many options for organization
• Water bottle pockets fit 32 oz. bottles
• Need to release two buckles in order to unzip the main pocket all the way

When it comes to backpacks, Osprey has put in the time — and it shows. The Nebula 32 ($140) feels like it’s all the brand’s most popular packs morphed into one. Most of all, we love how it seamlessly goes from city streets to trails.

This backpack can do it all, whether you’re hauling your laptop and books around town; water, food, and layers on an easy hike; or all of the above and then some for a weekend away.

The internal storage pockets are great for organizing all of your things for easy access. And while the Nebula 32 is top-loading, the main pocket opens up wide enough so you won’t have to unload everything to get to the one thing you want at the bottom. The sternum strap and hip belt are comfortable as well, especially when carrying a heavy load.

On smaller volume packs like this, sometimes design concessions need to be made to accommodate all the functionality, and on the Nebula it’s in the side compression straps. Like on the Osprey Farpoint/Fairview, the compression system of the pack overlays across the main compartment zipper, meaning you’ll need to undo some straps before rifling around in the storage area. Not a deal breaker, but a little annoying when the TSA line starts to back up behind you.

Overall, the Nebula 32 won’t disappoint if you make it your go-to smaller-volume travel backpack.

Travel Backpack Comparison Chart

How We Tested Travel Backpacks

The staff of GearJunkie is a hot-footed bunch, restlessly plodding across the country or around the globe in search of adventure and whatever else comes our way. And we have a lot of stuff, which necessitates having a travel bag or four in the stable.

Surely any old bindle will do in carrying your kit around, but having a travel backpack that is dialed into the needs of travel can turn a stressful situation into a manageable one. We’ve been testing travel backpacks since 2019 and have put the market slice through the wringer on thousands of miles of travel to weed out the best of the best.

Senior Editor Nick Belcaster has a zeal for international travel, and he leads up our current travel pack testing, logging almost 10,000 flying miles in the last year alone. From Iceland to Utah, Belcaster has carried these packs and lived out of them for weeks, relying on them to support back-to-back travel excursions. In testing, we looked for a number of features in our travel backpacks, including overall capacity, carry style, durability, and aesthetics. It’s important to think about how you’ll use your travel pack, and as such, every pack on our list is carry-on compliant for the worst-case scenario.

We know no trip will be like the next, so we took a broad swath of the travel backpacks on the market in order to create a list that will suit many different travelers. Packs in hand, over our shoulders, or on our backs, we hit the four corners and tested the best travel backpacks of 2024.

Curious about what we pack in our travel backpacks? We’ve penned up a list for both domestic and international trips .

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose a Travel Backpack

Travel backpack user profiles.

The International Jet-Setter: The term ‘One Bag Travel’ is no stranger to you, and you’ve just about got your life distilled down into 45 liters of space. If international travel is your bag, then a backpack that’s up to the task will be essential to see you through to further time zones. Efficiency will be the name of the game here, and going with a pack that is dang-near the carry-on maximums for international flights will mean you can make it through without checking a bag. Look for near to 45-liter packs with plenty of organization baked in, as well as a comfortable (and stashable) carry system.

For international travel, the bag we reach for most often had to be the Peak Design Travel Backpack , with a razor-thin second place going to the Matador GlobeRider45 Travel Pack . For an emphasis on organization, the Matador SEG45 splits up the volume well, and if you’ll be schlepping bags around a long way, the Osprey Farpoint & Fairview Packs have all the Osprey suspension we love.

The Weekend-Warrior: Maybe it’s a work trip, and maybe it’s just for fun, but it’s only going to take 2-3 days total, and you’ll need a bag that can pack it in. For weekend excursions, we find packs in the 25-35 liter range work well for the minimalists among us, and the 30-40 liter range for those who like a bit more options.

The Tom Bihn Synapse 25 is easily one of the most stylish packs in our review, only slightly edged out by the Timbuk2 Never Check , and both make the grade for a single overnighter in a foreign locale. For a bit more space, you can’t go wrong with the Topo Designs Global Travel Bag 40L , a fun pack that is a lot tougher than the multi-colored exterior would let on.

The Commuter: No flight involved! Duty calls, and sometimes you’ll need to lug around a bit more kit than the old briefcase can allow for. Commuting with a travel backpack is a great way to stay comfortable on longer rides, as shoulder and handbags are cumbersome over the long run. Focus on a bag with a more traditional backpack shape that puts an emphasis on ease-of-access, and is in the 20-30 liter range.

For bumping around town, we’ve come to love the Evergoods Civic Panel Loader 24 , which not only lugs our remote office around with ease, but also looks pretty slick doing it. The drawstring opening here is a huge boon for quickly stashing a jacket, and the tough exterior fears no weather forecast. For a budget just-get-it-done choice, the Dakine Campus 33L will make it happen for less.

The right size pack for you depends on a few things. First, where are you going? And, how long do you plan to stay? Winter travel often comes with more gear, so you’ll need to pack extra layers. Longer trips often require larger bags.

That said, your personal packing style will be the most important factor. We know minimalists who happily travel for months with only a single backpack in tow and others who want the largest travel backpack possible in addition to a totally stuffed duffel bag . One method isn’t better than the other, but knowing your style is helpful when choosing a bag.

In general, we’ve found that something in the 28-45 liter range is ideal for comfort and packability. Many packs will also offer a compression system to allow you to limit the overall volume of the backpack. We’ve seen many different ways to accomplish this, but the most effective by far were the button snaps and expanding zipper of the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L . Packs toward the 40-45 liter range will be your carry-on bags of choice, and the 45-liter Peak Design, Patagonia MLC , and Matador GlobeRider are perfect for maxing out your allowed space. The 40-liter Osprey Farpoint/Fairview packs give up a little internal room for the luxe suspension system they’re carried with.

Packs in the smaller end of the range, from around 25-30 liters, make better personal items, and the TimBuk2 Never Check , Tom Bihn Synapse , and Patagonia Black Hole backpacks all fit snuggly underneath an airliner seat. These small bags move through a city gracefully and look more like everyday carry backpacks than traditional luggage.

What good would a bag be if you couldn’t get into it? From a simple drawstring to a thicket of Velcro and zippers, there are plenty of ways to keep your bag closed while you’re on the go, but not every one will be amenable to travel.

Zippered Clamshells: Most travel backpacks will use a clamshell-style design that opens up the backpack like a suitcase, allowing you to pack intentionally as opposed to stuffing things in. Oftentimes, an internal strap system will help keep your items contained while you’re on the move.

Packs with this clamshell design may also opt to add internal dividers to the main storage area, and make these dividers removable — should you need the entire storage area uninhibited. For packs without internal dividers or straps, consider adding a few packing cubes to keep your items organized.

In addition to the rear entry, some backpacks will offer additional entry points through the top or front of the pack. This can be helpful when you need to quickly retrieve something like a passport from your bag, without the need to totally spill the contents. The majority of packs in our review close in this clamshell manner, and a few of our favorites are the Peak Design Travel Backpack , Osprey Farpoint & Fairview 40 Travel Packs , and Matador GlobeRider45 Travel Pack .

Zippered Top-Access: Much like many traditional backpacks, zippered top-access packs load and unload from the topside, and generally only offer one point of entry/egress into the pack. For this reason, packs of this flavor are generally left packed during travel, as digging around for something at the bottom can be a hassle.

Bags of this stripe, including the uber-nice Tom Bihn Synapse 25 and expandable Timbuk2 Never Check , most often make better personal items over carry-ons, as their smaller volumes make for easier searching within.

Drawstring Top-Entry: While not quite as common as a zippered clamshell or top-access pack, drawstring top-entry packs can make for very quick and easy access to your kit if you’re on the move. These packs will integrate an extended fabric collar to the top of the storage area, which can be compressed when needed, or overstuffed with bulky items like jackets.

Commuters will find drawstring entry bags the most appealing, and the Arc’teryx Granville 25 has become one of our dedicated laptop toters for everything from remote work stints at the coffee shop to jumping on a ferry for work.

Carrying Options

There are plenty of ways to lug your kit to your boarding gate, but not all of them will be comfortable for everything. Over-shoulder backpack straps can support a good bit of weight but typically will need some type of frame to truly be supportive. The Osprey Farpoint/Fairview packs were the best-carrying packs in our testing, owed largely to the wire frame and Airscape mesh back panels, but we also enjoyed the carry of the aluminum frame stays on the Matador GlobeRider.

A shoulder strap travel backpack, like the Patagonia Black Hole MLC 45L , can be slung across your body and provide a great amount of accessibility on the go. Don’t expect to carry too much weight this way, however.

And then there’s the classic suitcase style, easily towed anywhere. It’s good to note many travel backpacks will have stowable straps to better streamline the pack for a trip through an X-ray machine or stowed under a seat. The strap storage design of the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L impressed us most of all, utilizing magnetic closure flaps to pack away the shoulder and hip straps neatly.

Pockets & Organization

There’s an organizational saying: “A place for everything and everything in its place.” And we couldn’t agree more. Keeping track of everything while you travel is key for organization. And while more pockets always seem better, there is a threshold where having too many simply becomes more places to misplace things. Instead, we recommend packs with three to six pockets.

The Cotopaxi Allpa and Topo Designs Global Travel Bags both have ingenious inner organization systems complete with large zipping “pockets.” It has just enough space to find room for everything but not so many compartments that you’ll be hunting all day for your misplaced passport. For even more organization, the Matador SEG45 splits into five different segments that are accessible from the exterior of the pack.

Bringing along a laptop is a necessary evil for some travelers, and having an incorporated laptop sleeve in your travel backpack can keep it safe during travel. Most laptop sleeves will be padded with some type of foam and nestle in close to the back for maximum protection. In order to be TSA-compliant, a laptop sleeve will need to fold entirely flat away from the pack to be scanned.

Because flying with liquids over 3.4 ounces is prohibited in the U.S., carrying all of these items in a separate toiletry bag can make your foray into the screening line a breeze. Many of the packs on our list incorporate many external pockets where such a bag could be stashed and produced when needed.

Travel luggage takes a beating, so durability is a top concern. Luckily, gear manufacturers realize this and are making increasingly burly yet portable packs. The fan-favorite Patagonia Black Hole MLC 45L pack is made with a 900-denier ripstop nylon outer with a TPU laminate for extra durability. It’s nearly indestructible, water-resistant, and versatile.

If you’re traveling somewhere with inclement weather or if your pack needs to double as a climbing bag or hiking pack, durability is extra important. And it’s worth paying more for a backpack that is water-resistant.

Space Efficiency & Carry-On Compliance

Astute observers will note many of the packs in our review sport a rectangular shape, which is certainly due to designers aspiring to create a more space-efficient pack. This isn’t to say that more shapely packs won’t make it happen, but when you’re struggling to make every liter of space count, maximizing dimensions matters.

Carry-on luggage is any bag that you plan on bringing into an airplane and storing in the overhead bins. Because space is limited, airlines dictate the maximum size that any carry-on can be. In the U.S., the most common size is 22 inches x 14 inches x 9 inches, or 45 linear inches (length + width + height). However, this is just a rough guideline; some airlines differ from these dimensions, and you should refer to their information directly.

In general, these dimensions provide a travel backpack with around 40-45 liters of internal volume, so buying a pack that’s as close to that as possible will provide the most space allowed. Many of the packs on our list have the ability to compress to a smaller size, such as the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L .

Be mindful as well, that any protrusions from your travel pack such as shoulder straps or handles will also need to fall within the maximum allowed size. Many travel backpacks today incorporate some type of strap-stowing ability, such as the magnetic panels of the Peak Design packs, the zippered cover of the Osprey Farpoint/Fairview, and the hybrid zipper/panel of the Matador GlobeRider 45. All of these provide a more streamlined profile that should both hit the mark, and fit better into overhead bins.

Travel backpacks run the gamut of prices — from affordable to downright pricey. There are a number of factors that play into what you get for the money.

Budget-Minded Travel Packs

Travel backpacks, as a category, are generally a bit pricer than your average luggage, as they incorporate tough materials that can put up with extensive wear over the lifespan. Travel is tough on bags, so it’s unsurprising that even budget travel backpacks will cost you around $100-150. These packs often will incorporate more traditional architectures such as a zippered top access, as opposed to the more complicated (and spendy) full-zip clamshell designs. For example, the Dakine Campus ($75) is pretty much your average school bag.

Volumes, too, will be a bit limited in this price range — added material adds cost. The 32-liter Osprey Nebula ($140) is about the best price-to-volume ratio you can get.

Mid-Range Travel Packs

Mid-range packs make up the bread and butter of travel packs, and can be had for around $150 to $200. These designs are often more of the full carry-on variety, and aim to capitalize on permitted volume as much as possible. The 45-liter Matador SEG45 ($200), Patagonia Black Hole MLC ($239), 40-liter Osprey Farpoint/Fairview ($185), and Topo Designs Global Travel Bag ($229) all shoehorn in just about as much space as a friendly gate agent will let you get away with.

For the price, you also get a good variety of functionality that makes travel easier, such as stowable pack straps, interior segmented pockets and sleeves (done excellently on the $170 Cotopaxi Allpa ), and an external compression system that limits the space your bag takes up. Some packs, like the TimBuk2 Never Check ($209), don’t exactly hit these parameters, but instead make up for it in high-quality design and materials.

Premium Travel Packs

Above $250, you’re likely paying for premium materials or a to-the-hilt design that leaves absolutely nothing on the cutting room floor. The Peak Design Travel Backpack ($300) is a great example, and utilizes super high-quality nylon canvas, custom aluminum hardware, and supple seatbelt material webbing in its build, as well as fitting in just about every conceivable feature you could want in a travel pack. The same can be said of the Matador GlobeRider 45 ($350), which uses high-tech UHMPWE-reinforced materials and sports a total of 19 pockets.

The Tom Bihn Synapse 25 ($243) is a bit of an outlier, as it commands a high dollar amount not for the extreme amount of space it offers or amount of features, but for being a hyper-customizable, hand-made bag that uses the nicest textiles available, as well as the best zippers, webbing, and foam in its design. If you’re a fan of the finest materials, this is your daily driver pack.

What Is One Bag Travel?

The ‘One Bag Travel’ ethos and travel backpacks go hand-in-hand. Simply put, to travel in one-bag style is to be minimalist in your luggage choices, and only take what you can carry onto the plane/train/pack animal. Not only does this do away with the fuss of deciding what exactly to bring along with you, but it also allows for breezing through airports — skipping the need to check baggage, wait at baggage claim, or fear for lost luggage.

In order to most effectively travel with one bag, be sure to read up on exactly the baggage size allowances provided by your transportation. This can affect both overall size and weight, and having an expandable pack is a large benefit here. In this way, you can carry just enough to skirt through under the limit, and then expand the bag when you’ve hit your destination for more breathing room. If you aim for a 35-40 liter backpack, you’ll be right on the money for one-bag travel.

Finally, remember that this bag is going to be the only item of luggage you’ve got, so ensure it’ll be comfortable enough for the long haul. Look for padded back panels and hip belts that’ll transfer the load correctly, and if they stash away — all the better.

Our team unanimously agrees that the best travel backpack is the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L . It’s extremely durable, and it offers plenty of organizational pockets to stash your kit away in. The clamshell opening makes packing a breeze, and we really appreciated the unique shoulder strap storage options available to turn the pack into a stripped-down bag that would slide into any overhead compartment.

The best size bag for traveling depends largely on your travel itinerary and mode of transport. The Cotopaxi Allpa packs range from 28 to 42 liters.

The 28-liter option makes for a compact and comfortable backpack that easily fits in overhead airplane compartments. The 42-liter option is a bit more like carrying a duffel bag on your back, but it still manages to fit in overhead compartments. It’s a great option for maximizing carry-on capacity in backpack form.

While both have their place in travel, a backpack can offer some advantages over a suitcase. Since they’re much more portable, backpacks can be brought to many more places where a suitcase won’t work. Suitcases can be your large load carriers, but a good travel backpack gives you the freedom to strike out on daily adventures.

Travel backpacks absolutely can be carry-on luggage, given they meet the size requirements. In the U.S., the most common maximum size is 22 inches x 14 inches x 9 inches, or 45 linear inches (length + width + height). But this is only a common size, and different airlines will have different specifics. Consult with your airline specifically to determine what they allow.

While different body types will find different travel packs comfortable, we can all agree that a good support system and ample foam make for a comfortable carry. In our own testing, we found the Osprey Farpoint 40 and Fairview 40 Travel Packs were by far the most comfortable due to their plush suspension systems.

Because many different airlines operate a slate of different planes, there isn’t a standard under-seat luggage size, although there is an average: 16 inches x 12 inches x 6 inches. Some airlines allow personal items larger than this, but you should consult with their customer service for specifics. Our favorite personal item-sized travel pack was the Timbuk2 Never Check Expandable Backpack , which at 24 liters compressed easily slides under a seat.

The Best Laptop Backpacks of 2024

Whether you’re headed to the office, class, or even the trailhead, here’s our top picks for the best laptop backpacks of 2024.

The Best Daypacks of 2024

We tested the best daypacks of 2024 with options for every budget. Top picks include Osprey, Cotopaxi, and more.

Hailing from the hemlocks and hanging mosses of Washington State, Senior Editor Nick Belcaster is an adventure journalist following threads of stories across the West. Cruelly stolen from the alpine swales of rural Wisconsin at a young age, Nick made do ascending the snows and granite of the North Cascades while completing a journalism degree. A long stint on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2018 codified a life bent on sleeping on minor slopes and picking devil’s club out of his shoes.

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Home » Gear » best travel backpack

The BEST Travel Backpacks: (2024)

Did you know that the average human makes upwards of 35,000 decisions every single day? That’s a whole lotta deciding right? But in truth, some of life’s (many) decisions are more important than others. BIG decisions include what career to  pursue, who to marry and of course whether you should take the red pill, the blue pill (or both…_

So, in the grand scheme of things, choosing which travel backpack to buy may not seem all that important and yet take it from us (the experts), having the right backpack can sometimes make or break a trip. Seriously peeps, choosing which backpack to bring on a given trip is almost as important as choosing where to go.

Your travel backpack will carry every single one of your possessions on the road and will become your home. You need your chosen backpack to be strong, durable, comfortable, and compact enough to save you some space! Over the years, I have personally tried countless different backpacks and pushed them far past their limits.

So in this post I am going to channel all of that experience and knowledge in order to help you deuce what is the best travel backpack for your trip? Let’s go find out.

Quick Answer: These are the Best Travel Backpacks of 2024

So why choose to travel with a backpack, travel backpack: the best overall for 2024, the best carry on travel backpacks, best travel backpacks for hiking, best backpacks for digital nomads, the best backpacks for travel photographers, other special travel backpacks worth considering, what makes a good travel backpack, the great backpacker debate (must read), faq about the best travel backpack, conclusion of the best travel backpacks mega-list.

• #1 Nomatic 40L Travel Bag – The Best Overall Backpack
• #2 Tropicfeel Shell  – Best Organised Travel Backpack
• #3 Osprey Aether Plus 70L  – Best Long Term Travel Backpack for Men (Large)
• #4 Osprey Farpoint 40L   – Best Travel Backpack (Carry on)
• #5 Osprey Aura 50L  – Best Large Long Term Travel Backpack (Womens )
• #6 Osprey Airscape UNLTD – Best Travel & Hiking Backpack
• #7 Tortuga Travel Pack  –Best Full-Size Carry On (Unisex)
• #8 Osprey Ozone  – Best Travel Bag with Wheels
• #9 WANDRD PRVKE 31  – Best Camera Backpack for Travel
• #10 Tortuga Setout Laptop Backpack  – Best Travel Bag for Laptops

Nomatic 40L Travel Bag

• Liters > 30L and 40L
• Material > Tarpaulin/Ballistic Weave
• Best Use > Travel, digital nomad lifestyle, weekend trips

Osprey Men’s Aether Plus 70

• Price > $$$
• Liters > 70L
• Material > 210D high-tenacity nylon
• Best Use > Backpacking

Osprey Farpoint 40

• Liters > 40L
• Material > 450D recycled twist dobby polyester
• Best Use > Travel, international backpacking, urban lifestyle

Osprey Aura 50

• Liters > 50L
• Material > 210D honeycomb recycled nylon
• Best Use > Trekking, backpacking, hiking, international travel

Osprey Airscape UNLTD

• Price > $$$$
• Liters > 68L
• Material > 210D Nylon Mini Hex Diamond Ripstop
• Best Use > Hiking, international backpacking,

Tropicfeel Shell

• Liters > 22-40
• Material > Polyester – 60% recycled material, 100% recycled nylon

Tortuga Travel Pack

• Material > SHELL200D Recycled Polyester

Osprey Ozone

• Liters > 38L
• Material > 100-denier recycled high-tenacity NanoFly nylon
• Best Use > Travel, international wheelpacking

WANDRD PRVKE 31

• Liters > 31-36L
• Material > Combination of tarpaulin and robic nylon
• Best Use > Travel photography

Tortuga Setout Laptop Backpack

• Liters > 25L
• Material > 900D heathered polyester
• Best Use > Travel, digital nomad lifestyle, carry on, day pack

Ok so why should you travel with a backpack rather than suitcase? Well, ultimately it depends on where you are going and your travel style.

For example, the cobbled streets of Europe, dirt roads of Nepal, and busy bus stations around the world are quite simply not suitcase friendly. In these environments your suitcase is likely to get damaged, get in the way and, in general, piss you off. Trust me, carrying your suitcase because the wheels have fallen off while you search for the hostel, is not a great start to a trip.

And, if you are planning to visit multiple destinations and using public transport, a suitcase is simply not practical and you will hate yourself for bringing one!

Backpacks also look kind of cool whereas suitcases just make you look like a tourist.

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Crucially, when traveling with a backpack your hands are free to use Google Maps to find your hostel, tackling stairs is not a problem, and you can officially join the backpacker hordes! No one likes a suitcase.

Still not convinced? What if I told you that once you invest in the best travel bag you shouldn’t ever need to buy another one! A good quality travel backpack lasts years and does not get damaged as easily as suitcases. I’ve been dragging my pack around the globe for nearly ten years and it’s still going strong.

The best backpacks for travel will be flexible in size and shape so when they are not full, there is more chance that you can take them on board planes. Some traveling backpacks even come with detachable day packs to make things even easier.

Why Should You Trust Us?

The Broke Backpacker team have been travelling and living out of their own backpacks for years now. Collectively, we must have 200+ years of travel experience and, by now, know what it takes to be successful on the road. We are experts in our field and take great pleasure in presenting the best possible gear to you.

Let’s kick this off with what I feel are the absolute TOP backpacks to travel with.

#1 Nomatic Travel Bag 40L

• Dimemsions: 22.86 x 53.34 x 35.56 cm
• Weight: 1.55 kg
• Looks sexy!
• Modern and efficient
• Tons of room
• Lots of awesome features
• Carry on size

Nomatic bags are designed to be modern, sleek, and provide ultimate packing efficiency. This is accomplished by great design: tons of features, and more pockets and sleeves than you’ll know what to do with.

The Nomatic Travel Pack 40L is widely acclaimed as the perfect travel pack for several compelling reasons. Firstly, its meticulously designed organization system sets it apart. The pack features an array of compartments and pockets that are intelligently laid out, ensuring that every item has its specific place. This includes a dedicated laptop and tablet compartment, a secure RFID safe pocket, and a versatile main compartment that can expand or contract based on your packing needs.

The bag can seamlessly transition from a 40L check-in bag to a slimmer, day pack by simply adjusting the expansion zipper, making it incredibly versatile for different types of trips. The thoughtful design extends to the inclusion of a cord management system and a magnetic water bottle pocket, making it incredibly convenient to stay organized and access essentials on the go. Whether you need a backpack for a business trip  or are a digital nomad traveling the world, this will keep your laptop and valuables well secured all while looking stylish.

Read our full review of the Nomatic Travel Bag!

#2 Aer Travel Pack 3 – Our Favorite Backpack to Travel With Runner Up

• Volume: 35 liters
• Dimemsions: 55 x 33 x 22
• Weight: 1.87 kg
• Multiple compartments for organization
• Lots of potential customization

Here at The Broke Backpacker, we are big fans of AER – and the Travel Bag is one of their best backpacks to date. This bag has gotten a ton of (much deserved) hype and it’s our pick for the best overall travel backpack!

The AER Travel Pack 3 is a testament to functional design and urban style, ideal for the modern traveler who values efficiency and aesthetics. This pack is crafted from high-quality, water-resistant materials, ensuring durability and protection against the elements. a wonderful backpack for digital nomads on the go. It can fit your laptop as well as any other travel gear you tote around. Use it as a daypack around town or bring it on the pane for one bag travel.

There are many different compartments, pockets, and zippers to keep you organized. There’s a laptop sleeve and a very handy place just for shoes. With its blend of durability, organization, and style, the AER Travel Pack 3 stands as an excellent choice for those seeking a reliable and fashionable travel companion.

The minimalist outer design helps deter thieves, and what the outside lacks in pockets it makes up for with well-designed internal storage.

Read our Aer Travel Pack 2 review to learn more about thus bag!

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#3 Osprey Men’s Aether Plus 70 – Best For Backpacking (Men)

• Dimemsions: 83.82 x 38.1 x 35.56 cm
• Weight: 2.81 kg
• Convertible top-lid day pack.

The Osprey Aether is in our view, the quintessential backpackers backpack. If you headed to Southeast Asia for a few month, or maybe going on a backcountry hiking trip, then this arguably the PERFECT backpack.

It’s offers a whopping 70 litres of storage and has all the advantages that every pack from the Osprey brand offers. (the Osprey ‘All-Mighty Guarantee’ , durability, comfort). Several of us here at TBB use this pack for all of our backpacking trips and I have carried mine across 5 continents now. It has plenty of pockets and compartments to keep things extra organized plus An AirScape back panel to keep you cool on the warmest adventures. I can guarantee it’ll last a lifetime, if you don’t believe me, just ask Osprey!

Literally guys, they put a lifetime guarantee on every single product they sell to prove it. The only downside to this pack is you can’t avoid checked luggage fee’s with this bad boy as its too big. But at least you don’t have to dump any stuff! This is hands down one of the best backpacks for traveling around the world on a longer adventure.

Check out our review of the Aether 70 backpack to learn more!

#4 Osprey Aura 50 – Best For Backpacking (Women)

• Dimemsions: 81.28 x 38.1 x 30.48 cm
• Weight:  1.86 kg
• Anti-Gravity Suspension
• Floating top-lid replaceable with FlapJacket
• Multiple organisation options.

The ladies-specific Osprey Aura is the best travel backpack for the female form. This is a high-quality backpack for women traveling on epic short or long haul adventures. Osprey as a brand are awesome and they guarantee to last many adventures! Seriously, all Osprey travel bags come with a lifetime guarantee making them undeniably the best value backpacks.

With the unique built-in Anti-Gravity suspension system, this bag is designed to carry up to 40lbs without the carrier even noticing! Meaning this travel backpack is stable, strong and can carry the weight without you having to suffer for it! If you’re a lady hitting the road, this is the travel backpack I recommend.

Overall, you should get the Osprey Aura 50 if you are traveling in a variety of weather (humidity and snow) and hike and backpack often. This backpack will be a great fit if you are looking for a high-quality backpack that can handle wear and tear.

Check out our awesome Osprey Aura 50 review!

#5 Osprey Airscape UNLTD – Best Hiking & Travel Backpack

• Dimemsions: 81.28 x 40.64 x 38.1 cm
• Weight:  2.72 kg
• Cutting edge super comfy back support
• Lid detaches into a day pack

The Osprey Airscape is one of two spanking hiking packs launched by the world’s leading backpack brand’s as part of its UNLTD series. The Airscape UNLTD is a 68 litre hiking and travel backpack that utilises cutting edge, 3D printing technology to create an ultra comfy, supportive and breathable lumbar, back support.

Whilst there are too many little features to list in this section (read on for the full run down), another major bonus is the 8l top lid that converts to an 18l day pack which brings a whole new dimension to the pack. 

Alas, the Osprey Airscape UNLTD also comes with a hefty $750 price tag which by far makes it the most expensive backpack that I have ever come across. Whether it is really worth that amount of money is of course debatable but what I can say is that this is by far the most comfortable hiking backpack that I have ever tried.

I have about four different travel backpacks now. For longer trips I generally use my Osprey Aether, but I also have a number of carry on backpacks which I use for shorter trips.

And hear this, these days it is increasingly common for airlines to charge separately for checked bags and it can often increase the price of the ticket by 50%. As such, if you only travel with a compact backpack you can save a fortune on luggage fees and simply take your backpack on a flight as carry-on. Budget backpacking win right there!

Below are some of my favorite backpacks that I use as a carry-on. If you’d like to learn more about these sort of bags, then be sure to head over our comprehensive guide on the top carry-on backpacks to take traveling!

#1 Osprey Farpoint 40 L  – Best Carry-on Backpack (Men)

• Dimemsions: 55.88 x 35.56 x 22.86 cm
• Weight: 1.59 kg
• Large panel zip access to main compartment.
• Stowaway backpanel, harness and hipbelt with zippered rear flap for protection.
• Laptop and tablet sleeve secure in lockable compartment.

Overall, you should get the Osprey Farpoint 40 if you are traveling the world, and like to pack super light (like me). If you are looking for a nearly indestructible carry on backpack which can actually carry, and compartmentalize, a lot of stuff – this backpack might be your match made in heaven.

Because of it’s 40 liter size, the Farpoint 40 is a near-guarantee to carry on no matter the airline. This will save you hundreds of dollars in checking fees, and countless hours waiting in baggage claim. And as we will look at later, there is plenty of space to make sure that light-traveling does not mean bad-traveling.

In my opinion, the Osprey Farpoint 40 is the best value carry on backpack on the market right now. Check out our epic Osprey Farpoint review here . 

#2 Osprey Fairview 40  – Best Carry-on Backpack (Women)

• Size: 40 Liters
• Dimemsions: 53.34 x 35.56 x 22.86 cm
• All of the pros of the Osprey Farpoint 40.
• A hiking and carry-on backpack specifically designed to fit women!

The Osprey Fairview 40 was designed specifically for girls and women – making this category an easy choice! To clarify for the ladies… ANY of the bags mentioned prior can be used for women. Whether you are interested in Minaal, Tortuga, AER, or any of the others – all of these bags are unisex. Except for the Osprey Fairview 40, which was designed specifically for women.

This travel backpack can transform into a duffel bag, which is made even more awesome by the included shoulder strap, and the ability to stow the bag’s harness and hip belt. At a square 40 liters, you’ll rarely have to worry about this bag being checked.

If you are a lady, and want all of the glory of Osprey in a bag that is specifically designed for you, then hell yes! Please, don’t be hesitant to purchase any of the other bags (as they are all unisex!) but if you want a badass hiking pack that also functions as a carry on backpack, this is an easy pick.

#3 Peak Design Travel Pack – Best 30l Carry On Travel Pack

• Capacity: 30 litres
• Dimemsions: 53cm x 34cm x 20cm
• Weight: 1.44 kg
• Price: $250
• Great organisational capacity
• Extends to 33L
• Amazing for organization
• Comfy to carry and fits under the seat

The Peak Design 30L Travel Pack is built with the modern traveler in mind. Its 30-liter capacity is perfect for weekend getaways or even extended travel if you pack light. The bag’s sleek design isn’t just about looks; it’s also about function. Its adjustable compartments allow for a customized fit for your belongings, while its innovative side access points provide convenience in retrieving items without having to dig through the entire bag. The expansion zippers give you the flexibility to accommodate extra items when needed, making it an adaptable companion for various travel durations.

I have been incredibly impressed by this travel pack and it has now accompanied me on a free weekend rips already. What I really love about it is how well organised I can get with my packing – everything has its place and there are enough zips and pockets to stash all of those little odds and ends. In terms of downsides, the packs material is thick and robust but not all that nice to the touch. The bag does also feel a bit heavier than it looks.

Finally I personally find that 30 litres is only ever enough storage for a few nights worth of traveling but perhaps thats just me – I do after all travel with a hair-dryer. Fortunately though there is a 40 litre version available.

#4 Tortuga Travel Pack  – Best Full Size Carry-on

• Size:  45 litres
• Dimemsions: 47 x 30 x 23
• Weight:  1.5 kg
• The design will leave you fairly impressed
• It has tons of pockets/compartments
• It packs huge – you can put A LOT in it

The first thing I noticed when packing my new Tortuga Travel Pack, was just how massive the main compartment was. It has the capacity to carry a ton of clothes. If you are a world traveler, then this is great because it means you have to do less laundry – score! And yet despite its generous capacity, the new and improved version of the Tortuga Travel pack was custom designed to for carry on meaning that it complies with the limits for pretty much every airline in the world.

Its a cleverly designed pan too. The Travel Pack by Tortuga’s design enables its the main compartment to be opened like a suitcase; this is far more convenient than a traditional backpackers backpack. Reaching my stuff was simple, and because of the organization of the compartments, it was easy to know what was where.

Inside the main compartment are six smaller compartments. The first four smaller compartments are enclosed within the main compartment. The Tortuga Travel Pack is still without a doubt one of the best backpacks on the market. It’s quality build, intuitive design, fantastic organization, and smaller size make it the perfect compact travel bag for anyone who wants to travel light, but travel in style.

Check out out our must-read full Tortuga Travel Pack review .

#5 Tropicfeel Shell Backpack – Best Backpack for Organizing

• Size: 22-40 litres
• Dimemsions: 51 x 30 x 19 cm
• Really fucking versatile
• Packs up easily
• Fairly priced

The Shell by Tropicfeel is a little to medium backpack sized with a big concept. Firstly, it is a 3 in 1 extendable backpack that begins life as a 22 liter pack, rolls up to 30 litres and then with the addition of a detachable pouch goes all the way to 40 litres.

As well as being a 3-in-1 backpack (which you can easily adapt to use as day pack, overnight pack and carry-on pack), the Shell also has another awesome feature – a little, mini drop in pull out travel roll up wardrobe! With multiple compartments, you can easily pack and unpack all of your belongings. For a quick outfit change at the airport, this is ideal.

This is a VERY unique and special pack and it seriously impressed me. While not all of you will want this kind of pack, it has won itself a delisted fanbase. I also just love how mega-stylish this bag is too. Keeping everything tidy, easily accessible and organized during your travels has never been so easy. On top of that, the recycled material is also weather and water-resistant.

Want to know more about the company, we’ve done a full review of TropicFeel just for you!

A lot of people like to go hiking while they are out traveling the world. To do so, they need a special type of travel backpack, one that can go further, carry more, and last longer.

Aside from the Osprey Aether and Aura, here are a couple more options when looking for a good bag to go traveling and hiking with. If you would like to read more about these special pieces of gear, then be sure to check out our ENORMOUS hiking backpack guide !

#1 Osprey Aether Plus 85 Backpack – A BIG Travel Backpack

• Dimemsions: 86.36 x 40.64x 40.64 cm
• Removable top lid w/compartment and waterproof zipper
• Converts to a lumbar pack with AirScape lumbar pad

Looking to head into the back country in search of adventure? Whether it is a couple of days hiking or an epic adventure The Osprey Aether Plus 85 backpack is the best travel backpack on the market by far.

I’ve been adventuring with my Aether for nearly ten years now. The best thing about Osprey is that they operate an all-mighty guarantee. This means that they will repair any damage done to your pack, no questions asked, for free. However, note that in recent years they have amended this guarantee and it now excludes wear & tear, water damage and airline damage.

The Osprey Aether Plus 85 is a big expedition backpack; it’s 85 liters, extremely comfortable thanks to the custom-molded hip belt, is compatible with hydration systems, has plenty of sections for storage and can easily be loaded up with a ton of stuff – I once strapped three tents to the outside and had a fourth tent on the inside plus cooking equipment, sleeping bags, food, clothes, electronics etc…

#2 Osprey Skarab 30 – A Smaller Backpack for Shorter Journeys

• Dimemsions: 53.34 x 27.94 x 25.4 cm
• Weight: 0.74 kg
• Walking pole attachments
• Adjustable BIOFIT back system

For the days when you venture into the wilderness or walk the market streets, you need a pack that is both comfortable and practical. I’ve been using my Osprey Skarab for three years now as my go-to backpack for shorter adventures or hikes.

It’s one hell of a pack and is the best budget backpack I’ve come across. It’s pretty cheap considering the quality and it has plenty of pockets for storage, a padded hip belt, a safety whistle on the chest strap (always handy!) and an in-built rain cover.

The Osprey Skarab backpack is 30 liters so it’s a backpack best for weekends or ultralight hiking rather than long expeditions where you have to carry tents and food. It can just about handle long trips but space is limited so whilst it is one of the best backpacks for travel, it wouldn’t be my first choice for a long trip. For more intel check out our full-length Osprey Skarab review .

Now, you  could spend a fat chunk of $$$ on the WRONG present for someone. Wrong size hiking boots, wrong fit backpack, wrong shape sleeping bag… As any adventurer will tell you, gear is a personal choice.

So give the adventurer in your life the gift of convenience: buy them an REI Co-op gift card!  REI is The Broke Backpacker’s retailer of choice for ALL things outdoors, and an REI gift card is the perfect present you can buy from them. And then you won’t have to keep the receipt. 😉

#3 Deuter Aircontact Core 65 + 10 Pack – A Cheaper Travel Backpack Osprey-Alternative

• Dimensions: 84.07 x 32 x 27.94 cm
• Weight: 2.25 kg
• 15% perspiration control
• Dimemsions:

Hands down, this is one of the best backpacks for hiking. This is a fantastic backpack for those looking for comfort, support, breathability and freedom of movement. This backpack is absolutely one of my best picks and if it wasn’t for my trusty Osprey, I would probably be a Deuter man.

These days, traveling without a laptop is just not going to happen. For many of us, a laptop is just as essential as a phone and if you are a digital nomad hitting the road, you need to protect your baby. So amigos, let me share the best travel backpacks for digital nomads and laptop lovers.

#1 Tortuga Setout Laptop Backpack – Best Travel Backpack for Digital Nomads

• Size: 25 liters
• Weight:  1.27 kg
• Very functional
• High-quality manufacturing
• Super organized

This one is pretty obvious – the Setout Laptop Backpack is great for…. laptops! But seriously, if you are looking for a sturdy pack to carry your laptop around– look no further, this bad boy is as good as it gets. This is for a few reasons.

First off, Tortuga Backpacks are possibly some of the most well designed and durable backpacks on the market. We’ve reviewed tons of Tortuga products and they all have an incredible amount of detail to them, and are made of the highest quality materials. High quality/durable materials means your precious laptop will be safe and sound.

Simply put, this backpack has tons of organization features, all of which are designed specifically for laptops. Notice in the pictures above and below, that this bag is loaded with ways to keep your gear safe, and very organized. Tortuga markets this bag as an “organized daypack for air travel” – and it’s certainly true!

The design and features of this backpack make it perfect for air travel. Whether it’s the sleek laptop sleeve, the easy to lock zippers, the luggage handle pass through or the hideaway shoulder straps, this bag thrives in airports and airplanes.

Check out our in-depth Tortuga Setout Laptop backpack review . 

#2 High Spirit Laptop Backpack – Supreme Organization, Style, and Security

• Size: 19.5 liters
• Extremely well made
• Durable shock-absorbing base

High Spirit Bags have broken onto the travel backpack scene with an emphatic BANG. Their brand new Laptop Backpack is the perfect choice for travelers who prioritize style , security, and functionality all rolled up into one tidy package.

Every inch of the Laptop Backpack is thoughtfully designed to provide the best possible user experience. The high quality leather exterior is the ideal combination of sleek and anti-theft – which when you are toting around expensive electronics – this feature is very important.

Perhaps my favorite feature is the pack’s access design. The zippers are located on the back panel making it virtually impossible for thieves to unzip your backpack whilst you are wearing it. The organizational layout of this backpack provides more than enough storage options for your work day in the city or a weekend jaunt to Barcelona.

Surprisingly, the High Spirt Laptop Backpack is much more affordable than many other laptop-focused travel backpacks out there. The verdict is in: you are not going to find a more high-quality laptop backpack that looks and functions this well for the given price point (£110).

#3 Arcido Akra 35L – A Large yet Lightweight Travel Backpack

• Dimemsions: 55 X 35 X 20 cm
• Weight:  1.7 kg
• Sleek, stylish design
• Super lightweight makes travel easy
• Organized + customizable

This is the perfect carry on travel backpack for urban travelers. Its laptop harness, organizational pockets, and integrative packing cubes (in the Arcido Akra and Vaga Daypack Bundle ) make this the perfect travel backpack for digital nomads too.

At only 2.4 lbs, this is a lightweight backpack for travel that can become even lighter when the sternum straps and waist belt are removed. In essence, Arcido makes simple, tough, and well-designed travel backpacks equipped with enough storage and organizational features make any modern traveler happy. We love that this is an affordable backpack for its high-quality design.

Check out our full Arcido Akra review!

#4 Incase Icon Pack – One of the Toughest Laptops Bags

• Size: 9 x 13 x 19 inches
• Dimemsions: 48.26 x 33.02 x 22.86 cm
• Dedicated laptop compartment
• Multiple organisation options
• Airflow channels in back panel

The Incase Icon Pack is a great travel backpack if you’ll be working on the road and need a sturdy, durable pack to keep your laptop safe while exploring new areas. Featuring multiple exterior and interior pockets, the Icon laptop backpack allows maximum organisation and easy access to your belongings, with a dedicated laptop compartment to stow your gear away safely.

Check out our in-depth breakdown of the best laptop backpacks for more intel!

Photographers need to be very mindful of their gear while traveling. Rough rides and constant movement can imperil sensitive camera equipment, so it’s very important to have a reliable backpack that can keep everything safe.

These are a few more good travel backpacks, this time with the photographers and aspiring photographers in mind. If these suggestions aren’t enough, we’ve also written an in-depth guide to choosing the best camera backpacks too!

#1 WANDRD PRVKE 31  – Best Travel Camera Backpack

• Size: 31 Liters
• Dimemsions: 48 X 30 X 18 cm
• Expandable roll top
• Large enough for travel camera + 3-4 lenses
• Additional straps for accessories

For those who want a backpack that can does a little bit of everything, is durable, and looks damn good in the process, the WADNRD PRVKE 31 is an excellent investment. At 31 (expandable to 36) liters, this backpack can hold quite a bit and there are plenty more pockets to hold everything else. Thanks to its robust weather-resistant design, your belongings will be safe as well. Add in some customizable straps and sleek sexy design and you have a backpack that can do damn near anything.

Though the PRVKE 31 has lots of padding and additional straps for distributing weight, it lacks certain key features that make it truly adept at carrying heavier loads. During our tests, both of the women on our trip struggled somewhat while carrying this bag as it did not fit snugly against their bodies.

I was impressed with the number of customizable options that PRVKE 31 offered. Between the many loops found on the pack as well as the ability to attach adjustable accessory straps (sold separately), users will be able to find many alternative means of packing. Overall, a badass camera backpack!

Read our WANDRD PRVKE 31 review!

#2 Nomatic Peter Mckinnon Camera Bag  – Best Travel Camera Backpack

• Size: 35 liters
• Dimemsions: 55.88 x 34.29 x 22.86 cm
• Weight:  2.61 kg
• Expands to 42 liters
• Can hold a full-frame camera, multiple lenses, and a small drone
• Doubles as a great short-term travel backpack

This is the first true camera bag offered by Nomatic. Inspired and designed by legendary Youtuber and renowned photographer Peter Mckinnon, this 35 liter backpack is already a top competitor of the Wandrd PRVKE 31.

Built to last and with the traveling photographer in mind, the Nomatic Camera Bag is ultra-functional, durable, and sleek. Small enough to be a carry on, yet big enough to support extended weekend trips, the 35 liters offered here makes this bag ideal for photographers who find themselves frequently out on overnight/ inner-city trips.

The drawback: to get the most of this bag, you really need to go for the bundle package – which comes with all of the nice accessories that make this backpack great. If you have the money, going for the Nomatic Camera Bag is an excellent investment and is probably an all-around better backpack then the WANDRD 31 when all of the accessories and features are added up.

Read our Nomatic Camera Pack review !

Sometimes traveling calls for a unique bag. Maybe you’re a weekend warrior who needs something both professional and rugged. Maybe you just like to mix things up. Either way, these backpacks maybe more appropriate for you.

#1 Osprey Ozone 4-Wheel – Top Wheeled Backpack for Travel

• Size: 38 Liters
• Weight: 2.27 kg
• Will attach to any of the wheeled luggage by Osprey
• Can be combined with other Osprey bags to make a nimble beast

Wheeled luggage sometimes get a bad reputation. We’ve all seen those travelers trying to roll giant pieces luggage around cobble stone streets or busy Asian alleys, clearly in over their head. But wheeled backpacks are different. …

Designed for the savvy traveler, Osprey Ozone 4-Wheel Carry-On Wheeled Luggage is pretty much one of the best travel backpacks out there. The padded hip-belt and shoulder harness stow away for easy transport. It can clip on to the wheeled range by osprey for easy transport and it is super breathable. It even has an inside zipped compartment perfect for smelly hiking boots!

I’ve been using this pack on and off for two years: you can fit a TON of stuff in it – a genuinely surprising amount considering it still qualifies as hand luggage most of the time – however, once it’s heavy it quickly becomes a tad uncomfortable – not ideal if you plan on taking it hiking. This is one of the best backpacks for travel if you have a ton of valuables you want to keep in your hand luggage – i.e. if you are a digital nomad!

#2 REI Co-Op Flash 55 – An Excellent Budget Backpack

• Dimensions: 76.2 x 35.56 x 30.48 cm
• Weight: 1.28 kg
• Perfect-Fit suspension for on-body adjustments
• Easy access
• Budget-friendly

Although a little smaller than the Osprey Aether (and not as well-built), the REI Flash 55 still makes for a quality backpack for travel on long haul minimalist trips and weekend backpacking missions.

Ideal for use in both cities and in the mountains, the Flash 55 is a versatile, sturdy backpack with multi-functional pockets, a comfortable, suspension- supported fit, and easy access compartments allowing you to get to your essentials whenever you need to. This is one of the best hiking bags around for under $200.

Coming in just under $200, this pack features 8 external pockets plus a main compartment, making packing for your adventure a breeze. Combine this with a breathable back frame and comfortable hip belt, this is a great go-to for your weekend backpacking trips and more. I’ve used this pack primarily in desert climates, and typically tried to keep the overall packed weight under 35 lbs, and it’s yet to fail me.

All that being said, there are a few things I don’t love about the bag. For starters, the zipper pouch on the back side is made from a ripstop nylon material, which I found to be super inconvenient.. Another small complaint I had was the option to not include a rain cover for the bag. The nylon exterior can fend off small mistings of from mother nature, but anything more would more than likely render the bag (and your belongings inside) rather soaked and heavy.

Picking the best backpack to travel with doesn’t need to be difficult or expensive…

It’s easy to grab a great discount deal from a top brand and, to be honest, if you buy anything from Osprey, AER, or Tortuga you won’t be disappointed. However, not all backpacks are created equal and there’s a few factors you should always look at when picking a backpack for traveling…

1. The Right Travel Backpack Size

Size is a personal choice and the best travel packs have no definitive size. If you are a medium to long term traveler who needs more space for camping gear, who wants to pick up lots of trinkets or who travels with a full wardrobe then you need a 60-liter minimum backpack. I have seen some backpackers make do with 50 litre packs, and while I applaud them, they are definitely freaks!

Larger backpacks however mean checked baggage fees and you are less likely to be able to take your backpack into the bus with you -instead you’ll have to strap it to the roof and hope it doesn’t rain (rain covers do exist mind).

The smaller your travel bag, the less you can take, but the big bonus is no checked bag fees and it’s easier to keep tabs on your pack at all times. If you can keep your backpack below fifty liters you will save a fortune when flying. However the reality is that small bags are usaally too small for trips that last longer than a week to maybe two.

Think carefully about the size of your pack and what’s best for you – the best backpacks for travel are different for everyone. Personally, I travel with a seventy liter pack as I am often carrying camping gear.

2. Straps on Your Travel Backpack

Carrying everything you need to travel the world on your back doesn’t come lightly… even when you pack light! Wandering lost, trying to find a hostel in the heat of the day with a travel bag is not fun, even the lightest packers will agree.

To combat this, the best backpacks will include well designed load bearing straps to help turn that heavy backpack into a fairly light backpack.

The aim of the game is to take weight off your shoulders and onto the hips. This is significantly better for you and you can walk, climb and even jump around pretty comfortably if your pack’s weight is distributed evenly. These days most larger backpacks include hip belts as standard.

For me, quality hip belts are what makes a great travel backpack. Without a hip belt, even the best backpack in the world can turn into a nightmare. Some traveling backpacks have heat-molded custom made hip belts that may appear somewhat gimmicky but are very comfortable.

Your shoulder straps are equally important and should be comfortable to wear, without the hip belt. Look for shoulder straps that have plenty of padding.

3. Pockets, Pockets, POCKETS

Well organised travel bags make the best travel bags. There’s nothing more annoying than a typical backpack which only opens from the top meaning that each and every time you need something you’ll be pulling literally, everything else but that, out.

Pockets alleviate this problem; allowing you to assign certain segments of your travel backpack to particular items (e.g. clothes, toiletries, passport and money) for easier access. The best pocket is a U-shaped opening pocket as this allows easy access.

4. Travel Backpack Weight

Great travel backpacks are those which are as light as a feather. Sadly these don’t really exist and instead, you need to consider the best weight for what you’ll be doing. Backpacks themselves are not weightless, the heavier the frame, the more weight you have to start with.

In general, you want to go for the lightest, but toughest, pack you can find. Gregory Packs are some of the lightest packs on the market but they are simply not as tough as Osprey or AER and that is there downfall…

5. How Comfortable Should a Travel Backpack Be?

Your travel backpack will become your new best friend, it’s where you will store all of your shit, it will basically become your home; therefore you need to try and choose the most comfortable backpack.

You’ll find the best travel pack by trying it on in the store before buying. When trying it on, load it up with some weight to take it for a proper test drive. I strongly recommend trying a bunch of different backpacks on at an REI or Outdoor Store before making your choice.

When it comes to fitting a backpack , you want an even distribution of weight across your hips, shoulders and chest, and to make sure there are no pressure points that may cause the bag to rub or pinch as you walk. Cushioned shoulder pads and padded hip belts are always a winner my friends…

The better your hip belt, the better your pack will sit upon your body and the more comfortable it will be.

6. Material and Construction of a Good Travel Backpack

So it’s raining and you’re still trying to find your hostel? Or you can see your backpack from the plane window waiting to be loaded and it’s sitting in the rain? ( Fuck you Kingfisher Airlines ). Water-resistant material is essential when traveling!

Your bag will be exposed to rain, puddles or leaks at some point. There’s nothing worse than opening the bag to find your clothes soaked and stinking or worse, your electronics damaged. The most durable backpacks are made from strong, durable, stretchy, waterproof material.

So look out for backpack material that will last for years – the last thing you want is a ripped bag halfway through your travels!

Does the sound of having a super-durable backpack speak to you? Check out our in-depth best heavy duty backpacks review!

7. Best Travel Backpacks for Men vs Women

There are literally thousands of backpacks for traveling on the market and the best packs tend to be made with one gender or another in mind. Unisex backpacks usually will fit pretty much anybody but you can get a man’s backpack, which will take into account broad shoulders, for the same price so I definitely recommend finding a gender-specific backpack when you hit the road.

Finding the best female travel bag requires more research than nice colors and comfortable straps. I am, of course not a woman. So to help me out on this I spoke to a bunch of kick-ass women adventurers for advice.

Size is perhaps the most important consideration along with comfortable straps and weight distribution. This doesn’t mean that women have to buy travel bags specifically for them, but the feedback from my girlfriend and friends; is that they’re so much better.

Other than the different design for a typical woman’s body, there is not much difference between the women’s and the men’s travel backpacks. Most of the points that you’ll below apply to both genders so keep these in mind.

Generally speaking, backpackers are some of the most warming, understanding, agreeable people on the planet.

But there is one decisive issue among backpackers.

To travel with a carry on backpack, OR to travel with a large backpack ?

This has proven to be quite the epic debate. Every backpacker has an opinion on the topic, making it difficult for newbie travelers to know which side to pick, and most importantly, which bag to buy.

Let’s go over both options.

In Favor of a Big Backpack (60L – 80L)

The most obvious reason to have a larger backpack is that you can carry more stuff! A 65-70 liter backpack can hold all kinds of extra items from food to gear to photography/videography equipment!

Now not everyone is going to want or necessarily need to deal with all of these extra pieces of kit. More kit means more weight, more check-in fees, and more tedious packing and unpacking sessions. Ultimatly, you should only be packing what you need.

How About 50 Litres?

Some backpackers prefer to use 50 litre backpacks. They offer the comfort and durability of “proper” big backpacks but obviously are lighter and carry less stuff making them lighter again. Honestly, a litre backpack feels really nice to carry and they are easy to throw on and take off bus roofs.

However. While some travellers a 50 litre backpack to be something of a “not too big not too small” sweetspot, I actually find them to occupy a bit of a neversphere. What I mean is that they are too big to take as carry on but (for me) not big enough for a proper long trip. Personally, my view is that you are going to go with a full sized pack, go with 60 litres. Even if you don’t use all 60, at least you have room for souvernirs.

• Can accommodate extra gear for hiking, camping, etc
• Great if traveling to colder destinations
• Great when traveling off the beaten path
• More room=more options
• Additional strain on your back
• Have to check it on airplanes and buses
• Many travelers simply don’t need it
• Not as ideal for urban travel

In Favor of a Carry On Bag (35L – 40L)

While traveling with a  60L+ bag might make sense for some people, it is completely unnecessary for other people. If you are a lighter packer, or maybe if you are just going away for the weekend, then need a 65L beast is too way much.

If this is you, then you may prefer a 40L, “carry on” size bag. To be fair, they are still a decent size and can carry a lot of stuff. If you are not any bringing camping or hiking gear, then a 40-50L bag can be more than enough to handle all of your stuff.

Traveling with a light bag means traveling with less stress. Less stress on your back, less stress in your bag, less stress in your life in general. Travelers who carry large bags often fill it with things they don’t need.

But traveling light does require a sense of dedication, and if this minimalist bag style doesn’t appeal to you, then go big baby!

• Less shit to worry about
• Less stress on your back
• If your bag is under 40L, you don’t have to check it
• Great for urban travel
• Forget about camping, trekking or hitchhiking
• Limited space means less stuff
• Not a great option if you want to bring a lot of clothes

Should you get a Large or Carry On Backpack?

This is completely up to you and will ultimately depend on your travel style.

Take into consideration the type of person you are… is traveling super lightweight attractive to you? Do you plan to go camping around the world ? Do you plan to travel mostly to cities? Will you be flying a lot and want to avoid luggage fees?

By determining your travel plans and travel style, you’ll be able to better make a selection for which travel bag is best for you

If you still have some questions then no problem! We’ve listed and answered the most commonly asked questions below. Here’s what people usually want to know:

How can you find the right travel backpack for you?

Comfort, durabilty, size and prize are the main factors that determine a good backpack. Make sure you measure your torso and find out how much capacity you need for your gear during your trip. Then choose from the remaining options accordingly.

Is a 40L backpack big enough for Travelling?

Unless you’re travelling extremely minimalistic, long term travel can be tricky with only 40L. For short term travel however, it’s abolutely enough.

What is the best value travel backpack?

The Nomatic Travel Bag 40L is a great value backpack since it offers the best bang for your buck that you could find on the market. However, the Aer Travel Pack 3 is a strong competitor.

Are there any good budget backpack options?

The REI Co-Op Flash 55 is an excellent budget option. With 55L and high quality material, the Flash 55 is a versatile, sturdy backpack.

Which is the best travel backpack brand?

For us, the obvious choice is Osprey as they hit the right price point, the backpacks are durable and they offer a big variety of styles.

So there you have it amigos, the best tips to help you find the best travel packs for your upcoming adventures. The packs featured here are our personal favourites and we can vouch for each and every one of them.

Still not sure which backpack to buy? Well to nicely summarise it all for you, the best backpacks for travel are:

• The Nomatic Travel Bag 40L is the best overall travel bag for 2024.
• For the best hiking travel backpack, it is the Osprey Aether 70 …

You are now armed with all of the best options to find the best backpack for you! Our hope is that you find the backpack of your dreams and have many, many awesome adventures with your new best friend.

Now that you have your backpack, it’s time to check out our backpacking packing list for some ideas of what to put in it!

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

Aiden Freeborn

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59 Comments

You can backpack with a surplus military rucksack and do well. Poorly chosen footwear, tho, not so much.

Lets not hype it too much. Any three of the comparable packs in size and intent would be usable for the length of that trip. For the experienced packer tho, you only get one pair of boots. Choose wisely – and carry extra socks.

I know most of the experienced packers would read right past the opening line, but someone wanting to try the trail for their first time to Devil’s Den would not be well served concentrating on a high end pack and hitting the trail head with flip flops.

Great detailed article. I ended up going with the Wandrd Prvke. I think i made an awesome choice. Really love the looks and functionality of the bag.

Hey Will, Thanks for your wounderful review. Actually I was using Pacsafe Metrosafe backpack and now I want to upgrade my backpack. I’ll go for Nomatic as exactly you said it is designed to be modern, sleek, and provide ultimate packing efficiency. Thank for this buying guide!

Glad you are enjoying the Nomatic Pack! Indeed, that pack is awesome. Cheers.

very informative article sir

Thanks for sharing. I’m the new in backpack travel. I was torn between nomatic backpack and zynego backpack. Although I know the popularity of these two bags cannot be compared, I am very interested in zynego’s ai intelligence system. I think I need help! hhh

Our top choice at the moment is the Nomatic backpack :). Cheers!

I use the Osprey Porter 30L as my Carry On, because I have NEVER had to check it in no matter what airline. Even on small regional flights, I had no issues with it as a Carry On. The Farpoint and Fairview are excellent bags, but depending on the airline, yoiu may have to check them in. That’s never an issue with the Osprey Porter 30L.

Same with my 35 liter Minaal 2.0 Never have to check it. Always allowed carry on. Best way to travel… light… quickly… easily.. one bag… carry on. Much more free feeling…

I missed Deuter act lite but I bought 60 + 10 liter for women and I am more than happy with it!

60 – 70 liters. WOW ! I would never want to be packing that much stuff. Why would you need to pack so much stuff and put so much strain on your body? I travel for months at a time with just a 35 liter convertible backpack and I find that’s plenty. Pick up and go. I never have to check a bag, always carry on. I used to travel with a 45 liter bag, but it was big, and I always had to check it at the airport and then hang around the carousel waiting for it at my destinations. Now I just carry my 35 liter bag on and toss it in the overhead and no waiting a carousels or wondering who’s handling my bag. One Bag…Carry On travel. I always travel for a minimum of two months at a time, and up to four months. One, 35 liter, convertible backpack.

Whoah, Thanks for the lovely post. A great help, hope you continue to do this more often. I really like studying your posts. Cheers!

Hey, I’m in a bit of a dilemma- I’m so used to suitcases and i’m doing my first backbacking trip around SE Asia for 5 weeks in aug-sept. I want to pack quite a few clothes and I’m travelling by plane between different cities. Should I still go for a backpack and what size would you recommend. I was thinking backpack because I want to get scooter Grabs, and also the terrain. I was thinking 60-70 because of the amount of stuff I wanna bring but I was told by a friend that it would break my back lol.

Pssshhhh!!! Don’t listen to them! You can totally take a 60L without a problem so long as you don’t have a pre-existing spinal problem. Just make sure the pack fitted right! Depending on how heavy you pack, you might not need all that stuff though. I’m in Thailand for 7 weeks with Nomatic’s 30L . (Don’t worry, they have laundry service everywhere!)

I’m in my 60’s and would never think of taking a 60 or 70 liter back pack. Too much stuff. And you will have to check it at the airport and possibly pay baggage fees. Why would you want to take lots of clothes? I take three pair of summer weight material zip off pants, three thin summer weight material Columbia shirts wit roll up sleeves and three pair of ex-officio underwear and a good pair of hiking sandals. So I wear one set of clothes, and my other two sets are “Ranger Army Rolled” and in packing cubes in my 35 liter backpack. There are cheap laundries everywhere there that will do a load for a buck or two. And you can even wash your clothes in the sink and shower and hang to dry in your hotel room or apartment. I go for months at a time in Southeast Asia and carry only my 35 liter Minaal 2.0 convertible backpack. So much easier to carry less stuff, and not have to check any bags. Just carry it on the plane and throw it in the overhead. No waiting at carousels, or worrying about other people being rough with your bag or having it being diverted to another country and not showing up. Minimalist, one small bag, carry on is the way to travel. And it’s becoming more popular.

60 – 70 liters. WOW ! I would never want to be packing that much stuff. Sounds like major Himalayan expedition for a few months. I travel for months at a time with just a 35 liter convertible backpack and I find that’s plenty. Pick up and go. Never check a bag, always carry on.

Hey thank you for writing this post. It’s really helpful 🙂

Hi I am not a frequent traveller though like travel. In a recent trip with a connection inDubai, i used an american tourister 35L backpack, which caused a heavy toll on my back. Is it due to the particular brand or backpacks as a whole. Please suggest a backpack that is Back’ frenly.

Hi Shephy, I don’t really know about that model specifically, but if you have no spinal issues normally, a well-made, well-fitted pack won’t give you problems. Make sure you have hip straps (and use them). You can have someone help you fit it properly and always pack the bag with the heaviest stuff closest to your spine. This helps maintain your normal posture.

Have you tried the Eagle Creek Global Companion 40L? I’m trying to decide between that one an the farpoint 40L. Thank you.

Hi Lucas, we have not tested the Eagle Creek backpack you mentioned, but we always recommend anything by Osprey…and the Farpoint is a solid choice!

Any suggestions for a woman with low back issues. I hurt my back last year and can no longer carry larger bags but love the freedom of having a backpack for travel. I’m also only about 5″3″ if that helps.

It’s recommended to have a backpack with hip straps if you’re traveling but in your case, I’d say it’s ESPECIALLY important to have sturdy and padded hip straps, even if it’s a smaller backpack. This will take most of the pressure off your back. The second key element will be to get it properly fitted, especially if you’re wearing a larger bag. You need to find the tension that works for your hip straps, shoulder straps, and stabilizers (if you have them). You can research this online or ask a professional at an outfitter – they’re usually willing to help, even if you didn’t purchase the pack in their store. Similarly, do research on how to mount the pack properly without doing more damage to your back. Lastly, manage the time that you’re carrying your pack. This will just take a little planning before you leave your hotel or get off your flight – take breaks when you need to and cut down on weight as much as possible. I hope you find that backpacking freedom again! See ya out there!

Jackie… take a look at the Minaal 2.0 It’s only 35 liters and is convertible to duffle or backpack. Get the optional waist belt for it. I did. It’s the only bag I take even when I go for months, and I never have to check it. No more waiting at carousels.. I’m 67, and still carry my own bag. No wheelie luggage. There are other 35 liter and even smaller bags out there. You don’t have to get a Minaal 2.0 It’s a pricey bag. But I love mine.

First of all, I’ve been scouring the Internet for any articles/blogs/videos/Reddit comments regarding backpacks that are optimal for people with lower back pain, as I have really bad lower back pain too. Second of all, I HIGHLY recommend you to check out a rolfer or a trained Structural Integration practitioner in your area. Saved me thousands in chiro fees and made me stand straight after years of lower back pain.

As for backpack choices, I suggest maybe 30L and below and with hip straps (maybe Tortuga Setout if you’re in the US) and/or load lifters. I personally am 6 ft and around 185lbs and decided to go with Thule Subterra 34L and Tortuga Setout 35L (for when I need to pack more stuff).

Hope your lower back issues can be fixed!

Thank you all so much!! I appreciate all of the advice!! I have seen a doctor and went through physical therapy for 3 months to get me pretty much back to normal. Unfortunately, heavy lifting still bothers my back and I need to be careful about how and how much I carry. With all of your suggestions I went to get fitted and learned even more about keeping your pack weighted correctly. They fitted me with the Osprey Sirrus 24 Hiking backpack which is a little too small for longer travel so I’m looking at getting the Osprey Fairview 40 Women’s Travel Backpack. Smaller than the ones listed here but I think should be a good option for me. I haven’t bought one yet so I can’t speak to how it works for someone with back pain but I’m hoping it works well. Thanks!!

Yes, 24 liter might be a bit small for long term travel, although there are some minimalists who do travel long term with bags that small. I downsized from a 45 liter bag to a 35 liter convertible backpack. It’s great traveling lighter and being able to carry it on the plane and just toss it in the overhead. I spend months at a time in Southeast and South Asia with only that one 35 liter bag. No waiting at carousels and worrying about it going missing or being mishandled. I feel better not being over loaded down with stuff, not paying baggage fees. Becoming a minimalist one bag, carry on traveler takes adjusting, but is so much more freeing and enjoyable.

You should also start backing up the data you store on your device(s). If you don’t know where to start, you’ll want to dig into our guides covering iCloud backups and iTunes backups. Data loss issues are pretty rare, but there’s always a chance something gets lost in the shuffle as you transition to a new version of iOS.

Hi. Just wanted to leave some information on my trip that I just returned from. I used the Osprey Porter 30. Carry On bag only. I had one connection both ways of the trip. My trip was for three days, and I had no issues fitting what I needed in the bag and I was able to fit it under the seat in front of mine, even on the smaller planes. I stowed away the straps to do it, and it worked out great. One of the best travel investments I made. It also wasn’t uncomfortable walking through the terminals to my connections. I highly recommend the Osprey Porter 30 for shorter trips as a carry on bag. I love it.

Amazing! This makes traveling easier.

Thanks for the recommendations. I really like Osprey and was going to get the Farpoint 40, which because of you and others I know, is said to be an excellent carry on bag. That said, I opted for the Osprey Porter 30 because I need a bag that will ALWAYS be carry on size, no matter what airline I am flying on. I usually only need a bag to get me by for a few days and I am pretty good at packing what I need. This bag looks small on the outside, but it is bigger than it looks. I have no problem packing everything I need. I won’t be hiking, camping, or anything like that. Just needed a carry on bag. I may attach an Osprey Daylite Plus Daypack to it, but I really don’t need to.

I travel one bag, carry on also. So many great bags out there. Used to travel with a 45 liter convertible backpack, but was made to check it too often. So I bought the 35 liter Minaal 2.0 with zip away backpack strap. Can carry it like a duffle bag when I want. I’ve always been able to carry on my Minaal. Never had to check it. Love being a one bag, carry on traveler. Even when going for months, I only take my Minaal 2.0. It’s so freeing not taking so much stuff. I can’t believe the travelers I see with huge 70 – 120 liter expedition backpacks on their back, a second, smaller backpack on their front. Why ? We call them “Turtle Backpackers” Some of them with all that stuff also pulling a big wheelie suitcase. Unbelievable! That can’t be a comfortable way to travel. Impossible. I just toss my little 35 liter backpack on…and gone. For months at a time. Have safe flights and happy travels.

Good content with great pieces of information on traveling bags with so much variety.

Hi Will! Do you have any thoughts or experience with the Osprey Talon 44 as a travel pack in comparison to the osprey packs you mention?

I plan to travel for 1-3 months, fairly light, so I’m hopeful I can use it as a carryon in some cases. I know I want to to some hiking so a travel-specific pack is a no-go for me.

Thanks for the great guide and your awesome website!

Thank you for the very detailed guide and for your recommendation. I’ve had an Osprey backpack for several years, but I am looking to upgrade to something new and I am browsing opinions from experienced backpackers. To be honest, Nomatic was not on my short list, I was looking at Tortuga and Osprey again, but after your strong recommendation, I may have to take it seriously into account. Keep up the good work.

Thanks for sharing this article. Really glad to read this article and I will refer this site to my friends. – hr staffing solutions in bangalore

Not a fan of the Osprey Ozone. It was weird, I expected to love it- my Osprey Vector 22 (a model they don’t make anymore, sadly) is an almost-perfect carry-on rollaboard type of bag.

But the T-handle is a pain in the ass if the bag rocks or a wheel catches just a bit- it twists too easily in your hand and you can’t steady it while walking. I live in Spain and travel Europe, and so there’s lots of cobblestones, and the Ozone wasn’t great there.

The frame is also a little bit weird. Their guarantee is excellent, which is good because the way the bag attaches *to* that bottom frame is with fabric straps and they’re going to get beat up and break.

Just all in all, wasn’t a fan, and I normally love Osprey stuff. I wish they’d bring the Vector back.

That’s why I like my 35 litre Minaal 2.0 backpack.. which I can also carry like a duffle if I wish just by zipping the backpack straps behind their panel. I don’t have to worry about handles and wheels, sand, mud, stairs, cobblestones. It’s going with me again this year back to southeast Asia. Traveling for much longer than the two months I did last time. Just pick up and go…. carry on… no checking baggage or waiting at carousels. It’s the only bag I take.. whether going for two weeks… or for a year or more.. 67 years old now.. 35 litre backpack… get up and go….

I am very thankful to you as your article has given me lots of ideas. I enjoyed a lot by reading this post. Thanks for sharing your blog.- staff providing agency in bangalore

I’m surprised you didn’t include the Minaal 2.0 in your reviews.. I’ve had a Tortuga bag and an M.E.I Voyageur….. both good bags..Both 45 liters. (They’ve been making the Voyageur since the early 1980’s..with a few tiny improvements over the years. Nothing says “Great Product” like longevity in production). But in early 2017 after a lot of research and comparisons, I bought the Minaal 2.0 …a 35 liter convertible backpack. I was made to check my Tortuga and Voyageur on many flights… but during a two month trip to Cambodia and Thailand in 2017… I was always able to carry it on and toss it in the overhead. Its clean lines and grey color with minimalized Minaal logo keep it from sticking out in the crowd.. discrete. Small… pick up and go.. Hide away backpack straps, rain cover in its own little hidden pocket, I like to use a single strap and carry it like a duffle at times.. Only using the backpack straps and hip belt if I do a long hike across a city… You might like to check out the Minaal 2.0

Your guide is phenomenal. I was looking to buy a Best Camera Backpack for my tactical gear trip and happy that I read your review! Love your other travel articles as well.

It is a very advantageous post for me. I’ve enjoyed reading the blog. It is very supportive and useful information. I would like to visit the post once more its valuable content. Thanks for such post and please keep it up.

Thanks for such a comprehensive post about travel backpacks, Will! Love how you managed to incorporate the important features of each backpack, the pros and cons, as well as links on where we can buy them. Thanks for also providing additional links on your detailed reviews for each product

thank you for share this blog with us. I also like travelling and also like hyking on mountains.

Hi Will, I’m a very tall girl 5’10 and travelling SE Asia for a few months next year. I used a bag with detachable dayback while in Australia and loved it. I noticed the Fairpoint doesn’t have an adjustable back system. Which would you recommend?

Hmmm… tough for me to recommend as you’re taller than me! 😛 I recommend going into a shop for this and testing a bunch out to find one that works for you.

Thanks for such a comprehensive post about travel backpacks, Will! Love how you managed to incorporate the important features of each backpack, the pros and cons, as well as links on where we can buy them. Thanks for also providing additional links on your detailed reviews for each product. It saves us time and headache when looking for the best travel backpack for us. Kudos!

I’m planning on travelling from Australia to Asia, and then on to Europe with total travel time of 9 months (potentially staying on to work). Would you recommend getting something bigger than the womens Osprey 55?

Love your website – it’s filled with really great and helpful information!!

Cheers, Ash

Hey Ash! Hmmmm… it really depends on how much stuff you need, and also how tall you are… but personally I would stick to 55 as the max size, if you have something bigger then you WILL fill the space, and you’ll have a real heavy pack!

Hi Will, How does a laptop fit into these travels bags? Im deciding between a 50l deuter bag and a 60l osprey. I think the 50l is enough for me right now but i think i will travel to some colder places in the future and may appreciate the larger size. However, i need to travel with my laptop as well. I dont want to check my laptop in with the checked backpack. Do you think carrying a smaller normal backpack just for my computer would be reasonable?

If you want to travel with a laptop in your main pack, I would honestly consider picking up a pack specifically designed for this, have a read of this post – https://www.thebrokebackpacker.com/best-laptop-backpacks-for-travel/

A vote for the Farpoint here, I ‘ve bought two others since I first bought that and gone back to it each time.. so much better build quality and just so comfortable to carry.

Great review. Thanks. I’m torn between the Nomatic Travel Bag and the Osprey Farpoint 40. I’m going to be island hopping and diving in the Philippines, so it looks like I will be getting the obligatory ‘back sweat’ from wearing backpacks.. Is the Nomatic comfy? I see you have to purchase the hip straps separately and they are detachable, which leads me to believe thay won’t be particularly comfy or robust. Plus the price is probably swing it in favour of the Farpoint 40.. although I wish they did it in more colours.. I really like the green (that they only appear to do in the women’s version ‘Fairview’. Keep up the good work.

I personally think the Farpoint is the better pack…

hi will I am looking at the osprey farpoint 70-80 litres, I am going travelling for 6 weeks, I do however have a wedding to attend so I have 2 extra outfits plus 1 extra pair of shoes, It will be summer so not worried about a load of clothes, I love backpack so the travel backpack with the zip all the way around looks great, any suggestions?oh I am 5ft 5in, 68kilos medium build, & have always carried a backpack, oh yeah I do not need a day pack attached, thanks?

The Farpoint is a great pack, assuming you don’t plan on hiking and if you pick up the 70 litre Farpoint, you’ll have plenty of space for sure!

Finally – a comprehensive list of the best backpacks for travellers. I think you’ve persuaded me to pick up the Osprey Ozone. Firstly it looks beautiful but also 46 Litres is the perfect size for me. Thanks for the advice Will!

Happy to help – The Ozone is an epic backpack!

Thanks for sharing. Some great idea’s for backpacks. Love the detail you go into. Makes choosing a new backpack so much easier.

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16 Best Travel Backpacks for Day Trips, Outdoor Adventures, Commuting, and More

By Madison Flager and Paris Wilson

Whether you're hopping on a bike, trekking across rugged terrain, sightseeing, shopping, or jetting off to a business meeting, the best travel backpacks give you the freedom to explore hands-free. With so many options to choose from, we've rounded up 15 of the best bags to throw over your shoulders, from chic carry-ons to super durable options, all of which prove there really is a backpack for every occasion. Our editors and contributors road tested dozens of backpacks for months to determine the best of the best for our readers. We considered each backpack's weight, capacity, price, comfortability, style, and how well its held up.

Ahead, discover our editors' and contributors' recommendations for the weather-resistant carry-on bags, ultralight hiking backpacks, and sleek business-friendly options to bring on your next adventure.

Our top picks:

Best for weekend trips: Quince Revive Nylon backpack Best for long vacations: Roam The Continental backpack Best for business travel: Monos Metro backpack Best for everyday use: Lo & Sons The Rowledge backpack Best splurge option: Peugeot Voyages Laptop backpack tote

This gallery is part of Condé Nast Traveler’s first-ever Luggage Week , for which dozens of suitcases, backpacks, and weekender bags were road-tested by our editors.

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Calpak Luka Laptop Backpack

Calpak's Luka collection is made of scratch-resistant material, so you can rest assured that this backpack will hold up for years. “I love this backpack's material because of how durable it is for travel. I’ve spilt coffee, food, and makeup on this bag and it's so easy to clean with a disinfectant wipe,” says associate commerce editor Meaghan Kenny . It's her go-to backpack because of its many pockets, roomy compartments, and ultra-soft material. Inside, there's a large zippered compartment, a small mesh pocket, and three compartments for keeping items like socks, beauty products, or tech essentials separate. “One of my favorite features is the shoe compartment on the bottom of the bag that fits a pair of slippers or sandals,” says Kenny. The Luka backpack can hold up to 22 liters of essentials, but it still feels so lightweight.

Pros:  Laptop compartment, trolley sleeve, water bottle pocket, soft adjustable straps Cons: Very narrow luggage trolley sleeve

Quince Revive Nylon backpack

Made from 15 plastic bottles, the sleek recycled nylon on the Quince backpack is smooth to the touch, water-repellent, and lightweight. The nylon material is a selling point for senior commerce editor at Architectural Digest , Rachel Fletcher . “I love the black nylon because it’s basically invincible when it comes to stains and —two things I’m very prone to," she says. Though compact, it can still fit quite a bit—Fletcher has used it for commutes to the office as well as a weekend to Connecticut . She says "it fits an East Coast summer weekend’s worth of clothing pretty comfortably. It's best to bring on an airplane as your personal item, but if you’re a light traveler, it would definitely fit the bill for a quick trip."

Pros:  Thoughtful laptop sleeve, water-repellent material, accessible price point Cons: A little bulky

eBags Mother Lode Jr. backpack

Traveler contributor Tori Harstein says the eBags Mother Lode Jr. backpack is “perfect for weekend trips and can save a buck for thrifty travelers limited to personal items. For longer vacations, it’s probably best to supplement it with an additional carry-on .” It's compact enough to fit under the seat in front of you on an airplane and comes with backpack straps that are easy to stow. It you need some extra room, you can use the 1.5-inch zipper expansion. Choose from a few different ways to wear it: enjoy hands-free travel on your back, tuck the traps away and carry it as a briefcase, or throw the bag over one shoulder with a convenient duffel strap.

Pros:  Many separate compartments, opens like a suitcase which makes packing easier Cons: Can feel heavy on your back

Tumi Alpha Bravo Navigation backpack

With five colors and patterns to choose from, the customization is great for this Tumi backpack. The small, compact design hides the sheer capacity of the Navigator backpack—and it can be expanded for more space. Global director of audience development Lara Kramer says she can easily fit a weekend's worth of clothes and toiletries inside (and an extra pair of flats or sandals in the summer). “Tumi’s backpacks are the perfect combination of functional and comfort. The shoulder straps are well-padded and easily adjustable, and the bag also features a padded mesh back panel for additional support. For easy lifting, there is also a leather top carry handle that adds to its versatility,” says Kramer. Plus, it's made from recycled ballistic nylon, so you can feel good about your purchase.

Pros:  Many pockets (both inside and outside), padded mesh back panel, recycled material Cons: Hefty price tag

Arati Menon

Hannah Towey

Maya Silver

Monos Metro Backpack

This design-forward vegan leather bag is just the thing for travelers looking for a more elevated backpack. According to senior commerce editor Madison Flager , “it’s a comfortable bag to wear, and fits a lot—I’ve used it as an overnight bag. I do think it’s a great backpack, especially for commuters or for work trips where you want the practicality of a backpack while also looking polished." Whether you're headed on a weekend trip, carrying necessities on your daily commute, or using it as a carry-on bag, the Monos Metro backpack is a smart choice. The inner laptop compartment fits a 15" laptop, and there's a built-in trolley sleeve, top carry handle, and adjustable shoulder straps. The bag also comes with a Metro Kit, a modular pouch that snaps securely onto the front of the backpack, so you can keep essentials like a phone, earbuds, and hand sanitizer nearby.

Pros:  Multiple pockets, trolley sleeve, and comes with a removable pouch Cons: Not very lightweight and can feel bulky

Herschel Kaslo Daypack Tech

Although labeled as a tech bag, the simple and sleek design makes it versatile enough to wear just about anywhere. There’s two main compartments that give you plenty of room to pack clothes, toiletries, a laptop, iPad, and large over-the-ear headphones. There’s also multiple interior pockets that keep small essentials secure. Kenny was able to fit two days worth of clothing inside and says it's a great personal item for long-haul flights . “It’s so easy to carry, thanks to its buckle that connects the two straps which helps better distribute the weight and keep the backpack secure,” she says.

Pros:  Luggage sleeve, made from recycled materials, water bottle pocket Cons: Earbuds pocket is only compatible with Apple products or others that are similarly shaped

Dagne Dover Dakota Backpack

Former Traveler editor Alex Erdekian has traveled with the Dagne Dover backpack to Mexico, Italy , France, New Hampshire , and Boston to name a few. There are several pockets inside and it expands enough to fit a weekend’s worth of clothing. It’s extremely light when unpacked and the foamy exterior straps don’t dig into your shoulders and evenly distributes the weight of the backpack. It's made from neoprene and Performance Air Mesh which was a selling point for Erdekian. "The look of this backpack is a major part of why I use it so much. Something about the neoprene foam look feels really modern and fresh. It also looks so simple and free of distractions, whilst being tricked out with all these hidden bells and whistles on the inside,” she says.

Pros:  Spacious, comfortable, chic design Cons: There are almost too many pockets inside and the black neoprene can get a little scuffed

Lo & Sons The Rowledge backpack

Traveler Contributor Lydia Mansel loves this sleek, convertible backpack for carrying all of her work essentials. It features a 13" laptop compartment and can easily transition into a tote, thanks to backpack straps that tuck into a back pocket. It has plenty of pockets for organization—including a hidden one at the top for slipping your passport and boarding pass into while at the airport—and a trolley sleeve. It's made of a mix of nylon and leather, and has memory foam straps for extra comfort.

Pros:  It can carry two laptops, plenty of pockets, luggage sleeve Cons: Offered in two sizes, but the smaller version is a little too small to store a day's worth of essentials

Read a full review of this backpack here .

Pond LA Transform tote

Kenny has deemed it the most functional tote that she's ever used. You might be wondering why a tote deserves a spot on our best backpacks list—it transforms into a backpack with its adjustable straps. It's made from lightweight oxford fabric that's known to be durable and water-resistant. It can fit easily fit a 15"laptop and slides over your carry-on with its luggage trolley sleeve.

Pros: Can be worn as a backpack or tote, multiple pockets inside, large water bottle pocket Cons: The straps can feel a bit awkward

Read a full review of this bag here.

Roam The Continental backpack

Each time Flager takes this backpack on vacation she's complimented on its aesthetic. The bag is fully customizable, so each customer can choose the colors used for the front, back, sides, and straps. The wide, deep side pockets are a highlight for Flager, who says “there’s a place for everything—I like to put my important documents, ID, phone, and AirPods in the top zippered pocket for easy access, my Kindle or a book in the largest exterior pocket, and my keys in the smallest exterior pocket. I like that there are two side pockets for a water bottle and an umbrella or other small item."

Pros:  Lightweight, many color options Cons: A water bottle sometimes slips out of the pocket

Bagallini Soho backpack

This is has long been a go-to work bag for commerce producer Paris Wilson , “I've carried this non-stop since I got it. I just love how lightweight it is. It has a lot of storage space and a dedicated laptop sleeve," she says. It has one main compartment with a laptop sleeve and interior pockets that have hard inserts and pen holders. It's impossible to overpack with this bag which means that you don't have to worry about the weight straining your shoulders. Wilson notes that one of her favorite features of the backpack is the design: “it has a study build where it stands up on its own while I organize my things. The reinforced structure makes me feel put together when I wear it.”

Pros:  Multiple pockets, can stand on it sown Cons: Limited colors available

Troubadour Apex backpack

If you're looking for a sleek yet functional bag that's polished enough for the office, look no further than Troubadour's Apex backpack. Made of waterproof fabric, Kenny says this lightweight backpack is perfect for busy commuters. It fits up to a 17" laptop and has multiple pockets for small essentials like AirPods, glasses, or a wallet. This stylish backpack also features a breathable back panel and ergonomic padded shoulder straps for added comfort. “This would be a great bag for business trip and thanks to its trolley sleeve, it fits nicely on your carry-on," says Kenny.

Pros:  Padded laptop compartment, waterproof material, trolley sleeve Cons: Not ideal for active days outdoors due to its sophisticated look

Cotopaxi Tarak 20L Backpack

Contributor Rekaya Gibson raves about the amount of space that this backpack offers. “It includes dedicated space to carry heavy-duty gear like ropes and an ice axe with ease, and two exterior pockets to keep smaller items organized,” she says. The top of the bag has a convenient drawstring that secures your items on the top before covering it with the flap. Each bag comes from repurposed materials which vary slightly—this helps reduce waste, making it a more environmentally friendly pick, too.

Pros:  Has a lot of security elements (which is great for hikes) Cons: Shows wear quickly depending on your trek

Lululemon City Adventurer backpack 20L

Although deemed a gym bag, the City Adventurer backpack takes characteristics from it's name and can be the perfect companion for days spent exploring. The water-repellent fabric makes it an easy choice when commuting on rainy days or when you are packing it into a suitcase with toiletries (don't worry we have you covered ). Flager likes using this backpack for days when she heads to the gym after work. The backpack has thick padded straps, a trolley sleeve, and an expandable laptop sleeve.

Pros:  Separate shoe compartment, trolley sleeve, padded laptop pocket Cons: When filled with shoes, your main compartment room is limited; no exterior water bottle pocket

Peugeot Voyages Laptop backpack tote

Elegant and versatile, the Peugeot Voyages is an elevated option for travelers. The bag's exterior is made from leather and weather-resistant canvas and the interior comes from recycled plastic bottles. Travelers can carry the bag as a backpack or a tote. Plus, the shoulder straps and the back panel are padded for extra comfort. Associate social media manager Kayla Brock was on the hunt for the ideal laptop bag when she came across this. “I found exactly what I was looking for. A backpack that could hold my laptop as well as be an easy travel bag with several pockets for storage to get me through a week or two on the road without the back pain. With its price point, it's definitely worth the investment,” she says.

Pros:  Made from recycled materials, padded straps and back panel Cons: Can easily become bulky

Radley London Dukes Place zip around backpack

This stylish leather bag is ideal for travelers looking for a chic backpack that's equally functional and comfortable. There are two large compartments inside, with two small open pockets in the front compartment and a pocket in the back compartment that zip closed. The double-button clasp over the top handles adds an extra layer of security. Contributor DeAnna Taylor says "it's large enough to fit a light jacket , a pair of flats or sandals, plus any other small items you’ll need for the day’s adventure including lip balm, hand sanitizer, sunscreen , and more."

Pros:  Lightweight, versatile, and durable Cons: Limited colors available

Advertisement

The Best Travel Backpack

By Geoffrey Morrison

A travel backpack easily carries all your stuff while letting you navigate airports, subway stations, and city streets. After traveling with travel backpacks for years across dozens of countries, we recommend the new versions of Osprey’s Farpoint 55 and Fairview 55 travel packs.

These bags fit everything we need for trips ranging from just a week to months of continuous travel. They come with a sizable daypack and are even airline-carry-on friendly.

They’re also highly adjustable and well padded, meaning that not only can you get a perfect fit, but the packs will also remain easy to carry and comfortable to wear for long treks, even if there are stairs, cobblestones, or narrow alleys in your way.

Everything we recommend

Osprey Farpoint 55 Men’s Travel Pack

The best travel backpack for those with taller torsos.

Comfortable, adjustable, and carry-on capable, the Farpoint has everything we needed for a week, or even months, of travel.

Buying Options

Osprey Fairview 55 Women’s Travel Pack

The best travel backpack for those with shorter torsos.

Comfortable, adjustable, and carry-on capable, the Fairview has everything we needed for a week, or even months, of travel.

REI Co-op Ruckpack 60+ Recycled Travel Pack (Men’s)

Larger, for people with longer torsos.

Thick padding and highly adjustable straps make this pack just as comfortable and easy to fit as any other we tried for people with longer torsos. However, it’s too big to carry on a plane.

May be out of stock

REI Co-op Ruckpack 60+ Recycled Travel Pack (Women’s)

Larger, for people with shorter torsos.

Thick padding and highly adjustable straps make this pack just as comfortable and easy to fit as any other we tried for people with shorter torsos. However, it’s too big to carry on a plane.

Upgrade pick

Salkan The Backpacker

More stylish, with more padding.

This attractive but expensive travel backpack has customizable straps and great, cushy padding. It comes in only one size, however.

I traveled with a Farpoint 55 for years, across dozens of countries for months at a time. In 2023, Osprey released new incarnations of the Farpoint 55  and the sized-for-smaller-torsos Fairview 55 .

These new versions mostly kept what we liked about the previous ones and fixed what we didn’t. Best of all, they’re among the least expensive travel backpacks available. After several years as runner-ups, the packs are once again our top picks.

The front of the main pack still unzips like a suitcase, so you can easily fit and access a week’s worth of clothes and toiletries. The daypack, which attaches to the front of the larger pack, has room for camera gear, daily essentials, and a small laptop (via a built-in sleeve). The main pack’s straps can tuck behind a zippered flap, so they won’t catch on anything if you check your luggage.

The best change: The main packs are now overhead-bin-sized for most airlines. (You’ll have to use the daypack as your underseat bag.) Other notable updates include height-adjustable shoulder straps and big exterior pockets on the daypack. Previous versions of these bags used ripstop nylon. The current one uses a heavy-duty recycled polyester, which held up well during a six-week trip across Europe.

Osprey offers a lifetime warranty.

If you want something a little larger than the Osprey packs, the REI Co-op Ruckpack 60+ Recycled Travel Pack - Men’s (for travelers with longer torsos) and the REI Co-op Ruckpack 60+ Recycled Travel Pack - Women’s (for travelers with shorter torsos) are just as adjustable and comfortable. The Ruckpacks had been our top picks for several years—we now prefer the new Ospreys because they’re carry-on sized.

The Ruckpacks have a smaller daypack than the Ospreys, which isn’t as good for photographers and digital nomads, but the main packs are larger, which can be good if you’re carrying bulkier items like a heavy jacket. While not carry-on-sized, the main pack’s overall dimensions are still manageable. The Ruckpack 60+ is also a little cheaper than the Osprey packs.

The Ruckpacks are made from a tough, recycled ripstop nylon that stands up to wear. REI offers a return period of up to a year if you’re a member (90 days if you’re not). However, if the problem is a manufacturing or materials defect, the packs are covered by REI Co-op’s warranty, which has no specified expiration date.

The Salkan The Backpacker looks and feels like a higher-end travel backpack. The polyester cloth feels extremely rugged, and there’s extensive padding in every place the pack touches your body.

Available in black and lightish green, The Backpacker has nine color options for its exterior compression straps, so you can mix and match based on your preferences—or even change them up. This gives The Backpacker the most customizable palette of any of our picks.

While looking more stylish on TikTok and Instagram isn’t generally a primary consideration for us, overall The Backpacker feels well made, and it has many of the same thoughtful features as our top and runner-up picks, including lots of pockets, smooth zippers, and height-adjustable shoulder straps.

These are offset, however, by a much higher price. Also, the main pack is technically too large to be a carry-on for most airlines, and the bag comes in only one size. (Salkan says it’s best for people 5-foot-6 to 6-foot-4).

The research

Why you should trust me, who this is for, how we picked, how we tested, our pick: osprey farpoint 55 travel pack and fairview 55 travel pack, runner-up: rei co-op ruckpack 60+ recycled travel pack, upgrade pick: salkan the backpacker, the competition.

I’ve lived, worked, and visited 60 countries on six continents, as well as all 50 US states. I spent the majority of 2014 through 2020 traveling. Over the last few years, I’ve done a mix of extended road trips and multi-month international adventures. For all those years, I lived out of a backpack while abroad. I’ve also traveled in Africa, China, and throughout Europe with a variety of terrible backpacks and luggage, so I know what’s best to avoid.

In addition to covering travel gear here at Wirecutter, I write about travel and tech for CNET , Forbes , and The New York Times itself, and I have my own YouTube channel . My first travel book, Budget Travel for Dummies , comes out in January.

A travel backpack is for people who want to travel around the world unencumbered by heavy, slow-moving wheeled luggage. An internal-frame backpack in the 50- to 65-liter range has more than enough room for all of the possessions you need to travel anywhere for an indefinite amount of time—as long as you’re okay with doing laundry once you get to a destination. (If you’re going to carry heavy jackets, going-out clothes, multiple pairs of footwear, or other bulky gear, you may want something a tad bigger .)

A travel backpack is not for business travelers who’d like to maintain appearances, nor is it for outdoor enthusiasts looking to spend six weeks hiking in Patagonia. If you prefer something that rolls, check out our guide to the best carry-on luggage . And if you want something that you can carry on your back for shorter periods of time, that’s business-casual-friendly, and that you won’t ever need to check, see our review of the best carry-on travel bags .

Based on my experience and research, we looked for travel backpacks with the following qualities:

• Fifty to 65 liters, including a daypack: We looked at bags between 50 and 65 liters (including an integral, removable daypack). Packs this size can easily hold everything you need for any length of trip, while being small enough to remain manageable while you’re wearing it.
• Clamshell opening: For extended travel use, backpacking backpacks have annoying qualities, including that they tend to load only from the top and are sealed with a drawstring. This design saves weight and means there’s one less thing to break. But it’s a total hassle when you want something from the bottom of the bag because you have to unload and reload the entire pack. We looked for bags where the front zips fully open like a suitcase, making it easy to pack or repack and find things during your trip.
• A well-framed structure: A fully loaded backpack, even a small one, can easily weigh more than 20 pounds. My old Farpoint 55 usually hovered in the mid-30s, though that included a DSLR, three lenses, a battery pack , a laptop, a 360 camera , and other work-related gear. A fully supported internal-frame pack distributes the weight onto your hips, which are much stronger than your back and shoulders. If you’re going to be doing a significant amount of walking, you’ll want something with a frame.
• Durability: We looked for features to help the pack last, like some sort of cover to contain the straps (for easier storage on planes and trains), as well as lightweight and water-resistant materials.
• Plenty of storage (and separation): I’ve done all of my traveling in the past five years with a 55-liter backpack (which includes a 15-liter daypack). I tend to overpack a bit, but 55 liters lets me carry everything I need (the full list is below) for weeks, or even months, at a time.

Here’s what I usually bring for any length of trip (and this is our standard kit for testing):

• main pack (the command module , if you will)
• daypack (the lunar excursion module )
• pair of walking shoes or sneakers (along with the shoes I’m wearing)
• five shirts, one pair of shorts, one pair of jeans (not shown because I wear them in transit), one merino wool underlayer
• warm hat (because my head lacks insulation)
• five pairs of underwear, five pairs of socks, one extra T-shirt for laundry day, one bathing suit (I really recommend packing cubes )
• rain jacket in an Eagle Creek bag
• various adapters , camera batteries, chargers, etc.
• various toiletries, vitamins, etc.
• Osprey rain cover
• razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.
• well-worn flip-flops
• travel towel
• portable Bluetooth speaker
• prescription dive mask
• merino wool jacket
• inflatable pillow
• smartwool half-zip midlayer
• sun hat (because my head hates sun)
• extra travel adapter for daypack (when the daypack is my carry-on)
• pen (vital!)
• a small laptop (a 15-inch MacBook fits in all of our picks)
• GoPro batteries and filters
• earplugs and noise-cancelling headphones
• Writer Emergency Pack
• USB battery pack #1
• USB battery pack #2
• backup headphones
• iPod Classic (because you can’t always stream music)
• USB charger
• Sigma 30 mm f1.4 (with a wireless mouse to its right)

For our first version of this guide in 2016, we narrowed our choices to 11 possible contenders. For that initial round of testing, I poked and prodded the different packs to sort out whether they had any obvious flaws or issues. I had adults of various sizes try each pack to get a sense of what short and tall people preferred.

For each subsequent update, including this one, I tested with similar methods whatever new or substantially redesigned packs were available. In between updates, I took one of our picks on some extended travels.

The Osprey Fairview 55 and the nearly identical Osprey Farpoint 55 have been one of our picks since the first version of this guide came out in 2016. (The Fairview is for people with 15- to 19-inch torsos, as measured from the top of your hip bone to your C7 vertebra, the one that sticks out when you press your chin to your chest. The Farpoint is for those with torsos from 17 to 22 inches long.) They’re now our top picks again, and here’s why.

You can carry them on the plane. Once you detach the daypacks, the main packs are now carry-on-sized, making them the most versatile travel backpack we’ve tested. Interestingly, the total capacity remains roughly the same as those of our other picks—that is, we were able to stow the same amount of clothing in this bag as we could in the REI Co-op packs and the Salkan . The daypack, in this case, would count as your personal item—on most airlines, this would mean you couldn’t also bring a large purse or a briefcase.

Or check your bag—your choice. The shoulder straps can be secured behind a zippered panel, so if you want to check the bag or put it in a packed luggage compartment on a train or bus, they won’t catch on anything. Doing this essentially turns the main pack temporarily into a duffle bag, complete with sturdy and well-padded handles on the top and side.

They’re adjustable. Like our other picks, the main pack has height-adjustable shoulder straps. This crucial feature lets you get an all-important personalized fit that makes carrying the pack for any length of time far easier. The straps were padded enough for our testers’ comfort (though not as cushy as the Salkan’s, and slightly less so than the REI Co-op’s).

They have comfortable, easy-to-use daypacks. The daypacks are roughly the same size, or a little larger, than those of our other picks, something travelers who plan to cart lots of camera gear or other daily essentials will appreciate. The top of the shoulder straps connect to form a sturdy handle, which is extremely, ahem, handy. Each daypack easily holds a 15-inch MacBook and is comfortable to wear over long treks. There are two large exterior mesh pockets for water bottles . Though the daypack is a little short on organizational slots and pockets, its comfort made it the best overall.

The backpacks are tough. The Farpoint and the Fairview are made from 450-denier recycled polyester, which feels thick and sturdy, though more “plasticky” compared to the Salkan. (Denier is a measure of the fiber thickness in a fabric.) I put the Farpoint through six weeks of train, bus, and airplane trips across Europe, and it didn’t show any signs of wear or breaking.

You can attach a lock, if you want. Unlike the Salkan The Backpacker, both the main pack and the daypack’s main zippers are lockable.

The backpacks come in more color options than our other picks. Currently, the Farpoint comes in black, green, blue, and grey. The Fairview comes in black, green, red, and purple.

The packs include a lifetime warranty. Osprey’s All Mighty Guarantee covers repair of any damage or defect for life—or replaces the pack, if repair is impossible. If you just want to return the pack unused, you have 30 days.

It’s been a pick in this guide for seven years—and counting. I have put my money where my mouth is, so to speak. After testing this 2023 pack, I liked it so much that I bought one for myself, replacing an Osprey Farpoint that had been my go-to pack for years of travel.

It comes in additional capacities. If you already have a daypack that you like, the Farpoint 40 and the Fairview 40 are just the main pack from the 55 (they’re also picks in our guide to carry-on travel backpacks ). You can add the daypack later if you want. If you want more space and don’t mind checking your luggage, the Osprey Farpoint 70 and the Osprey Fairview 70 are slightly larger versions of their Farpoint 55 and Fairview 55 counterparts—anything we’ve said about the Farpoint 55 and the Fairview 55 also applies to them. They would work well for those who want to go with the Osprey but need more room in the main pack for, say, clothes for multiple climates, bulky items like ski parkas, and the like.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• The U-shaped opening of the daypack is surprisingly small, restricting access. You can’t easily spot things at the bottom or carry bulky items. On the other hand, this does limit what might spill out of the pack if you forget to fully close it, something that has happened to me several times with the old half-clamshell design.
• Previous versions of the Farpoint and the Fairview had large zippers that basically fused the daypack to the main pack. With this version, the daypack hangs off the back, secured only by the nylon compression straps. The straps loop through reinforced parts of the daypack, so it seems reasonably secure, and this new design does let you stuff more things in both packs—but as someone who carries a lot of expensive gear in the daypack, I’m less than excited about it.
• The pack isn’t as comfortable as the heavily padded Salkan. Osprey seems to have prioritized weight and breathability over padding. In warmer climates, though, this could be a good thing.
• Unlike our other picks, the Farpoint and the Fairview don’t include a rain cover. One is available separately, however. Osprey recommends the large size for the 55 L packs.
• The new design is slightly smaller than the old one, as well as being a little smaller than the REI Co-op and Salkan packs.
• Lastly, while looks are entirely subjective, the Farpoint and the Fairview are very much “backpack-looking backpacks.” The dark color choices are safe, to put it mildly.

The REI Co-op Ruckpack 60+ Recycled Travel Pack - Men’s and the REI Co-op Ruckpack 60+ Recycled Travel Pack - Women’s were previously our top picks, until they were replaced this year by the improved Osprey packs.

It’s easy to get just the right fit. The Ruckpack has well-padded and height-adjustable straps, closer in size and padding to those of the Salkan than those of the Osprey . Like the Osprey but unlike the Salkan, the Ruckpack comes in two models, one marketed toward men and the other toward women. The men’s model, available in black or blue, is for people with torsos between 17 and 21 inches. The women’s model, available in black or reddish orange, fits torsos between 15 and 19 inches.

It’s sturdy. The Ruckpack uses a recycled, 210-denier ripstop nylon. It feels similarly sturdy as the Osprey, though not as sturdy as the Salkan. Previous versions of the Ruckpack have held up well over time, and we’ll continue testing to see how the 2023 version wears.

It’s bigger than the Osprey, although the daypack is smaller. Capacity wise, there’s a bit more room in the Ruckpack’s main pack than in the slightly smaller Osprey’s. The daypack, however, is a little smaller. Which backpack works better depends on what gear you carry and how you want to carry it. If you have a lot of things you want on your person at all times, the Osprey is better. If you have more or bulkier clothes, and no camera or less-bulky daypack gear, the REI might be better.

It has more pockets than our top pick. These pockets are on the inside (three are accessible via external zippers) and the outside (on the hip belt, for instance). This is especially convenient if you want to quickly stash items or get to them without having to open the main compartment. And, unlike the Osprey packs, the Ruckpack includes a rain cover.

You will have to check it. The Ruckpack’s dimensions make it too large to qualify as a carry-on, even if you detach the daypack from the main pack. The main pack’s straps can be stored behind a zippered panel when you check your bag.

The main pack’s zippers are easily lockable. However, the daypack’s zippers don’t have the standard holes for easy locking. Instead, you have to thread the lock through the holes in the pull tabs. This isn’t a huge deal, but it’s an odd oversight.

REI has a good return policy. REI has a one-year “ 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed ” return policy if you’re a member (90 days if you’re not). This is not quite as epic as Osprey’s lifetime guarantee, but you should have enough time to determine whether or not you like the pack. However, if the issue is a manufacturing defect, you should be able to return it any time.

The Salkan The Backpacker is a higher-end travel backpack for people who want the comfort of our top pick but are willing to pay more for swappable design options and more organization.

It has more organization than our top pick. The capacity of the main pack is 45 liters, basically the same as that of our main picks . It has more organization and compartments than the Osprey packs, however. There are two large water-bottle compartments on either side and a laptop compartment inside, as well as several other small, zippered compartments. In addition to the main zippered hatch, the top opens with a drawstring like a hiking backpack, allowing fast access or storage. This drawstring design does allow you to stuff a bit more into the pack than the Osprey or REI Co-op packs. However, the main pack is technically too tall to be a carry-on for most airlines.

It has the best padding. The shoulder straps are well padded—the best I’ve seen—and height adjustable. The back panel and hip straps are generously padded, too. All this does make the pack nearly twice as heavy as the Osprey, though we’re talking only a few pounds (under 8 pounds compared with the Farpoint’s 4-plus pounds). For reference, the Farpoint, fully loaded with all my clothes, heavy camera gear, and so on, was around 35 pounds, including the bag itself.

You can customize it. The pack is available in two main colors: black and light green. In addition, the straps have complementary color options, including orange (shown above), pink, and maroon, plus five other choices. This allows for more personalization and flair compared to the Osprey and REI Co-op packs. Salkan also sells several accessories to go with The Backpacker, such as packing cubes, water bottles, and a laundry bag that attaches to the inside of the main pack.

It’s sturdy—but has not-so-great attachments. The bag’s 900-denier polyester fabric (even stronger than our top pick’s 450-denier fabric) is extremely strong and should resist rips or tears. What zippers The Backpacker has run smoothly, but the design oddly eschews them in key places. While the main compartment has a zipper, as do multiple smaller compartments, the main and daypack’s top openings do not, using drawstrings and a flap instead. These flaps are secured with aluminum “G”-shaped hooks (Salkan calls them buckles) that slide into nylon straps. The hooks feel nice in your hand and could well last longer than the plastic clips on the Osprey and REI Co-op packs. However, connecting them takes a few moments longer than using a clip or zipper would—time that adds up. They also feel less secure, like they could slide loose under load and movement. (These hooks are also what connect the daypack to the main pack.)

It has a great warranty. Salkan has a “ ‘No Landfill’ Lifetime Guarantee ”: “If there is something wrong with your backpack that shouldn’t be, then we’ll try to repair it, and if we can’t, we’ll replace it.” In addition, the company has a 100-day trial period within which you can return or exchange the pack if you don’t like it.

But it’s pricey. The Backpack costs much more than the Osprey or REI Co-op packs. While it’s arguably better-looking than either, this doesn’t add much functional difference. The pack’s comfortable, but so are the others. It’s adjustable, but so are the others. It comes with a rain cover, but so does the REI Co-op pack, and Osprey’s is $40. Is the Salkan’s extra cost and organization worth the better aesthetics? That’s not for me to say.

And we couldn’t attach a lock. There’s no way to lock either the main pack or the daypack. There’s no way to attach a lock to the “G” hooks. The nylon drawstrings at the main pack’s top opening, as well as the daypack’s, offer no practical way of attaching a lock. For such a well-designed and feature-rich pack, this is a surprising oversight. Is this a dealbreaker? Probably not, at least for most people. With the daypack buckled and the drawstring closed, it’s highly unlikely someone could reach in while you’re wearing it without you noticing. However, I frequently leave my pack in luggage rooms at hotels or the occasional hostel without lockers, and not being able to lock it when it’s out of sight would concern me.

This is not a comprehensive list of everything we tested in previous iterations of this guide—just what’s still available.

During our research, we checked out a number of companies that make great packs, but none of those packs met all of our criteria. In most cases this was because the company specialized in top-loading bags, bags with wheels, bags that were too big, or very large bags that didn’t include daypacks. These companies included Black Diamond, Berghaus, Dakine, Eagle Creek, eBags, EMS, Ferrino, Gregory, High Sierra, Kathmandu, Kelty, Minaal, MEI, The North Face, Ortovox, Outdoor Research, Patagonia, Rick Steves, Thule, Timbuk2, and Victorinox.

The Deuter Aviant Access Pro has many of the features we liked, but its daypack is too small. The pack’s also more expensive than our top picks.

The men’s and women’s Thule Landmark 60L are well-made, sturdy packs, with a wide main-pack opening and most of the same features that we like in the other packs. They’re more expensive, though, and the daypacks aren’t as comfortable.

The Tropicfeel Shelter Backpack is a highly customizable pack to which you can add “modules” that expand capacity or change its use. It’s a cool idea, and the pack seems well designed, but it’s extremely expensive and doesn’t really add that much practical use over our main picks.

This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.

Meet your guide

Geoffrey Morrison

Geoffrey Morrison is Wirecutter’s former AV editor, current editor-at-large, and a travel writer and photographer. He covers action cameras, gimbals, travel backpacks, and other gear. He has been to all 50 states and 60 countries, and he is the author of Budget Travel for Dummies and the sci-fi novel Undersea .

Further reading

The Best Camera for Your Dream Vacation Isn’t a Smartphone

by Ben Keough

Packing for the vacation of a lifetime? Don’t forget to put a good camera in your bag. We have picks for travelers (and vacations) of all kinds.

The Best Tripod

by Erin Roberts, Arriana Vasquez, and Phil Ryan

If you want to shoot sharp photos while using a slow shutter speed, we think the Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263AB100 tripod is the best choice.

The Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker

by Brent Butterworth

The UE Wonderboom 3 is the all-around best portable Bluetooth speaker because it sounds good and looks cool, and it’s the most rugged model we’ve tested.

Wirecutter’s Favorite Bags, Totes, Backpacks and Carryalls

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Whether you’re going to school, work, the gym, the store, or on vacay, you need a bag. Here’s the Wirecutter-recommended carrying gear we love most.

16 BEST Travel Backpacks – Ultimate Buyers Guide [2024]

• Last Updated: March 22, 2024

Searching for the best travel backpacks for your next adventure can be challenging. But we’ve got our top recommendations laid out for you in this post so you can buy with confidence!

Living out of a backpack has never been more fun. Hell, we’ve been doing it for 15 years full-time and still love it more and more every day!

And boy have things changed since we first hit the road. Back then all we needed was a simple bag to throw some clothes in.

Now though us modern travellers have more pockets than ever to carry all our cameras, tech and everything else we can think of, which brings more ways to enjoy our time spent on the road.

But shoving your entire life inside a thin nylon canvas isn’t without its challenges.

There are so many great backpacks out there, perfect for everything from a day spent climbing mountains to a day spent walking around a new city snapping Instagrammable photographs on your selection of top cameras for travel (check out our guide to see what we personally recommend).

So where do you even begin? How do you cut through the millions of styles, brands and features to find the backpack that is perfect for you?

Never fear, fellow traveler. That’s why we’re here!

This buying guide helps navigate a crowded field and highlights the best of the best when it comes to backpacks.

The best travel backpacks make your worst days that much easier. Whether you’re late for a flight, dog-tired with a few miles left to hike or starving on the train home, tiny differences in load-bearing technologies, pocket access points, and extra space for snacks make a huge difference in your day-to-day life.

You won’t always notice it when things are going well. But there is nothing more frustrating than a bad day made worse by faulty equipment. 

Don’t let shoddy craftsmanship hamper your next adventure. Follow along and find the travel backpack best for your next grand day out.

EDITOR’S CHOICE:

Peak Design Travel Backpack

Ok our ‘Editor’s Choice’ has now officially changed after months of testing! Enter the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45l – Our new all-time favourite travel bag!

This backpack is packed full of thoughtful features and air travel optimisation, and is perfect if you carry a bit of camera gear and a laptop too.

With a huge main compartment, separate tech areas and 45 litres of space, this is the perfect travel companion .

Table of Contents

OUR TOP RECOMMENDATION – Osprey Talon 22

Patagonia black hole tote , fjällräven ulvö, pacsafe venture safe , arc’teryx granville 16, peak design everyday camera backpack, gregory paragon 58, matador travel pack, rei trailbreak 60 , kelty red wing, osprey aether plus 70, editor’s choice: peak design travel backpack, nomatic travel bag  , osprey farpoint 40, tortuga outbreaker, loading (front or top), padded straps, weather resistance, the best travel backpack – our expert guide.

With so many different lifestyles out there, it can be hard to nail down one perfect carry. That’s where we step in.

We’ve split up the industry leaders into their specific niches and let the best bags of all sizes rise to the occasion.

We’ve carried our lives on our backs over thousands of miles and dozens of countries and judged these packs on everything from security to scalability. 

The best travel backpacks in the business all provide a lightweight, affordable price, a few storage options and comfortable features at every corner.

Beyond that, the bags on our list excelled within their specific niches to earn their spot on our list. 

Best Day Backpacks

First we’ll kick things off with day backpacks. These are smaller than your full-size travel packs, but are essential if you’re planning on doing any exploring around the city.

Even if you travel with a suitcase, we recommend you get one of these day packs so that you can keep your personal belongings with you on the plane, then have something to carry water, cameras, a jacket, etc when out walking.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the options out there.

If the Swiss Army Knife was a backpack, it’d be the Talon 22 .

From the extra pocket in the shoulder straps to the hydration pack reservoir, every inch of this travel backpack serves a higher power.

For us, the hip belt and sternum straps set this bag apart. These straps aren’t just a few buckles. They’re legitimate, load-bearing protections that help the bag accompany you through extreme situations while skiing, biking and kayaking.

This pack lives to be on a bicycle, and no matter the sport you’ll have a tough time finding a more able companion.

It’s built to reach the summit, but you don’t have to be deep in the woods to reap the benefits of this pack. The Airscape breathability ensures that no matter where you’re going, you won’t show up too sweaty.

The Talon 22 takes the comfort and packability of larger backpacking bags and shrinks them down to a size perfect for the day.

• Hip belt and sternum straps
• Comfortable on the back of a bike
• Fits snugly underneath an aeroplane seat
• Slightly small for a laptop
• Expensive per litre

Patagonia pumped out a bag as light as air made from 100% recycled nylon. This flexible behemoth can bend, twist, and be carried in one hand or over your shoulders.

You can stuff it down inside your larger luggage and arrive ready to hit the town.

Once unfurled, this hefty tote can support a surprising 27 litres whichever way you feel like it.

On days you’re ready to tote, tuck away the shoulder straps and start swinging.

A bag trying to carry this much in an ultralight shell can be a risky proposition, but with the Patagonia brand behind the construction, you know you’re getting an environmentally conscious and incredibly durable product.

And of course, they took care of the details. We’d love to see a hip belt on this bag, but it’s ultralight first so don’t expect much of a suspension system.

A true difference maker is the zippered exterior pocket that comfortably holds everything you need to get through security. That pocket elevates this bag from a sack into a minimalist day pack suitable as a carry on bag.

• A stuffable bag that expands up to 27 litres
• Three different carrying options
• Comes with water bottle pockets and laptop storage
• No frame support
• The main compartment is a bit of a black hole

The Ulvö stands out thanks to its Bergshell material. Its 400D rating is one of the highest in the industry.

And the shell provides enough weather protection to get your electronics through a surprise shower intact.

You don’t need to take our word for it, just look around! The familiar fox is a famous look amongst high-budget travellers, becoming so popular it can be hard to believe the travel backpack provides real value.

We’re here today to quell those fears! Fjällräven is much more than good marketing.

They take sustainability seriously by cutting their carbon footprint wherever they can and building travel backpacks meant to last. Two separate layers of recycled nylon yarn provide the highest tear resistance in the industry.

Don’t decide between style and function, get you a bag that does both.

• Surprisingly water resistant
• Scratch-proof recycled materials
• Stable enough to run with
• You’ll have to pay a little more for the name brand
• Not many exterior pockets

Meandering through crowded marketplaces is a great way to discover hidden gems, but not everyone showed up to haggle.

Wearing a typical travel backpack on foreign streets is going to draw some unwanted attention. That’s where the PacSafe Venturesafe checks in.

Some call it the Fort Knox of the travel backpack industry. Others simply call it home.

Wearing a front-loading safe on your back and take your security into your own hands.

These reinforcements certify the Pac safe as one of the best anti-theft business travel backpack options, but the bag has a surprising amount of outdoor-ready features.

You’ll find space for a hydration pack or reservoir and a breathable mesh back that keeps the temperature down. All the locking mechanisms make the bag a touch heavy for the summit. But it’s certainly no slouch.

You don’t have to be loaded down with valuables to benefit from extra security. Pacsafe stays low-key while protecting every corner so your backpack won’t stand out in a crowd, and won’t unzip without a key.

• Cut-proof meshing
• Double-covered with lockable zippers
• Frequently voted best travel backpack for women with security concerns
• Only one way to carry
• Not many Pac Safe options larger than 30 litres

It can be hard enough to find a few partners willing to march through the muck, let alone find a laptop travel backpack that can handle all weather.

There are many daypacks out there that talk about their water-resistant nylon, but there are few bags that can say they are a truly waterproof backpack for travel.

The Granville 16 makes as good of a case as anyone.

This bag is storm-ready, and some users even call it bulletproof. Its weather resistance and ripstop technology mean it might survive a hailstorm in better shape than you could.

There’s no point in taking risks with the gear you could use every day. Arx’Teryx is one of the first names in weatherproofing and durability, so you can expect these backpacks to get the job done for a decade.

It’s just barely big enough to stow a laptop and brings a sternum strap to share the load. And every inch of this backpack has taped critical seams and water-tight pockets, so you can keep your phone, wallet, and keys close by in a storm.

Don’t waste precious seconds searching for your keys to get dry, and don’t stress about a surprise shower ruining your laptop, thanks to the handy laptop sleeve. Use this tough travel pack and go about your business with peace of mind.

• Best water-resistant pack out there
• Large enough for a laptop
• Outer shell protects against cuts and scrapes
• Only one large main compartment
• No water bottle pocket

Our final day pack is the best travel backpack for anyone who wants to keep their toys close by at all times.

There is no other travel camera backpack on the market that wants to serve the needs of modern digital nomads quite like Peak Design .

Perhaps that’s because this bag, and all of Peak Design’s’ products, were crowdfunded.

Over 13,000 people donated, suggested, and participated in the design process, and the result is magnificent.

You can totally transform your travel bag with three moveable dividers. Take them all out for a 20L laundry bag, set them up to comfortably organize camera gear, or keep your smelly shoes away from your work clothes.

This comfortable pack holds some serious weight. You can find a few different size options depending on your gear haul.

But even on the smallest size, there’s more than enough space for a DSLR camera, 3-4 lenses and a laptop.

And, most importantly of all, all of this performance comes from completely recycled materials. 400D nylon fabric will keep your bag’s interior dry through small storms.

This updated 2nd generation model implemented even more sustainable fabrics and improved straps based on user reviews.

Peak Design promise that these subtle changes will make the pack last for decades, allowing you plenty of time to maximise the insane potential of such a customizable day bag.

• Plenty of storage options
• Roll-top allows you to modify the size
• Water-resistant coating
• Unwieldy sternum strap
• MagLatch is not easy to trust

Best Backpack for Long-Term Travel

If you’re the kind of traveller that prefers to carry all their gear on their back rather than in a suitcase, then you’ll need something a bit larger than the ones we listed above.

That’s where these backpacks come in!

Keep your gear safe and your back strong with these high quality backpacks for long-term travel.

Bring forty pounds of your favourite necessities with you on your next journey, no matter how far you are from the nearest baggage check.

The top-loading wide-mouth Paragon bag provides several key zippered access points that allow you to dig out your sweatshirt at the bottom of your bag without completely unpacking.

Six external pockets and several different looping connectors allow you to clip on solar panels, dirty boots or your sleeping pad to the outside of your pack.

And a reinforced waist belt makes sure you don’t feel all that extra weight directly on your lower back. No matter what weight you’re carrying, Gregory’s Free Float Suspension system and alloy fibreglass perimeter frame will take the load off.

Any backpack you plan on living out of has to hold all your gear and handle the weather. This pack, with its included rain cover, is a shining example of a great middle-class travel backpack.

It’s technically advanced, affordable, and comfortable enough to suit almost any trip.

• Reinforced carrying straps
• Affordable price
• Comes with a daypack
• Not very water-resistant without the rain fly
• The day pack is just a drawstring

Matador made this lightweight travel backpack for minimalists who want to live out of one bag and one bag only.

The bag features built-in packing cubes and segmented interior sections so you can turn your 40L backpack into a portable closet.

It’s one of the largest bags on our list that is still carry-on compliant, and the exterior laptop compartment will stow everything you need to get through the flight within easy reach.

Trying to live out of one travel backpack can get chaotic, fast. Matador has triumphantly offered up an easy to pack solution.  

Anyone looking to really shed weight can use the five individual segments and a laptop sleeve to make the most out of 40L travel. And the quick access pockets at the top and bottom of the pack are a perfect size to stow everything you need to get through security.

Minimalist adventurers who already have a packable backpack may find this is the best backpack for travel carry on size.

• Five storage compartments
• Powerful D rating and waterproofing
• Several carrying options
• Not great for long walks
• Storage compartments have been known to run together

The REI Co-op has produced top-quality products that reach every corner of life outside. So it’s no surprise to find one of the best travel backpacks on their shelves for a low price.

Our favourite affordable hiking backpack is the REI Trailbreak , which has a versatile fit that helps hikers grow alongside their bag.

Whether you’re gearing up for your first trip or 50th, you’ll find great value in the roomy main compartment and plethora of stash pockets.

The main attraction amongst the stash pockets is the oversized top lid, which can store all your personal items and then some.

Anything you buy from REI comes with one of the best return policies in the business, so these packs become an even safer choice for a burgeoning explorer.

The low price point and lack of commitment mean you can try out the bag for a few weekends and see if it’s right for your adventures.

• Most affordable backpacking pack on our list
• Adjusts to fit most bodies
• Best return policy in the business
• Not many special features

We call this no-frills budget backpack the vagabond special. For good reason, the Kelty Red Wing is the bag of choice for hitchhikers, train hoppers, and rubber tramps of all ages.

The obvious reason for this bag’s popularity is the low price. But take a look beyond the surface, and you’ll be surprised about everything these hiking backpacks are capable of.

Just at the edge of ultra-lightweight rating, comfortable form-fitting straps and loads of zippered pockets allow you to fully customize your experience.

The ergonomic storage space inside these packs can have you packing for multiple week adventures all within an internal back panel frame.

This variety of features and affordable price has earned the bag a reputation as a jack of all trades. It’s not the most advanced option on the market, and Kelty doesn’t add on loads of comfort features.

But this pack has proven to last for years of wandering and will be beloved by anyone who doesn’t mind a bit of inconvenience to save a few bucks.

• Cheapest bag on our list
• Straps built to last
• Seven different pockets
• The smallest size that is too large for carry-on
• Only one way to access the main compartment

The granddaddy of them all, and the backpack of choice for the owners of NOMADasaurus for the last few years, the Aether series is Osprey’s largest line of travel backpacks.

At its largest size, the Aether is 100 Liters, but hopefully, you’ll never be needed a travel bag that big. 70 litres is good enough for most people, especially when each litre was this well thought out.

A bag this large requires quite the suspension system.

It starts and ends with Osprey’s signature Airscape series that keeps some space between your body and the back panel and plenty of form-fitting options. Designers didn’t just think good thoughts about the Aether model, they sprung into action, creating a top pocket that works as a removable daypack.

This day pack isn’t just a glorified piece of plastic. It’s a bonafide carry on size travel backpack, day trip extraordinaire and hiking companion.

Each water bottle pocket can fit an average bottle of water and a small can of bear spray at the same time, so be careful what you grab when you stop for a drink.

With 70L’s of efficiency, versatility, and load-bearing support systems, these are the best travel backpacks for getting lost deep in the woods.

• Comes with a removable daypack
• Tons of torso adjustment options
• Can hold loads up to 60 lbs
• Too big for a carry-on
• Most expensive bag on our list

Best Carry-on Backpack for Travel

Take it from a couple who have been travelling the world for 13 years full-time – Carry-on luggage is the best.

Unless we’re going on a serious hiking expedition, or travelling to a winter destination where we need to pack specialist clothes, we always go with carry-on.

Saves time (and cost) at the airport, easier to navigate around towns and just much more manageable in every way, these are our personal recommendations for the best carry on backpacks for travel.

Our last backpack built to conquer air travel can stretch out over 15 litres to provide anywhere from 30-45 Litres of storage, so don’t stuff it full if you’re flying budget!

No matter where you’re travelling, lockable zippers and plenty of easy access points make the Peak Design travel backpack worth the investment.

A muted grey exterior cap off this carry on travel backpack that is best suited for use as your only travel bag on quick trips.

The front-loading compartment can be accessed without taking off your shoulder straps if you just need to get out some paperwork and lock it shut once you’re through digging around inside.

Peak design travel gear started off to create modern camera equipment, but they just couldn’t help themselves from taking a deep dive into the backpack industry. Now, they have top products for everyday, travel, and professional use.

As their best backpack for air travel, this bag plays a pivotal role in the company. It’s one of the largest backpacks Peak Design produces and the clever use of space has earned the travel backpack several awards over the years.

This backpack knows better than anyone how important versatility is in your travel gear.

Read our full Peak Design Travel Backpack Review

• Up to 15L of removable storage space
• Everything from Peak Design Travel is made to handle modern equipment
• Enough space for a weekend trip
• Too heavy for long walks
• At its largest size it could be rejected as carry-on

There are a lot of travel backpacks out there you can carry onto a plane, but, until recently, there were few that were up to the job.

Nomatic took one look at that gap in the travel industry and filled it beautifully with this versatile travel companion.

Nomatic combed the guidelines and regulations of TSA and built a backpack that gets around those rules to give you more on our travel days.

The bag stays functional long after going through security. Take advantage of the padded laptop sleeve and anti-theft tablet storage spaces with quick access points, and use the cord pass through’s to give them a spot of juice without unpacking.

Once you’ve made it to paradise, this travel bag really starts showing off. An included laundry bag and shoe compartment help keep everything fresh and organized even if you’re checking in to a new place every night.

And like any good bag should, Nomatic has your back if you get caught in the rain. The weather-resistant tarp will give you enough time to get to cover while keeping your electronics dry.

That’s not even half of the impressive features that make this the best backpack for business travel.

• Weather-resistant
• Secret access back panel
• Built to bend carry-on backpack rules to your will
• Won’t work on challenging terrain

We needed a modern solution for modern camera gear, and Wandrd finally found an easy to pack and carry answer.

To build a backpack ready for tomorrow, Wandrd put pockets anywhere they could find space . Even the back panel has a secret opening that brings a great cover to your passport or sensitive documents.

Stealthy and customizable, this carry-on travel backpack can bend and stretch with your needs and is capable of storing anywhere from 21 to 31 litres.

Your water bottle pocket is large enough to carry a tripod, and three main compartments sort your gear for travelling around the world. An optional camera cube fits snugly into the bottom of the pack and will have every piece of your set-up ready for action.

Because of its slim max capacity, PRVKE doesn’t provide much shoulder padding or waist straps. Instead, this bag hopes to be the best camera backpack for travel and to make your life so easy you’ll spend less time standing in line and more time relaxing at your destination.

• Built to handle camera equipment
• Your bag can be as small or large as you need it to be
• Your gear will survive a rainstorm
• The magnetic clasp is not the strongest
• Not the most comfortable shoulder strap

Osprey backpacks are always a safe choice. You don’t have to be heading out on an outdoor adventure to take advantage of this company’s commitment to sustainability, durability, and detail.

And you don’t have to buy a technical hiking pack to get the product guarantee.

Tackle the urban jungle with the same ease as Osprey brings to outdoor adventures with the Osprey Farpoint travel backpack.

Why choose a carry on backpack from an adventure sports company? Comfort.

Osprey’s compression straps and Airscape system are built to carry the load off your back while you put in serious miles, and they make their travel backpacks with those same protections. You won’t find many comfier backpacks this carry on friendly.

Ergonomic and compact, the Osprey Farpoint wants to be the perfect companion for one-bag travel. A large zippered compartment opens up like a suitcase and makes everything in your bag easy to access, and a front-facing laptop compartment never gets buried by sweaters.

If 40L travel isn’t quite enough, the Farpoint 40’s big brother, Farpoint 65, is the best backpack with wheels for travel, coming with carrying handles and increased portability at the cost of carry-on compliance.

• You can tuck away any unnecessary straps
• Blends hiking backpack comfort with carry-on travel bag convenience
• Opens up like a suitcase
• The main compartment can squish the front compartment
• Not comfortable on long hikes

It’s a favourite laptop backpack for travel that can pack a ton of stuff inside a nonchalant frame that fits every adventure .

A padded laptop compartment just wasn’t good enough for Tortuga, so they added on an extra layer of foam that absorbs contact and helps keep everything in place.

To help further, the travel backpack’s interior spits into six smaller compartments.

Four work together to hold your clothes, cords, toiletries and accessories, and two are specifically designed for electronics.

In every pocket and the laptop sleeve, you’ll find that same luxurious foam that will bring a splash to your carry on travel. Some of these pockets simply serve as a replacement for packing cubes or plastic bags, while others help the Tortuga Outbreaker become even more carry-on friendly.

The best carry on backpack makes sure everything is easy to access. So Tortuga found a perfect place for everything.

You can even find some free space for camera gear and keep a pack of gum in your waist belt pockets. Built by a digital nomad for digital nomads, this travel pack works with its luxurious laptop compartment to bring carry on travel into the 21st century.

• Built for laptop travel
• Choose between 35 and 45-litre models
• Main compartment splits into 6 separate storage spaces
• Not enough versatility to use as an everyday pack
• No padding on shoulder straps

Choosing the Best Travel Backpack

So how exactly did we come up with this list of the best travel backpacks for carry-on and long-term travel?

Well, besides over a decade of experience, we put them all to the test and broke down our ultimate criteria of designs, features and must-haves to ensure they all suit our needs.

Some of our bags may cater to the same crowds, but no two are serving up the same specs across the board.

Modern travellers have more options than ever, and that fact rings especially true when deciding how to store your camping essentials.

Ideally, you’ll have different storage options that fill different niches. But none of us has the closet space or budget for everything on the road.

The best bag for a business trip won’t be the same as the best travel pack, so we’ve got to build out a range of options that suits our agendas.

READ MORE: Before you hit the road, study our guide of the best travel tips so you don’t make any mistakes out there!

Your pack will be going everywhere you do, and their role is to make sure your belongings get there in good shape rain or shine.

Any bag made for a digital nomad or nomadic traveller should last a decade.

Most key durability features don’t jump off the page at first glance but keep the travel backpack squarely across your shoulders year after year.

Synthetic materials like nylon, canvas or polyesters are great indicators that your backpack is built to last.

Shoppers interested in a durable backpack first should look at a travel backpack for the great outdoors.

This category of backpacks utilises the lightest and strongest materials on the market to qualify for more rugged adventures.

Your bag will employ some combination of nylon, polyester and canvas. Canvas is the heaviest of the three, but also the most durable.

Nylon coated in polyurethane is a great synthetic material to aim for when shopping. Polyester’s main claim to fame is holding strong against the sun.

Front-loading backpacks are easier to access and pack. But a front-loading bag will also be harder to carry at a heavy load.

Top loading backpacks can sometimes end up as black holes with all your gear stuffed in one large compartment.

But with enough packing cubes and taking advantage of the laptop compartment, you can still find somewhat easy access.

Front loading is better on a smaller bag while top-loading is better for larger suspension system needs.

Top loaders are also the go-to for hiking and mountaineering adventures.

It’s always important to think about comfort when shopping for travel. Any bag worthy long walks will include a hip belt, sternum straps and superior comfort across all straps.

Padded straps provide lumbar support for heavy-duty suspension systems. Thick cushions on the hip belt and easy-to-adjust torso length systems will make sure the pack fits just right.

Well-thought-out external pockets, water bottle holders and easy-access top pockets to keep your bus pass or tickets handy is practically a requirement for many carry-on backpacks, everyday carry options, and hiking expeditions.

Bags ready to take on outdoor activities should have a few water bottle pockets at the bare minimum.

The best carry-on backpacks should take things a few steps further, with plenty of efficient external pockets. That allows you to keep your travel documents within quick reach.

The larger your bag gets, the more important each pocket becomes. If you’re shopping for one bag that can work as the best travel backpack for Europe, you should equip pockets that work in your favour.

One-bag backpackers know that the key to getting the most out of your bag is organising well, and the best way to do that is through tons of different pockets.

There is one true king of the zipper industry: YKK . The Japanese manufacturers didn’t invent the technology but the entire industry believes they have perfected it.

Any best travel backpack for men should include YKK zippers.

Not only will your backpack protect your gear, but also your lower back. You’ll feel every single sock at the end of a long day.

So a good pack that takes the pressure off your muscles and meets you halfway can prove to be a lifesaver.

Any two shoulder straps will get you to a quick rendevous. But a backpack best built for serious walking needs a snug fit.

This is largely achieved through compression straps that are highly adjustable, a hip belt and padding in all the right places.

The best men’s travel backpack and the best women’s travel backpack will have varying litres of capacity and subtle differences that finish off a snug fit.

You may not think a few minute differences in the wearability of a pack really matters. And it might not, until mile 20.

Packs that allow you to adjust your shoulder, hip, and torso lengths will help your backpack grow with you throughout the decades.

If you spend enough time wandering, you’re bound to hit some foul weather. A carry on backpack may not need to worry too much about rain delays. But any pack heading outside for long periods of time should probably include a rain cover.

A deployable rain cover will come with most backpacking backpacks in its own built-in pocket.

If your travel backpack comes without coverage, it’s easy enough to find an aftermarket poncho protector.

Some bags take weather resistance a step further by building taped seams over YKK zippers or utilizing synthetic water-resistant materials.

There are very few situations where weather resistance shouldn’t come into consideration when choosing your travel backpack.

Even the best rolling backpack for travel should have some waterproofing capability. If a bag is big enough to have wheels it’s big enough to check from time to time.

We’ve picked up too many soaked bags to risk travel without a weather resistant or waterproof backpack

Any great travel pack holds enough to get you through a day at the beach, on the slopes, in the woods or downtown.

A bag built for security will take things a step further by adding lockable zippers, knife-proof wire mesh and RFID blocking pockets that further protects your backpack.

Whether you’re hoping to head off into the woods, unknown countries, or unmatched heights, your perfect travel backpack is somewhere on this list.

Our editor’s choice for its versatility and eye-popping features, the Nomatic Travel Bag just might be that bag.

DISCLAIMER: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which means if you book accommodation, tours or buy a product, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions help us keep creating more free travel content to help people plan their holidays and adventures. We only recommend the best accommodations, tours and products that ourselves or our fantastic editorial team have personally experienced, and regularly review these. Thanks for your support, kind friend!

Alesha and Jarryd

Hi, We’re Alesha and Jarryd!

We’ve been traveling the world together since 2008, searching for the planet’s best destinations and adventures.

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Best Travel Backpacks of 2024

From short weekend getaways to far-off international adventures, our top travel packs make it easy and comfortable to organize and carry the essentials.

Switchback Travel ( Brian McCurdy )

We use affiliate links and may receive a small commission on purchases. Read more about us . 

Whether you’re traveling across the globe or headed out on a quick weekend getaway, a thoughtfully designed travel pack can help you stay comfortable and organized while on the move. Key considerations include carry-on compatibility for air travel, enough capacity to stash your belongings, pack weight, and preferences on storage and organizational layouts. Below we break down the best travel backpacks of 2024, ranging from minimalist options for a couple nights away to larger bags with removable daypacks for extended trips. For more background information, see our detailed comparison table and buying advice below the picks.

Editor’s note: We updated our travel backpacks guide on March 29, 2024, to add The North Face Base Camp, which is a fully featured option at a competitive price, along with swapping the Patagonia Black Hole MLC from the 45-liter capacity to the 30-liter version due to its more manageable shape and size.  

Our Team's Top Travel Backpack Picks

• Best Overall Travel Backpack: Cotopaxi Allpa 35L
• A Close Second (That's Great for Carrying Electronics): Peak Design Travel Backpack
• Excellent Carrying Comfort for Gear-Intensive Trips: Osprey Sojourn Porter 46 L
• Best for Staying Organized: Topo Designs Global Travel Bag 30L
• Best Budget Travel Backpack: Amazon Basics Carry-On Travel Backpack
• Best High-Capacity Travel Pack for Long Trips: Osprey Farpoint 70

Best Overall Travel Backpack

1. cotopaxi allpa 35l ($200).

When compiling our list of the best travel packs, we prioritized functional organization, easy on-the-go access, durable materials, and carry-on compatibility. Cotopaxi’s Allpa 35L Travel Pack checks all those boxes emphatically, earning it our top spot for 2024. Along with the vibrant styling and multi-colored patterning that the brand is known for, the Allpa is exceptionally durable with a mix of 1,000-denier, TPU-coated polyester and panels of 840-denier ballistic nylon. In use, we found the Allpa to be remarkably tough and highly water-resistant, and the pack also comes with a stowable rain cover for truly inclement weather. We also love the dual access to the main compartment, including a full wraparound zipper and secondary side zip next to the backpanel for easily retrieving items while on the move. And the electronics sleeve is big enough to handle both a laptop and tablet at the same time, which isn’t often the case. Overall, the Allpa is well made, stylish, and very nicely appointed for travel.

What’s not to like with the Cotopaxi Allpa? While the 35-liter variation here is nicely sized for long weekend trips or shorter getaways abroad, it’s smaller than competitors like the Peak Design Travel Backpack, Osprey Sojourn Porter 46, and many other carry-on-friendly designs below (Cotopaxi does sell a larger 42L version for $220 that still meets most airline requirements). Further, while overall carrying comfort is good, there are no load-lifter straps to bring the pack closer to your body. Additionally, the interior pockets are a little awkwardly sized, and the lack of external compression straps makes it hard to secure bulkier loads. A final omission is water bottle storage, although it’s not a critical feature for most and does little to dampen our enthusiasm for an otherwise well-rounded and great-looking bag. And for those looking to check their luggage, the Allpa roller bags are equally tough and user-friendly. See the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L

A Close Second (That's Great for Carrying Electronics)

2. peak design travel backpack ($300).

Peak Design’s Travel Backpack may look relatively unassuming on the outside, but don’t be fooled: This bag is packed with thoughtful travel-ready features. First is the expandable design, which allows you to alternate between 35 and 45 liters by simply zipping or unzipping the frontmost zipper. Access is another highlight, including entry points at the top, side, front, and rear for easily retrieving items pretty much anywhere in the pack. Storage is also excellent with padded laptop and tablet sleeves, a divisible main compartment, large and stretchy dual side pockets (not common on travel packs), and multiple interior pockets. And it’s all wrapped up in a thick nylon canvas shell that’s durable, streamlined, and very modern.

What complaints do we have about the Peak Design Travel Backpack? Price is the most glaring downside: At $300, it’s one of the most expensive designs on our list. And while the bag is undeniably sleek, it’s pretty utilitarian-looking and less everyday-friendly than more vibrant options like the Cotopaxi Allpa above and Topo Designs Global Travel Bag below. It’s also on the heavy end at 4 pounds 8 ounces, which isn’t unreasonable but does add considerable heft compared to many competitors. Finally, the Travel Backpack is technically not carry-on compliant when expanded, measuring 22 x 13 x 11 inches (the standard U.S. domestic carry-on limit is 22 x 14 x 9 in.). But it works at the compressed 35-liter size (or smaller 30L option) , and photographers in particular will love the shape, which nicely accommodates multiple camera cubes, lenses, and other accessories. If you fall into that group, another staff favorite is Wandrd's Prvke , which features a more modular design with specialized add-ons for camera gear. See the Peak Design Travel Backpack

Excellent Carrying Comfort for Gear-Intensive Trips

3. osprey sojourn porter 46 l ($195).

Osprey is a leader in the backpacking pack market, and much of that technology and expertise has trickled down nicely into their travel pack collection. The Sojourn Porter 46 L is case in point, combining the impressive carrying comfort that the brand is known for with a practical, carry-on-friendly build and feature set for travel. Starting at the outside, you get a rigid foam backpanel with well-cushioned shoulder and hipbelt straps that feel reminiscent of Osprey’s backpacking designs, a handy compression system to effectively cinch things down, lockable zippers for the main compartment, and a beefy side handle for hauling the pack duffel-style. The inside is a similar story with ample pockets of varying sizes, compressions traps to keep clothes tidy, and padded sidewalls to help protect valuables during travel.

Despite offering 11 more liters of capacity than our top-ranked Cotopaxi Allpa 35L (for $5 less), the Sojourn Porter 46 L is still carry-on compliant, making it the largest option here that still meets most domestic and international airline restrictions. It’s also impressively sturdy and durable and includes reinforced cord loops to attach to Osprey's Daylite or Farpoint/Fairview daypacks (sold separately). We do wish Osprey offered the design in a women’s version for those with smaller torso and waist measurements, but the unisex sizing is standard in the travel market (their Farpoint/Fairview below is one of the few models to come in a separate women’s version). In the end, if it fits you well, the Sojourn Porter offers a hard-to-beat mix of capacity, features, and comfort for the price, making it our favorite option for longer, gear-intensive adventures. See the Osprey Sojourn Porter 46 L

Best Travel Pack for Staying Organized

4. topo designs global travel bag 30l ($199).

Topo Designs flies a little under the radar compared to well-known brands like Cotopaxi and Osprey, but don’t let that deter you—this company makes exceptionally built and good-looking packs for everything from commuting and travel to more technical pursuits like biking and climbing. Their Global Travel Bag 30L here is a shining example and stands out in one major way: internal organization. Put simply, there’s no shortage of options for divvying up your belongings, from the vertical daisy chain webbing on the front to the expandable side water bottle pockets, ample zippered storage inside and out, a laptop sleeve along the backpanel, and several interior mesh pockets. Like the Cotopaxi Allpa above, the Global Travel Bag is also well equipped for rough use, including a mix of 1,000- and 1,680-denier ballistic nylon that gives the pack a noticeably burly, confidence-inspiring feel—at a very manageable 2 pounds 10 ounces to boot.

That said, the extensive feature set does add some complexity when it comes to organization. We like the big clamshell opening to the main compartment, but we had to reorganize to make everything fit into the various compartments (they're optimized for Topo Designs' Pack Bags , which are smaller than our standard packing cubes). The tall and slim shape is also best suited for clothing rather than bulky gear, which may be limiting for outdoor adventures that involve camping or backpacking. We also wished there were a little more padding along the shoulder straps and hipbelt while walking through airports with the pack stuffed full, but it distributed the load pretty well (and the hipbelt can be tucked away when not in use). In the end, no pack is perfect, but the Global Travel Bag 30L is a well-built, durable, and stylish option for overnights, short weekend getaways, and even minimalist adventures abroad. It’s also sold in a larger 40-liter variation for longer trips, although we found the smaller pack to be much more manageable. See the Topo Designs Travel Bag 30L

Best Budget Travel Backpack

5. amazon basics carry-on travel backpack ($46).

Travel packs are an expensive bunch, but Amazon makes an affordable but still surprisingly capable option in their Carry-On Travel Backpack. We’ll start with the good news: As its name implies, the bag is carry-on compliant, and it comes with most of the standard features we look for in a practical travel pack. These include a zippered laptop sleeve, internal and external compression straps, easy-access pockets for travel documents, and good organization in the main compartment. Like the Peak Design Travel Backpack above, the Amazon Basics can also be expanded to boost packing space while still meeting carry-on restrictions. And at just around $50 at the time of publishing (colorways vary on Amazon), the 40-liter Carry-On Travel Backpack is a great value for what you get, undercutting most similarly sized models on this list by $100 or more.

Now for the bad news: This Amazon Basics pack is far less capable than many of the picks here for shuttling a full load. The shoulder straps are lightly padded, while the hipbelt is a thin and basic webbing design that won’t feel comfortable under the weight of a full pack. The rest of the design has a cheaper feel, too, including a shiny and dated-looking exterior, a lot of plastic (read: breakable) components, and standard, non-lockable zippers. You don’t get dedicated water bottle storage either, which isn’t a necessary feature but certainly is nice to have. But if you’re an occasional traveler and aren’t yet ready to make a more sizable investment, the Amazon Basics pack is a perfectly serviceable entry-level option at a great price. For another capable budget design that comes with packing cubes and lots of colorway options, we also like Asenlin’s 40L Travel Backpack . See the Amazon Basics Carry-On Travel Backpack

Best High-Capacity Travel Pack for Long Trips

6. osprey farpoint 70 ($230).

The packs above are great for vacationers and travelers headed out for a week or two, but those embarking on longer and/or gear-heavy trips abroad will almost certainly need more storage and capacity. Enter Osprey’s Farpoint 70, which comes with a 15-liter daypack that can be attached to the front to maximize capacity or used separately for around-town adventures once you reach your destination (Note: The travel pack itself is 55L). Importantly, both come well appointed: The daypack boasts a dedicated tablet/hydration sleeve and water bottle pockets, while the main pack has great cushioning along the straps and backpanel (it’s an Osprey, after all), a well-ventilated backpanel, easy access via the large front panel, and an adjustable torso system for dialing in a good fit. It's all wrapped up in a thoughtful and sustainable package, including recycled and bluesign-approved fabrics, along with a dedicated women's version called the Fairview.

All that said, there’s one glaring downside to opting for a larger-capacity design like the Osprey Farpoint 70: It doesn’t meet most carry-on size requirements. For reference, the standard domestic carry-on limit within the U.S. is 22 x 14 x 9 inches, while the Farpoint measures 25.6 x 15 x 12.6. Another complaint is that the daypack obscures the pack’s main compartment when attached, making it tedious to access your belongings. Even so, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more versatile and comfortable system for less (the daypack is a $65 investment on its own), making the Farpoint 70 our favorite high-capacity pick of the year. It’s also available in a larger 80-liter version, as well as smaller 40- and 55-liter capacities, although only the Farpoint 55 and 70 include the detachable daypack.  See the Osprey Farpoint 70   See the Women's Osprey Fairview 70

Best of the Rest

7. eagle creek tour 40l ($159).

Eagle Creek first started making packs in the mid 1970s, and their Tour 40L travel pack reflects that longstanding history in the market. From the get-go, we were immediately impressed by its highly practical design. The bag has great exterior storage, including a stretchy side water bottle pocket and expansion zipper for 5 liters of additional capacity in the main compartment. Additionally, the book-style opening provides quick access to the contents of the bag, and interior and exterior compression straps make it easy to snug things down. We also appreciate that it comes in two torso sizes (S/M and M/L) for maximizing fit, which is uncommon in the travel pack market and a really nice plus at this price point. And the cherry on top: The Tour checks in at a very competitive 2 pounds 10 ounces, which is tied with Topo Designs’ 10-liter-smaller Global Travel Bag above as the lightest on our list.

Other notable features on the Eagle Creek Tour 40L include side and top grab handles for easy loading and carrying, an integrated rain cover that stows away at the bottom and doubles as a backpanel cover if you check the bag, puncture-resistant and lockable zippers that are easy to operate even with gloves, and good overall carrying comfort. It’s not the toughest design out there—the water bottle pocket started to fray on our pack after just one trip—but uses durable 600-denier polyester elsewhere and is reasonably hardwearing overall. Final nitpicks include no pass-through sleeve for securing to a suitcase and a fairly bland exterior, but those do little to detract from the Tour’s otherwise well-rounded build.  See the Eagle Creek Tour 40L

8. Gregory Border Carry-On 40 ($190)

Like Osprey, Gregory is a leader in the hiking and backpacking markets, and their Border Carry-On 40 retains many of their well-loved technical features in a travel-friendly design. The big news here is the pack’s split-case design, which creates two distinct areas within the main compartment accessed via one large, clamshell-style opening. On one side, a zippered mesh panel with added zippered storage and compression straps keeps your clothing and some accessories organized, while an odor-resistant “ActiveShield” compartment at the opposite side effectively separates dirty clothes. As expected from Gregory, carrying comfort is also great with good adjustability at the sternum, a well-cushioned backpanel, and thick straps. You don’t get load lifters for bringing the pack closer to your body, but we didn’t have any issues, even when running through the Montreal airport to a connecting flight en route to Patagonia.

That said, the Gregory Border Carry-On’s split-case design does have a noteworthy pitfall: With both compartments zipped, storage feels pretty limited. Unzipping the larger mesh panel does help maximize space (especially when stuffing the pack to the brim), but it also defeats the purpose of the dual compartments. Compared to the competition, the Border also uses thinner materials than Osprey’s Sojourn Porter and Farpoint offerings, although the rest of the feature set stacks up similarly. In the end, it’s another comfortable and well-built travel pack, and the split-case design has its merits for those who pack light. See the Gregory Border Carry-On 40

9. Tortuga Travel Backpack 40L ($350)

Travel packs are a dime a dozen in 2024, but Tortuga’s Travel Backpack 40L—which replaced their Outbreaker 35L—stands out as one of the most well-appointed and thoughtfully built options on the market. Organization is a clear highlight, including a large front pocket with several sleeves for divvying up small valuables and documents, a convenient clamshell-style opening with zippered compartments for separating clothes and shoes, and padded laptop and tablet sleeves with zippered mesh pockets at the other side for storing cords and accessories. Rounding out the feature set are easy-to-access water bottle pockets that can fit most standard-mouth bottles (our wide-mouth Hydro Flask was too big), zippered hipbelt storage that can accommodate a smartphone and passport, and lockable, water-resistant zippers. Finally, the design is well padded with thick cushioning along the backpanel, shoulder straps, and hipbelt, which is fairly uncommon among travel-specific brands. 

It's worth noting that the Tortuga Travel Backpack has a slightly more streamlined storage layout than its predecessor, although you do get an additional 5 liters of capacity and a bump in usable space. However, the Tortuga is no featherweight at 4 pounds 8 ounces, which is a notable downside for long treks through the airport and around town. It’s also tied with Matador’s GlobeRider below as the priciest on our list at a steep $350. On the bright side, Tortuga does offer a lifetime warranty against defects, and they will repair/replace the pack or refund your money if a replacement isn't available. All told, it’s a nice dose of added assurance and helps justify the steep price, but the hefty build and lack of value push the Tortuga slightly down in our rankings. For another well-executed design with all the requisite travel features, check out Aer’s Travel Pack 3 , which is cheaper at $249 but 5 liters smaller and doesn’t include a hipbelt with purchase. See the Tortuga Travel Backpack 40L

10. Yeti Crossroads 35L Backpack ($250)

Yeti's coolers and insulated drinkware are their bread and butter, but the focus on premium craftsmanship doesn’t end there. On the travel side, their Crossroads 35L Backpack is exactly what we’ve come to expect from the brand: excellent durability and functionality in a modern package. The body of the pack is made with Yeti's tough and confidence-inspiring TuffSkin nylon (which was inspired by motorcycle gear), while the PU-coated base adds a nice dose of assurance when setting it down. All of the other components have an equally durable and supportive feel, from the foam-heavy shoulder straps to the thick, protective backpanel. It’s all wrapped up in a sleek and streamlined design that’s offered in a nice selection of colorways, from bright Harvest Red to subdued Alpine Brown (shown in the photo here).

Yeti clearly put a lot of thought into the outside of the Crossroads, but the interior is well executed, too. The clamshell opening folds back to reveal a pocket-equipped mesh panel and generous main compartment that still can be accessed when wearing the pack. You also get dedicated storage for a water bottle and laptop, as well as a pass-through sleeve for securing to a roller bag. Our biggest gripe is the lack of padding: The detachable hipbelt is made of thin webbing and doesn’t offer much support, and the shoulder straps and backpanel have a noticeably thick and rigid feel, which is great for durability but detracts from overall comfort. And as with most Yeti products, the pack isn’t particularly cheap or light at $250 and nearly 4 pounds. Finally, the 35-liter Crossroads is on the smaller side and will require precise packing to fit more than about three to five days’ worth of belongings. But again, build quality is top-notch, and minimalists used to packing light may not mind the small sacrifices in comfort and storage. See the Yeti Crossroads 35L Backpack

11. Matador GlobeRider45 ($350)

Matador may lack the name recognition of brands like Osprey and Cotopaxi, but don’t let that fool you: This Boulder-based upstart is quickly growing thanks to their outside-the-box thinking. From their travel collection, the new GlobeRider45 stands out as a very intentionally built design that spares no expense in terms of features. In addition to being on the larger end, the carry-on-compliant GlobeRider offers solid comfort and support with good padding along the straps and backpanel, a light but sturdy aluminum frame stay, and a well-executed suspension system that’s reminiscent of a backpacking pack. Organization also abounds with a large external stash pocket, thoughtfully designed electronics pockets, vertical daisy chain webbing, and a practical interior layout that includes a packing cube-like space on one side and open clothing storage on the other. All told, it's an intriguing new pack that does a great job merging the utility of both backpacking and travel designs.

It's worth noting that we previously had Matador’s cheaper and lighter Seg45 ranked here, which boasts a unique segmented design that allows you to customize organization by day or activity. When unzipped, the five compartments at the front of the pack reveal independent (and stowable) storage cube-like areas for clothes and other soft items, while the main compartment below provides added space for dirty clothes, shoes, and other bulkier gear. While innovative, however, the Seg45 falls well short of the GlobeRider in carrying comfort, which is largely a result of the thin webbing hipbelt and lack of frame. The pocket-heavy exterior also made it hard for us to remember where we put certain items and detracts from the amount of usable space inside the main compartment. Both packs are arguably overbuilt for infrequent travelers, but the GlobeRider stands out as the more balanced option for those willing to splurge. See the Matador GlobeRider45

12. The North Face Base Camp Travel Pack ($169)

The North Face’s expedition-ready Base Camp duffels have long been popular among serious adventurers, and the Base Camp Travel Pack is a logical and carry-on-friendly addition to the collection. We found a lot to like about the pack during testing, including its burly and abrasion-resistant exterior and myriad storage options. We particularly enjoyed the Base Camp’s front pocket layout, which makes it easy to divvy up travel documents and electronics with a variety of mesh, zippered, and fleece-lined pockets. The smaller details are equally well sorted, from the well-padded shoulder straps and backpanel to the fleece-lined laptop sleeve and generous daisy chain system for attaching gear externally. Finally, despite being a little smaller than many of our top picks, the 35-liter Base Camp includes water bottle pockets that easily swallowed our 24-ounce Hydro Flask.

However, despite checking all the boxes for most travelers, the Base Camp starts to look a little less competitive when stacked up against options like the Eagle Creek Tour above. For $10 less, the Tour boasts an additional 5 liters of capacity and includes helpful additions like a hipbelt, load-lifter straps, and a rain cover—all for around a pound less. Another alternative worth considering is REI’s Ruckpack 40 , which costs the same as the Base Camp and is more capable of crossing over for hiking: The laptop sleeve can fit a 3-liter reservoir, there are attachment points for trekking poles, and the suspension system is more in line with standard daypacks. Depending on your needs, the Ruckpack might be the better option, but the Base Camp offers better organization for travel in a more modern-looking package than the Eagle Creek. A final note: Those with broader builds may experience discomfort where the shoulder straps meet the backpanel, but our narrow-framed female tester had no comfort-related issues. See the TNF Base Camp Travel Pack

13. Thule Aion Travel Pack ($200)

Swedish brand Thule is best known for their bike and roof racks, but they make sneaky-good packs, too. Our favorite in their collection this year is the 40-liter Aion, which combines the premium build quality that Thule is known for with a nice assortment of travel-ready features. One unique—but very functional—addition is the removable TPU rolltop bag for stashing dirty laundry, which prevents odors and dirt from making their way to the rest of your belongings. The rest of the design is nicely appointed, including dedicated water bottle storage, an easy-to-access clamshell opening, plenty of zippered spaces for electronics and valuables (including a padded laptop/tablet sleeve), internal compressions straps to keep items secure and tidy, lockable zippers, and carry-on-compliant dimensions. 

What pushes the Thule Aion down to a mid-pack finish? At this price point and capacity, we’re surprised to see that the bag doesn’t come with a hipbelt. You can purchase Thule’s compatible Aion sling bag separately, which can pull double-duty for around-town use, but it’s a fairly expensive addition at $50 (and a feature we consider critical for a pack of this size). To be fair, the rest of the build is very well executed, including a noticeably thick and robust 600-denier waxed canvas shell and PFC-free DWR coating for fending off moisture. If you don’t mind the added investment for the waist belt/sling bag, it’s a promising design with competitive specs to match. Of note, if you’re looking for something a little different for travel, the Aion collection also includes a roller bag and a 35-liter duffel . See the Thule Aion Travel Pack

14. Pacsafe EXP45 ($290)

Travel can be an exhausting endeavor, especially if you’re constantly worried about your luggage or valuables getting stolen. That’s why anti-theft designs like Pacsafe’s EXP45 are becoming increasingly common, particularly for international trips. Like most of Pacsafe’s offerings, the EXP45 is packed with protective features, from cut-resistant materials to lockable and puncture-resistant double zippers and built-in stainless steel cable locks. Importantly, these are nicely integrated and don’t detract too heavily from the Pacsafe's functionality as a travel pack—it’s still well organized with ample interior and exterior pockets and compression straps, offers multiple carry options, and is carry-on compliant.

That said, the Pacsafe EXP45 is a pretty niche design that prioritizes safety over carrying comfort and access. The pack is on the heavier end at over 4 pounds due to all the protective features, the padding along the shoulder straps and hipbelt is firm (albeit decently thick), and there are no load-lifter straps to pull the pack closer to your body. Another downside is that the laptop sleeve is positioned at the front of the bag—we prefer when heavier items are situated close to the back for better weight distribution—and accessing items here can be difficult due to the half-length zipper design (we wish it had a clamshell opening like the main compartment). In other words, comfort- and convenience-focused travelers will likely want to look elsewhere, but the Pacsafe has its place for those who prioritize safety and security. For a cheaper and lighter option that doesn’t skimp on safety features, we also like Pacsafe’s Go 44L , although frequent travelers will likely prefer the more premium EXP45. See the Pacsafe EXP45

15. Patagonia Black Hole Mini MLC 30L ($199)

Patagonia’s Black Hole is legendary in the world of duffel bags, and the Mini MLC 30L travel pack variation shares that bag’s excellent durability and good looks in a more organized and carry-on-friendly design. Like the duffels, the Black Hole pack is made of strong (and recycled) polyester ripstop that’s highly tear-resistant with a TPU film on the exterior for fending off precipitation. It also boasts the signature daisy chain webbing along one side for securing extra gear. Importantly, however, the travel focus is clear: You get three carrying options (backpack, over-the-shoulder, or briefcase-style), compatibility with a roller bag, and a generously sized opening with two separate chambers for customizing organization.

Why do we rank the Patagonia Black Hole Mini MLC 30L here? The most glaring downside is its 30-liter capacity, which is undersized for trips lasting longer than a few days (unless you’re a staunch minimalist). Patagonia does offer a larger 45-liter variation for $40 more, although we found it to be lacking in structure, which caused the pack to feel noticeably bulky and cumbersome when stuffed full. Thankfully, both options feature the same well-executed backpanel design that we love, which comprises sleeves at one side for a laptop and tablet with zippered and drop-in pockets at the other for divvying up cords and accessories. Again, the Mini version is underbuilt for extended trips abroad but remains an excellent pick for commutes, daily use, and as a secondary bag for travel. See the Patagonia Black Hole Mini MLC 30L

16. Nomatic Travel Bag 40L ($290)

Many of the picks above are built by reputable backpacking manufacturers, but Nomatic is a travel company first. Their Travel Bag 40L embodies that focus, combining thoughtful organization and storage with easy access in a sleek and minimalist package. Feature highlights include a customizable strap design that allows you to easily alternate between backpack and duffel carry, dedicated compartments for shoes and clothing at the top and bottom of the bag, and even a mesh laundry bag to keep dirty clothes separate during travel. We also love the exterior pocket at the right side, which opens wide for easy access and features an array of mesh, fleece-lined, and zippered spots to organize electronics and cords, along with an RFID pocket for passports and other scannable documents. All told, it’s clear that Nomatic put a ton of thought into the design. 

It’s worth noting that Nomatic offers another intriguing option in their Navigator , although we consider the Travel Bag the more competitive all-around design. In parsing out the differences, the Travel Bag costs $110 less and is lighter by nearly 2 pounds, although it forgoes the Navigator’s expandable main compartment that allows you to alternate between 32 and 41 liters depending on your storage needs. The Navigator also includes load lifter straps and a sculpted foam backpanel for a boost in carrying comfort, but the Travel Bag is no slouch. And from a features perspective, we appreciate the Travel Bag’s dirty shoe compartment and included laundry bag. Those with smaller frames may have trouble dialing in a secure fit—our female tester (5’6” and 135 lb.) maxed out the Travel Bag’s hipbelt, for example—but the intentional organization layout and travel-ready feature set are undeniable selling points. See the Nomatic Travel Bag 40L

17. Mystery Ranch Mission Rover 45 ($249)

Along with Osprey’s Sojourn Porter 46 above, Mystery Ranch’s Mission Rover 45 is a great option for those of us who aren’t particularly adept at packing light. Touted as a “workhorse gear hauler,” the Mission Rover offers three functional carry options (as a suitcase, shoulder bag, or standard backpack), has a well-organized main compartment with zippered dividers and a wraparound clamshell opening, and even includes separate areas for shoes and dirty laundry. As expected at this price point, you also get most of the standard travel-ready features that we look for, including a stowable hipbelt, lockable zippers, a sleeve to secure to a rolling suitcase, and a padded laptop space that can accommodate computers up to 15 inches wide. Finally, like many of Mystery Ranch's backpacking offerings, the Mission Rover has a premium feel with a thick nylon exterior and water-resistant YKK zippers.

However, as with the Pacsafe EXP45 above, the Mission Rover’s laptop sleeve is situated at the front of the pack, which detracts from carrying comfort and convenience. The Mystery Ranch is also on the heavier and pricier end of the spectrum at 4 pounds 4.8 ounces and $249, although the 45-liter capacity is undeniably generous (and the pack is still compliant with most carry-on size restrictions). Finally, the bag is relatively dated-looking and lacking in modern appeal compared to offerings from Topo Designs, Peak Design, Cotopaxi, and others above. In other words, the Mission Rover doesn’t stand out in any one area (hence our ranking), but it’s another durable travel pack with a nicely executed feature set. See the Mystery Ranch Mission Rover 45

Travel Backpack Comparison Table

Editor's note: "Carry-on" refers to whether or not each pack meets standard domestic and international air travel restrictions, which must be under 22 x 14 x 9 inches or 45 linear inches when adding L+W+H.

About Our Testing Process

True to our name, globetrotting is a big part of what we do at Switchback Travel. Managing editor Sarah Nelson put together our initial list of 16 picks in 2022 after a trip to El Chaltén in southern Argentina with fellow staff members and gear testers. From takeoff to our return flights home, we put our packs through their paces by stuffing them to the brim with two weeks’ worth of clothing and gear, schlepping them through domestic and international airports, shoving them into overhead compartments and below our seats, and getting intimately familiar with organizational layouts for divvying up our documents and electronics. Upon our return, we also evaluated each pack closely for signs of wear like tears and stains.

Our current list of 17 picks reflects our own experiences as well as feedback from our freelancers, travel-savvy friends, and the online travel community. We continue to test travel packs on adventures near and far, adding and removing designs as the market shifts and as we get firsthand experience with more options. For example, on a recent trip to Chilean Patagonia in February 2024, we brought along two new-to-us travel packs: The North Face Base Camp and the Nomatic Travel Pack, both of which are now featured in the guide above. We’ll be sure to add any other standouts and favorites to the list above with each update.   

Travel Backpack Buying Advice

Size and capacity.

• Carry-on Size Restrictions

Organization: Pockets and Main Compartment Access

Carrying comfort, grab handles and alternate carry methods.

• Other Features

Construction and Durability

Fit and sizing, women’s-specific travel backpacks, sustainability, packing cubes and other accessories, do you need a travel backpack.

The first question to answer when choosing a travel pack is how much capacity you anticipate needing. For reference, the options above range from 30 liters on the small end (the Topo Designs Global Travel Bag ) all the way up to 70 liters for the Osprey Farpoint 70 (with the 15L daypack attached). Most travelers will land on something in the middle, with the sweet spot for many being in the 40- to 45-liter range—it’s no coincidence that well over half of the models above fall into this grouping, which is largely due to their carry-on-compliant dimensions.   

In general, we’ve found that packs of this size can easily accommodate a week or two of clothing, toiletries, and other travel accessories (and even more if you pack light). For reference, we had no issues fitting 14 days’ worth of belongings into the 40-liter version of Topo Designs’ Global Travel Bag on a recent trip to Patagonia. If you stick to weekend adventures, you can keep things lighter and more compact (and save some cash in the process) by opting for the smaller, 30-liter variation. On the flip side, those embarking on longer expeditions abroad might need to step up to a larger design like the Osprey Farpoint 70 or 80 (at the sacrifice of carry-on compatibility).  

Travel Backpack Dimensions

Dimensions are a crucial consideration for most travelers, and especially those headed abroad. With that in mind, we’ve listed the length, width, and height measurements for each travel pack above both in the write-ups and in our comparison table . As you may notice, similarly sized travel packs don’t vary too considerably in terms of dimensions. This is mainly due to carry-on size restrictions, which we break down more in depth below. Carry-on Size Restrictions Right off the bat, we’ll note that there is technically no standardized size requirement for carry-on luggage domestically or abroad. That said, the universally accepted dimensions within the U.S. are 22 x 14 x 9 inches or 45 linear inches when adding L+W+H. We’ve indicated whether each travel pack above meets these requirements in our comparison table, and REI Co-op does the same on each of their product pages. The only exception above is the Osprey Farpoint 70 , which measures 25.6 x 15 x 12.6 inches.  

It’s also important to call out expandable models here like the Peak Design Travel Backpack , which is carry-on compliant when compressed to 35 liters (22 x 13 x 9.5 in.) but not when expanded to its maximum 45-liter capacity (22 x 13 x 11 in.). You may be able to get away with carrying these bags onboard, but don’t count on it, especially if you’re traveling during peak season to a popular destination. When in doubt, you can always check with your airline ahead of time.  

All of the packs above are purpose-built for travel with extensive organizational layouts and thoughtfully placed pockets for separating valuables, electronics, and other accessories. That said, some layouts are more functional than others, and a final decision will largely come down to your intended use and what works best for the items that you plan to bring along. For instance, sleek options like the Peak Design Travel Backpack and Nomatic Travel Bag are great for digital nomads and remote workers who need to organize a lot of electronics, while backpacking-inspired designs like Osprey’s Farpoint and Sojourn Porter offerings have fewer tech-focused features but work great for adventure travel. We break down some of the key organizational components below, from laptop and tablet sleeves to water bottle storage and pack opening styles.  

Laptop and Tablet Sleeves Laptop storage is a requisite feature in a travel pack, and all of the picks above come with a dedicated spot to stash larger electronics. In terms of dimensions, most sleeves can accommodate up to a 15-inch laptop, and many come with separate smaller compartments in the same space for a tablet, too. This area is typically well padded to protect electronics and positioned along the backpanel for the best access and weight distribution (keeping heavier items closest to your back will help maximize comfort and balance). A couple exceptions to this rule are the Pacsafe EXP45 and Mystery Ranch Mission Rover 45 , both of which have the laptop sleeve at the front of the pack and can feel a little less well balanced with heavier electronics situated farther away from your body.  

Water Bottle Pockets Unlike laptop sleeves, side water bottle pockets aren’t a standard feature on travel packs. Some models that include them are the Topo Designs Global Travel Pack, Peak Design Travel Backpack, Osprey Farpoint 70 (on its removable daypack), Eagle Creek Tour , and Thule Aion, while the Cotopaxi Allpa and Amazon Basics Carry-On leave them out. And it’s worth noting that the Farpoint’s removable daypack is also compatible with a hydration reservoir, including a sleeve and access ports at either side for a tube (Note: This area on the daypack doubles as the laptop sleeve).   

Opening Styles and Access Easy access is a hallmark of a good travel backpack. The clamshell-style opening is far and away the most popular design and for good reason: With the pack laid flat, you can easily see and access the entirety of the main compartment. Some backpack-inspired designs, like Osprey's Sojourn Porter 46 and Farpoint 70, utilize generous U-zip designs instead, which are pretty functional but make it a little harder to reach contents at the very bottom of the bags. Finally, it's important to note that some bags come with multiple access points: The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L, for instance, includes both a full wraparound zipper and “shortcut” side zip next to the backpanel for easily retrieving items while on the move.  

Comfort can be somewhat subjective, but a few features help certain travel packs stand out from the rest of the market. Typically, the most comfortable designs boast shoulder straps and hipbelts with thick padding and good adjustability for dialing in fit. Sternum and load-lifter straps can also be very helpful in effectively distributing a heavy load. One brand that stands out in this area is Osprey, which makes sense given their expertise in the backpacking pack market. One of our favorite options for shuttling heavy loads over long distances is Osprey Sojourn Porter 46 , which features thick cushioning and good adjustability at the shoulders and waist belt and comes with load lifters for bringing the weight closer to your back.  

On the flip side, models without hipbelts are generally the least comfortable, especially when wearing them for extended stretches. From the list above, only the Thule Aoin doesn’t come with one, although their Aion Sling Bag (sold separately for $50) can be attached to serve as a hipbelt. Thin webbing designs—like what you get with the Amazon Basics Carry-On and Yeti Crossroads —aren’t much better, providing very little support and structure for keeping the weight of the pack on your hips (rather than your back). If you plan to be walking long distances with your pack through airports or city streets, we consider a well-padded waist belt a critical feature and worth the added investment.   

The models above are designed to be worn on your back as backpacks, but many travelers appreciate the ability to carry their pack suitcase-style or over the shoulder. These options are especially helpful when standing in line to check in at the airport or retrieve travel documents. For instance, the Peak Design Travel Backpack boasts 360-degree grab handles that make it quick and easy to take the pack off and carry it one-handed through security checkpoints or narrow airplane aisles. Designs like the Topo Designs Global Travel Bag 30L also come with detachable straps for shoulder carry, which can be helpful when you need to access items inside but want to keep the pack off the ground and remain hands-free. Finally, many of the offerings here can be secured to a roller bag via pass-through sleeves, which we cover more below.  

Other Travel Pack Features

In addition to pockets and electronics sleeves, there are a few other features specific to travel packs that are worth having on your radar. Lockable zippers are fairly standard at the mid to upper end of the market (budget designs like the Amazon Basics Carry-On Travel Backpack forgo them), as are removable and/or stowable straps and compression straps or dividers to keep things tidy in the main compartment. As is common with backpacking models, some travel packs also come with built-in rain covers that stow away when not in use, including Cotopaxi’s Allpa 35L and Eagle Creek’s Tour 40L. Finally, many will appreciate the ability to attach their travel pack directly to a rolling suitcase via a pass-through handle or sleeve (like what you get with Yeti Crossroads 35L and many others above).  

Given the inherently rough nature of travel, all of the packs above are well built and hardwearing enough to withstand frequent use. That said, some are certainly more durable than others, and looking at denier (a measurement of fabric thickness) can help differentiate between models. For instance, the Gregory Border Carry-On 40 is pretty average with a mix of 210- and 450-denier (D) materials, while the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L is one of the thickest and most abrasion-resistant options on our list with a combination of 1,000D polyester and 840D ballistic nylon (Topo Designs' Global Travel Bag uses a similar combo but with 1,000D nylon and 1,680D ballistic nylon). Pacsafe’s EXP45 is another standout, with stainless steel wire mesh built into the 400D nylon body to guard against theft. At the thinner end, Matador’s GlobeRider45 uses a mix of mostly 100 and 420D fabrics, although the nylon body is coated with a PU laminate to boost weather and abrasion resistance, and Matador included reinforcements in high-wear areas.  

Other durability-related additions to keep an eye out for are thick padding along the interior to promote structure and protect your belongings, weather-resistant details like YKK zippers and DWR coatings on the outside to fend off precipitation, and thicker materials at the base to help protect the pack when you set it down. And we should note here that cost often correlates pretty closely with overall quality. In other words, a budget pack like the Amazon Basics Carry-On Travel Backpack feels noticeably cheaper than most other options above and will likely wear down far more quickly. If you’re a frequent traveler, it’s almost certainly worth investing in a pricier and more premium option that will last.  

The weight spread isn’t huge among travel pack designs, but even a 1-pound difference may still be noticeable during long treks across town or the airport. For reference, the lightest options on our list are Eagle Creek’s Tour 40L and Topo Designs’ Global Travel Bag 30L (both 2 lb. 10 oz.), while the Osprey Farpoint 70 is the heaviest at 5 pounds 6.6 ounces. Most models fall somewhere in the middle, with the majority of 40- to 45-liter designs hovering somewhere between 3 and 4.5 pounds. In the end, weight won’t be a primary consideration for many travelers, but those backpacking through Europe or expecting to cover serious ground will probably want to shop toward the lighter end.  

Unlike their backpacking pack counterparts, travel packs are most often only offered in a single unisex option. This can make it difficult to dial in fit, especially for those with particularly narrow or broad builds. One exception above is the Eagle Creek Tour 40L , which is offered in both S/M and M/L torso sizes, while a couple others (which we cover below) are sold in dedicated women’s models for better customizing fit. Regardless of which option you choose, we always recommend trying on multiple packs before buying to see which fits you best (or at least purchasing from a reputable manufacturer with a generous return policy). You’ll want to be sure that you can adjust the shoulder straps and waist belt to be snug around your torso and waist. Sternum straps and load lifters can also be helpful for bringing the load closer to your back to maximize comfort and weight distribution.

As we mentioned above, most travel packs are unisex by design. In fact, only one model on our list is offered in a dedicated women’s-specific version: the Osprey Fairview (the Farpoint’s counterpart). Key differences include varying colorways, minor weight variations, and slightly smaller torso and waist measurements. The Fairview also has more contoured shoulder straps and a curved hipbelt to better conform to narrower torsos/shoulders and larger hips, although the packs share an otherwise identical overall construction and feature set. Regardless of designation, we always recommend choosing the pack that fits you best.  

In 2024, it’s pretty common to see pack manufacturers incorporating eco-friendly practices into production, including measures like recycled and bluesign-approved fabrics and PFAS/PFC-free DWR coatings. A couple examples include Pacsafe’s Venturesafe EXP45, which uses polyester that's made from recycled water bottles and other plastics, and Patagonia’s Black Hole Mini MLC 30L, which uses recycled and bluesign-approved (i.e., environmentally safe) polyester and is certified to the Fair Trade standard. A final feature to look out for is a PFC-free DWR coating, which forgoes the use of per- or polyfluorinated chemicals—"forever chemicals" known to be harmful to the environment. With many states stepping up to ban the sale of items that include PFCs, the outdoor industry is seeking better solutions for water- and stain-resistant finishes (for more, you can read about Patagonia’s take on the issue ).  

Packing your travel pack can often feel like playing a hard game of Tetris, especially for those of us who aren’t great at traveling light (this author included). To help, many of the brands above offer compatible accessories for their packs, from packing cubes to protective hard cases for electronics and more. Importantly, these add-ons are often modular and fit neatly into the main compartment of a compatible backpack. Some of our favorites include Topo Designs’ Pack Bags , Peak Design’s Packing Cubes and Tech Pouches, and Eagle Creek’s Pack-It compression cubes. In the end, these accessories aren't a necessary purchase for many travelers (and you certainly don't need to buy them from the same manufacturer as your pack), but they can go a long way toward maximizing organization and space and streamlining your load.  

The packs above make it easy and comfortable to shuttle your belongings across the globe, but not everyone needs a specialized design for travel. Duffel bags are another popular way to fly with a lot of clothing and gear, and many modern designs come with deployable backpack straps for more easily hauling through airports and around urban areas. However, duffels lack the impressive assortment of dedicated storage compartments and pockets for items like keys, passports, and electronics, are generally less comfortable to carry over long distances, and often don’t meet carry-on size requirements.  

Alternatively, some travelers may opt to use a standard backpacking pack . This can make a lot of sense when you’re traveling to hike, backpack, or embark on other adventures and plan to use your pack both for travel and for outdoor use when you arrive. Again, however, the lack of travel-specific features and organization options can make it harder to effectively divvy up your belongings. In the end, if you plan to fly domestically or abroad with any regularity (more than a couple times a year), we think most will find the investment in a dedicated travel pack worth it. Back to Our Top Travel Backpack Picks   Back to Our Travel Pack Comparison Table

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21 Best Travel Backpacks You Need To Check Out In 2024

• Travel Gear

Looking for the best travel backpack? Here are our favorites.

Like many of you travelers out there, we’ve been searching for the perfect travel backpack for over 6 years.

Though we like to keep things minimal at our place, we’ve racked up quite a collection of backpacks during this search. Our backpacks are important to us since they do the job of helping us carry our bare necessities on all our adventures.

These are the best travel backpacks we found.

This post may contain affiliate links, where we receive a small commission on sales of the products that are linked at no additional cost to you. All opinions are always our own. Read our full disclosure  for more info. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Local Adventurer possible.

Last Updated: April 1, 2024

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What to look for in a travel backpack.

• All Around Travel Backpacks

Camera Backpacks

Adventure backpacks.

• Lightweight Backpacks

Stylish Backpacks

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• Other Bags We’ve Tested

Planning Checklist

21 best travel backpacks you need to check out in 2024.

Before we get into them, let’s start by saying there isn’t a perfect bag for every need and scenario. There are a lot of factors that go into what makes the best travel bag for each type of trip or activity. Over the years, we’ve gathered our favorite bags to pick and choose the right one for each adventure.

When we started our search for the best travel backpack, we had a list of requirements. Over time, as we found more features that we loved, that list grew even bigger.

We also acknowledge that everyone’s needs are different. For us, we carry a fair amount of camera gear. Regardless of our different needs, here are some features you should consider when looking for your bag.

Size matters. You want a bag big enough to hold what you need (plus some extra space in case you pick up items during your travel), but not so big that it’s cumbersome. Also, will you primarily be using it to get your stuff from point A to point B? Or will you need to wear it while you explore? Here are a few general rules to follow:

• 15-30 L  – Good for weekend trips and as a day pack. Perfect to pair with a small suitcase and our current preference.
• 35-45 L  – Nice, all-around size (unless you’re small like me). It can be used for week-long or even month-long trips but feels large to use out and about during the day.
• 50-65 L  – These are bigger if you need extra space. They may also get flagged as a carry on depending on the size of the plane and how you pack.
• 70-120 L  – Way too big for the average traveler. This is moreso used for multi-day backcountry hiking. It’s also really heavy.

The lighter, the better! With that said, you still want quality and durability. A light bag that falls apart won’t help you on your travels. Also, consider the weight of the bag after it’s filled. It might not seem heavy at first, but it all adds up. As we get older, we’ve realized that we prefer a smaller backpack paired with a small suitcase to relieve the weight we carry on our backs.

Durability + Weather Resistance

Where will you be wearing your bag? Outdoors? Rainy weather? In the city? You want materials that can handle all your adventures. Since we’re carrying a lot of electronics, we try finding waterproof or water-resistant bags, or ones with a rain fly if we’re in a severe downpour.

Design + Access

This all comes down to preference and covers the aesthetics of the backpack and also the usability of it. Do you prefer a top-loading backpack or clamshell so you can access everything without pulling all your stuff out? We always prefer one that also has easier side access to our camera gear.

Also, pay attention to how the straps fit and if they pack away. Do they come with separate handles to help you pick up the bag? If the bag is larger, you may also want waist straps to distribute weight and lighten the load on your back.

Compartments

What are your travel essentials? It’s helpful to put that list together so you know what type of organization you’ll need. Do you travel with a laptop? Camera gear? Extra shoes? A non-negotiable for us was a place to keep our camera gear safe and secure and easy access for any unforeseen photo ops.

Additional Features

It’s impressive to see how bags have evolved over the years. What other features do you want in your backpack? Here are just a few that we’ve loved:

• Compressions Straps – help pack more without making your bag bulky. It also helps make the bag smaller when it’s not full.
• Lockable Zippers – extra security when traveling.
• Secret Compartments – another feature for security.
• Sternum and Waist Straps – help lighten the load but can cause more dangly straps that get in the way if not designed well.
• Back Panel – A well-designed back panel can be the difference between a soaking wet back and a nicely ventilated back.

Best All-Around Travel Backpacks

The first few bags that we’ll look at are all-around travel backpacks. They are flexible bags that can be used in most scenarios. These are generally larger bags, and I usually don’t carry them because of their sheer size on my petite frame, but luckily, I have Jacob, who likes to travel with them.

1. Peak Design TRAVEL backpack (Editor’s Pick) →

As you scroll down, you’ll realize that we love Peak Design bags. The main reason is that we always carry camera gear, and they build their bags with cameras in mind. When they announced a  Travel Backpack 45L , we knew it would be promising.

The bag is well-designed and packed with a ton of features. They excel at giving you a clean, minimalist design but still have many ways to customize the bag to how you travel.

They also released a Travel Backpack 30L version, which I like much better. It fits with my light packing better and negates the cons listed below.  Check out our review here . And don’t forget to pick up their new  Small Wash Pouch  and updated  Packing Cubes .

• Plenty of compartments while still having a large clamshell design
• Can pair with their other organizational items and camera cubes to have access to them while out
• Quality material and weatherproof
• Side pockets for water bottles or tripods
• Hideaway straps to convert to a duffel
• Tuck away zippers for extra security

CONS (not Issues with the 30L)

• Like other bags this size, it’s heavy and bulky when full
• Even when compressed, it still has a larger profile than other bags

2. Tortuga Travel Backpack →

The Tortuga Travel Backpack  is a great general travel bag if you like traveling light. It has good organization, solid build, and provides plenty of support. I particularly like how easy it is to remove and reattach the waist straps.

• Durable and waterproof fabric
• Lockable and water-resistant zippers
• Thick and soft shoulder straps and padding
• Easy to remove hip belt
• Lot of organization
• No side compression straps
• There isn’t an easy solution if you carry camera gear.

3. Aer Travel Pack 2 →

The Aer travel pack was a Kickstarter we were excited about from day 1. We’ve had  this backpack  for a long time, and it was our first travel-focused backpack. We’ve been happy with all of its features. The main reason we stopped using it is because it doesn’t have easy access to our camera.

• Large capacity with clamshell design
• Easy to organize with packing cubes
• Separate area to pack shoes
• Compression straps work well to lower the profile of the bag
• Lockable zippers
• Organizational panel to store smaller items
• Water resistant
• Heavy when full
• Doesn’t have easy access to camera gear
• Waist straps are sold separately

4. Tropicfeel Shell Backpack →

This  backpack  has many features and runs between 22 and 40 liters, giving it a lot of versatility. One of its best features is the accessories you can add to customize it to you, including a wardrobe system and camera cube.

• Weather-resistant
• Two ways to access the bag
• Great accessories to customize the bag
• Additional kangaroo pocket to store additional items below
• Starts at 22L and can expand to 40L
• Stowable hip straps
• Doesn’t have access to camera from exterior of the bag
• Base pack is limited – works best with accessories

5. Nomatic 30L Travel Pack →

The  Nomatic Travel Pack  is another bag that we’ve seen recommended in the travel space, so we had to check it out. Because we can’t easily access camera gear, we don’t use it for travel, but we throw all our climbing gear in there to bring to our local crags. It gives us the right amount of organization with a large section for all our rope and gear. 

• Quick transition between backpack and duffel mode
• A lot of different compartments and organization
• Large shoe compartment
• Weather-resistant material
• Comes in 30L and 40L
• Pass through a charging cable for your phone
• Doesn’t have side pockets for easy grab water bottle or tripod
• Rigid, boxy shape
• Some awkward pockets – unsure of how to practically use it
• Detachable waist straps that you have to find storage for
• No compression straps

BONUS: Tom Bihn Aeronaut 30 →

This is the most durable backpack we own. It’s built like a tank and is also great because it doesn’t look huge on me. Although the Tom Bihn Aeronaut looks smaller, it’s a black hole. I don’t know how it fits so much, but just when you think it’s at its max, it still fits in more!

• Ridiculously durable and can take a serious beating
• Multiple ways to carry the bag (backpack, messenger, duffel)
• Has accessories/cubes that fit perfectly into this bag
• Three distinct sections that adjust in size
• Interior tie-down straps
• Many color options and two sizes
• Low profile
• Doesn’t have exterior compression straps
• No water bottle pocket
• There isn’t a laptop sleeve
• Nowhere to keep camera gear and have access to it
• No waist straps

Camera backpacks are our bread and butter since we always travel with gear. At the same time, we don’t travel with so much gear that we need an entire bag dedicated to it. We need a versatile bag for different setups that has room for other items and works well traveling and as a day pack.

6. Wandrd PRVKE (Editor’s Pick) →

This is our go-to  camera backpack , and overall, it has worked well. We usually travel with our 5D Mark IV, two lenses, and our DJI Mavic 2 with Smart Controller. It keeps everything nice and organized.

Jacob still has mixed feelings about the roll top. It’s a nice feature since the bag can expand without making the bag’s profile any larger, but it’s also more annoying to access.

• Modular organization for camera gear 
• Multiple access points to the bag
• Easy, side access to a camera
• Secure pocket for valuables along your back
• Expandable with roll-top design
• Can add waist and accessory straps
• Dedicated rainfly pocket
• Camera side access is from the left side (it feels more natural on the right side to me)
• Roll-top is slower to access
• No dedicated storage for waist straps

See More: We Found the Best Camera Backpack. Here’s Why.

7. Peak Design Everyday Backpack →

We’ve used the  Everyday B ackpack  for a long time before switching. It’s a great day-to-day bag when we’re in town, and we traveled with it quite a bit. We sport the 20L bag since it fits our bodies better.

• Dividers give you the flexibility to configure the inside any way you want
• Easy and quick access from two sides and the top
• You can access the sides and panel pockets while still wearing the bag
• Expandable side pockets for water bottles or tripods
• Weatherproof shell
• Organization pockets specifically for camera gear (memory cards, etc.)
• Expansion on top doesn’t give you that much extra space
• Waist straps aren’t padded
• Removing or putting back all shelves can be annoying

8. Lowepro Freeline BP350 AW →

We unintentionally added the  Freeline  to our collection when Jacob won it at a B&H raffle. The very first thing we noticed was how similar it is to the Peak Design Everyday bag. They took the popular bag and improved it, but it still looks like a camera bag.

• A modular three-shelf organization system that can be easily removed
• Side access zippers for camera gear
• Additional gearbox included to organize cables and adapters
• Looks like a camera backpack, which can be a target for theft

We need a much larger backpack to carry our gear on longer hikes or backpacking adventures. These are also great if you’re going backpacking through Europe.

9. Wandrd Fernweh →

The  WANDRD FERNWEH  is the latest launch from one of our favorite bag companies. It’s a mix of an adventure, travel, and camera backpack. We got our hands on a prototype, so check out our YouTube review on YouTube.

• Modular organization system that can be easily removed
• Tons of padding focused on comfort with heavy loads
• Four access points
• Some changes will be made with the final product (probably more of a Pro since they’ll add better features and tweak a few things, but you won’t know what the final product looks like)

10. Osprey Atmos →

We only travel with these packs when we’re headed on multi-day backpacking trips. Jacob has the  Aether  and unfortunately, the  women’s version  doesn’t fit me, so I use the kid’s  Ace Pack  instead.

• Can remove top lid to convert into a daypack.
• Great support while allowing your back to breathe
• Zippered hip belt pockets
• Zippered sleeping bag compartment with a removable divider
• Hydration reservoir sleeve
• Side panel zip access to the main compartment
• No dedicated spots to carry electronics
• A huge bag that is cumbersome to travel with
• May not fit into all overhead compartments (specifically smaller planes)

11. Lowepro Whistler Backpack 450 AWII →

We started using this  backpack  in Portland and loved it for rainy weather. Not only does it have great support if you’re hiking, but you can access everything in the bag without putting it down, which was perfect for the wet climate in the Pacific Northwest.

• Plenty of storage space for all your camera gear with a modular system
• Weather-resistant material plus dedicated rainfly pocket
• Great support to carry heavy loads
• Easy to flip the bag while still on your waist to access all your gear
• Mostly built for camera gear
• No laptop sleeve
• You cannot store away bulky waist straps, and the loose straps can get annoying.
• Looks like a camera bag, which can be a target for theft.

Lightweight Backpacks (Day Packs)

These packs aren’t meant to stand alone as travel bags but can pair well with other bags, giving you a better daypack option.

12. Wandrd Sling (Editor’s Pick) →

We love our WANDRD PRVKE so we’re excited to try the new  WANDRD Sling . It comes in 3 sizes (3L, 6L, 9L) and two colors. We have the 6L version so it’s easy to carry our camera around town. It has some unique features like the security strap to keep it closer to your body. The 6L also has the option to have an added laptop case for 14 or 16 inch laptops

• High quality and weatherproof material
• Lots of organization
• Wear it three ways
• An optional security strap keeps it closer to your body
• There is an expandable water bottle / tripod holder
• Optional laptop case on the 6L
• Limited if you’re trying to carry a lot of gear
• If your gear is heavy, it’s harder to distribute the weight, unlike a backpack

13. Peak Design Sling →

This bag  is another great day-to-day option for a camera and some small items. It’s nice because I can easily swing it from my back to front and stash my camera away quickly when I don’t need it. There are two sizes, the 5L and 10L, and we have then both. The 10L allows you to carry a tripod on it.

 I have carried a tripod on it by putting one of the legs through the strap. It’s not the most comfortable carry but works if you need your hands free.

• Can adjust the strap with one hand
• Weatherproof main compartment
• Flexible dividers to help you organize
• A couple of extra pockets to organize smaller items
• Can be adjusted to carry on your waist
• Can pack down flat if you want to pack it in your suitcase .
• Not big enough to store a laptop (only a tablet)
• Too small if you need more than a DSLR & 2 lenses and excludes large lenses like the 70-200.

14. REI Flash 18 Pack →

We’ve had multiple versions of the REI Flash 18 pack over the years, and it still holds up. We use it for short day hikes and when we go bouldering. We also picked up the Flash 22 for when we needed more space.

• Lots of color options
• Super lightweight
• Can easily pack it in your suitcase without it taking up much space
• Thin shoulder straps are not great for heavier loads
• No structure to the bag

BONUS: NOMATIC Navigator Collapsible Sling 6L →

If you’re looking for a packable sling, check out the NOMATIC Navigator . It folds into itself, saving room in your luggage , but it also gives you up to 6L for storage with plenty of organization.

Most packable bags don’t hold much form, but the molded back panel is a nice touch. Plus, even though it doesn’t pack tiny, it’s easy to fold up. I’ve become frustrated with other packable bags when I struggle to return them to their original form.

• Packs small
• Stowable stabilizer strap
• Molded back panel
• External water bottle pocket
• No padding if you want to carry a camera
• Not the smallest when packed up because of the molded back panel

Not all functional bags look great for photos, so we’ve collected a few different bags over the years that are more stylish depending on the occasion. If the aesthetic of the bag is what you’re more worried about, these are the bags to get.

15. Solo Parker Hybrid Backpack Tote →

We got  this bag  at the same time we added the packable bag to our collection. I used it on a recent weekend trip and love the look and feel of it. It’s great for any city travel.

• Converts from a backpack to a tote
• Plenty of organization for smaller items
• Low profile and hugs the body
• Zipper top to secure everything inside
• More stylish than any of my other backpacks
• No dedicated space or protection for a DSLR
• Capacity is limited, so it’s only good to pair with a suitcase or for short weekend trips.
• Still a tad big for my petite frame

16. Driibe Dakota 3 in 1 Convertible Backpack →

You can carry the  Driibe Dakota as a backpack and purse. Unlike other convertible bags that call themselves convertible because of additional straps, this one actually transforms. Even though it’s not meant to be worn this way, I sometimes like to wear the straps on the backside to showcase the lighter

• Converts from a backpack to a purse
• Has an expandable section to give me more space as a backpack
• Has a convenient spot for me to carry a jacket.
• Made from sustainable materials.
• Comes with lots of accessories.
• No dedicated space for a DSLR.
• If you’re carrying a lot of weight in the bag, the straps are thin to be comfortable. It comes with padding and other accessories to help with comfort, but it doesn’t look as cute with them.

17. Lo & Sons Rowledge →

This bag comes in two sizes and is great if you don’t need to carry a large camera. I’ve brought it on my last few trips and I love how stylish and timeless it is. Plus, it’s an AAPI-owned company!

• Classic and stylish look
• Good organization for your items
• Fits laptops up to 13″
• Has a suitcase handle sleeve
• Can be carried as a briefcase
• No dedicated camera storage and won’t fit larger cameras
• Straps can get uncomfortable if you have a heavy load

18. TOPO Designs Rover Collection →

We used to rock the Klettersack, which is a more stylish outdoorsy bag, and the one I’ve used the most out of the three. Although it lacks in function in comparison to many of the other bags listed in the post, the color pops for photos, so we take it out often on our trips.

We recently upgraded to their  Rover collection ! We got a mini because I love the size especially since I’m petite, and the tech for Jacob, which has a bit more organization.

• Tons of color options
• Classic look
• Has basic organization and compartments
• Includes side water bottle pockets
• Water repellent finish
• Just one large main compartment so you have to dig through everything to get access to your stuff
• No dedicated camera storage or easy access to it

19. Ekster Grid Backpack →

The Ekster Grid Backpack is a clean and sleek design for everyday carry. Plus they have some great accessories like a Camera Cube and Tech Bag.

• Weatherproof
• Packs like a suitcase – opens 180°
• Built to protect your tech
• Lots of places to attach gear on the outside
• Additional organization options sold separately
• Hidden RFID pocket
• Made with recycled material
• No easy access to camera gear
• Must buy accessories individually

20. Sprayground Rivera Savvy Crossbody →

We’ve been looking for a stylish crossbody for our day-to-day adventures when we don’t need a camera. We love  this premium handcrafted cut and sewn crossbody by SPRAYGROUND . Has just the right pop of color and helps me carry what I need.

• Lightweight and efficient
• Stylish cross-body
• Good for essentials
• Durable Vegan Leather
• Water-resistant fabric
• Not much organization
• Not big enough for a camera or jacket

BONUS: Kovered Taw Rolltop Backpack →

This is a beautiful leather backpack that is rugged and gives a vintage look. It’s made with waxed leather protecting it against moisture and can carry up to 27L with the roll top build

• Water-proof waxed canvas
• Laptop compartment
• 2x 500ml water bottle pockets
• Reclaimed leather and sustainably sourced
• Magnetic fasteners
• No dedicated camera storage if you have a lot of gear
• The large interior pocket is so deep it can be hard to get to the bottom

We don’t use duffels often, but from time to time, we need a large capacity bag to throw all our gear in.

21. Peak Design Travel Duffel 65L →

Peak Design recently updated their  Travel Duffel 65L  with some amazing features. It can be carried four ways and has just enough organization while still being able to carry a ton of gear.

• Can be carried 4 ways
• Massive capacity with a big opening
• Organization inside and outside
• Great quality material and durable
• Security measures for the zippers
• Not padded so if anything is fragile, you need additional padding

BONUS: Kovered Humber Duffel →

Here’s a rugged large 45L capacity holdall perfect for a weekend getaway. It gives vintage vibes with present-day tech.

• Wax canvas gives it moisture protection
• Durable cotton fabric double lining
• Has 2 interior compartments to help organize
• 2 exterior zipped pockets for easy access
• Full-grain leather straps and steel rivets
• Reclaimed leather
• Lifetime guarantee
• If you’re doing a lot of walking, duffels can get heavy on one shoulder
• No easy way to protect any fragile items

Other Packing Accessories We Use

• Packing Cubes (Peak Design Packing Cubes)
• Tumi Toiletry Kit
• TSA 3-1-1 Clear Quart Size Bag
• Peak Design Camera Cube
• Tech Pouch from Peak Design
• Peak Design Wash Pouch

Other Bags We’ve Tested

• Aer Duffel Pack
• Exped Summit Lite (discontinued)
• Golla Weekender Bag (discontinued)
• Lo & Sons Seville and Rhodes Duffel Weekender (discontinued)
• Lowepro Pro Runner BP 350 AW II Backpack (discontinued)
• ONA The Camps Bay Backpack (discontinued)
• Solo Packable Backpack (discontinued)
• Wandrd Veer (discontinued)
• Get comprehensive insurance for your trip.
• Download these helpful language apps .
• Arrange a rental car for your trip.
• Get airport lounge access .
• Buy a travel charger to keep your devices charged.
• Get a new backpack for your trip.
• Pack the appropriate shoes for your trip.
• Don’t forget your in-flight essentials .

What do you currently consider your best travel backpack? Are there any features you would add to make the perfect travel backpack?

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“Discovery consists not of seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes ” – M. Proust

Esther + Jacob

Esther and Jacob are the founders of Local Adventurer, one of the top 5 travel blogs in the US. They believe that adventure can be found near and far and hope to inspire others to explore locally. They explore a new city in depth every year and currently base themselves in Las Vegas.

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The 14 Best Backpacks for Every Type of Traveler, From Campers to Commuters — Starting at $37

After 20 years of travel writing, I’ve found the perfect pack for any trip.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

Travel + Leisure / Madison Woiten

I’ve been traveling to all corners of the globe since I was 20. I don’t want to age myself, but that’s almost two decades filled with memorable experiences like backpacking across Europe, exploring the beautiful island of Kyushu after university, and traveling across the Swiss Alps as a restaurant critic in my current job. And after all of these years, I always use a backpack as my go-to travel bag . While I've dabbled in side bags, slings, and minimalist crossbody purses, I find no other bag has such ease of use, practicality, functionality, or reliability as a backpack.

It’s taken a while to find just the right fit for me — as an adventurous traveler and adrenaline-seeker, I’m always moving around, which is why I choose a bag that doesn’t weigh me down. But I’ve found that there are plenty of perfect bags for just about every adventurer out there, from campers to commuters and day trippers to full-on backpackers. 

Whether I'm hiking in the Alps during the summer or shopping on a High Street in London, here are the best packs for the job. From lightweight and waterproof to classy and even run-way worthy, these travel backpacks fit the bill for every occasion, and I'm confident that there's something to suit every type of traveler.

For the City-goer: Fjallraven Kanken Pack

Pretty much everyone in Sweden has a Fjallraven backpack these days. When I was in Stockholm last year visiting restaurants like Petri, BORD and Brutalisten , no matter where I was in the city, I would see adults and kids sporting them. Mirroring the 1970s Swedish kids school bag aesthetic, the Fjallraven pack is lightweight and durable, which makes it well-loved by Swedish mothers and a great day bag for travelers, too. When Fjallraven reinvented the Kanken bags a few years ago, hikers took the bags on day trips because the lightweight Vinylon F fabric could withstand dirt and even moisture — but my advice would be to go for the bigger version: the Kanken Outlong , which comes with extra side pockets. Both bags have a spacious main compartment that opens up very wide so you can stuff a rain jacket or a kid's lunch box inside.

For Campers: Patagonia Ultralight Black Hole Tote Pack 27L

My personal favorite camping backpack is the Kajka 65-Liter Backpack from Fjallraven, but it comes with a hefty price tag. If you're looking for something that's budget-friendly and delivers the same level of durability and space, I'd recommend the Patagonia Ultralight Black Hole Pack. Available in a mini 27-liter tote , a mini 30-liter backpack , a full-sized 32-liter backpack , and extra-large 45-liter backpack , it's highly versatile with lots of pockets to comfortably store your camping gear and a convertible design that expands its carrying possibilities. Its weather-resistant exterior even reminds me of a tent, and is super lightweight and durable so if anything spills on the side of the backpack, you can just easily wipe it off with a damp cloth or even rinse it under cold running water and it dries really quickly.

For Bikers: Vibrelli Hydration Backpack

Bikers love the Vibrelli Hydration Backpack because of its versatility. Rather than reaching into your bag for a water bottle, the hydration backpack allows you to drink up to 2 liters of clean water free from the handy bite-valve, which is drip-free and made with medical-grade materials to keep your water fresher for longer. Although the bag is technically a hydration pack, there are other perks to it, which also makes it great for hiking, skiing, and other trekking expeditions; the bag is lightweight, there are fully adjustable waist and chest straps, a space to attach your helmet, and internal pockets and bungee straps to store your essentials, as well as an emergency whistle and rear reflector patch to make your night rides safer.

For Minimalists : Longchamp Le Pliage Nylon Canvas Backpack

Could this be the most chic backpack out there? Even a Parisian wouldn’t frown at the sight of the Le Pliage backpack by Longchamp on the Champs-Élysées. A pioneer in French elegance since the 1940s, Longchamp has reinvented the everyday backpack and turned its iconic Le Pliage handbag into a backpack. Durable recycled nylon makes easy cleaning of the bag if it gets dirty or stained with an oily croissant (guilty!), but the greatest perk is that it is incredibly lightweight and stylish; it's easy to use around Paris as you shop up and down the street looking for souvenirs, pastries, and a French boyfriend. Minimalist travelers will appreciate its lightweight, streamlined design, and the fact that it folds into a tiny little bag that fits in the palm of your hand. A classic bag for a classic traveler — oui, bien sûr!

For Solo Travelers: Shrradoo Anti-Theft Laptop Backpack

The Shrradoo Anti-Theft Laptop Backpack is a perfect bag for travelers who don’t have companions watching over their bag as they explore busy markets and other touristy sights, where things can get very crowded and pickpocketers are sure to pounce. It's equipped with its designated, 17-inch laptop compartment and comes with extra space for other accessories. The beauty of the bag is that it is secure and stocked with a small anti-theft pocket, which is hidden in the lower back part of the bag to keep your passport, wallet, and phone safe. There is also a handy USB charging port to help you charge your smartphone on the go, and the straps are well-cushioned for comfortable carrying.

For Business Travelers: Samsonite Classic Leather Backpack

If you have struggled to find a great backpack that doesn’t look like you are going out into the woods, check out Samsonite’s Classic Leather Backpack. Sporting a very sleek design, the luxe-looking leather material and metal hardware helps it put a sophisticated finishing touch on your smart-casual outfit. At first glance, it's a clear classic travel bag for any business traveler out there, but once you look inside, you will discover that its main two compartments pack a lot of space, making it the ultimate companion for any trip. There's room to put your lunch, tech gear, notebooks, umbrella, and extra clothes that you might need throughout the day. Don't miss this chance to get it on rare sale at Amazon.

For Skiers: Unigear Ski Boot Bag

Winter is fun in the Swiss Alps but when it comes to packing light, it’s not an easy feat for skiers. But one bag that makes travel slightly less arduous as a powder head is the Unigear Ski Boot Bag, which happens to be an Amazon best-seller . There are small compartments for your tech gear and wallet, but the piece de resistance is how the 50-liter bag can fit not just your ski clothes, scarf, and gloves, but your ski boots and helmet, too. It comes in five different colors and has earned an impressive 4.8-star rating from shoppers, one of which raved , "Everything fits perfectly and the backpack makes it easy to free up your hands to carry [a snow]board."

For Hikers: L.L.Bean Ridge Runner Day Pack

This 26-liter bag is an ideal choice for hikers and trail runners who want something light on their backs to increase their productivity on their feet. The ultra-durable 100D triple ripstop nylon doesn’t weigh you down and remains lightweight when the pack is firmly secured on your back — even when it's filled with gear. The mesh-covered density foam on the back is a thoughtful detail that trekkers will find refreshing once things get sweaty, and you'll be delighted to find extra compartments and pockets to stash all of your trail essentials.  What's more, there's even a loop attachment for elastic trekking poles.

For Backpackers: Mystery Ranch Glacier Pack

Gone are the days where I traveled with a hefty backpack on my bag for a month, but if I did do it today, I would definitely revert back to the Fjallraven Kajka 35 . This 35-liter backpack is ideal for backpacking around Europe or our very own national parks on long weekend benders because everything has a home inside it; there’s a place for dirty laundry hidden as an internal mesh pocket in the main compartment, a side pocket to put your Nordic walking sticks, three zippered pockets that can be detached and used as separate side bags, and finally a rain cover. It's clear why it's a top backpack for travelers who don’t want to live out of a suitcase. However, I’m a light packer and don't want to leave you overpackers without an option. For an all-around pick with ample space, the 70-liter Mystery Ranch Glacier Pack is the best bet — and it's on sale!

For Commuters: Hap Tim Laptop Backpack

This backpack is my top choice for commuters who fear that their laptop or notebook will not withstand all of the bumping and knocking at the TSA security line or on the long hours crammed in busy, peak-hour trains. The durable water-resistant exterior helps keep all of your tech dry, while the inside is slightly padded with a wide, adjustable sleeve to fit most notebooks and computers. The best part about the bag is that there is a strap to secure it onto your carry-on luggage handle, so you don’t have to lug it on your back. The straps are also shock-absorbing for optimal comfort and to eliminate strain, which is a bonus for people who are still learning the art of packing light.

For Super Organized Travelers: Vashy Laptop Backpack

If you always have trouble finding your headphones, iPhone, tablet, and other knick-knacks, you have to buy the Vaschy Vintage Daypack. This lightweight rucksack is ready for any adventure, but I think it works best for people who carry a lot of tech with them during their travels. There are so many little pockets for gadgets and a secure location for your tablet — not to mention side pockets for your water bottle or umbrella, as well as inner drawstring pockets to separate your coat and lunch from all of your gear. If you ask me, there is no excuse to not travel efficiently when you have the Vaschy Vintage handy because everything is so well-organized in the roomy backpack.

For Stylish Jet-setters: LXY Vintage Faux-Leather Backpack

For travelers who like their luggage to feel more like a high-fashion accessory, the LXY Vegan Leather Backpack is one of the most stylish options out there with its vintage look and elegant vegan leather. Beyond its polished look, it's an excellent companion thanks to its well-pocketed design, which features multiple compartments for your essentials and a padded pocket to safely store your laptop and tablet. There are also hidden buttons on the side so you can expand the bag if you need more space, and the adjustable straps are made with a soft synthetic leather to sit firmly nestled on your shoulders without any fuss. 

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Outdoor Vitals Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure Backpack

Versatile lightweight pack

Volume and Organization

After traveling with 30- and 45L clam-shell style packs as carry-on bags, I was curious about trying a more traditional backpack. The 45L Outdoor Vitals Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure Backpack appealed to me because at 10” deep, 12” wide, and 22” tall, it’s slimmer and sleeker than some of my other large clam-shell bags/packs, and it has a nice variety of compartments and sleeves for organizing my gear. 

The Outdoor Vitals Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure Backpack has a large, 37L main compartment, accessible by unzipping the top panel, which covers the vertical length of the pack and wraps over the top of the pack. I like that I can fully unzip the panel and fold it backward while packing. It feels like I’m packing one side of a suitcase, with a nice large space to fill. I get the added bonus of seeing what I’m packing rather than stuffing and stacking items from the top of the pack. I can take advantage of the pack’s large volume, or I can use the six internal compression straps to reduce the volume for shorter trips or for day hiking. The straps allow me to customize the level of compression I need. I like that versatility. 

The other two main compartments are: a large zippered compartment on the front of the pack and a medium-sized zippered compartment on the top. Like the main compartment, these pockets contain additional organizational pockets on the inside. All but one of these inner pockets are made out of an ultralight mesh material to keep the weight of the pack down. There are also two external zippered pockets, one on each side of the pack. Each pocket can hold a 17 oz (500 ml) water bottle.

Compression and Expansion

I found it very easy to pack the Outdoor Vitals Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure Backpack’s main compartment. I place my clothing into packing cubes, then arranged the cubes into the space. I was surprised by how much the pack holds. Even when compressed I was able to pack enough clothing for a five-to-seven day trip, including: three packing cubes containing a pair of pants, a pair of sweatpants, three short-sleeve tops, two long-sleeve tops, two bras, six pairs of underwear, and three pairs of socks.

I’m tall, and have a long toros, so I really like that the Outdoor Vitals Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure Backpack’s 22” length that gives me more packing options with such long, bulky items as parka-length jackets and wetsuits that can be quite builkly when folded several times. I can fit most of my jackets into the Outdoor Vitals Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure by folding them in half.

When the Outdoor Vitals Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure Backpack is fully expanded I can add a swim suit, a swim cap, goggles, a snorkel, an extra pair of shoes, and a thick zippered hoody sweatshirt. I use the provided accessory straps to securely attach my bike helmet to the front of the pack. (The pack has many accessory attachment loops, including six inside the main compartment and eight on the outside of the pack.) 

I love having options around how to use the space in the main compartment. There are three compression straps on inside of the compartment, so I can reduce or expand the volume in any part of the pack. This versatility comes in handy when I want to fit my helmet inside the bag. I just expand the top of the pack.

The main compartment contains two long sleeve-style pockets (one on each side of the pack), as well as a full-length zippered pouch on the underside of the top panel. All of these pockets have a tough nylon binding around the borders. I don’t always use the side pockets, but when I do they are great for small items I forgot to pack in a cube, like an extra pair of socks, and for things like note cards and my Tarot card deck , and my iPhone tripod.

I use the zippered pocket on the underside of the front panel to store my medicine and vitamins. I carry a seven-day pill box divided into four doses a day. It’s abut an inch thick and it’s a bit bulky, but I want it with me in case my checked bag gets lost. After I slide the pill box into the deep pocket there’s still plenty of room for a medium-sized toiletries bag that holds a few more pill bottles. 

I’ve also used the main compartment to carry my wetsuit, two changes of clothes (including two-days worth of socks and underwear), a pair of shoes, and a thick hoody. This pack is ideal for day-long or weekend outings where I bring fewer items of clothing but more activity-specific gear.

Security and Safety

The front panel of the Outdoor Vitals Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure Backpack is narrow and long, wrapping around the top of the pack. It has four zipper pulls on the long zipper, which is a fabulous and thoughtful way to give the user more access to items on the inside of the pack. I can pack more strategically, knowing that I can quickly open only part of the panel to find what I need. I love how the top of the pack covers the top of the pack like a lid. This design gives me more space for gear and makes it easy for me to find things at the top of the pack without unzipping the sides and risking items falling out.

There’s a spacious zippered compartment on top of this panel that I use for stashing my padded computer accessories cube (cords, chargers, adapters), my iPad mini (in its bulky OtterBox case ), and my iPhone 12 (also in a build OtterBox case ). This deep compartment has a padded cover and a single zipper pull that can be parked under a tough nylon strap to slow down thieves who might try to access the compartment. If I want to access items at the bottom of the compartment, I have to fold the top panel back and reach into the depths. 

This compartment also features zippered mesh pockets, two on the bottom and another on the underside of the panel. I use the lowest bottom pocket for items I need to keep safe: my passport, most of my wallet contents, jewelry. Then I put a smaller version of my wallet , containing only a single credit card, my ID, and some cash, into the top pocket. On the underside of the panel there’s a deep sleeve-style mesh pocket that I use for any items I don’t want to lose while traveling: a knit hat, a pair of gloves , a bandana. 

Keep Essentials Handy

The top of the Outdoor Vitals Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure Backpack has a nice big pocket for storing flat items I use often and need quick access to: my glasses (inside a protective case), my iPod (encased in a thin, nylon case), and a packet of hand wipes. 

Inside this compartment there are two flat zippered pockets that are ideal for all the small items I might need during a flight or bus ride: essential cords and chargers, lip balm, and pens. The bottom inner pocket contains elastic bottle holders, so I use those for my “just in case” personal items such as a bottle of Tylenol, a bottle of something for my stomach, and a Bag Balm moisturizer stick. I often get headaches when I travel, so now I have a bag that provides me with options for keeping essentials close at hand. There’s also a short key lanyard in this pocket for my keys.

Even when the pack is stowed on a rack or in a bin, I can access what I need without removing it from is storage place. Nothing worse than trying to remove a bag from the overhead bin mid-flight. I’m always afraid I’ll drop the bag on someone’s head. 

Tech Support

With my iPad mini,  iPod (yes, I still use my iPod Classic), and iPhone secure, all I have left to pack into the Outdoor Vitals Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure Backpack is my 13” MacBook Pro . 

It fits easily into the deep padded laptop sleeve on the bottom of the main compartment, even when inside a protective case. The sleeve is quite roomy and has space for a 15” or 16” laptop.

Easy to Carry

The Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure Backpack feels comfortable to me when I wear it as a pack. The shoulders straps and hip belt are thick and densely padded (with perforated EVA foam), as well as adjustable. It only takes me a minute to adjust everything to a fit that works for me. When not in use, I can unbuckle the straps and tuck them under the mesh-covered padding on the back of the bag. The adjustable chest strap is removable, so I usually don’t use it because it’s the type of thing I tend to lose. 

I love how Outdoor Vitals has designed the hip belt. First, it is securely attached with a large Velcro-like patch located underneath the back padding. It is so helpful that I can remove the belt and stash it in another pocket while traveling, especially when I need to check the pack rather than use it as a carryon bag. Also, the belt provides great support around the torso but doesn’t extend over my stomach. It’s a thoughtful design that saves weight and reduces some bulk. 

The Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure Backpack has four nylon handles, one on each side of the pack, that make it easy to grab the pack off of a rack on busses or off of the airline baggage claim conveyor belt.

The pack is heavy when it’s full, but it is much more manageable than other 45L bags I’ve used. It must be the thinner, taller profile. It just feels easier to manage. I can easily wear it and feel comfortable in it while navigating an airport or a trail. Also, with the four handles I can safely lift the bag when I need to store it or retrieve it during travel.

The lightweight aluminum frame is housed in a flat, sealed pocket on the back of the main compartment. It is removable, but I have kept it in the pack because I like the additional support and shaping it provides.

Bottom Line

I thought I was pretty attached to the clam-shell packs I have, but I loved using the Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure Backpack. It’s my new favorite bag. It’s durable. It has so many options for packing the various items of different sizes that I need on long trips and on day-long outings, and I think it is easier to handle when full than my stockier bags.

I appreciate the clean, elegant design. I like having sleek gear because I most often travel to and through cities. I don’t want gear covered with logos. 

I feel like Outdoor Vitals made smart choices about where they reduced the weight of the  Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure Backpack. The mesh pockets can feel very flimsy, but so far they are performing well. Same with the handles. They aren’t the most comfortable handles, but they are durable and get the job done.

I like the look and the thinness of the grid-print material. It’s much easier to wipe clean than my old-school packs made out of woven nylon that have more of a canvas-like appearance and texture. I also appreciate being able to pack things securely and still have access to them when I need them. I think the Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure Backpack’s long, lean design makes it ideal for air travel because it seems to fit (or come very close to fitting) within common airline carry-on dimension limits.

Finally, I like that the Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure Backpack provides safe passages for my many devices.

The Kotaul Ultralight Travel and Adventure Backpack weights only 2 pounds and 13 ounces (a wee bit more, 2 lbs 15 oz, if all accessory straps are used). It is made out of 210D Nylon with 400D Spectra Ripstop Grid, with YKK zippers. The pack isn’t waterproof and doesn’t have taped seams. Outdoor Vitals describes it as a water-resistant pack. (“Water Resistance: 1500 mm HH.”) Outdoor Vitals also makes waterproof dry bags for this pack. Items sold on their website, and some items are available on Amazon .

Available in black and in green. 

Brand: Outdoor Vitals outdoorvitals.com

All images from Outdoor Vitals website.

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OutdoorVitals

Kotaul ultralight travel & adventure backpack.

May Giveaway. $1 spent equals 1 entry. Members $1 spent equals 10 entires.  More Info

Introducing the KotaUL Ultralight Travel & Adventure Backpack, engineered for seamless exploration and optimized for maximum comfort and convenience. Inspired by Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, it embodies the spirit of urban adventure and rugged outdoor escapades. Take it with you whether on the trail or through the terminal:

• Ultralight & Durable: Crafted from innovative Spectra ripstop fabric, this backpack offers impressive durability while keeping weight to a minimum, perfect for extended journeys.
• Modular Design : Adapt to any adventure with ease. The removable frame, hip belt, & shoulder straps allow for personalized comfort and load management, catering to the demands of your trip.
• Effortless Organization : Stay organized on the go with multiple zipper pulls and volumized pockets throughout. Access your gear with ease, no matter where your journey takes you.
• Tech Protection : Keep your devices safe and secure with the raised and padded laptop sleeve, ensuring they stay elevated off the ground during your travels. We've also provided more subtle "deep pockets" that are more hidden so you can stash away items you need to keep extra safe.
• Versatile Storage Options : An impressive internal compression system allows you to customize the size & volume of your bag for an optimized packing experience. Volumized side pockets accommodate large water bottles or taller items, while detachable accessory straps offer additional versatility for your gear. 

Experience the freedom of lightweight exploration with the KotaUL Ultralight Travel & Adventure Backpack. Upgrade your journey today and unlock a new level of comfort and convenience. No more compromises, just pure adventure.

Weight: 2 lbs 13 oz

(2 lbs 15 oz with accessory straps)

Base Weight: 2 lbs 13 oz

Weight With Accessory Straps: 2 lbs 15 oz

Size: 45L (37L main compartment)

Fabric: 210D Nylon with 400D Spectra Ripstop Grid

Water Resistance: 1500 mm HH (not seam taped)

Internal Frame (removable): 22 inches (vertical) - Aluminum

Zippers: YKK

Shoulder Straps: perforated EVA foam

Back Panel: perforated EVA foam

Hip Belt (removable): perforated EVA foam

Hardware: Duraflex plastic buckles & gatekeepers

Warranty: Outdoor Vitals Performance Promise

Main Compartment

-YKK zipper pulls (x4) for ease of access

-2/3 length outer panel interior stretch mesh pocket with YKK zipper

-3/4 length interior side panel stretch mesh pockets (x2)

-Internal compression system

-Padded EVA foam laptop sleeved (raised 4")

-Padded EVA foam bottom

-Accessory attachment loops (x12)

-Long term storage pocket (where removable aluminum frame is housed)

-High contrast color for better visibility

Top Compartment

-top internal stretch mesh pocket

-bottom internal oxford nylon pocket with key clip and zipper security loops

Front Panel

-Padded front panel for increased protection and shape

-2 YKK zipper pulls & security loops

-full length stretch mesh open top pocket (great for tablets or notebooks)

-Deep storage stretch mesh pocket (pleated for extra volume)

-Top internal stretch mesh pocket (pleated for extra volume) with 2 organization sleeves

- 2 volumized side pockets with YKK zipper, Stretch mesh keeper to stabilize taller items that don't allow the zippers to close

-Exterior accessory attachment loops

Removable & adjustable hip belt

EVA foam back panel

EVA foam contoured shoulder straps

Other Features

KotaUL Owner Feature Overview

Customization & Modularity

KotaUL Q&A

Tailored Accessories (not included)

Each one of these accessories was built specifically for the KotaUL backpack. That means  they will fit  perfectly  on any of your adventures! Whether you need some compression, to protect your gear from moisture, or just extra organization, these accessories have got you covered!

Comfortable wide hip belt

Stay comfortable always. Remove & tuck away when not needed.

no extra straps

Internal compression system.

Eliminates need for external compression straps

Trims down overall profile of the pack

3 different compression points on each side (used as needed)

Multiple YKK Zipper Sliders

allow you to access gear from any angle

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Compression Dry Bag - KotaUL Accessory

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Recently viewed, customer reviews.

Just what I ordered. Thanks!

This bag feels awesome on my back. Love the way it looks and it distributes the weight well.

I took the Kotaul (after much searching for a carry on bag for international flights) on my first camino. I hiked 200 miles up the Portuguese and Spanish coast to Santiago de Compostela, average about 12.5 miles a day, finished in 16 days. The bag really worked well, with just minor issues. Im not sure if this is really meant for these kinds of trips but the bag held up fantastic for a 3 month trip too Europe, lots of buses and trains. Padding is a bit light and agree with others that shoulder straps and waist belt could be a bit more robust. Since waist belt is velcro attached, there could be a heftier replacement version as an add on. Packed a bit too heavy (named her Wee Heavy for the beer) about 26 lbs. Im 61 and and made it work. Id recommend the pack for sure

This is such a unique, well-designed product. From the Nalgene sized side pockets, to the compressible interior clips, to the optional durables buckles, you can just tell everything was designed intentionally. The harness is also backpacking grade, which is rare for travel packs - it really takes the weight off your shoulders and keeps it close to your body, unlike those awkward backpack duffels. I've used this bag for urban five night trips, a two week trip to Thailand, and I've even used it to go backpacking for two nights. It's been durable so far, showing no signs of wear after 6 months and 10 trips.

I think an easy way to improve it even further would be to create optional mesh side pocket and front pocket mesh webbing, that could clip into the loops intended for the duraflex buckles. Or even a mesh webbing for the bottom, to hold sandals, enabling you to carry wet or dirty items on the outside of the pack. I get why OV didn't want to use mesh (urban look compatible) but this would really take the versatility of the pack to the next level.

I have loads of OV products and really like most of what they do. I was looking for an alternative to a roller bag plus laptop pack and thought this looked like the best option, from a company I already knew and trusted. My first surprise came when there was no sizing at checkout. Then when the pack showed up, I did a test run with it to get it adjusted and noticed how tight the hipbelt was and how my torso was too long for the load lifters to do much. I should have just returned it at that point. I just got back from carrying this around Ireland. It was fine for light loads, but on travel days where I had all my stuff, it was really uncomfortable. Why no sizing on this pack OV??

It does have some nice storage features so if it happens to fit you right it my be a good option. For reference, I am 6' 1" and wear a size 36 waist in pants.

15 Travel Backpacks to Help Streamline Your Next Trip

Now boarding: your most organized self.

Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

But don’t just take it from me. “Being hands-free while traveling is essential, which is why a backpack is the perfect type of bag to use for all trips,” says Matilda Sandstroem, co-founder and designer at Adventurist Bags . “It will also distribute weight better than a one-shoulder bag, which will be crucial for longer travel days.” Plus, Sandstroem points out that a stylish backpack can double as your day bag once you arrive at your destination and is perfect for housing a light layer, camera, or snacks. (Good luck trying to bring that duffle bag to the Trevi fountain...)

Matching Luggage

Away the everywhere zip backpack.

Bottega Veneta Medium Intrecciato Backpack

Luxury Brand

Rimowa flap backpack large.

Monos Metro Backpack

Fjallraven Kånken Classic Backpack

Calpak Luka Laptop Backpack

Amazon’s Choice

Lubardy travel carry on backpack, 40l.

The North Face Borealis Laptop Backpack

Best for International Travel

Tortuga outbreaker backpack 40l.

Best Expandable Backpack

Beis the expandable backpack.

To give you even more insight, I combined my own research with Sandstroem’s and that of the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute to bring you the definitive guide to the best travel backpacks. Whether you’re packing a weekender bag or looking for the best bags on Amazon , here are 15 backpacks that make stellar travel companions.

Away Travel is known and loved for its suitcases—I, for one, swear by the bigger carry-on —so you can bet the brand makes a damn good carry-on backpack, too.

Colors: Garnet, Navy, Black, Coast

Dimensions: Width: 12 inches; height: 17.7 inches; depth: 5.9 inches

Customer review: “I needed a backpack that I could use for business travel that would allow me to really pack it in for international work. This bag has a ton of space and several pockets to keep items organized. I recently returned to the office and find that its great as a daily bag for all of my needs. I even get lunch into the main compartment.”

If traveling in style is a priority for you, more power to you. This leather backpack from Bottega Veneta is the best way to take to show your fellow travelers that you have taste.

Colors: Surf, Space, Mud, Black, Ardoise

Dimensions: Width: 11.8 inches; height: 18.1 inches; depth: 5.5 inches

Rimowa is like the Rolls Royce of luggage brands. And in case no one has told you lately, you deserve the best of the best.

Colors: Black, Slate Gray

Dimensions: Width: 14.5 inches; height: 17.3 inches; depth: 6.3

See that pouch on the front? It provides the perfect amount of extra storage for easy access to necessities and detaches in a snap—literally.

Colors: 10 options

Dimensions: Width: 11.5 inches; height: 16.5 inches; depth: 6 inches

Customer review: “It looks sharp, I’ve already gotten compliments. It is super spacious inside which is perfect for both travel and in a professional setting since it fits everything from spare shoes to my lunch. The compartments actually make sense for organizing.”

Fjallraven: the bag that everyone has, but no one knows how to pronounce. While these bags don’t offer much in the way of organization or storage, they are extremely durable and available in a ton of colors and sizes.

Colors: 27 options

Dimensions : Width: 10.75 inches x height: 14.5 inches x depth: 4 inches

Customer review: “This Fjallraven has been to and all around Japan with me, and recently I started back to University…It’s not too bulky but surprisingly holds a lot.”

Calpak’s Luka bag is an organizer’s dream because it’s chock-full of pockets. This versatile pack is great for everyday use or as a day bag while traveling.

Colors: 13 options

Dimensions: Width: 12 inches x height: 16 inches x depth: 7 inches

Customer review: “This backpack has been great so far! I use it for daily commutes, and it fits my 16” laptop in that compartment with ease. It is also great for being outdoors, got stuck in the rain and my laptop remained dry.”

A waterproof, high-capacity pack + a clamshell opening – an expensive price tag = the ultimate travel backpack.

Colors: Black, Blue, Grey, or Pink

Dimensions: Width: 13.38 inches x height: 20.74 inches x depth: 7.87 inches

Customer review: “Backpacked for 10 days in Greece with this! My friends bought $100+ backpacks, and mine worked just as well for a fraction of the price. I was able to fit a large packing cube with PLENTY of clothes, two pairs of shoes (sandals), a curling iron, a sweater, and my toiletries in this bag!”

The genius product testers over at the Good Housekeeping Institute rated this the overall best travel backpack . As someone who has regularly used this as a carry-on for nearly six years, I’d have to agree. It stands up to the test of time and is great for short trips or as a day bag.

Colors: Lime, Taupe, or Orange

Dimensions: Width: 12 inches x height: 19.5 inches x depth: 6.5 inches

Customer review: “Awesome backpack. Large, spacious, and full of compartments. Suitable for any type of trip, I love it.”

Calling all fellow backpackers and hostel hoppers! If you’re trekking through Europe, or anywhere else for that matter, it’s best to keep your luggage light. This durable, waterproof Tortuga pack is the largest allowed carry-on for international flights, making it perfect for your next adventure.

Colors: Black

Dimensions: Width: 13. 8 inches x height: 21.7 inches x depth: 7.9 inches

Customer review: “Just returned from a two-week tour of Norway and Iceland, five different hotels, four flights. Outbreaker…made it so easy to effortlessly stay on the move…This was our first carry-on-only trip of this length, and I loved the ease of check-in and airport departure it gave us. With the hip belts to carry most of the weight, we did not suffer any back or shoulder strain.”

If there’s one thing for certain, I don’t need another backpack. But after reading the reviews for this Beis bag...I just might have to get one for myself. It has specialized features like an expanding section and a water bottle holder that can be used in or outside the bag.

Colors: Black or Beige

Dimensions: Width: 13 inches; height: 15 inches; depth: 5-7 inches

Customer review: “Love how much room this backpack has! I took it on a trip to Italy and it was light/compact enough to put in luggage but can fit so many things. The design of this backpack is a 10/10 for me.”

Dagne Dover Dakota Neoprene Backpack

Dagne Dover bags are super popular right now, and with good reason. Fashionable and versatile, they’re perfect for everyday use or as your designated school bag. Plus, Dagne Dover products are made with Repreve technology, meaning they’re sustainable.

Dimensions: Width: 13.25 inches x height: 17.5 inches x depth: 5.25 inches (for large size)

Customer review: “I love this bag and its many pockets and pouches. I can easily organize everything with its numerous zippers, and it stores my laptop perfectly in the back. It’s super light, which is great for a backpack, but thick and good quality with its neoprene.”

Adventurist Backpacks Adventurist Classic

Not only does Sandstroem design these bags with style in mind, but for every backpack purchased, 25 meals are provided for American families in need.

Colors: 7 options

Dimensions: Width: 13.5 inches; height: 15.5 inches; depth: 6 inches

Customer review: “I’ve had this backpack for almost a year now and I have only good things to say! I got the sand color and even through hiking and using it a lot it still looks great! It’s water resistant so I don’t have to worry about bringing my camera, and it’s also super cute and makes my hiking outfits look great! Can’t recommend it enough, if you’re thinking about getting one, do it!”

L.L. Bean Stowaway Pack

The Good Housekeeping Institute voted this pack as the best lightweight bag . If you’re camping, hiking, or just trying to lighten your load, it’s a fantastic option that’s both durable and spacious.

Colors: Gold, Teal, Loden, Navy, or Black

Dimensions: Width: 10 inches x height: 19 inches x depth: 7 inches

Customer review: “Great bag. Love all the pockets, and it’s lightweight. Like how it can roll into a pouch.”

Osprey Daylite Plus Daypack

At first glance, you might underestimate how much this backpack can hold. But don’t be deceived; it secretly holds a ton of stuff. That’s just one of the many reasons the Good Housekeeping Institute rated this Osprey as the best travel daypack .

Dimensions: Width: 11 inches x height: 18.9 inches x depth: 9.45 inches

Customer review: “As a backpack hoarder, I’m always on the search for the perfect functional backpack. I bought the Osprey Daylite Plus to use on vacations where I’d also need to lug my work laptop along. I wanted something that is light enough to use on hikes and will work as a personal item when flying.”

Timbuk2 Parker Commuter Backpack

Business trips shouldn’t be a chore...well, not more so than the actual business part. But packing for business trips definitely shouldn’t be a pain. Allow Timbuk2 to take the hassle out of packing.

Dimensions: Width: 13.4 inches x height: 20.5 inches x depth: 5.5 inches

Customer review: “After using this pack for a couple weeks commuting, I can confidently say that it’s more functional, well designed, and comfortable than any other pack I’ve owned. The materials and build are incredibly high quality, and it sits perfectly on my back without adding strain, even when fully loaded with a laptop.”

.css-1wfsl5s{font-family:SaolDisplay,SaolDisplay-fallback,SaolDisplay-roboto,SaolDisplay-local,Georgia,Times,serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.625rem;margin-top:0.625rem;text-align:center;}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1wfsl5s{font-size:2.375rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-1wfsl5s{font-size:2.375rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1wfsl5s{font-size:3rem;line-height:1.2;letter-spacing:-0.0225rem;}}@media(min-width: 73.75rem){.css-1wfsl5s{font-size:3rem;line-height:1.2;}}.css-1wfsl5s b,.css-1wfsl5s strong{font-family:inherit;font-weight:bold;}.css-1wfsl5s em,.css-1wfsl5s i{font-style:italic;font-family:inherit;} What to consider when buying a travel backpack

• Size: Don’t just eyeball it based on what size you think you want; the precise measurements matter. Each airline has its own size restrictions for carry-on bags, and these are particularly varied between domestic and international flights. “ Since you may be flying on a lot of different airlines in the future, it may be best to choose the smallest common denominator that way your backpack is sure to fit no matter which airline you travel with,” Sandstroem says.
• Security and durability: “ With most of us carrying around expensive electronics such as laptops, tablets, and camera gear, it’s important to find a backpack that will adequately protect your belongings,” Sandstroem says. “ Whether you’ll be throwing your bag on the ground, storing it under the seat of the plane, or tossing it in the overhead compartment, make sure to look for something that has both front and back padding.” You’ll also want to look for a bag that offers a padded laptop compartment that will fit your device. Some precautious customers might also opt for a bag that includes locks or some other anti-theft mechanisms.
• Weight and material: The more lightweight, the better. “ It may seem like a couple of pounds won’t make much of a difference, but after hours of traveling, you’ll be happy to be rid of any extra weight,” Sandstroem says, noting that materials like polyester or nylon are both lightweight and durable.
• Organization and features: You might find that a bag with an abundance of pockets or separated sections provides more ease of mind. It’s certainly simpler to keep organized. Or, if you’re someone who keeps their belongings grouped in different pouches, you can probably do with a more open-concept bag. Bear in mind any additional features that might make a difference for you, like a key leash, water bottle pocket, shoe bag, or chest straps.

Meet the Experts

Matilda Sandstroem is the co-founder and primary designer for Adventurist Bags. The emerging brand is based in Denver and focuses on minimalist travel bags. For every bag purchased, Adventurist Bags donates 25 meals to Americans in need via non-profit Feeding America.

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The Best Carry-On Luggage and Weekender Bags for Spring Travel: Away, Samsonite, Calpak and More

The right luggage or carry-on bag for spring break travel can help make any trip as smooth as possible.

If you're gearing up for your spring travel plans, you may be searching for the perfect luggage to accompany you on your upcoming getaway.  Carry-on luggage  — including weekender bags and spinners — is probably the best way to travel if you want to beat the lines at busy airports, especially if you're traveling on a Friday.

No matter where your travel destinations are, one thing's for sure: the right luggage will make all the difference. We've found the best luggage to shop for all of your travels, from spacious duffle bags and practical backpacks to large and luxurious carry-ons  for your next flight.

Need a new tote bag to toss everything in for an upcoming Memorial Day weekend getaway or a bigger carry-on for a tropical vacation? The Beis Weekender Bag will fit all your essentials and help you travel in style. Need a new go-to suitcase for every travel situation? Away’s  standard carry on traveler bag has plenty of packing space while still fitting in the overhead bin. Trying to avoid the checked baggage fees and long bag drop line? The Samsonite Underseat Carry-On Luggage helps you save money and time by going straight to TSA.

Below, we've rounded up the best carry-on luggage and weekender bags this year to take along on your next trip.

The Best Carry-On Suitcases for 2024

Samsonite freeform carry-on spinner.

Not only is the Samsonite Hardside Spinner perfectly sized and extremely durable, it's also incredible lightweight so you won't have to strain putting it in the overhead airplane compartment. With all kinds of pockets, you can easily organize all your belongings confidently. 

$200   $150

Away The Carry-On

This Away bag boasts flashy features such as a durable polycarbonate hard shell, spinner wheels and a TSA-approved, ejectable USB charger. The classic rolling hardside luggage with a retractable handle is designed to fit in most major airlines' overhead compartments, making it a great go-to Carry-On bag for travel, regardless of your destination.

Take OFF Luggage Personal Item Suitcase 2.0

The perfect-sized luggage that doubles as a personal item — just pop off the wheels and slide it under your seat. 

Rockland Melbourne Hardside Expandable Spinner Wheel Luggage

This Rockland Melbourne Spinner Luggage makes traveling easier by being extremely lightweight. While protecting your items, the wheels rotate 360 degrees for a smooth and seamless stride in the airport. Although it is compact, this carry-on luggage has the ability to hold everything you need for a short vacation.

Travelpro Platinum Elite Hardside Expandable Spinner

Travelpro is a pilot-founded brand that you've likely seen used by flight crews. Travel stress-free with the Travelpro hardside carry-on luggage that effortlessly fits in the overhead bins of major domestic airlines, thanks to rigorous sizer bin testing and enhanced packing capacity. The PrecisionGlide System delivers impeccable control and a seamless rolling experience, so you can get through the airport with ease.

$370   $314

Samsonite Underseat Carry-On Spinner with USB Port

Compact and convenient, this soft-sided luggage can slide smoothly under the seat in front of you or be tucked away in an overhead bin. The bag's main compartment can fit several outfits and a spare pair of shoes. Interior pockets lining the compartment will keep your toiletries organized. The telescoping handle and rolling wheels make this bag easy to navigate around a crowded airport, making it a great choice for the frequent flyer looking to pack light.

$145   $100

Monos Carry-On

Traveling is a breeze with the minimalist Monos carry-on, designed to fit in the overheard bin of almost any flight.

Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside Expandable Luggage

This Travelpro Maxlite softside luggage has spinner wheels and is lightweight, making it easy to maneuver airport terminals and your flight's overhead storage bins. 

$170   $144

The Best Travel Backpacks and Totes for 2024 

Samsonite detour travel backpack.

Built to protect your belongings from the elements, the Detour Travel Backpack has enough capacity for your business, overnight or weekend trips.

$150   $105

Béis Travel Tote

The Beis Travel Tote, from Shay Mitchell's baggage line, can conveniently slot into place atop a suitcase with its trolley sleeve, but can also be carried on its own with a detachable shoulder strap, and top handles designed to rest comfortably on your shoulder. This bag boasts a bottom zip shoe compartment, padded tech sleeve and multiple exterior and interior pockets. 

Calpak Luka Backpack

With multiple storage compartments including a separate laptop sleeve and a space to store your shoes that has its own exterior access, this lightweight Luka backpack will help you stay organized on the go.

Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack

This travel backpack comes with a weight-distributing, low-profile harness system and a 35L capacity, making it suitable for carry-on use. It is designed with a full-wrap zipper opening on the main compartment, along with large and subdivided zippered mesh compartments on the sides, providing convenient packing options. Additionally, its attractive design ensures you can easily identify your bag wherever you go.

Troubadour Featherweight Tote

A modern classic and easy-access bag. This Featherweight Tote features a light and waterproof fabric with vegan leather handles, and is perfect for gym trips or a day out!

Dagne Dover Jemi Puff Tote

Whether you're traveling to work or a weekend getaway, this lightweight tote is perfect with pockets for days to keep all your belongings organized. 

The Best Weekender Bags for 2024 

Lululemon go getter bag 2.0.

This sleek, modern bag looks like a tote and duffel rolled into one. There's also a little strap in the back that you can attach to your luggage. 

Away The Everywhere Bag

Away Travel's The Everywhere Bag lives up to its name: you can take it everywhere from work to the gym to a weekend away. It also pairs nicely with The Carry-On and The Bigger Carry-On.

Calpak Stevyn Duffel

Enjoy the benefits of a large bottom compartment, ideal for stowing shoes or enhancing the organization of your items.The roomy main compartment comes with interior pockets, ensuring you have plenty of space to store your belongings in a well-arranged manner.

SwissGear Apex Travel Duffle Bag

This duffle bag will come in handy during your next vacation. You can wear it multiple ways and it has reinforced sides to keep your belonging secure.

Dagne Dover Landon Carryall Bag

For weekends away, this extra-large duffle includes a laptop sleeve, shoe bag and plenty of space for all your essentials.

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The best deals on backpacks from REI’s clearance sale

From camping backpacks to hydration packs to carry-on bags, this list has got you covered.

REI backpacks are now on sale for up to 47% off, thanks to REI’s clearance sale. Whether you’re looking to buy a backpack for your summer hiking and camping trips, need a hydration pack for trail running, or want a bag to fit under your seat on the plane, this list has got you covered.  

REI backpacks on clearance for up to 47% off

Arcteryx aerios men's.

This lightweight backpack is perfect for hiking or backpacking with its breathable back panel and shoulder harnesses. It has an adjustable sternum strap, multiple zippered pockets that are easy to access, interior clip for a hydration pack (not included), front bungee compression system, and two trekking pole attachment points.  

Now 25% off while supplies last

Mystery Ranch Gallagator

A frameless backpack that’s great for day hikes or city wandering. This pack has a 3-zip design for easy access inside and a removable waist belt, making it suitable for the trail or a trip to the park. There are two exterior water bottle pockets and the interior is compatible with a hydration pack.  

Now 30% off while supplies last  

Arcteryx Aerios Women's

This lightweight backpack is perfect for hiking or backpacking with its breathable back panel and shoulder harnesses. It has an adjustable sternum strap, multiple zippered pockets that are easy to access, an interior clip for a hydration pack (not included), a front bungee compression system, and two trekking pole attachment points.  

Now 25% off   while supplies last  

REI Flash 18 Pack

If you want a versatile backpack, this one is it. Wear it as a day pack using its shoulder breathable shoulder straps, hipbelt, and sternum belt, or convert it into a stuff sack by turning the bag inside out. You can even slip out its foam back panel to use as a seat cushion while out exploring.  

Now 30% off   while supplies last  

Osprey Skarab Hydration Pack Men's

This hydration pack comes with an Osprey Hydraulics LT 2.5 L reservoir and an adjustable sternum strap with magnetic bite attachment. It has a removable hipbelt and plenty of pockets.  

Now 46% off while supplies last  

Camelbak Rim Runner Hydration Pack Women's

This hydration pack from REI comes with a 2-liter Crux® reservoir, adjustable sternum strap, and load-bearing hipbelt. It’s designed specifically for a woman’s body and includes an air support back panel, an S-curved shoulder harness, and plenty of pockets.

Osprey Skimmer Hydration Pack Women's

This hydration pack includes an Osprey Hydraulics LT 2.5-liter reservoir and two mesh side pockets for extra water bottles. The lightweight sternum strap magnet holds the bite valve, and the front panel daisy chain allows you to attach extra gear.  

Now 25% off while supplies last  

Osprey Heritage Scarab  

This versatile backpack can hold an interior hydration pack or a 15-inch laptop. The shoulder straps are padded and there’s an option to use the stowaway hipbelt for extra support on long walks. You’ll find plenty of pockets, front loops, and compression straps to keep things compact and secure.  

Now 38% off while supplies last  

Black Diamond Shot Pack

This ultralight backpack is perfect for long runs, day hikes, or walking around town. It features contoured shoulder straps and an OpenAir back panel for extra comfort. You’ll find pockets, a bike light slot, and compatibility in the interior for a hydration pack.  

Now 47% off   while supplies last  

Patagonia Terravia Pack

This 14-liter backpack is made from 100% recycled nylon. It’s made with highly-breathable shoulder straps, a suspended mesh back panel for breathability, and is compatible with hydration packs. You’ll find a few zippered pockets and a raincover that’s included.  

Now 31% off   while supplies last  

CamelBak Rim Runner X22 Hydration Pack

This 20-liter backpack is a hiking essential as it’s compatible with a hydration pack and comes with a 2-liter Crux® reservoir. It has an Air support back panel, adjustable sternum strap, stretch overflow pockets, and a 3D mesh harness.  

Now 30% off   while supplies last

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How to travel by bicycle in Russia: ideas and suggestions

• April 15, 2021
• Last updated: April 19, 2021
• Adventure , Destinations , Outdoor , Russia

Home » Travel Blog » How to travel by bicycle in Russia: ideas and suggestions

Day trips in Russia

Newcomers can test their “strength” on a one-day trip – the roads should not be complicated and the distances should not be too long. For first-time riders, study the route carefully, taking into account not only the length of the road, but also the conditions: there should be no long climbs and no high mountain passes. The flatter the road, the better. Do not ride close to crowded and busy large traffic lanes, even if conditions permit.  Also, make sure carry your Russian invitation letter with your visa . 

Route: Levutov – Pavlovsky town

Distance: 65 km

From Reutov (metro station “Novokosino”) outside Moscow, via Saltykovsk, Zheleznodorozhny, Fedurnovo, then turn to Biserovo, to Staraya Kupavna, then to Elektrostal via Ivashevo, and finally to Pavlovsky Posad via Subbotino, the intercity electric train This is a good route for newcomers to the town of Pavlovsky Posad (Vokhna or Pavlovsky Posad station).

This route is good for beginners: the terrain remains almost unchanged throughout the route. It’s mainly asphalt, but it’s quiet, with a rural landscape and few cars. Also, there are many intercity train stations along the way – if you get tired, you can take the train back to Moscow.

For the uninitiated, there are plenty of suitable roads around Moscow. The entire Moscow region is dotted with railway lines, so it is not necessary to make a circular route. You can take an intercity train to one station and back from another. There are many convenient route options around most Russian cities. You can make your own route, or take the advice of experienced travelers and use an already prepared route map.

Two-day trips in Russia

If you can travel 60-70 km per day, it’s no problem and you’ll be able to ride for two days. First of all, you need to solve your overnight problem: will you stay in a hotel, borrow a private house or pitch your own tent? Be sure to take the weather into account and take extra things that will keep you warm or heated.

When choosing your route, add some “hills” on the way, but not too steep.

Keep an eye on your bike. Ideally, it should be carefully checked and tested two days before departure; if you don’t know much about bike parts, you should have a full “car check” at a good mechanic’s shop to remove all faults in time.

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Route: ride along Nizhny Novgorod and rest on the Volga

Distance: 140 km

This is a self-guided route with picturesque Volga forests, where you will have to pitch a tent on the road overnight. You don’t have to think about the schedule of electric trains or buses, even if you are delayed on the way, don’t worry.

From Nizhny Novgorod, you will pass through the town of Bor (you can cross the Volga by cable car). Next, head to Ivanovskoye. On the way, note the unique, interlocking bi-level railroad: it is no longer in use, but the original structure is still there. Then go in the direction of Yurasovo, where you will turn to Maloye Utkino, then to Beryozovka, to Vypolzovo, then to the Volga River, to Apraksino, passing through the hill fortress with its ancient earthen embankment. Hillfort, which retains its ancient earthen berm.

After that, follow Orlovo, Belkino, Yamnovo, Zavrazhnoye, Selishi. After passing through Zhukovka, you can go straight through the forest to the bank of the Volga River and find a place to pitch your tent.

The next day, go in the direction of Pumra, then through Vagankovo, Orekhovo, Markovo, turn left at Matveyevka, go to Vatoma, then through Put’kovo and back to the banks of the Volga, then to the town of Pol, and then to Nizhny Novgorod.

There are many suitable two-day rides in the Volga Valley, around the Voronezh region, around the cities along the Golden Ring and in the Crimean steppe.

Multi-day rides in Russia

Riding for several days in a row is a very serious matter and you need to be physically prepared. For the first time, choose a route that is not too difficult and not extreme, because riding a few days in a row is not at all the same as riding 100 km in a week. Please estimate that it is more comfortable to travel 70-80 km per day on the plains and with much less hills.

Check to see if there are any settlements along the way – it depends on whether you’ll be carrying a lot of food, or if you can buy all your food along the way. But whenever and wherever you go, make sure you have drinking water on you. Please do not forget to constantly replenish your supplies and have an emergency reserve – about 1.5 liters of water per person. 

Route: “Crimean coast: from Kerch to Alushta”

Distance: 270 km , 5-7 days

We have intentionally divided the trip on this route into several days, as it depends a lot on your fitness and desire to visit the sights – which will be seen on the way, and quite a lot of them. There will be some mountain passes – if you feel tired as you pass them, it is always possible to set up camp early and prepare for an overnight stay. Almost the entire road runs along the coastline. If you don’t want to pitch a tent, you can easily find a place to spend the night in the resort.

Get off the ferry to Kerch and head directly to the Feodossia steppe. Pass through the town of Ordzhonikidze and head to Koktebel. Be prepared for a long and tiring uphill climb. If you don’t want to tire yourself out that much, then sacrifice some of the scenic views and take a different route – along the Simferopol highway.

From Koktebeli there is a difficult mountain road leading to Sudak. The strongest will can cycle to the town of “Novyi Svit” in one day, while the rest of the people should go to the village of Morske and then to Alushta via Rybache and Malorichens’ke. From Alushta, you can take a bicycle and a trolleybus to Simferopol, from where you can return by plane or return to Kerch by bus or taxi.

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Guest Contributor

• Published: April 15, 2021

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