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Backpacking without a Backpack – Not Quite

Travel TechGo Budget Travel asked readers if they thought a backpack is a necessary to be a backpacker traveller, and gave four good reasons to answer no and I agree, well sort of.

Backpacks (good ones) are fantastic for trekking endless miles over the terrain to be one with your environment. However, most of us are on the local bus, train or taxi most of our journey and then humping the bag a few kilometres to the accommodation.

For us the perfect solution is the bag lovingly and thoroughly designed by Rick Steves and his merry band at Europe Through the Back Door.

Why do we love it?

  1. It does not look valuable unlike a good quality backpack that draws the eyes of every lowlife around you.
  2. The bag opens like a normal suitcase to give you easy access to all your belongings, no need to unpack to retrieve those dry socks.
  3. The durable material takes a lot of punishment, and will last the average traveller many years.
  4. Best of all, when you need to hump the bag a few miles to the hostel or B&B, pull out the back straps and throw it over your shoulders.

Rick Steves Travel Bag

At less than a US$100, you get a bag designed to solve most of the luggage woes of the modern traveller and I highly recommend it.