the five key considerations for best one-bag travel backpack
Travel varies for all of us. Some of us dart back and forth across the globe in short bursts for business. Others seek out adventure and travel far and wide for months or even years on end. Some of us do a little of both. But when churning over the best one-bag travel backpack to be your companion, five key considerations always spring up.
Weight
The lighter a bag is, the less strain there is on your body. You won't tire as quickly, you'll be inclined to explore further, and you'll enjoy the general traveling experience more. Not to mention shedding carry weight helps you avoid overweight baggage fees.
Something to bear in mind though is that lightweight materials can also be expensive, so you may have to pay more for a bag that cuts weight but stills offers reliable durability. While finding a lightweight bag will help you reduce carry weight, it's also good practice to try and pack less if you can. Every little helps!
Comfort
The more comfortable your bag is, the happier you'll be. Traveling is tiring enough without adding an uncomfortable bag to the mix. However, the level of comfort you need will depend on your intended travel. If you'll be on the go for a long time, have a lot to carry, or will be doing outdoor-type trips, a comfortable backpack with good suspension is important.
Try to look for a bag with a hip belt, great harness and load stabilizing shoulder straps to help with the load and transfer carry weight to your hips. Lighter loads and shorter travel distances however allow for more carry flexibility, and if you need to you can compromise on comfort a bit for other features that are more useful to your needs. It's always good to try before you buy, so if possible go into a local store and try on different bags to see which ones feel right for you.
Packability and access
This is how easy you can get stuff in and take stuff out. You want to be able to access specific items without having to unpack a lot of your gear in the process. And it's nice to be able to pack your gear into your pack quickly and smoothly when preparing to skip to new locales.
So consider how the bag opens (for example is it a top-loader, clamshell-style, etc.) and whether it's right for you. Does it offer easy-access pockets for frequently used items? Do you require a lot of organization? Perhaps you need to keep business and personal items separate? Do you need compression options? These are all useful questions to consider when deciding whether a travel bag is suitable for your requirements.
Durability
Travel can be demanding. Your bag may encounter rough terrain or wet weather, but there's also the strain of being wedged into tight spaces such as overhead luggage bins, or having to endure unforgiving baggage carousels. Plus general wear and tear. The more durable a bag is, the more punishment it will be able to withstand.
However, greater durability can sometimes come at the cost of greater weight, so you'll need to decide whether durability or weight is a priority. Your travel activities will also dictate the level of durability you need, for instance short business travel trips (where your bag is unlikely to encounter a lot of demanding environments) versus multi-week outdoor adventures.
Versatility
As with all of the considerations above, the degree of versatility you require in your carry will depend on its intended use. You may want to mix outdoor and urban travel, in which case your bag will need to be able to handle diverse environments. Perhaps you want the flexibility to carry a variety of loads, so a bag with expandability features could be a good fit. Organization and aesthetics are also important here. For example you may want a business bag that looks the part, keeps your work and personal items separate, and can be carried in a variety of ways for easy movement outside of work settings.
