We’ve had our hands on thousands of travel backpacks since 2017. Today, we’re sharing some favorites we’ve discovered in the last year, and are consistent go-tos year after year. We’re going to kick it off with a new lightweight bag that packs just like a suitcase. B’s been releasing a lot of gear lately, and the new light travel pack is one of their most recent editions. They say it’s their most travel-friendly backpack yet.
The Light Travel Pack: Suitcase-Style Packing
I like the shape of the clamshell opening of the light travel pack because it feels super roomy for 30L. The interior layout is like a suitcase, with mesh zipper panels to hold your clothing in place on both sides of the bucket-style main compartment. That’s great if you don’t want to use packing cubes. There’s also a smaller section at the top for socks and underwear. Luckily, a lot of these pockets are liter-independent, which means they won’t fight for space when you’re jamming this thing full. It includes a separate compartment for up to a 16-inch laptop with padding and a false bottom to protect your device from drops and spills, as well as a pocket to hold a packable jacket or your 3-1-1 bag for easy access at security. A smaller top pocket has a place to slip your passport and a pen, plus a key leash so you know where to find your house keys when you arrive home late at night.
As you’d expect from something with “light” in the name, it only weighs just over 2 lbs, thanks to the ripstop material, which isn’t much for a 30L bag. And if you’re pairing it with a larger check-in suitcase, you can stow the straps behind the back panel and slide it horizontally over the handle of your rolling luggage to breeze through the airport.
Peak Design’s Outdoor Backpack: Built for Adventure
If you’ll be packing camera equipment inside your travel backpack, then peek at this design. Peak Design is one of the best brands out there to consider, and their new outdoor line targets travelers who want to explore more rugged terrain. The 45L outdoor backpack weighs less than 4 lbs and includes water-resistant features like a roll-top opening, coated zippers, and 210D ripstop nylon coated in TPU for extra water resistance and durability. Usually, that can make a bag sound a bit crunchy, but this is quieter and smoother to the touch than other bags with similar technology.
On top of the beefy materials, the harness system is super comfortable. The articulated shoulder straps feature dense padding in all the right places to hold the weight of your gear, specifically right on your shoulders where the bag tends to dig in. There’s also a removable hip belt to add support, and each shoulder and hip strap includes pockets to hold your phone or connect to the Peak Design Capture Clip to hold your camera. The dual sternum straps are much slimmer than what we’ve seen on other bags and help distribute weight along two different points.
When it comes to storage, there are side and kangaroo pockets for bulky gear like water bottles, tripods, or hiking poles, as well as bungee-like ties to hold gear in place while you hike. The main compartment is an open space that perfectly fits the Peak Design camera cubes and has a pouch for a laptop or hydration pack. It’s pretty massive, but you can tighten things down by cinching the roll-top or use the space for packing cubes, pouches, and toiletry kits for an outdoor trip.
Tortuga’s Urban Travel Backpack: Slim and Efficient
If you’re more of an urban traveler looking for a lightweight bag, then check out this one from Tortuga. It takes what we love about the brand’s 40L Pro Travel Backpack and cuts it down to the essentials most travelers need. That includes convenient features like a front zippered pocket to stow a tech pouch or organizer and a roomy top seared pocket for your keys, wallet, and phone. The separate laptop compartment is easy to access at the top of the bag if you want to pull out your device on the plane, and it has enough space for a protective case if you’d like more cushion than the back panel provides.
Like a lot of bags of this size, it opens up clamshell style to make for easy packing. It has plenty of space on the right for packing cubes and large mesh pockets on the left to organize smaller gear like tech and toiletries. Tortuga also slimmed down the light backpack’s harness system. However, you won’t sacrifice comfort with it. The well-padded and contoured shoulder straps include load lifters, length adjusters, and a sternum strap to help you find the best fit, plus a removable hip belt if you need more support. The back panel and shoulder strap padding feel very soft and pliant, and everything comes together to create a comfortable, locked-down carry so you don’t feel anything jostling around as you make your way to your gate.
Monos Carry-On Luggage: Easy Travel with Smooth Wheels
However, sometimes making your way through the airport can be easier with roller luggage. We’ve tested the expandable carry-on and the carry-on Pro, and we love the sleek design of these suitcases. I needed some extra space for a 2.5-week trip to Minnesota because I had two weddings and a music festival to go to, and the Monos carry-on delivered. They have smooth YKK zippers, a comfortable handle, and 360-degree wheels that spin freely no matter the surface. Inside, you’ll find plenty of space to pack clothing, gear, and a laptop, as well as hold-down straps and a compressible pad to keep your belongings safe and organized while traveling. If you want more organization, the compressible packing cubes work for any travel situation. The larger sizes are great for hoodies, jeans, and sweaters, and the smaller ones can lock down enough tees or shorts for a week-long vacation. The set of six is enough for two carry-ons, or you can pick and choose what you need for each trip. So, be sure to check out their website before your next vacation using the link down in the description below.
Patagonia Black Hole Mini MLC 30L: Durable and Adaptable
Now, let’s get back to some more bags. Calling a 30L bag “mini” may seem odd when you compare it to some of Patagonia’s larger Black Hole duffels, though we see where they’re going with it. Whatever the size, we like the durability and water resistance of the Black Hole line because it can handle basically any trip. The Black Hole Mini MLC 30L is carry-on compliant for most airlines, and its recycled polyester is not super stiff or crunchy even though it’s coated in TPU. This 30L bag weighs less than 3 lbs, which makes it something that we don’t mind carrying through the airport. There are loops around the outside of the bag so you can hang a hat or packable jacket on the outside. The main compartment has plenty of space, and we’re digging the massive water bottle pocket on the side since it has plenty of room to hold a 42oz Nalgene or a tripod. It’s also adaptable to carry crossbody or over one shoulder like a duffel by moving the hip belt. That can be more convenient when pairing it with a smaller daypack or holding it more in front of you when making your way through tight spaces.
There’s a top quick-access pocket for your phone and wallet, and a laptop sleeve against the back panel that includes organization for your tech accessories. The main compartment packs more like rolling luggage, with a few pockets against the lid for socks, underwear, or small travel accessories, and a mesh-covered bucket for the rest of your clothing, travel shoes, and packing cubes. It’s a nice feature to have so nothing comes rolling out of your bag when opening it up at your destination.
Osprey Farpoint 55 Travel Backpack: Combining Convenience with Comfort
Sometimes when you’re taking these big bags on a trip, you’d like to have something smaller to carry around when you reach your destination. That’s probably why the Osprey Farpoint 55 Travel Backpack is so popular. It combines a larger travel backpack with a smaller daypack for the best of both worlds. The 15L daypack also makes an excellent personal item bag on the plane since it includes a laptop sleeve, two bottle pockets, and a quick-access compartment for smaller gear, along with an amply sized main compartment. You can connect it to the front of the larger travel pack with pass-through straps or carry it like a kangaroo’s joey on your front by connecting the clips on the shoulder straps of the larger bag to matching straps on the daypack.
The larger Farpoint Travel Pack packs more like a suitcase, with a large main compartment that you can fill with packing cubes, clothing, travel shoes, and other gear like tech pouches and toiletry kits. It includes tie-down straps to hold your gear in place, along with a few zippered pockets where you can stow things like socks or a hat. We love the adjustable harness system of the Farpoint 55 Travel Pack, which includes densely padded shoulder straps, a sternum strap on a rail, load lifters, and a hip belt. The entire system is on a rail so you can adjust it to better fit your height, and if you’re carrying it on a plane, that entire harness system is stowable behind a flap that unravels from the bottom of the pack and zips over the top of all the straps. The daypack’s harness system is equally as comfy, with the breathable back panel and padded shoulder straps curved for comfort as you explore a new place.
Evergoods CTB 26: A Trusted Daily Driver
There aren’t too many travel backpacks on our Pack Hacker pick list, but this is one of them, and it happens to be my daily driver for about the past three months. When we say we like the durable materials, thoughtful organization, and comfortable carry of the Evergoods CTB 26, we mean it. When you’re loading it up for travel, you have plenty of space in the main compartment for packing cubes and small pouches with a false bottom on the laptop sleeve to keep your gear safe from any accidental drops. The layout is pretty straightforward with a few pockets on the exterior for your wallet, tech accessories, or snacks. It’s also great for daily use if you’re doing a lot of walking or commuting. I prefer to wear it with the zippers partially undone so I can slip in a hoodie or jacket on top of everything else I’m carrying. I’ve also been able to fit a small camera cube inside for photography gear on longer trips.
