Your main travel bag

Your main travel bag in action

Essentials

Luggage for independent travel is specialized — Most luggage that you see in airports and hotel lobbies is for tourists and business travelers. It is not suitable for independent travel.
Carry-on size or check-in size — We strongly recommend carry-on luggage only, the choice of almost all pro travelers. You will take less stuff, but that’s a good thing.
Wheeled or non-wheeled — Unless you have body strength or back issues, a non-wheeled bag provides more space and weight for your stuff and permits you to travel over rough surfaces and stairs.
Ideal configuration for independent travel — Maximum volume for carry-on size, light weight, protective of contents, durable, all-terrain, distinctive (but not flashy).
Know how to assess the quality of any bag — Don’t compromise on the quality of your main bag. It is the one piece of gear that should never fail.

Luggage is for moving and protecting your stuff. Before you decide on what type and size of main travel bag you need, you must determine — with fair accuracy — the bulk and weight of what you intend to put in it. If you don’t get it right, you’ll end up with too much or not enough bag for your stuff. Although it seems counter-intuitive, believe us when we say that “not enough” is better than “too much.” An easy-to-move carry-on bag is liberating.

When you see a traveler lugging a huge hiking backpack, he or she is probably not very experienced and is carrying all sorts of stuff he or she doesn’t need. Travelers hauling suitcases aren’t going anywhere, except from the baggage claim to the taxi rank to the hotel lobby.

Expert travelers travel with relatively little, usually getting everything they need into what can be carried on an aircraft — a main travel bag (45 liters or less) and a day bag. Can you get by for weeks and months with just these, or do you need something bigger or more?

All this goes to show that you need to assess your true needs very carefully. Leave behind all of that stuff you thought you might need. If you bring too much, you will regret carrying stuff you don’t use and end up mailing it home, selling it or giving it away. If you find there’s something you need but don’t have, there’s a good chance you can acquire it during your travels (except technical clothing and specialized compact and lightweight gear that you have to get before leaving home).

Types of main bag

How to estimate the size of bag you need

Find out how big a bag you need before you buy

Go to your local supermarket with a tape measure and calculator.
Measure the height, width and depth of a cardboard box and multiply them together to get the volume of the box. Keep in mind that you can cut-down a larger box to achieve your desired volume. Shape doesn’t matter.
If you intend to travel with carry-on only, get a box no larger than 36 liters (2200 cu in), which should get you on any airline. You can go up to 45 liters (2750 cu in), although budget airlines may require you to check the bag.
If you do not intend to go carry-0n only, you should still try to keep the size under control. More than 55 liters (3350 cu in) is a lot.
Take the box home and fill it with your essential clothing and gear — be sure to fold, roll or package it as small as possible, without crushing anything. If you haven’t acquired all your stuff yet, substitute with similar sized items.
Consider that the stated dimensions for luggage are external, so you won’t have the full volume available for your stuff. Any bag that is not “box shaped” will also have less volume than the height X width X depth figure would suggest. Wheeled luggage will also decrease volume.
If you can’t get everything in the box, try the next size up OR re-assess and see if you can make the size work by taking stuff out.

What kind of traveler are you?

Your choice of travel bag depends upon where and how it will be used.

Independent traveler? — You’ll go to more places over a longer time than business or vacation travelers. You must be prepared for unplanned adventures.
Business traveler? — You usually travel point-to-point, need at least two changes of clothes per day and often have a computer, papers, samples and other business stuff with you.
Luxury traveler? — You have more stuff (and more pieces of luggage) than others and always have someone to handle it for you.
Resort vacationer? — The travel industry calls you a “fly-and-flop” client because you don’t actually travel much — just to your pre-booked resort and back.

Business, luxury and resort travelers rarely have to move their luggage farther than from the baggage claim to the taxi queue. Wheeled carry-ons and check-in sized suitcases serve them well.

Independent travelers need more versatile luggage. If you foresee hauling your stuff six blocks over cobblestones, along a street thronging with people, up three flights of stairs or over a mountain pass, you need luggage that is up for the job.

Most independent travel involves lots of relocation from place to place, which means your luggage will move between your lodging, transport hubs and your next lodging, over and over again. Most of these moves should be short and not require much physical effort. But sometimes even a short distance will be over rough surfaces or elevation. And, if you find yourself where transport is less available, you could end up carrying your bag longer distances.

Decide: carry-on versus check-in sized luggage

Serious travelers have long debated the merits of using a single carry-on bag versus checking a larger bag with the airline, rail company, bus line or hotel porter. It’s a travel axiom that the more experienced the traveler, the less stuff he or she carries, making carry-on only the way to go. But this involves two major compromises:

Airline carry-on limits

Important: you must anticipate airline baggage limits before choosing your main bag.

Size limits — A common size guideline is 56 X 36 X 23 cm (22 X 14 X 9 in). This potentially provides 46 liters (2,772 cu in) of capacity for your stuff, although few bags maximize this potential. These size limits are “unstuffed” dimensions. If you pack your bag to the point where it bloats, it might not be accepted as carry-on.
Weight limits — Weight limits are often 7 kg (15.4 lb), but may be as low as 5 kg (11 lb). For a long-term traveler, 7 kg is a difficult target. Fortunately, relatively few airlines currently weigh carry-on bags.

Cautions

Manufacturer’s stated dimensions may not be accurate — Some manufacturers provide the interior dimensions of the bag. The reasoning is that they want their customers to know the available packing space.
- Phantom volume — The declared dimensions often misrepresent the actual space available, since many bags are tapered at the top, sloping from front to back. The height measure assumes a strict box shape, including volume that isn’t there in a sloped bag.
- Airlines measure external dimensions — If the manufacturer’s stated dimensions are within carry-on limits, but don’t include wheels, handle, pockets and pouches, you could easily exceed an airline’s carry-on limits. Dimensions given for bags without wheels and handles will be more accurate.
No consistency among airlines — Some airlines have smaller size limits for carry-on. As an independent traveler, you may not know what airline you’ll be using in a few months, so a bag with slightly smaller dimensions than those above is safer. Worse, any airline can change it’s limits (always down) any time it likes. See Airline baggage limits for more, including strategies to beat the airlines.

Prohibited carry-on items

Airports and airlines also have different rules about what you cannot take into the aircraft cabin. The US list of prohibited items is roughly indicative of what to expect.

In some airports, security staff can be arbitrary about what they will seize, even including nail files, cuticle nippers and shoe polish. You have to be prepared to lose this stuff to acquisitive security staff.

If you want to take any prohibited items, you’ll have to check-in your bag. In that case, a carry-on sized main travel bag doesn’t matter.

Why use a carry-on travel bag only?

Less bulk and weight — When you’re moving again and again, a large and heavy bag can seem like a ball-and-chain. Restricting yourself to carry-on enforces a strict limit on what you can take with you.
Less risk of loss, damage or theft — If the bag is in your possession all the time you’re in transit, these risks are much reduced.
Save money — You are not paying the checked-luggage fees that are spreading among the world’s airlines, especially the low-cost airlines that you should be using.
Save time — You can leave the airport, rail terminal or bus yard immediately, while others wait for their baggage to appear.
Convenience — Should you need anything, all your stuff is readily available.

Why use checked luggage?

Just because we’re advocates of carry-on luggage, check-in size luggage could be better for some people.

More stuff! — If you can’t limit your clothes and gear, you’ll need a larger bag. Perhaps you have to tote oversized recreational gear or are headed to a cold destination where bulky clothing is required. These guys in the photo are clearly overloaded for balmy Goa.
Keep valuables out of your checked bag — You plan in advance what will be checked and what you will carry on, ensuring that you can keep your most valuable or fragile stuff with you. A traveler with just carry-on luggage may be surprised when required to check his bag — you’ll see him frantically transferring valuables to his day bag and re-packing at the airport check-in.
Travel with items that cannot be brought into the aircraft cabin — You can pack knives, other pointy objects and larger volumes of liquids in your checked luggage.
Avoid combat for overhead bin space — With more passengers trying to get more baggage into the aircraft cabin, you can saunter aboard at your leisure, with only your day bag.
Liberation from the airport — During a long airport layover, if you’re not toting your main bag with you, you can leave for a mini-trip around town.

Decide: a wheeled vs non-wheeled travel bag

Given a choice, most of us would rather wheel our luggage than carry it. That’s fine for some destinations and styles of travel, but won’t work at all for many travel situations.

What’s good about wheels?

Ease back problems — If you have back or shoulder problems or simply lack upper-body strength, wheels are a blessing.
Upscale image — In some places, backpackers are stereotyped as low-budget travelers who labor with their loads. The bigger the pack and the more stuff strapped on to the outside, the worse the stereotype. Travelers with wheeled luggage aren’t doing so much work, so they must be higher status, right?
Easier to keep clean — If your bag must stand on dirty pavement or a wet train platform, one with wheels and stand will keep your bag fabric cleaner than one without.
Moving through airports — Inching your bag along the check-in line, trooping the long concourse to the gate and rolling along the jetway to the aircraft are all so much easier with wheels.

Why go without wheels?

More volume for your stuff within carry-on limits — Since you don’t have wheels, wheel housing and axle, or handle assembly, you have more space available for your stuff. One bag travel with wheeled luggage is more difficult, unless you are a master minimalist traveling only to hot countries (fewer, lighter clothes).
More weight for your stuff within carry-on limits — Wheeled carry-on bags typically weigh 3 – 4 kg (7 – 9 lb). With airline weight limits typically 7 kg (15.4 lb) and sometimes even 5 kg (11 lb), wheeled bags don’t leave you much weight allowance for your stuff. Non-wheeled bags weigh 0.9 – 2.4 kg (2 – 5.3 lb).
Fewer worries about breakage — Wheels, wheel housing, handles and zippers are the most vulnerable parts to breakage. With non-wheeled luggage you only have to worry about zippers.
Any street, any terrain — A bag worn on your back can handle broken pavement, cobblestones, stairs, mountains — even along the beach.
Convertible — A travel backpack can be used as a backpack, a soft-sided suitcase or even, with a luggage cart, as a wheeled bag. “Hybrid” bags, marketed as wheeled bags with backpack straps or the opposite, backpacks with wheels, are no substitute — carry comfort is usually poor and you have the least volume and weight for your stuff of all carry-on bags.
Easier stowage on aircraft — Because non-wheeled luggage lacks rigid parts, it’s easier to stow in crowded overhead bins than wheeled luggage.

Our take

We think that non-wheeled carry-on size wins easily.

With carry-on you have all the advantages of security and convenience, as well as the discipline imposed by limited volume and weight. Almost all pro travelers go carry-on only.

Bags on train platform — padchas | Shutterstock.com

Your impressions of luggage utility may be over-influenced by where you see the most luggage — in airports, where most passengers wheel their carry-on luggage along the concourse. It looks effortless compared to you with your luggage in your hands, hanging off your shoulder or strapped to your back. But when you see and hear wheeled bag clacking and jumping over cobblestones, the situation is reversed.

As an independent traveler, you are different than most passengers. You’re not limited to pulling your bag from the aircraft to the taxi rank or hotel bus. You need to be ready for cobblestones, curbs, stairs, unpaved roads and tracks… even the beach.

Further, for one bag travel, wheeled luggage takes too much space and weight for the bag itself, reducing the space and weight available for your stuff. This giveaway of space and weight will get worse as airlines become more strict enforcing carry-on baggage rules. Wheels may become almost impossible for one bag travelers if airlines reduce the allowable size of carry-on luggage (as their organization, IATA, tried to do in June 2015).

Give yourself the most space and weight for your stuff. Be prepared to carry your luggage along the beach. Leave the wheels for the “fly and flop” tourists. Get a travel pack.

The 5 types of main travel bag

Travel backpack (carry-on size) — Most volume and least weight in carry-on baggage. Convertible between a backpack and a small suitcase. Best all-round choice for independent travel.
Travel backpack (check-in size) — Too big for carry-on, but otherwise similar to carry-on travel backpack. Be aware: some smaller ones marketed as “carry-on” are too big to carry aboard strict airlines and will have to be checked.
Hiking backpack — Check-in size, usually top-loading, with external pockets and straps. Must be carried everywhere, but can go anywhere. Only for travelers whose principal activity is hiking.
Suitcase or duffel (carry-on size) — Has integrated wheels and retractable pull handle. Less volume and more weight than non-wheeled. Poor over rough or uneven surfaces.
Suitcase or duffel (check-in) — Larger bag, soft-sided or hard-shelled, with wheels and a handle for pulling. Only for bulky, non-breakable cargo (such as sporting goods) or point-to-point travel.

Soft bag with luggage cart? Maybe, but tippy.

Travel backpack with small luggage cart

In our view, a travel backpack is the clear winner for independent travelers. You get the most volume and weight for your stuff within carry-on limits. You can cover rough streets and climb stairs. There are few breakable parts.

The only thing that might keep you from using a travel backpack is if carrying it would give you back or shoulder trouble. There are hybrid travel backpacks with wheels or wheeled bags with pack straps, but you would still sacrifice too much volume and weight.

A travel backpack with a small luggage cart might be the best solution. Almost. You can marry the advantages of a travel backpack with the smooth ease of a wheeled bag. You can even cheat the carry-on weight restriction, since airlines seem to weigh the bag but not the collapsed cart that you’re deftly hiding as best you can, so only the smallest and lightest carts will do.

We tried this with a 36 liter backpack and a Samsonite Luggage Com pact Folding Cart. The cart was easy to load. Bungies held the bad on firmly and could be used to strap the unused cart to the outside of the pack.

But… wheels on luggage carts are closer together than wheels on a wheeled bag. This makes them “tippy” if you don’t pull them straight. And that was the problem with the Samsonite. It was fine along smooth airport concourses, but as soon as we hit the street — or any uneven surface, we had to slow down and make sure it went over the bumps straight on. Almost any deviation and the high center of gravity would tip the bag right over. This could be aggravating for a person with weak wrists.

On the other hand, if you break a wheel on your wheeled bag, you will be carrying your bag by the handle until you can fix it. But if you break a wheel on your luggage cart, you can just carry your travel backpack on your back until you can repair your cart or acquire a new one.

Luggage you DON’T want

Bad bags

Regardless of size, there are some types of luggage that will constrain your ability to move around.

Conventional suitcases — The standard suitcase, whether hard-shell or soft-sided, wheeled or not, is too big and too unwieldy to move. Given the variation in load carrying situations experienced during independent travel, these bags are not appropriate.
4-wheeled suitcases — “Spinners” have 4-wheels that rotate 360 degrees, making the bag easy to push along smooth surfaces — but only smooth surfaces. They’re pretty much useless anywhere outside airports and hotel lobbies. The small wheels stick out from the body of the bag and are notorious for breaking.
Hard-shell suitcases — While some polycarbonates are getting quite light and tough, hard-shells still don’t have the resilience of soft-sided luggage when handled roughly. Carry-on hard shells are also more difficult to wedge into tightly packed overhead bins. The only advantage for hard-shelled luggage is if you’re traveling with more delicate or valuable possessions than you can get into your carry-on luggage. If you have to check-in such items, hard-shells are better for protecting delicate items from crushing and some have sturdy hinges and locks that provide more deterrent to casual theft than soft-sided bags.
Military-type duffel bags — These are large, frameless bags without wheels. You won’t be lugging such a big bag very far by its hand grip or sling shoulder strap.
Luxury bags — Luggage that is conspicuously expensive invites thieves to think that the contents are also expensive.
Metal cases — These are used mainly to protect delicate contents, such as camera gear. This fact is not lost on thieves either.

How to choose your main travel bag

For all types of luggage, we list 6 Quality Features:

Just below on this page, we describe these Quality Features in general. Then, on each page dedicated to a type of luggage, we tell you what to look for when you’re considering that type of bag, including the specific features under each Quality Feature.

Lastly, on Field Test or User Recommended pages, we evaluate individual models according to the same Quality Feature and features. We offer a rating out of 10 each Quality Feature for that model and average them for a Total Product Score.

You can adjust the weighting of each Quality Feature according to your own priorities. For example, you might leave Build quality at X points out of 10, but adjust Appearance and style down to X points out of 7.

Packing efficiency

Regardless of whether or not you’re trying to travel One Bag (carry-on luggage only), you still want to get the most stuff in the smallest bag. A check-in size bag still has to be carried, pulled and lifted. Any travel bag should easy to pack and unpack. And you should be able to locate any item you need without having to dig for it.

Size & shape

Whether carry-on or check-in size, you need enough volume to carry the stuff you deem essential. This is much more of a challenge for carry-on size bags than for check-in size.

Maximize available volume with a rectilinear shape — Regardless of whether or not you intend to check-in your bag, rectilinear (box-shaped) bags are more space-efficient than tapered bags. For check-in size bags, volume maximization within the generous dimension limits is not so difficult. While keeping your bag as small as possible, you don’t have to be so strict about rectilinear shape.
Minimize external pockets — An carry-on bags, any external pockets and pouches will reduce the more precious internal volume of the bag within maximum dimensions. On both carry-on and check-in bags, external pockets are vulnerable to theft, so you can’t keep anything in them that you don’t mind losing.
Expansion opportunities — A soft-sided bag can expand at least a small amount if you overpack it (often a problem near the end of a trip, when you’re adding souvenirs and gifts). Bloat usually occurs on the larger panels of the bag, increasing depth. Unfortunately, of the height, width and depth dimensions, depth is the smallest dimension in airline size limits. With carry-on in particular, depth bloat can far exceed the airline limit, forcing you to check-in your bag. External compressions straps, cinched very tight, might reduce the depth enough to beat the airline, while crushing your clothes and other contents in the bag.

Weight (carry-on)

Your bag has to live within airline weight restrictions, too. This can be a challenge for carry-on, especially since the weight limit includes the bag itself. But if you’re getting close to check-in limits, you really have too much stuff for independent travel.

Carry-on limits — A common benchmark is 7 kg (15.4 lb). Some airlines have huge weight allowances (23 kg!) and others have none at all. Yet, there’s a trend towards lower limits, with some going as low as 5 kg (11 lb). Airlines didn’t used to weigh carry-on bags very often, but as more airlines charge for checked bags, that’s changing.
Check-in limits — Checked luggage limits vary, but start as low as 15 kg (33 lb). For international flights, 23 kg (51 lb) is still common, but there’s no way you should get close to this weight unless you’re packing special gear, sporting goods or charitable donations.

Internal compartments & access to contents

Does the bag’s organization match how you would organize your stuff?

Multiple compartments, pockets and pouches — Travel bags split into two or more compartments, often with other sleeves, pockets, pouches and holders inside the compartments, appeals to the organization fanatic in us.
- It is not the most efficient use of space because your stuff is uniquely yours, with its own space requirements. Subdivided bags require a very high degree of organization not to waste volume. Your stuff will not likely fill all the compartments completely. This is an issue for carry-on size bags, where every bit of internal volume is precious. For check-in size bags, you have more liberty to indulge your inner fanatic.
- Multiple zippers, multiple locks — Bags with two or more compartments usually have multiple external zippers, all of which may need to be secured with locks.
- Better look — Stiff internal dividers help the bag hold its shape,
A single large compartment — This is a basic design with a single large compartment for all your clothing and gear, accessed by a single zipper on the front face.
- It has the most efficient use of available volume. You make your own space divisions using clothing bundles, packing cubes, stuff sacks and other containers that you arrange according to your own logic.
- Single compartment bags that lay flat and open on the top (the front face) give you easy access to everything in the bag.
- The one internal pouch that makes sense is a mesh pouch flat against the front (opening) panel. Filled with soft garments, it will provide padded protection for more delicate items deeper in the bag.
Top loading bags — The classic hiking backpack usually loads from the top, although there are some hybrid backpacks have both top and front panel access.The problem with these is you have an extra entry point to lock. The top opening is redundant.
- With top loaders, you have to dig for what you need. This is very inconvenient and is reason enough not to use one while traveling.
- Hiking backpacks (the majority of top loaders) are more difficult to keep secure.
Double zipper sliders — All zippers to main compartments should have two sliders, so that you can zip or unzip from either end. They must be lockable.
Internal compression straps — Usually in the larger compartment of two-compartment bags and in the top of single-compartment bags, internal compression straps can keep the contents of your bag from shifting. Some bags feature mesh panels as an alternative, although they are less effective because they cannot be tightened.

External pockets & sleeves

Are external pockets and sleeves both useful and secure? They add to material and fabrication cost and often appeal to consumers, but are they what an independent traveler needs? We think not, but here are the competing opinions on external pockets and sleeves. You decide.

Helpful? No — Lots of travelers are charmed by external storage because the pockets and pouches provide ready access to items that would not be so available if packed inside the bag. We can visualize where our possession would be placed — a mobile phone in that slot, a notepad in this other one, a pen in the pen holder. A separate container for shoes or dirty laundry seems logical. And a flat sleeve makes airline tickets and other papers handy.
Risk of theft — External pockets and sleeves are accessible only when the bag is beside you. When it is in a luggage bin or unattended, the items stored in external pockets are not only unavailable, but at risk of theft. You cannot put anything valuable in external pockets, even if locking them with a batch of tiny padlocks provides temporary deterrence. In real life, the stuff you want handy should be with you, in your day bag.
Loss of valuable internal volume — On carry-on size luggage, external storage consumes some of the centimeters (inches) of airline size limits, thereby sacrificing valuable internal volume.
Compromise! Two helpful sleeves — There are two sleeves that are potentially worthwhile on your luggage. A large flat zippered sleeve could be used to store a crushable hat, a rain cover for your bag, a shoulder strap or other slender item that cannot be put in your day bag. If your bag is a travel backpack (our favorite), you need a sleeve to hide away the shoulder straps and hip belt (if there is one).
External compression straps — If you’re playing cat-and-mouse with airlines about the size of your carry-on bag, external compression straps might help to reduce the depth dimension enough to fit the carry-on baggage sizer. They also help prevent the contents of your bag from shifting, even as an aggressive cinching of the straps crushes and wrinkles your clothing! Some travelers use them to strap stuff on the outside of the bag, but this is not only insecure, it makes you look disheveled.

Carry comfort

How easy is it for you to carry or pull your travel bag?

350px Landscape Luggage is for moving your stuff, but for how far and over what surface? Independent travelers have to plan for moving at least short distances over uneven surfaces. For this purpose, wheeled bags are inconvenient and subject to damage. Bags that can be moved using just a hand grip or sling shoulder strap won’t get you very far, depending upon your shoulder stamina and body strength. That leaves backpacks, which are good for maybe 30 minutes to hours, depending upon the suspension system relative to the weight. In our view, a “travel backpack,” made explicitly for travel (not a hiking backpack) is by far the best option for DIY travelers.

Fit (backpacks) — Backpacks have to fit your body size. Many are too large for smaller users, so the bottom of the pack rests not near your hips, but is pushed out on to your buttocks, creating yet more shoulder strain. If your backpack does not fit snugly, your carry time and distance will be reduced.
Fit (wheeled bags) — The handle has to extend far enough for taller travelers. If it doesn’t, you will be constantly kicking your bag or hunching over to extend the distance between you and the bag.
Frame (backpacks) — Most travel backpacks don’t have true frames, but dense closed-cell foam panels. These provide shape to the bag, but limited weight distribution. Cheap bags use thin plastic sheets that provide little support and tend to crack. To transfer 80-90% of weight to the hips, you need rigid stays (usually aluminum). Although they are standard kit on hiking backpacks, they are uncommon in travel packs.
Shoulder straps (backpacks) — All travel backpacks and hiking backpacks have a pair of shoulder straps. On travel backpacks, they can be hidden behind a panel or cover when not in use. Straps should be wide where they rest on the shoulder and generously padded. Stitching where they connect to the bag must be very robust.
Chest strap (backpacks) — A simple chest strap that joins the two shoulder straps prevents them from sliding outwards. That outward slide would allow the pack to sag off your shoulders, causing excessive strain. The chest strap keeps the bag snug on your shoulders.
Hip belt (backpacks) — A broad and well padded hip belt will increase your range of comfortable carry immensely. Any weight that can be taken off your shoulders and put on your hips will help. A rigid frame will increase the percentage of weight you can transfer. Good padding is essential, since thin padding or unpadded “waist straps” will quickly become uncomfortable. On travel backpacks, the hip belt can be hidden away when not in use. But on hiking backpacks they’re always left outside, vulnerable to being snagged in baggage handling equipment.
Hand grips — There should be two hand grips, one on top and one on a side. This permits easy manipulation of the bag, such as when loading into overhead bins. They are also used for short carries. Hand grips should be close to the body of the bag, so that the bag doesn’t sag or sway too much. They should also be comfortable to grip. Fabric handles must have padding, at least on the underside, while other handles feature hard plastic that is easy to hold.
Sling shoulder strap — Either included in your travel bag purchase or offered as an option, these are impractical because the weight hanging off one shoulder gets uncomfortable in mere minutes. The bulk, even of a carry-on bag, is unwieldy off your shoulder. The only time when a sling shoulder strap comes in handy is when you have to carry your wheeled bag a short distance over a rough surface or stairs.
Load lifters (hiking backpacks) — These are adjustable straps that go from the shoulder straps to a point higher than your shoulders on the pack. In combination with a hip belt, tightening them lifts the weight off your shoulders. However, for load lifters to work, the pack must be taller than carry-on maximum and should have a rigid frame. For that reason, they are found almost exclusively on hiking backpacks.
Wheels and handles — Of course, it’s easier to pull your bag behind you rather than carry it, but that only works on smooth surfaces. Independent travelers with wheeled bags will find themselves picking up the bag and lugging it over rough surfaces and stairs. That can be done only for short distances.

Protection of contents

Will your stuff be safe?

How well can your bag endure impacts, crushing, slashing and punctures? Can it also repel moisture, dirt, bugs and thieves?

350px Portrait Apart from moving your stuff, the other main function of your luggage is protecting your stuff. Since independent travelers find themselves in all sorts of situations, the main travel bag has to be ready for all sorts of challenges — bashing, slashing or puncturing when being moved or handled; crushing during transportation or storage; rain or snow; dust; insects and standing water, mud, dirt and grime from wherever you have to put it down.

And thieves. With enough time, a thief will get into your bag. Your best defense against casual thieves is to have your main travel bag with you at all times while moving from place to place. If you do have to check it in or leave it some place, it helps if your bag is inconspicuous (but not anonymous). The third line of defense is to make your bag even slightly harder to break into than the bag beside yours that belongs to some unfortunate fellow traveler.

Exterior material — Material needs to be tough enough to handle frequent abrasion. While no fabric can withstand severe slashing or puncturing, heavy Cordura or ballistic nylon will manage far better than lighter fabrics. Areas subject to excessive wear, such as corners or the bottom when placed on the ground might have extra material or reinforcement.
External pockets — Many manufacturers provide external pockets and some travelers praise the convenience. But pockets provide tempting targets for pickpockets and bag slashers, so you never want to put anything valuable in an external pocket. Even items you need to be convenient, such as tickets, a map or a water bottle are easier to protect and access if kept in your day bag.
Padding — To protect your delicate stuff from impacts or crushing, padding in the walls of the bag (and careful packing) can improve protection. Beware laptop sleeves that are on an the front face of the bag where impacts are more likely.
Protective flaps and covers — All zippers should have a protective flap over them to repel moisture. Since no common external materials are truly waterproof, some bags come with a rain cover that allows at least the shoulder straps to be used. You can also get a cover made.

Zippers — Zippers are vulnerable not just to moisture, but to thieves. The video shows how easy it is. For better security, go for chain zippers over coil type shown in the video, the bigger the zippers “teeth” the better. Some packs now come with custom zippers designed to repel such attacks. Also, go for lock loops built on to the base of the zipper pull. If you put a lock on a zipper tab, the tab can be pried off.

Appearance & style

Does it matter how your bag looks?

Style is a matter of taste, of course. While it’s nice to feel good about how your bag looks, you have to balance that against practical considerations.

Color — Darker (but not too dark) colors hide the inevitable scuffs and grime better than light colors. Some believe that a black bag is best for security. Your anonymous bag won’t attract attention among the many other black bags. But plain, unmarked black bags are the most likely to be taken by mistake from baggage claims. They are also the most vulnerable to theft from baggage claims precisely because they’re so anonymous.
Uniqueness — Whatever the model or color of your bag, it’s not unique. You need to make it so by marking it in some way. This is especially true for black bags. Do not use luggage tags and other things that dangle, since they can get snagged and torn off or deliberately removed. Distinctive markings or patches right on the body of the bag are best. Do not use a national flag (yes, that means you, fellow Canadians) or other motif that provides an opening for a hustler’s pitch — “My sister lives in Toronto!”
Status — Even if you are a budget traveler, try not to look like one. It may not be fair, but many people out there don’t respect budget travelers. And nothing says “budget traveler” as much as a hiking backpack, especially a big one with articles attached to it. If you can make your travel bag look like anything except a backpack, so much the better. That’s one of the advantages of most travel backpacks, where the straps can be hidden away.
Luxury — If your travel bag looks expensive or high-tech, a thief might conclude that the contents, too, are worth stealing.
Maintenance — Maybe you can’t help how your bag is used, especially when handled by others. But fabric type and color will make it easier or more difficult to keep clean. You don’t want to look as if you’ve just crossed the Sahara on foot.

Build quality

Can your bag survive the trip?

350px Portrait Independent travel means that your main travel bag will be your companion on many a street and staircase. It might see bus roofs and train platforms. It could be overpacked, tossed and crushed. It needs to be well made of durable materials.

Exterior fabric — The exterior fabric must be durable. Your bag will experience abrasion on the bottom, corners and contact points every day that you travel. Depending upon care and luck, it will be bumped, scraped, crushed, poked and rained upon from time to time.
Zippers — Exterior zippers should be rugged enough to bear the strain of constant use and tight packing. The zippers on your travel bag (along with wheels and pull handles on wheeled bags) are the most likely parts to fail. The type, size and material of zippers count, as does the method of attachment to the body of the bag.
Wheels and handles — Wheels and handle must be tough enough for the surfaces you will encounter. Wheels get terribly abused when travelers take them over rough surfaces, curbs and stairs. Wheels break. Wheel housings get cracked and axles bent. Handles can become wobbly, won’t stay up or stay down, or get stuck. If you want to use wheeled luggage, make sure that quality parts are used and that construction is rugged.
Other hardware — Buckles, cinches and clasps have to survive heavy use and impacts. Hardware includes buckles, strap adjusters, D-rings any other hard parts the manufacturer attaches to the outside of the bag. Hard-shell bags have hinges, latches and locks. All of these are subject to stress or abuse. Materials have to be sized correctly and strong enough relative the size and weight of the loaded bag.
Sewing — The bag must feature quality thread sewn well enough to endure the stresses of constant handling and occasional overpacking. Good sewing is fundamental to durability and really differentiates quality travel bags from cheap ones. On a quality bag, you should see box-stitches or cross-stitches used at stress points. Zipper tapes and major seams will be double-stitched. Those seams should be sealed with waterproofing, too, although you can’t tell from visual inspection and will have to rely on the manufacturer’s claims. Internal fabric edges should be finished to prevent them from fraying all the way back to the stitches.

Value for money

350px Landscape Taking all these factors into account, what’s a fair price for your main travel bag? We’ve already warned you: don’t go cheap. Yet, some bags are well in excess of $200.

Makers of specialized travel packs are concentrated in the United States, but you should look for local options, too. If you have to order internationally, you’ll have higher shipping cost, currency conversion fee and (possibly) customs duties.

Decisions that can affect your value-for-money decision could include:

Trip length — The longer you plan to travel, the more important build quality becomes. If you plan on making more than one trip, a good bag should last for many.
Travel style — The more budget-conscious you are, the more you’ll have to carry your bag (more distant accommodations, more public transport, more walking).
Destinations — Poor countries will usually have more issues with protection and security (bus roofs and cargo bays, dirty train platforms, bag slashers in crowds…). Old cities are full of cobbled streets and uneven pavements, again requiring more carrying.

As you decide, remember that your main travel bag is your most important travel tool and it has to perform for you reliably over time and through the gamut of situations that independent travelers encounter.

The best fabrics for luggage

Good quality soft-sided luggage, from packs to suitcases, is made from either “Cordura”™ or “ballistic” nylon. (“Cordura” and “Kodra” are both brand names for the same type of fabric.)

Cheaper luggage is sometimes made of polyester “pack cloth” or light nylon, both of which are much less durable than Cordura or ballistic nylon. Even “rip stop” nylon, distinguished by the regular net-like pattern of heavier fibers in the cloth, is not as good as Cordura or ballistic. You should completely avoid canvas (“duck”) and leather luggage, since their physical attributes are much inferior to Cordura and ballistic nylon.

Ballistic is a “filament” yarn that is resistant to tearing, but is harder to finish at the cut edge. It is typically made with two fibers woven together in a tight basket weave that is slick in look and feel.
Cordura is made of discontinuous fibers, so is softer in look and feel. It is also more abrasion resistant.
Cordura is easier for manufacturers to dye, so there are more colors available. Ballistic is often restricted to black or other dark colors.
Ballistic’s tight and shiny weave sheds water and particulate matter better.

Manufacturers often mention the “denier” of their fabric, which is simply a measure of weight, not strength. The most common weight for luggage is 1050 denier, although some is made as low as 600 or as high as 1650. Note that the higher denier fabrics have a record of fraying more, so there is no net benefit from the heavier yarn. Lower denier Cordura can be woven tighter, providing more sheen, better moisture resistance and lighter weight than 1050 Cordura.

Both types of fabric are very tough, made tougher still by bonding with an internal layer of polyurethane. Either one will stand up to high levels of use. The choice is more a matter of personal preference — the dark glossy look of ballistic versus the more colorful and softer look of Cordura.

There is now a “Cordura ballistic” fabric available, wherein the Cordura yarn is tightly woven in the 2X2 ballistic basket weave. The manufacturer claims that it has the abrasion resistance of Cordura and the tear resistance of ballistic.

Final advice for the best travel bag

There are a few tips to keep in mind as you consider the type of main bag that will be best for your trip.

Go for versatile

350px Landscape Get a bag that can handle unplanned eventualities. How To Travel unreservedly recommends carry-on sized travel backpacks. You will maximize space for your stuff, save checked luggage fees, go almost anywhere and have your bag securely with you most of the time.

Don’t let a single activity dictate what you’ll be hauling around during a long trip. There’s usually a workaround.

Suppose you want to go trekking in Nepal for 2 weeks out of a 16 week trip. If you insist on humping your own gear over the Thorung La, you’ll need a good hiking backpack. So rent one in Kathmandu or Pokhara. Or, if you can afford it, hire a porter and save yourself the work. Either way, you won’t have a large and inappropriate backpack burdening you for the other 14 weeks of your trip.

Go for quality

Even if you’re on a strict budget, the one piece of gear you should not scrimp on is your main travel bag.

If something is going to break on your bag, when do think that will happen? When you’re on the move, of course! Imagine you’re about to rush to the airport. You try to close your bag, but the zipper splits apart and cannot be closed. You’re heaving your bag into bus when a major seam splits or the hand grip comes off in your hand. Or maybe you’re starting out from the station on that six block walk, dragging your wheeled bag to your lodge when one of the wheels breaks.

To minimize the risk of these problems:

Get a high-quality travel bag — A well-constructed bag made of high-grade materials will be far more reliable than some cheap deal at the discount store. It will cost more, but your bag is your constant companion, so it’s worth the extra expense. And a high-quality bag will still be around for your next trip. Even if you’re on a strict budget, the one piece of premium gear you have to spend on is your main travel bag.
Select a type with fewer vulnerable parts — The simpler the bag, the less chance of failure — luggage without wheels and handles is less likely to break than wheeled luggage. Soft-sided is more forgiving of impacts than hard-shell.
Look for a warranty — Many of the best bags have an unconditional lifetime warranty. If a manufacturer isn’t confident of the quality of their product, why should you be?
Handle your bag with care — Be gentle. Don’t overpack. Don’t drag your wheeled bag over rough surfaces or stairs.
Minimize other people handling your bag — They don’t care as much as you do. If you see your bag disappear down an airport luggage belt or watch it heaved on to the roof of a bus, wish it good luck until you meet again.

Test the bag

Especially if you go for a non-wheeled bag, you should test how the bag fits and how it feels when loaded.Since duffel bags aren’t appropriate for independent travel, we mean backpacks, both the travel type and the hiking type. They’re just like footwear… comfort is so important, you don’t want to get it wrong. You have to wear it to know.

If you’re especially small or large, the matter of backpack fit takes on extra importance. Many standard backpacks are too long in the torso for many women, while other manufacturers offer a smaller “women’s” size.

The issue is compounded by the fact that most of the best travel backpacks are not available in stores and must be ordered online.

To a lesser extent, wheeled luggage should also be tested. You might not be happy with the handle-length or construction quality of the wheel and handle assembly.

When the bag arrives, load it up with a mock load or your real stuff (if you have it) and walk around. If it’s a backpack, maybe it won’t fit correctly. Maybe it’s just not built to your expectations or it’s even the wrong color.