What sized travel backpack for city breaks?

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Soldato
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I want to buy one of these jazzy travel, my tatty old Adidas bag has had it.
I don't really like using those little suitcases so would rather get a travel backpack, now it seems it's all done in litres and I have no idea what size to get.

bellroy.com

Transit Backpack Plus | Large laptop travel backpack | Bellroy

A versatile backpack for long weekends away or busy days around town. A 15’’ laptop sleeve and multiple organization pockets are just the beginning.
bellroy.com bellroy.com

Would something like this be big enough for 2-3 days abroad and be OK for carry on? Or is 38L too big?
 
I got a really handy bag for breaks like this. It converts from a backpack - handy for the tube and transport, to also being a wheeled case.

Something like...
www.goplaces.co.uk

Samsonite Roader 55cm Cabin 2-Wheel Laptop Backpack

Samsonite's Roader, the go-to collection for both active and urban travellers. This sleek yet casual collection will help you explore in style, plus keep all your daily and travel essentials organised. Made with nature in mind, Roader is your conscious partner while commuting and seeking...
www.goplaces.co.uk www.goplaces.co.uk
 
IMO you’re best off with a ‘cabin friendly’ case and then a small backpack.

You don’t really want to carry a large backpack around a city all day.

I have this which is ace. It does come in a bigger version which my wife has, but the smaller one is much better for being out and about.

nordace.com

Nordace Siena Pro 13 Backpack

Compact, lightweight, and versatile, Nordace Siena Pro 13” Backpack is the backpack you’ll want to wear every day.
nordace.com nordace.com
 
Don't carry a backpack on your back; carry it on your front. On your back it's just asking for some NED to take a knife to it. Especially in cities like Barcelona.
 
I've got a cheap ass billabong sports bag that's got to be coming on 20years old now. Don't need to be ripped off to tell the quality of material.
 
dLockers said:
Bags are in the same category as Terry Pratchets boot analogy. I've got a North Face Surge I bought 11 years ago that is still perfect condition.
Click to expand...

They are indeed.

I remember getting a cheap £20 bag years ago, it lasted 6 months when it just fell apart because i carried a laptop in it, the strap just couldn't take it. Since then I've only got "good" bags, and none of them have any stitching come undone, or any holes. In fact, it got to the point where I get bored of them and outgrown them and want a change but can't justify it because they are still in great condition!

One of my camera bags that I literally would put down on any surface, gravel, grass, concrete, including one time, a puddle by accident, although it is water resistence. It is still like new, I don't know how. My daily backpack still looks pretty good after using it every day for 6 years.

Don't cheap out on bags, especially if you put heavy items like cameras in them, it put a lot of stress on the fabric, straps and stitching.
 
Raymond Lin said:
They are indeed.

I remember getting a cheap £20 bag years ago, it lasted 6 months when it just fell apart because i carried a laptop in it, the strap just couldn't take it. Since then I've only got "good" bags, and none of them have any stitching come undone, or any holes. In fact, it got to the point where I get bored of them and outgrown them and want a change but can't justify it because they are still in great condition!

One of my camera bags that I literally would put down on any surface, gravel, grass, concrete, including one time, a puddle by accident, although it is water resistence. It is still like new, I don't know how. My daily backpack still looks pretty good after using it every day for 6 years.

Don't cheap out on bags, especially if you put heavy items like cameras in them, it put a lot of stress on the fabric, straps and stitching.
Click to expand...
I mean those travel bags are expensive, for travel I'd use a cheaper one mainly because, as was mentioned earlier, if you're in a city you don't want it to be something shiny for the magpies.

For things like camera equipment, laptops and the like, I agree you should have course spend well on a bag. Those things need protecting.
 
adidan said:
I mean those travel bags are expensive, for travel I'd use a cheaper one mainly because, as was mentioned earlier, if you're in a city you don't want it to be something shiny for the magpies.

For things like camera equipment, laptops and the like, I agree you should have course spend well on a bag. Those things need protecting.
Click to expand...

I generally stay away from brands with big logos on it, so my camera bags doesn't look like your typical camera bags. Even my Crumpler bag is very plain, all black. The expensive leather bag (Wotancraft) for the small camera is very plain, just brown leather. Neither of these i have ever seen another in the wild.

I stay away from brands like Billingham, Lowerpro and Peak Design where it is a common bag for photographers. Go really niche and really plain designs, i don't even use the camera straps that comes with the camera for the same reason, plus they are crap.

That bag i linked to, it's used more as a general purpose travel backpack, rather than a sole camera bag, but you can get an insert for.
 
I have an osprey backpack for day hikes. It's got this mesh that forces the back of the backpack off your back.

Its a game changer for me. I used to get a sweaty back from backpacks all the time. If you're going somewhere hot and using a back pack I'd look for this. Wasn't even why I bought it. But it's a must have feature for me.

Gm162pk.jpg
 
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