7 Things that Every Travel Backpack Needs
As a missionary, I’ve traveled for almost two years of my life with little more than myself, my wife, a backpack, my bible, and some toilet paper. We’ve slept in tents, on tables, in corn shacks, on buses, trains, cars, floors, guesthouses… you get the point. My first trip was to Indonesia after the tsunami, then Darlene and I traveled around the world in fourteen months, and even now I am writing you from our Revolutionary Life base in North Thailand, as we edit more videos and prepare for India, Nepal, and West Africa.
I love it. I love going to places not listed in Lonely Planet and learning from people without blogs, or even steady electricity. However, there are quite a few things we have learned over the years concerning travel. Of course, the biggest lesson is the Love that God has for people and how much we people can screw up a perfectly good world, but then there are lesser lessons like, Why you should bring duct tape on overnight Bus Rides.
We’ll get to that one later.
So, I think in the middle of my ranting and deep spiritual blog stuff, I should start chiming in on some basic travel advice. Here’s part one…
Seven Things Every Travel Backpack Needs:
I can remember it like yesterday. We arrived in Malaysia, and immediately the rush came. You know, or maybe not, that feeling you get when you are starting a new journey. The excitement, the nervousness of the adventure; it’s thrilling! You feel you are free, that the weight of the world has been lifted from your shoulders. The world is yours!
Then, you lean the wrong way, trip over a sleepy street dog, and almost tumble into the certain death of Asian traffic. That’s when you realize you packed the weight of the world into your backpack. Your bag is over-packed, out of balance, and the size of one of those trash cans we set out by the side of the road. The straps are amputating your arms at the shoulders, and every time a more experienced light weight traveler bounces by, his dread locks flowing in the wind behind him, you damn him to hell under your breath. Then you repent, of course, and feel terrible.
This could all be remedied with some good packing in a good backpack. No, for a journey, you don’t need all this stuff. You need to be able to be flexible. You need to be able to hop on a bus in a minutes notice and let it take you to a new world of freedom. But it all starts with the bag. Why? One, because it’s your lifeline, and two because that’s the funnest thing to shop for.
Here’s my list of the top seven things every travel backpack needs. Now, I’m not thinking of hiking the Inca trail here, but rather international travel, where you can buy stuff along the way.
- Compression Straps
These little straps are gold. Okay, here’s how it works. First you attach them. Then you sit on your backpack and squish everything until it is well compressed while tightening the straps. Then you buckle it down strong and brag to all of your friends about how your bag is smaller than theirs.Seriously, you need these. Not only do they compress everything, but they help to keep things secure inside. Trust me, some of the buses around the world, are not easy on the bag. You don’t need things flopping around inside. It needs to be compact and tight. Also, with all of the new checked bag fees around the world, a huge bulky bag will cost you. If you get a small enough bag, compress it well, even if it weighs fifty pounds, the airline will be clueless most times. Booyah! Saved ya thirty bucks. - A Good, internal Frame (for traveling), support system.
We all know that those little suitcases with the wheels are the best way to travel business style. I love them too. Small, roll-able, carry on size, but on the rough road they are not the way to go. What you need is something on your back that doesn’t cut off the feeling to your fingers. That’s why is it important to get a backpack with comfortable, adjustable, comfortable, well made, balanced, comfortable straps. Did I say comfortable?
As you walk for miles in search of a cheap guesthouse, you don’t want to hurt the whole way. Now, this is more about not packing too much, but it also involves the straps. They need to be padded, able to be adjusted for your body type, with a hip strap. For the ladies be sure to get a woman’s bag, with an adjustable chest harness. This way, when the bag is on and adjusted correctly, there will be a nice balance of weight between your hips and shoulders. Your heavier things need to be packed closer to your back, then the shoulder straps adjusted to where gravity pulls the bag back just enough to angle it onto your hips. The straps hold the bag up vertically and the hips support the bags weight. If all the weight is on your shoulders then you will be in real trouble after a few hundred yards.
- To Open Up Like a Suitcase
To me, this is SO important, yet simple. When you are living out of a backpack you need to be able to get to your stuff. The majority of backpacks are designed to open from the top. I guess the makers enjoy seeing people toss everything out of their bag, on a train, to get to their toothbrush. Really? Listen to me here, buy a bag that opens up wide enough that you can lay it on its side, flip it open, and get to anything. Don’t be that person holding up the line at check-in while you are trying to get your Laos pocket knife out of your bag, all the way at the bottom.
- To Be Carry-On Size
As mentioned above, airlines have gone nuts. They weren’t making any money so now they charge you to bring your underwear. Stick it to the man and buy a bag small enough to toss in the overhead bin. Not only will you save money, but there will be no waiting at the little belt thing later on. Another thought is that (until you’ve been out there this may sound nuts) if you get a bag small enough to check on it will keep you from the common, repeated, beginner, newbie, hilarious (is that enough of adjectives yet?) mistake of packing three times as much stuff as you need.Now, I get it, you don’t know until you do it, but once you realize that you don’t need that hair straightener in Cambodia you will thank me. - An easily accessible, but not TOO accessible, pocket for easy access.
As these pictures show, I use, the Eagle Creek Explorer LT. I love (almost as much as my Mac) this bag. It’s been with me for years now. One of my favorite features is the pocket just inside the top of the main compartment. This was a genius idea. You are able to put anything you might need quick access to just inside the top of the main compartment. Zip the top open five inches on each side using the double zipper, and your in. Every time I forget something, and I have to unzip and grab it, I kinda gloat.”Look at me,” I think. “Aren’t I cool.”Why? Because it’s amazing, and you need one so you can impress your friends, and not go crazy searching through your entire pack for that zip lock bag with your deodorant. Another important point: because the pocket is not TOO accessible it kinda keeps your toilet paper from being stolen by that hippie guy with the dreads. - A collapsible daypack
The goal is ONE bag, but even when your bag is carry-on size, you don’t want to carry it around Delhi everyday. The solution is a a small daypack that can carry your valuables and Lonely Planet, but if need be can be packed. I personally connect my daypack to a detachable shoulder strap and let it fall in front of me to offset the weight. It’s like a seesaw.
The daypack is a must if you carry electronics with you that you don’t want to get tossed around or stolen. That guy who packs your bag into the back of the “VIP” bus pretty much has open access once your inside the bus. I say leave him with dirty underwear and not a Macbook Air.When I am not using my daypack, I use it to cushion my laptop inside of my bag. - Bonus: A detachable shoulder strap, a strong handle on the outside, and a rain cover.
These last three are bonuses, not as needed as the ones before it. I threw them since you read this far.
As mentioned above, a detachable shoulder strap is great for long hauls, as it makes it easy to where you big bag on the back and the daypack in the front, without looking like a goob. Most bags do not come with one of these, but you can buy one at REI or Walmart for cheap. Invest in one, it could make life easier if you are moving around a lot.Also, a good strong handle on the outside of the bag is extremely helpful for handing your bag off. Shoulders tired? Grab it and carry it like a duffel bag. Just be sure the handle is well stitched.And last, a good rain cover; in case it rains.
There you have it. Comment and let me know of anything I forgot.
Blessings!
