Are you a backpack or suitcase kind of person? Do you mix it up, or do you solely go for one over the other? In our house we roll both ways. Flying within Europe on cheap flights means we often split luggage to reduce the cost, so the backpack is great when flying Ryanair as it is really light before anything goes in there.
A Backpacker at Heart
My backpack has been with me for 11 years! I cannot say that about any suitcase I’ve owned. Its first trip was the one where I first met Alex, in a hostel in Brugge, Belgium. Since that first trip to Europe it has been across Asia to Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore. It has been around the US and continues to journey around Europe. A few days ago we packed it up for Malaysia and it’s currently hanging out in our Kuala Lumpur hotel room!
Suitcases Can be Harder to Walk Up Long Flights of Stairs
Alex has asked me a few times if I really want to take it with me. This is usually related to a work trip where we are actually staying somewhere fairly nice. I always get defensive of my backpack when this is broached. I mean who cares what I choose for luggage, my backpack loves an adventure!
The primary reason I prefer to travel with the backpack is because lifting a suitcase is really hard when you are little like me. Alex and I once swapped baggage as we were flying a few days apart, and it took me 15 minutes to get the suitcase up our one flight of stairs by myself. Granted they were Dutch stairs, which are incredibly steep, but never again!
Caribee Backpacks Last a Long Time
My Caribee pack has done very well – I bought it in 2001. I did have to stitch a small section back together after a number of years of use. But that was a pretty minor repair.The zips are still looking great. The little day pack still attaches to the front and has been handy on a number of occasions.
Here is a current selection of backpacks that Caribee sells. I like that there is a separate section in the bottom. I use it to put dirty washing, a spare pair of shoes and my toiletries. This is great because one time my shampoo leaked, and the spill was contained in the bottom. So I didn’t have a soapy mess all over my clothes. It also has a rain coat that tucks into a little hole nicely and keeps the backpack dry!
What’s your preference? And do you have a name for your luggage?
Brazilian Nostalgia: A Self-Reflective Experience 
Planning a trip to Malaysia!
Love my backpack and I don’t even want to consider ever having to leave it or the need to replace it.
Whilst on our travels our backpacks have become our mobiles homes and something we heavily come to rely upon. I can’t remember ever feeling that way about a suitcase.
I know! I can’t either, suitcases really do come and go. They totally serve a purpose, but a backpack is special, with a lot of memories attached.
While I remember lugging my backpack around a place, I look back fondly at the memory, while the memory of lugging a suitcase up a flight of stairs annoys me, haha, no real idea why on this one 😀
Backpack! Undoubtedly. Mine doesn’t have a name either.
Yeah it hadn’t really occurred to me to name it until recently! Maybe I’ll think of something this trip 😉
I love my backpack too but tend to favour my suitcase these days if staying somewhere smart and dresses / suits / clothes that crease easily are needed. Adventure trips, backpack rules!
This is true Lindsey, backpacks are awful for wrinkles! Though I’m a terrible ironer, so I tend to iron on site because the iron we have at home is awful!
I’ve had my backpack for almost 10 years and I love it. It also has wheels so I can use it either way.
I also have one of those rolling suitcases that have four wheels. We got it just before moving here and I love it, too. I will happily switch between both.
I don’t care for duffel bags or suitcases with two wheels.
Neither of my suitcases have names.
Hi Ann, wow that is a fancy backpack with wheels 😉 There are a few times I would have loved wheels on mine! We also recent got a suitcase with the 4 wheels, they are great too, ours happens to be purple and one day I was collecting it and this 5 or so year old came up to me and was like my favourite colour is purple, all the while she was staring at my suitcase and then she just said wow I love your suitcase! She was too cute!