Do You Need A Backpack Or Suitcase For Travelling?

I’ve travelled quite a bit and every trip I have spent hours agonising over one question: should I take a backpack or suitcase for travelling?  Well, every trip except the first trip… when I went backpacking around Australia. I mean, I was going backpacking so, of course, I needed a backpack. Right?

Wrong.

Worst mistake I ever made. I should have got a Hybrid.

The trouble with backpacks

I’m pretty tiny, so carrying a lot of stuff is always a challenge for me. I just can’t physically lift very much. I left packing my backpack for Australia to the last minute – the day of my flight. I mean, I had a few hours and I knew what I wanted to take, so it should have been fine.

Everything fit in the backpack ok – phew! I swung it onto my back and stood stable for a couple of seconds… before slowly tipping over backwards under the weight. My mum laughed. I cried. Then I spent the next hour trying to decide what I could live without!

Fine Until You Have A Long Walk

I ended up taking around 13kg and I could lift it ok. All was great for the first week staying put in one hostel in Coogee, then I transferred to a new hostel in the city with some friends. We caught a bus most of the way, but it dropped off half a mile from the hostel. Everyone else seemed to manage the walk ok, but I really struggled. I couldn’t keep up, my shoulders hurt, I was hot and sweaty and frankly pretty pissed off.

Of course, this wasn’t an isolated incident. It happened almost every time I arrived in a new place, because the cheaper accommodation such as hostels are normally further from train and bus stations – hence the price!

Whilst I did develop some pretty awesome core strength, I dreamed of a bag on wheels and never really understood why I needed to be ‘backpacking’ at all. It’s not like they don’t have paths in Australia!

What about less developed countries?

What about other places though? India, for example. Should you take a backpack or suitcase for travelling there?

When I was planning my trip to India last year, I just didn’t know. I didn’t want to take a backpack if I could help it, but I didn’t want to struggle with a wheeled suitcase on dodgy roads either!

Plus, I knew I needed something small enough to be stuffed under the bottom bunk on a sleeper train. I wasn’t sure a rigid suitcase would work for that, and I didn’t want to be a pain to my fellow travellers.

So I started Googling, looking for a solution.

The Perfect Solution – A Hybrid Bag

After a lot of searching, I found the perfect solution – a hybrid bag. It’s a backpack… on wheels!

Do you need a backpack or suitcase for travelling? I suggest you need neither… or rather both!

I did a lot of research into the cheaper and more expensive options, and the pros and cons of each, and I ended up buying a Kathmandu Hybrid 50L Trolley. I found a couple of cheaper options as well,  but the reviews said they fell apart. I didn’t want the wheels to fall off half way through my trip, so I thought it would be better to invest in something that would last.

Related post: Wheeled Backpacks available in the UK

Related post: Wheeled Backpacks available in the USA

The Straps

Through China, Hong Kong Indonesia, Japan, Australia, Fiji, India and Sri Lanka I rarely needed to use it as a backpack – just occasionally for stairs at train stations.

The backpack straps zip away neatly when not in use, and are quick to pull out when needed. Using this bag as a backpack is more comfortable than I expected. It is more rigid than a pure backpack, because of the trolley structure, so you probably wouldn’t want to walk for miles and miles with it on your back, but for shorter walks it’s absolutely fine.

The Size

This particular bag comes in 30L, 50L (pictured) and 70L. I have the 50L and I found that to be plenty of room for a multi-climate trip, as long as you can pack light quite light. It’s great to have the option for the larger and smaller version depending on how much stuff you need!

The best bit? Now I’m home, I can use it for business trips. It’s smart enough to look just as at home in a posh hotel reception as it does in a hostel dorm – even after three months of moving on every few days.

I don’t think I will need to buy another bag for a long time!

The Wheels

The wheels are really sturdy and managed short periods or rougher terrain just fine. The one compromise is the weight of the wheels, which do add something to the overall weight. But they were so worth it in airports, train stations and walking to accommodation, often leaving my backpacking buddies a little green with jealousy!  Having used this I wouldn’t go back to a backpack now.

Want one?

Hopefully I’ve answered your question on whether you need a backpack or suitcase for travelling. If you like the sound of a hybrid bag, you can buy the Kathmandu Hybrid 50L Trolley here.

If you pack light or are taking a short trip, try the 30L version, or if you need more room go for the 70L version.

Are you in the USA?

It seems Kathmandu hasn’t made it to the USA yet, but there are similar options! I wrote a post on Wheeled Backpacks available in the USA.

I’ll be honest – this article contains affiliate links, which means I will get a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you decide to buy. Integrity is really important to me, so I only recommend products that I really love! Of course, do your own research and if you have any questions about the bag itself or need some advice, please feel free to get in touch – I’d be happy to help a fellow traveller!

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