What is a backpacker
without a backpack?
Like a tortoise carrying all its worldly
possessions upon its back.
Of all your travel gear,
your backpack is the most essential.
If it's too big, you can't carry it on.
If it's too small, you can't carry enough.
I'm Alex. I'm Marko. You are watching
Vagabrothers, your go-to guide for
travel tips, inspiration, and travel
vlogs here on YouTube.
This video is part of our series
on how to travel the world and in it,
we're going to show you how to pick
the perfect bag for your trip.
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Without further ado, this is how you
choose the perfect backpack.
We've been full-time travel film makers
for the last 5 years, so by now we're
used to carrying our entire lives in
our backpacks, plus our camera gear.
We're going to show you 4 bags of
different sizes and styles to help you
find the right one for you.
No matter which bag you choose, you're
going to want to keep the following things in mind:
First and foremost, keep things small,
simple, and minimalist.
40 to 50 litres is the ideal size
for a travel bag.
Smaller is better because your backpack
fits in carry-on, which will save you money
because you won't have to check bags,
time because you don't have to wait at
baggage claim, and stress because
when you carry fewer things, you lose
fewer things.
Packing and unpacking becomes a simple routine.
Just as important as choosing
the right size of backpack
is choosing the right type of backpack.
Don't choose a technical
back country camping backpack.
What you want is a travel backpack,
which is front loading, meaning that
it opens like a suitcase, but also
has shoulder straps for support.
All the backpacks that we are
recommending today are travel backpacks.
A few more things to keep in mind......
Make sure it's water proof.
You can always buy a rain shell,
but it's better to have waterproof fabric.
Make sure it has a laptop holder;
it also works for magazines, journals,
and Ipads.
Make sure that you do not to pack your
bag 100 percent full.
You're going to want to leave at least
a quarter of your bag for souvenirs
and stuff you pick up along the way
Some other good features to look for:
waist straps to save your back,
compression straps, lockable zippers,
and a combination lock, stash pockets,
a camera holder, and super important....
a removable daypack.
We're going to go over these 4 backpacks.
We're going to start with the smaller one
and go up in size.
This is the REI Vagabond..40 liters of space
2 1/2 pounds and $120.
What I like the most about this bag
is that it's very, very sleek.
It's got a super low profile.
There're no straps or anything that can
get stuck if you're walking down a train.
You're not going to get snagged on anything.
It does have some compression straps
on the inside, but otherwise it's a pretty
open space. You do also have
this zipper pouch on the outside,
which is where you can put your
socks or underwear.
You can tuck in the shoulder straps and
zip it up so that if you're checking the bag,
it's not going to get snagged on other things.
For $120 bucks, it's going to leave a lot
of money for whatever else you have to
prepare for: visas, vaccinations, and so on.
There are a lot of "pros" to this
backpack, but for me personally, I see
a lot of "cons" in it.
First and foremost, it's very flimsy.
The downside of being sleek is that
in order to achieve that
there is just not a lot of padding.
For example, there is a laptop sleeve.
I would be a little bit sketched - out
to travel with a laptop in this
because it seems that there's just a very
thin plastic backing.
There's no back support,
and there's very, very minimal cushions.
This bag to me is just a little bit too....
flimsy.
I personally see this backpack as more
of a long weekend get away
or a two week trip to somewhere
where you don't need a lot of clothes.....
like a tropical vacation
or a nudist resort. Exactly.
Next up is the Kelty Redwing 44.
Just to clarify, there is a 44 liter
and a 50 liter version, plus...
a 40 liter designed specifically
for females.
One of the things that I really enjoyed
about this bag right when I threw it on,
it's super comfortable.
It has very, very nice waist support.
It also has a big cushion right
at the base of your lumbar.
If you're traveling long term with a
backpack, one of the things that you notice
right away is that without this waist
support, your lower back is really going
to start hurting.
It's also made out of a breathable
material, so if you're in S.E. Asia,
you're not going to be totally sweating
your ass off.
The bag opens " comme ca."
It has a laptop sleeve.
The laptop sleeve does have a bit more
padding than its counterpart,
the REI Vagabond.
There's a lot of room for expansion here.
It's pretty simply, but it's a very
comfortable bag.
The downside for me is that this day bag
on the outside is not removable.
It's also susceptible to thieves
because you generally don't want to have
your most important things on the
outside of your bag.
That's the case with this backpack.
Furthermore, these straps right here
are not lockable.
As far as the internal organization....
there's not a lot of compartments here,
but that's also a thing of personal preference.
And a great way around something like
that is by using compression cubes.
This set right here from Eagle Creek.
It's got 3 different sized bags,
and this is something you can use
to create organization
in an otherwise open system.
This is a pretty good all around backpack.
Solid choice.
And the fact that you can get it in
multiple sizes means that if
you feel this is too small or too big,
there's another size available for you.
I feel like the 50 liter backpack
would probably be a pretty good call.
Next up: we have a kind of an outlier,
but this personally my favorite backpack.
This is Patagonia's MLC, which stands
for Maximum Legal Carry-on.
It's 45 liters and about $179.
So right in the middle of the sizes,
but a little bit more expensive, but I will
show you where that value comes from.
What's good about this is that it
basically combines everything you'd want
from a suitcase in the form of a backpack.
The thing I like the most about this
backpack is that the internal organization
is just insane.
You have really great pockets here for
socks and underwear.
Once I wear them, I put everything
that's dirty in this other internal sleeve.
It's really easy to keep your
clothes organized as you're traveling.
It's basically deep enough for you to roll
up your jeans or put in a pair of shoes
and have each item one by one next
to each other, which allows you to
really see all of your outfits at once.
What I found amazing about doing that is
that I never had to unpack my backpack.
What's also great is the external
compartment here, which basically
functions like a day bag.
It's almost like a briefcase.
It's basically like a briefcase, yeah.
You can put your laptop here, a tablet.
There's a cell phone storage area;
there're pens;
there's a ton of compartments for your
passport or whatever else you want to
bring with you that you would normally put in a day bag.
That's why I say that this bag is perfect
for someone doing city trips.
This is optimized to be the maximum size
you can take as carry-on.
The straps fold in on themselves,
and if you have a roller bag,
you can slide this thing right down over
the handles of a roller bag.
I'm a big fan of Patagonia.
I believe that their products are worth
the extra money just from their stance on
the environment and sustainability.
I feel it's less of a backpack for a
backpacker and more of a bag for
a business traveler.
Other than that, I love the internal
organization on it, to be able to divide
your bag into regions.
I don't think that it has a lot of protection
or support.
The material is very thin, in my opinion.
Other than that, it is a great bag.
And it's pretty stylish.
If you're an older traveler and you just
want a little bit more organization,
you're not like 20 years old, willing to put
everything in your backpack and just go,
this is definitely what you're looking for.
Next up: we have the Osprey Farpoint
55 liter.
The Osprey Farpoint comes in three
different capacities; 40 L, 55L, and 70L
Honestly, to be completely frank,
this is the bag that I would choose if
I were going on a 6 month trip
around the world.
It has storage space for everything
that you need.
This backpack has the best of both worlds.
When you open it up,
it has a ton of space on the inside, but
it also has organizational space
with this big neon colored
transparent zipper-guy,
which I would use for dirty clothes.
It's a little bit less breathable, but it does
have some nice shoulder straps.
It also has waist straps.
The padding is not as good as the Kelty.
If you're going to have to check your
bag for any reason, you can zip all the
shoulder straps and waist straps into itself.
The coolest part about the Osprey Farpoint
is that it has a removable day bag
that's 15 Liters. Check this out.
Once that is removed,
it's got its own little shoulder straps,
water bottle holder,
a place for spare change, keys,
maybe a camera or a phone.
Then on the inside here, it has a laptop
sleeve; it has a couple more little
internal storage compartments.
Overall, the Osprey Farpoint is a great
bag, and out of all of the bags, if I had
to choose one, I would choose this
Osprey Farpoint in 55 liters.
I agree that this is the best overall
backpack, especially for someone
doing some longterm travel.
If I were going around the world for a
full year, getting on and off buses,
trains, and airplanes,
I would definitely choose this.
For me, it's the detachable backpack.
I've always found that having a side bag
or a day bag is essential.
I really hate being that dude walking
through the airport with a front and a
back backpack.
If you do decide to carry your backpack
on the front, you have little straps here
so it takes some of the pressure off you.
When you are traveling, when you're in
airports, train stations, bus stations, etc,,,
that is when you are most likely to get
pick pocketed; you can put all your
essentials, your expensive equipment,
hang it from the front bag on your front
and keep an eye on it..... not to mention
that the zippers are lockable.
Like I said, my favorite is the
Osprey Farpoint 55 L
What about you, Bro?
For the type of traveling I do now......
if we were not traveling for this channel,
if I were just going for fun,
I'd probably bring the Patagonia MLC
just because it's super convenient, and
it's just the right amount stuff for me.
If I were going on a trip around the world,
I think I'd choose the Osprey Farpoint,
but I might get it in the 40 liter,
rather than the 55 L.
Whichever backpack you get, you should
probably not buy it online;
you should go to the store, try it on,
talk to a representative,
and see which one fits you best.
It's all about what makes you feel
comfortable and what fits the needs
that you have, as a traveler.
All right ladies and gentlemen,
that is our video about how to pick the
perfect backpack.
Hopefully, you guys and girls have enjoyed it.
Please share your comments, your tips,
your perspectives in the comment section.
If you enjoyed the video,
give it a thumbs-up, share it with your
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remember to turn on notifications so
you don't miss any of our videos
from this series.
If you haven't seen the rest of the videos
in this series, make sure you check them out.
There's plenty more coming....everything
from how to pack this backpack,
to how to get the cheapest flights.
So stay tuned for those.
In the meantime, stay curious,
keep exploring, and we'll see you guys
on the road. Peace.