How I Chose my Travel Backpack

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One question I’ve gotten repeatedly since I told people I was creating Black Girl with a Backpack is “Are you really just taking a backpack?”. My answer is always yes, yes I am. It’s usually followed by an explanation about how I’m not traveling with a school book bag, but we’ll get there. For now, you may want to know why I’m choosing the backpacker life? Why would I decide that I’m only going to travel with a piece of carry-on luggage strapped to my back? If you want the answer to this, start by asking yourself the following questions.

• Have you ever gone to pack for a trip and realized that half your closet is in your suitcase because you have the space?
• Have you ever been surprised with a charge because your bag was overweight?
• Do you pay to check a bag every time you fly?
• Have you ever landed and spent an ungodly amount of time waiting at baggage claim?
• Has an airline ever lost your bag or damaged something?
• Have you ever dragged your bag(s) through wherever and thought about what a pain it was?

If you answered “Yes” to any of these, then you’ve got a lot of the answer to why I resolved to go with a travel backpack. Here I’ll discuss why I made the choice to become a backpacker and what the purchase experience was like.

How I decided on a Backpack

I asked myself a lot of questions before I decided that a backpack would be my go to luggage. To start, I  thought about how much I was willing to spend. Then I considered the fact that I already have a full set of standard luggage. If I used that, I could avoid spending any money at all. Finally, I thought about what I’d really be doing with this bag over the next few years. As I thought, I knew that I needed something that would survive until I was ready to upgrade.

Ultimately, I had to decide based on what was going to be most comfortable and efficient option. That was difficult for me because I’m really into aesthetics when it comes to my bags, travel or otherwise. If you’ve looked at carry-on travel backpacks, you know that most aren’t winning any prizes for their looks. So yes, I could spend my $200-ish on something prettier, but I know I’d regret it a few days into any trip where I’m highly mobile. Once I got out of my feelings about that, it was time to decide.  

I’m a bit under 5’5. I have some problems with my back and shoulders thanks to some car accidents over the years. I’m also plus sized with a larger chest. I knew that these things would matter as I searched for a comfortable pack. I used to do a little bit of hiking in a past life, so I wasn’t completely lost.  What I didn’t know where to start when it came to buying a travel backpack.

To get answers, I went straight my research partner, Google. I searched terms such as “best backpack for carry-on travel” and “women’s travel pack”. I watched Youtube videos, read product reviews, and checked out brand websites. Everything I read during my research pointed me toward the Osprey Farpoint 55 or the Fairview 55. These are essentially the same pack, but the Fairview is the “women’s version”. I care about how my bags look so I immediately gazed longingly at the slightly more stylish Fairview 55. She was cute compared to her unisex sibling, but I knew I couldn’t buy my backpack based on looks alone.

 

Why I chose Osprey

We’ve already established that I had enough sense to not pick a backpack based on looks alone. The question is what criteria did I use to decide. My research quickly narrowed the field, and I ended up with a list of 4 bags:

• Osprey Farpoint/Fairview 55 (S/M) 
• Ebags TLS Motherlode Weekender
• Kelty Redwing 44 Backpack
• Some bag from Tortuga that has disappeared from all of my search history

I knew that I wanted a pack that opened like a suitcase. A top loading bag was absolutely out of the question because I didn’t want to dig through the entire bag to find things. My bag of choice also needed to have a proven history of being acceptable as a carry-on. I’m not trying to catch any surprise fees! Last, I knew I needed something durable because I’m rough on a bag and I can’t have my pack give up ghost 3 days into a 3 week trip.

Based on those needs,  the Osprey packs seemed to be my best bet. They open fully, the S/M size doesn’t seem to be problematic for carry on, and they appear to be quite durable. I also love that they have something called “The All Mighty Guarantee”. The thing that made the Osprey Farpoint/Fairview 55s an absolute no brainer was that they are actually 2 bags! The main pack is 40 liters, and a removable 15 liter daypack zips to the front. 2 bags for 1 price, that’s definitely a winner. The other bags didn’t meet my needs, or had reviews that made me believe they wouldn’t hold up. 

 

My Shopping Experience

With that knowledge, I looked for outdoor gear stores near me that actually carry both packs. I decided on Cumberland Transit. This locally owned store has served Nashville for nearly 50 years. I’ve passed the store almost every day for the last 15 years, but I never went in because of fear that I’d get strange looks. I can  tell you that my fear was never warranted. When I walked in, and surveyed the store for a bit before someone asked if I needed help. I definitely did, but I needed more help than they could provide. Instead, they got someone who was ready and able to answer all my questions.

Bill helped me, and he was amazing! I told him that I had no clue what I was doing, but I’d done research online. He pulled the two packs. All I could do was stare at the size of the bags. They weren’t huge, but I wasn’t thinking about them as luggage. Bill helped me into the pack. Then he explained how everything should fit, and helped me adjust everything. The Farpoint was the most comfortable thing that I’d ever strapped to my back. I liked it immediately, but I decided to try on the Fairview as well. The fit was all wrong 😢! The straps set strangely above my shoulders regardless of how we adjusted them. They also rubbed against my neck. It looked better, but I couldn’t buy it. I knew I’d be uncomfortable, and I’m not here for that.

Last thoughts

After a bit of indecision, I opted to go with the dark gray Farpoint 55 in (S/M). I did end up ordering the pack from Amazon because the price was lower and I didn’t have to pay taxes. I feel good about my choice, and think it’ll live up to my expectations. I’ll know for sure after I actually travel with it. I’ll report back on how it performs once I return from Mexico. I’ll also cover what it was like to pack, but I can definitely say I’ll be using packing cubes.

Have thoughts or questions? Feel free to contact me!