Why You Should Only Travel With a Backpack

I mean, why would you want to carry any more? You’re going to be busy seeing the world!

Carrying more distracts you more!

Save yourself the time of having to check your bags in at the airport and choose one that you can bring on the plane. I think we can all agree that TSA is enough of a hassle.

But why a backpack? Keep reading.

When I was in Spain I met an Aussie who was also travelling by herself and we ended up sharing journeys for some time. She had a small rolling suitcase and I had a backpack. We met in Barcelona and she accompanied me to Granada, where I had plans to stay in the historic town of Albaicín. When we arrived to the city center, Google Maps told us that it would take about 30 minutes to walk from the bus station to the hostel. We didn’t mind the walk. We are both super down adventurers, which is why we automatically connected when we met. But we didn't know that the 30-minute walk included 15 minutes (which turned into 40) of cobbled streets, steep hills and long sets of stairs. Add to that 90°F (32°C) weather, little to no sleep, and no food in our stomachs, and you have two very annoyed women.

My friend’s face sums it all up here.

When we got to the hostel it turns out they had sent me an email a few days before giving me a heads up about how difficult it is to get up there and providing me with the best route. But who the hell checks their email while they're on vacation? I sure as hell go on vacation just to not have to do that. Anyway, the entire time my friend struggled to drag her suitcase up the cobbled streets, wheels constantly knocking against the uneven rocks, having to pull it as she was going up the stairs and hills. To make matters worse, one of her wheels gave out about half way up and she had no choice but to pick up her suitcase and carry it. I felt so bad because I, on the other hand, supported all of my belongings comfortably on my back.

Don't limit yourself. If you're an adventurer like my Aussie friend and I, you're likely going to want to explore any and every place you possibly could, even if you haven't got all your research done. The key is not to die in the process. Save your energy. You never know what conditions you're going to find yourself in. A roller backpack works well on nice roads, but you may not always walk nicely-paved roads. A backpack, on the other hand, a good one at least, will rest comfortably on your back allowing you to focus your attention on the world around you. I mean, isn't that why we travel? Travel with a backpack and be less distracted. Hell, you may even make your travels a lot more enjoyable.