Find out what type of traveller are you.

I'm going to focus here on the different type of travelers and their suitable gear. Find out what type of traveler are you and which gear would it be the best for you.

Being a professional host for more than 7 years I can say that I've met a lot of different types of travelers. It's not about the leisure travelers on the one hand and business travelers on the other. Those two categories can fit in each of the categories described below. It's more about the nature of the travel.

 

Adventure travelers:

This is the first group of travelers who are mostly travel experts. Their gear allows them to sleep in the mountain or in the jungle and fight the elements. They would rarely choose a hotel or an apartment so I can say that from all of the travelers that I've met as a host, those were the rarest of all. When having a conversation with one of those, you'll quickly realize that they know much more about the travel gear than the rest of us, regular mortals. Their travel backpack sizes are 50 – 65 Liters. Their travel gear often consists also of camping gear.

 

Urban Travellers:

Those are the travelers where I fit myself. When I travel abroad I choose to sleep in the apartment or in the hotel. When I decide to visit nature those are more daytime trips when I leave most of my other luggage in the apartment or in the hotel. All I carry is more or less just a backpack (15 – 30 Liters big) with a bottle of water, an umbrella, and a small jacket inside.

As you can see all the travel infrastructure around me is pretty decent. Apart from occasional rainy days, there are Airports, Bus stations, Train stations, Taxies, etc. However, this type of traveler can reach a thin line of what kind of gear is the best for them? Should it be the backpack or maybe a modern suitcase with wheels? But in general, the size of backpacks for that type of travel is enough from 30 – 40 Liters in size.

 

GAP Travellers:

Gap travelers are the travelers who are mostly students who typically take travel after the highschool, and prior to career or post-secondary education, in order to deepen their practical, professional and personal awareness. It can be any time frame of travel from the entire year or the entire semester. Many of them are first time travelers therefore inexperienced with packing. They often forget to pack everything on the one hand while they overpack on the other. Cities are full of those especially around the hostels as they are on the budget most of the time.

 

Backpack or the Rolling duffer:

If you're a traveler always taking a taxi to reach the airport and then always taking the taxi to reach your hotel. If you have back problems and are not allowed to lift the weight. For that type of traveler, a rolling duffer is the best option. If you're only on the plain surface the rolling duffer is by far less tiring.
If you're on the other hand everything else than that, then a backpack is far the best. People mostly think that it's easier if you don't need to carry. I bet you've never seen a traveler with a rolling duffer behind on a hiking trail. Every time this luggage meets the stairs is a real deal to move it around. That because it is not meant to be carried but rather pulled behind. Often those wheels are small and get stuck easily. Without losing words, it's all about how you carry and if you're carrying it properly on your back that will make your life much easier while moving around. Travel backpack will leave your hands free and it will be much easier for you to move around, buy tickets, etc.

Other things to consider at the travel backpacks, rolling duffers, and suitcases:

1. Water resistance?
2. Locks – Will you be able to lock the zipper?
3. Do they fit properly on your back?
4. Type of loading.
5. Straps.

1. Water resistance.
Some travel backpacks are water-resistant others are not. It depends on the material they are built from. It's never good if your travel backpack does not do its job and you end up with wet gear.

2. Lock.
I've found myself countless times at the airport with my luggage. It has always been a relief to have a little security by locking up the zipper.

3. Fitment.
The backpack has to fit on your back properly. There are rules on how to determine if the backpack is too big or too small for you.

4. Loading.
Some backpacks are top-loading backpacks. That means that you can load them only from above and in return, you need to dig through everything if it happens that you need something at the bottom. On the other hand, you have front-loading backpacks. They enable you much easier navigation through your gear.

5. Straps.
A padded waist strap distributes the weight of your backpack from your shoulders to your core. This reduces the stress on your back and shoulders.