Yesterday I questioned whether the backpack is even necessary to traveling as a “backpacker”. Obviously there are some advantages to traveling with a backpack, but there are also many disadvantages which I outlined in the post.

To be honest, I have long felt that the “modern backpacker” really needs some type of hybrid bag. Neither the trekker’s backpack (commonly used by “backpackers”) nor standard luggage (duffels, rollers, suitcases) are designed to meet the needs of the “modern backpacker”. What we really need is a bag that is convenient to carry through urban environments without drawing a lot of attention (like a roller, or duffel bag), as well as one that can be strapped onto your back when the terrain turns rough and you still have several kilometers to go.

To my knowledge this type of bag had not yet been invented, until I read Steve Madsen’s response to yesterday’s post, in which he recommended what I would call the perfect solution to the backpacker’s baggage dilemma:

Rick Steves’ Classic Back Door Bag

The name gave me a chuckle, but the bag seems VERY well designed, and provides a wonderful hybrid solution for the modern “backpacking” traveler.

• Carry-on Friendly: A huge plus for travelers that do a lot of flying. Speeds everything up, and the airline can’t lose your bag if it’s on the plane with you.
• Unassuming and cheap: Unlike those North Face monstrosities that are made in every neon color known to man, and say “The North Face” on practically every side, this bag looks cheap and unassuming. As a traveler, it’s already plenty obvious that you’re from out of town, so it’s nice to have a bag that doesn’t scream it for you. In addition to looking cheap, it actually is relatively inexpensive for luggage: $79.95.
• Hybrid: Can be carried like a suitcase through urban environments, or as a backpack across rugged terrain.
• Durable and Strong: Unlike most backpacks, that can easily be cut open by a crafty thief (ruining your expensive pack and stealing your things), the strength and durability of the Classic Back Door Bag seems more comparable to a roller. It’s made of high-density polyester, which still has it’s vulnerabilities, but is a hell of a lot stronger than the average backpack.

Check out some photos of Rick Steves’ Classic Back Door Bag below, or click here for more information from the Rick Steves’ site.

samipii (flickr)

A couple months back I wrote a post entitled What backpacking IS, and IS NOT. One of the points I made in the post was, “backpacking IS NOT an activity that even requires a backpack”.

This point received some criticism from readers, however is one that I still fully support.

I don’t mean to say that you should not carry a backpack while “backpacking”. In some cases a backpack is the best choice. However, it makes a lot more sense to analyze your personal needs as a traveler, and choose your baggage accordingly, as opposed to assuming, “Well, I’m going ‘backpacking’ through Asia, better buy a backpack”.

Below are some of the downsides to traveling with a backpack that many travelers may overlook:

1. Much harder to blend in:

When was the last time you saw a native Nigerian walk out of the local bus station with a 40lb North Face strapped to their back? Locals don’t travel with huge backpacks, they use standard everyday luggage: duffel bags, rolling bags, or suitcases. Just look at the girl in the picture above, is there any question that she’s from out of town? That’s not to say you won’t still stand out with standard baggage, but at least it won’t be because of your luggage.

2. Limited mobility in urban environments:

I think many people choose to travel with the backpack because they think it improves mobility, however in urban environments a large backpack is actually a detriment to mobility. Have you every tried to make your way onto a crowded subway with a large backpack strapped to you? The pack probably hit at least a dozen people in the head, made it very difficult for you to get on and off the train, and pissed off at least half the people in the process. A standard suitcase or handbag, on the other hand, is much easier to maneuver and control. You can easily move it to your front, left, right, rear, even up over other passengers heads making it far superior to the backpack when comparing urban mobility.

3. Can simply be a pain in the ass:

You run to catch the last train back to Phuket, and on the way step in a huge puddle. You make the train, but your shoes and socks are now soaked from the puddle. You then spend the next 45 minutes taking everything out of your backpack in the middle of the train trying to find clean socks, which of course are at the very bottom of the top-down packing bag. You then try to stow your pack in an overhead compartment, though it’s awkward shape prevents it from fitting. The whole ordeal takes over an hour, and draws tons of attention to you (which can pose a security risk). However, had you been traveling with a normal piece of luggage, you likely would have found your socks in under 5 minutes, stowed your bag in one, and been happily asleep in no time.

4. Often unnecessary:

If I’m going on a 12 week trek through the Amazon jungle or the Himalayas, sure I’d be inclined to use a backpack as my primary bag. This is what the large “backpack” was designed for, a way to carry a large amount of equipment for 6-10 hours everyday, during a multi-day trek through the wilderness. However if I’m traveling like most “backpackers”, through civilization, cities and small towns, by airplane, bus, and train, I would personally prefer the convenience of a standard piece of luggage. I also take a day backpack for short excursions, but my primary bag is just an unassuming duffel bag. The duffel bag would surely get uncomfortable if I had to carry across a 12 mile hike, but for travel through civilization, it’s far more convenient.

What do you think of the backpack? A necessary piece of equipment for the “backpacking” traveler, or nothing more than a cliché?

I’m back! I apologize for the 10 day hiatus from posting, but unfortunately had some urgent business to take care regarding my work here in Ecuador.

In the past I have written a number of articles outlining all the possibilities available to the budget traveler. How to see the world, and spend just pennies along the way! To be honest, I actually get some kind of strange masochistic satisfaction from a true $5 dollar/day budget travel escapade. For the past two and a half years, I have lived on just $300/month, and at times as little as $150/month, traveling and working in the Andes Region of South America.

I consistently recommend this kind of frugality and fiscal creativity to any prospective travelers who are concerned about the financial side of travel. It is quite possible to travel much of the world on as little as $10/day. However, I do understand that extreme budget travel is not for everyone, and that we need to be realistic when talking about it as an option.

Therefore, what does extreme budget travel actually mean? What is actually possible at the bottom end of the travel budget spectrum? What will you have to live without?

What you can afford:

• Dorm Rooms:You will have to forget about private rooms and private baths. The goal should be accommodation for around $5/night. In most regions of the world, this will mean shared dormitory style rooms in quaint hostels. Don’t forget your earplugs and a couple sleeping pills (on occasion) as someone in your room is guaranteed to snore or talk in their sleep!
• BASIC Meals: Forget about your favorite foods back home. Unless they are rice, bananas, or potatoes, they are likely too expensive to eat during your extreme budget travels. You can still eat balanced meals, but the majority of your calories will likely come from cheap local foods rich in carbohydrates. The meals will be repetitive, but they’ll fill you up without emptying your wallet.
• Cultural Integration: While living on a budget, you will find yourself living in the same style as local populations. Your interactions with them are free but rewarding. Well worth taking advantage of.
• Nature: In the “developed” world, it is often hard to find true nature without renting a private vehicle and paying high entrance fees. However, in the rest of the world, nature is still free, and can be found right outside your hostel door. Hiking, trekking, and camping are great ways to see the world, almost for free!

What to forget:

• Alcohol: This is a disappointing one for me… Unfortunately nightly binge drinking sessions can really burn a hole in your pocket. When traveling on an extreme budget, it is better to limit the purchase of alcohol to less frequent occasions.
• Comfortable Transportation: Travel in comfort? Haha, forget about it!? Travel in cramped quarters on rickety buses and trains, is more like it. I always get a chuckle from people’s complaints about flying “coach”. Try traveling 15 hours over African back-roads, in the back of a pickup truck with 20 other people and an assortment of chickens, pigs, and goats!
• Europe / North America: In most cases these areas are just too expensive for the extreme budget traveler. However, the options throughout Asia, Latin America, and even Africa are vast.

Backpacking is a great way to see the world on a budget. However, I sometimes feel that people have the wrong impression as to what backpacking is all about. Therefore, I’d like to provide my thoughts and advice on what backpacking IS and IS NOT. What’s your definition of “Backpacking”? Please feel free to leave any thoughts in the comments section below.

Backpacking IS:

1. A budget travel strategy that stresses blending in, and living like the people to develop a better understanding of the culture.

2. A mobile and flexible way to travel, where the traveler is free to change plans as much as they like.
3. An activity that requires you to pack light and live on the essentials. A few changes of clothes, and whatever gadgets or daily essentials you have is enough. Like point 2 says, you have to be mobile, don’t weigh yourself down with a bunch of crap.
4. By definition an economic way to travel. The idea is that you travel on a budget so that you can extend your travels as far as your budget can take you.
5. Moving slow, and getting off the beaten track. You are one (or maybe two) people with no deadlines, responsibilities, etc. Take advantage of that.
6. Sometimes a stationary activity. If you find a place you really enjoy, stay there for a couple of weeks, months, years! Learn more about it, and have fun. Why not?
7. A learning experience. You can learn so much about yourself, others, the world, what’s really important, and a lot more. It’s very important to remain open and allow yourself this growth.
8. Whatever you want to make it.

Backpacking IS NOT:

1. An activity exclusively undertaken by hippies, hobos, or other people that don’t understand the importance of personal hygiene. You are free to bathe as much as you like.

2. An activity for large groups of friends. I would say it is best to either travel independently or with one friend. This allows you greater mobility, and a much better opportunity to blend in.
3. An activity that even requires a backpack. I know the word “backpacking” kind of implies that you have something strapped to your back, but personally I think those 100 gallon backpacks that you see people toting around the world kind of defeat the purpose. In my opinion, you don’t need all that stuff, it doesn’t all need to be carried on your back, it makes moving around extremely cumbersome, and it makes you stick out like a sore thumb.
4. All fun. It’s an adventure. It’s not uncommon to get robbed, lost, stuck out in the rain, pissed off, homesick, etc.
5. Just hitting all the major sites, then going home. DO NOT simply hop from site to site, it is an unnecessarily expensive and exhausting way to travel, that prevents you from being able to experience and enjoy each individual area.
6. Spending all day in the internet cafe.
7. A waste of time or a hole in your resume. I personally feel that traveling has helped me to learn about myself as a person, understand my strengths and weaknesses, develop a better understanding of the world and how it works, and even develop many applicable skills like fluency in foreign languages, ability to operate under adverse conditions, creative thinking, etc. In my experience most employers feel the same way.