What do you bring

OK, you are narrowing it down joconnell but I'm not in agreement wtih the comparison.

It is not a case of a 'standard' backpack designed for wilderness travel, vs. a wheeled bag for urban travel. As I noted in the links I gave you to read, the choice between a backpack and a 'travelpack' is made based on which of the two activities you will do more of. So if you tend to always do a fair bit of hiking when you travel, you may decide to opt for a backpack as I do. But if you tend to spend 80% plus of your time in urban environments then you may decide to opt for a travel pack. A travel pack is designed specfically to deal with the issues being hilighted here in terms of backpack vs. wheeled bag. But without the wheels.

A wheeled suitcase or wheeled backpack simply adds the weight of wheels and frame to the weight of your bag. The whole idea of 'backpacking' is that it leaves your arms free at all times for whatever. A wheeled bag cannot do that. Weight is the number one enemy of a backpacker and anything that adds weight that can be avoided should be avoided.

The one time a wheeled bag makes sense is for someone with back problems that mean they cannot carry a pack on their back. Otherwise, they are redundant. Bearing in mind of course we are not talking about a package tourist here or a business traveller. We are talking about what is best for a traveller hopping on buses and trains, walking around in a city with their bag for several hours etc. Imagine running to jump on a local tram in Calcutta while dragging a wheeled bag behind you vs. running with a travel pack on your back. Scroll down a bit on this page (ignore video at top) to see the scene: http://ca.phaidon.com/agenda/photography/video/2011/october/27/steve-mccurrys-one-minute-masterclass-2/

So instead of comparing an 'expedition pack' (which no one is suggesting) to a wheeled bag, compare a normal backpack in the 30 - 50L range to a travel pack in the same range. A good example of a quality travel pack is the Osprey Farpoint 40. http://www.rei.com/product/837010/osprey-farpoint-40-travel-pack
Pictures:
http://www.google.ca/search?q=osprey<i>farpoint</i>40&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=7NkwUeyxFIaVyAH7yIG4Dg&ved=0CEkQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=687

No hotel will turn you away if you walk in with the harness zipped away and holding it by the side handle. It is fron't loading (your preference). It is less awkward on a crowded train/bus than a wheeled bag. No check-in issues. Features like pockets for tablets and laptops more suited to an urban traveller than a wilderness traveller.

I'm not suggesting this particular pack for you, it's simply an example of a well designed travel pack.

Thanks again for the ideas travelinstyle46!

I wasn't suggesting that it's as black and white as wilderness packs vs wheeler suitcases, I'm just saying that when I was travelling I personally used a typical wilderness/expedition pack and found it less than perfect and I noticed that most other travellers that I met used the same style of wilderness pack.

However, with that said, the travel packs that you suggest certainly look like to be the best of both worlds. I'll be sure to check some out!

Oooh - I forgot about the straps issue when checking backpacks in as hold baggage. Should have remembered, as when I do carry a backpack I enclose it in a waterproof, drawstring bag for that very reason. :>))

I just use the backpack I have. Having said that if you found your backpack was a pain and you're just going to be in city environments then just get a wheelie suitecase. After all you're not likely to be carrying it much and when you do have to drag it along it'll be on pavements so not too much of a hassle.

Weight is the number one enemy of a backpacker and anything that adds weight that can be avoided should be avoided.
Absolutely! Which is why I opt for wheels in general. (When I'm going up mountains I do so on a day basis and make sure to come down again while it's still light.) It's just so much easier, usually, to pull something along than to carry it - even when well-positioned on your back.

Another thing - manoeuverability! You can turn in an instant if you're unencumbered by a pack. (When you're a solo woman, that's sometimes important.) Running for a train? Well, I'd rather miss the train than end up face down in a whole heap of unmentionable because my backpack had unbalanced me. :>))

When I do my Camino I'm going to take a donkey - on wheels - to carry my stuff. Can't face the thought of walking up and down hills with a pack, especially if I'm trying to get to the next bed ahead of the young 'uns.

The reason you see most backpackers with a wilderness backpack rather than a travel pack joconnell90, is simply the herd instinct. Travel packs have only been around for less than 2 decades. Before that, there was no choice but to buy a normal backpack designed for wilderness travel. So as everyone was using them, it becomes a case of monkey see, monkey do. People are slow to change and so you still see a majority of normal backpacks today. But travel packs are a growing segment of the market as people catch on.

The same history exists in terms of the average tourist with a suitcase. There was a time when you had to pick up and carry a suitcase and none existed with wheels. Then came the fold up trolly that you could attach your suitcase to with bungee cords and wheel it. Those are almost impossible to find now. Gone the way of the Dodo. Then came the suitcase with wheels built in. Today, just about every suitcase has wheels.

If someone wants to wheel a suitcase around that's up to them. I use one if I am going on a city break or a beach vacation. You move it ONCE, unpack it and enjoy your vacation. But if I am going to be travelling more extensively by public transport and on foot, I use a pack. Whether a travel pack or a backpack (I have both) depends on what I will be doing as noted above.

I often do what I refer to as credit card camping. That means a multi-day trip hiking from place to place where I pay for an overnight bed and meal using a credit card. This eliminates the need for a carrying a tent, sleeping bag, food, etc. So for example I might walk from Basel to Geneva over the course of a week. All on hiking trails but with stops in mountain village hotels each night. You can't do that with a wheeled suitcase. The best for that is a proper backpack.

Now someone may say, well I don't plan on doing multi-day hikes, I'm only going to visit cities and I'll take a daypack for day hikes. That's fine, then take a wheeled suitcase but if you change your mind and decide to join a few people you meet who are going to do an overnight hike, what do you do? It's a question of versatility. That's where the travel pack comes in.

Every type of luggage suits certain situations better than another type. The question is what type of travel will you do. It doesn't matter what I use or anyone else uses, what matters is your travel needs.

Adding wheels or carrying bags to put a pack into for airports etc. just adds weight. That is to be avoided at all cost. Whatever the minus is of no wheels or having straps to catch on carousels etc. are the cost of wanting to take that particular kind of item. You pay that cost, not try to have your cake and eat it too. Nothing is 100% perfect for everything.

"Absolutely! Which is why I opt for wheels in general."+ Followed by, +"It's just so much easier, usually, to pull something along than to carry it - even when well-positioned on your back."

The first is about weight and is not answered by the second which is about supposed ease of use. So where is the connection? Wheels add weight, that is not debateable.

Nor is it 'easier' to pull than to carry. It is easier in terms of energy expended (measured in calories) to pull a cart than to carry the cart, that's why wheels were invented, but it ASSUMES that conditions do not exist that make the comparison void. So a simple cobbled street changes the comparison for example. As do stairs, running to catch a train, etc.

"Running for a train? Well, I'd rather miss the train than end up face down in a whole heap of unmentionable because my backpack had unbalanced me. :>))"

An exaggeration intended to prove a point. Suppose missing the train means a long wait for the next one or even worse, loss of the cost of the ticket? Why would you fall into a whole heap of unmentionable? How likely is that? Why would a properly fitted backpack unbalance you? Why wouldn't it be just as likely to happen because the person is just a clumsy, 'equilibrium challenged', clutz who trips on a piece of paper while wheeling a suitcase?

It is as easy to invent excuses, pardon me 'reasons', why a wheeled bag is a poorer choice than a travel pack as it is to invent them to prove the opposite. The only thing that matters is what works best for the type of travel you do. Wheeled bags suit some trips and do not suit others as well as travel packs or backpacks do. It's up to the OP to decide which will suit his planned travel best.

I don't think we disagree, really, TiS :>))

I have to agree, It seems that everyone just assumes that a wilderness pack is best because that's what most people use.

Personally; some sort of travel pack is likely to be best for me as most hikes will be 1 night at most. As for a wheeled suitcase; it's certainly interesting to hear from people who have used them but, I don't think the amount i use them would justify the extra weight they would add for when i carry the case on my back.

Thanks again everyone.

I've used a travelpack for all of my trips the last 11 years. They are easier to pack than conventional backpacks as you can open them fully and don't just have an entry at the top. The straps can be tucked in/hidden away when you're checking in for flights. I have always found them easy on public transport, even in urban areas and have never had a hotel turn me away, and I have stayed in a range of places from hostel dorms to 5 star hotels. They are easier to get around the streets in some areas when pavements are narrow or non-existent. They stop you from packing too much because you know you will have to carry it. It's easier to get up and down stairs, and run/rush if needed. I started with a 75 litre pack and while that served me well for years I have recently downsized to a 40 litre. Ah, the freedom!!