Travel Luggage and Backpacks
Travel backpacks were one of Walkabout Travel Gear's best sellers from the start, and we still like a pack that carries on your back but opens like a suitcase. These days we also use wheeled luggage when the trip allows it. These are the bags and gear we would pick today, all in stock as of October 2026.
Travel Backpacks
Packs that carry on your back but open and pack like a suitcase.
Pacsafe GO 44L Carry-on Backpack
At Luggage Online
The main compartment opens all the way like a suitcase and locks, so packing is easy and your things stay put. A sturdy side handle lets you carry it like a bag through airports and onto trains.
Pacsafe EXP45 Carry-on Travel Pack
At Luggage Online
Pacsafe's top carry-on travel pack, with a roomy main compartment, built-in organization, and lockable zippers. It is made from ECONYL regenerated nylon.
Osprey Daylite Carry-On Travel Pack 44
At Luggage Online
A full-zip, suitcase-style opening, a padded sleeve for laptops up to 16 inches, lockable zippers, and backpack straps that tuck away. It weighs about 2.3 pounds.
Osprey Transporter Travel Pack 36
At Luggage Online
A squared-off shape that makes the most of carry-on space, a split main compartment, and a padded laptop sleeve. The tough fabric resists abrasion and water, and the harness tucks away.
Wheeled Carry-Ons
For trips that are mostly airports, hotels, and smooth floors.
NOBL All-in-One Carry-On
At NOBL
Laptop access from the outside, spinner wheels, compression storage, USB and USB-C charging ports, a cup holder, a waterproof pocket, and a passport sleeve. The bag closes with a zipperless frame and TSA locks. It comes with NOBL Air, a tracker that lets you follow your bag, and NOBL backs it with a 100-day money-back guarantee.
Samsonite Freeform Carry-On Spinner
At Samsonite
An expandable hardside carry-on that rolls on double spinner wheels. It comes in a wide range of colors, which makes it easy to spot in a crowded overhead bin.
Travelpro Platinum Elite 21" Carry-On Hardside Spinner
At Luggage Online
A polycarbonate shell with aluminum corner guards, 2 inches of expansion, a built-in TSA lock, and USB-A and USB-C ports. Travelpro covers repair costs from airline damage for the first five years.
Eagle Creek Tarmac XE 40L Carry-On
At Luggage Online
Built for rougher travel, with reinforced Hypalon, weather-resistant recycled fabric, and four heavy-duty spinner wheels. It is backed by Eagle Creek's No Matter What warranty.
Briggs & Riley Baseline Global 21" Expandable Spinner
At Luggage Online
It expands for the trip out and compresses back to carry-on size for the trip home. The handle is mounted outside the bag so the inside packs flat, and Briggs & Riley offers lifetime repair for damage from normal use.
Personal Item and Day Bags
The bag under the seat, and the one you carry all day once you arrive.
Travelpro Tourlite Underseat Carry-On
At Luggage Online
Rolls on inline wheels, fits under the seats of most domestic airlines, and has a padded laptop sleeve. A strap on the back slips over a carry-on handle so the two roll together.
Samsonite Spinner Underseater with USB Port
At Samsonite
Fits under most airline seats and rolls on four spinner wheels, so you never have to carry it. It has a laptop sleeve, a USB port for charging from your power bank, and a sleeve that slides over your suitcase handle.
Pacsafe V 16L All-around Backpack
At Luggage Online
A compact daypack with two lockable compartments, a padded sleeve for a 13-inch laptop, and a hidden back pocket for your phone. It also slides over a suitcase handle.
Pacsafe EXP 12" Sling
At Luggage Online
A crossbody bag that converts to a sling, with Pacsafe's anti-theft features built in. It keeps your phone, wallet, and passport close on a day of sightseeing.
Luggage Sets
For longer trips and checked bags.
NONSTOP New York 3-Piece Set
At Luggage Online
A 20-inch carry-on plus 24-inch and 28-inch checked bags, all hardside with spinner wheels, built-in TSA locks, and 2 inches of expansion. Packing cubes are included, and NONSTOP is sold only at Luggage Online.
NOBL Carry-On + Check-In Set
At NOBL
The All-in-One carry-on paired with a matching check-in bag, both with polycarbonate shells, 360-degree wheels, and NOBL's zipperless TSA lock system.
Packing Organizers
Eagle Creek made the first backpack we ever sold, and its Pack-It line is still what we reach for to keep a bag in order.
Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Cube Set (XS/S/M)
At Luggage Online
Three structured cubes with see-through mesh tops, so you can find socks and shirts at a glance. The fabric is water-resistant and fully recycled.
Eagle Creek Pack-It Isolate Compression Cube Set (S/M)
At Luggage Online
Two lightweight cubes that compress rolled or folded clothes to free up space in your bag. They are made from ocean-recycled fabric.
Travel Security
We first came across Pacsafe in 1998, when its only product was the backpack protector. It still makes one. Our Pacsafe page tells the full story.
Pacsafe 85 Backpack and Bag Protector
At Luggage Online
A stainless steel mesh cage that wraps around a 55 to 85 liter backpack, duffel, or suitcase and locks it closed. A padlock is included, and it folds into its own pouch.
Pacsafe Retractasafe 250 Cable Lock
At Luggage Online
A 4-dial, Travel Sentry approved combination lock with a retractable steel cable for locking a bag to a fixture on a train, in a hostel, or anywhere you have to step away.
Pacsafe Coversafe X75 RFID Neck Pouch
At Luggage Online
Worn under your clothes, it holds your passport, cards, and cash. RFID-blocking material protects e-passports and cards, and the strap is wire-reinforced against slashing.
Prefer Amazon? Shop Pacsafe, NOBL, Samsonite, and Eagle Creek on Amazon.
Before You Buy
Backpack or Wheels
Wheels are easier on the body in airports, hotels, and anywhere the floors are smooth. A backpack is easier on stairs, cobblestones, ferry ramps, and trips where you move every few nights. Pick the one that matches most of your trip.
Size and Weight
Carry-on limits vary by airline, and smaller international carriers are often stricter. Check the dimensions and the empty weight of the bag before you buy, and make sure the wheels and handle feel solid.
Your Personal Item
This is the bag that rides under the seat in front of you. Fill it with what you can't afford to lose or wait for: passport, medication, phone, charger, glasses, wallet, documents, and maybe a change of clothes.
Security
Good travel-bag security makes a quick grab harder. Lockable zippers, slash-resistant panels, hidden pockets, and straps that resist cutting all add up. Pair them with your own awareness and you are a much harder target.
Blast from the Past: Walkabout Travel Gear Backpacks
Backpacks were a major Walkabout Travel Gear product category during the early years of online travel retail.
In the 1990s, using a backpack as your main luggage was still a relatively new idea for most travelers. Hardcore independent travelers had carried backpacks for years, but travel packs designed to replace a suitcase were only beginning to reach a wider market.
Walkabout Travel Gear sold travel backpacks built specifically for this purpose. They combined backpack suspension with luggage-style openings, internal organization, removable day packs, and designs made for airports, trains, buses, hotels, and extended international trips.
The first backpack we sold was an Eagle Creek Endless Journey in 1996. I still remember the purchaser's name: Mark Frobb. It was our largest sale to date.
The archived June 1998 Packs, Etc. page shows how important travel backpacks were to the original Walkabout Travel Gear site and how the backpack-as-luggage idea was being introduced to a broader group of travelers.
