In Praise of the Rucksack – Favorite Travel Accessories
One of my favorite travel accessories is a real workhorse, so it seems fitting to feature it today – the rucksack (or backpack). I had my first rucksack more years ago than I’m prepared to reveal and since then I’ve loved the sheer convenience of it. It’s great to be able to carry stuff on your back while leaving your hands free, and somehow the weight doesn’t seem as bad when the load is spread, especially if you choose one with broad, highly padded straps. I especially love rucksacks with lots of zipped pockets because it makes it easy to organize your stuff. Here are some of the ways I’ve used them:
- as a handbag – though bigger than the average purse, the various pockets make it easy to carry everything you’d normally have in a purse without being weighed down.
- as a laptop bag – my first laptop was heavy and the only way to carry it comfortably was on my back.
- as a shopping trolley – there’s no better way to store your purchases when you browse the markets and stores on your trips.
- as a pillow – if you’ve ever had to sleep in a car or wanted to take an afternoon nap after a picnic in a park, a full rucksack is a great place to rest your head.
Over the years, I’ve struggled to curb my laptop addiction. Now that I’ve got a smaller laptop and since carry-ons have got much smaller, my rucksack of choice at the moment is a yellow open-topped yellow model with a single zipped pocket. That said, I still find myself looking at rucksacks whenever I’m in the luggage section. Do you like rucksacks? What’s the best one you’ve ever had?
Check out more favorite travel accessories.
Tags: travel, travel accessories
September 15th, 2011 at 12:23 pm
Wow…four birds in one stone eh?
Looks like it has done some real good for you in your travels. I haven’t used rucksacks though but after reading your post, I can think of using it for some of my trips 
Shamis´s last post ..Victoria’s Secret Open Shops At International Airports
September 16th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
Definitely a must have travel accessory, Shamis. Thanks for stopping by.
November 22nd, 2011 at 3:56 pm
I agree that backpacks or rucksacks are now more popular than ever and not just because you want to go hiking! It’s a great way to transport your iPad or laptop whether to and from school or your place of work. Most packs these days are also super comfortable and provide good padding to keep your electronic toys safe.