We used and tested a lot of different backpacks over the years, some were great, and some of them didn’t even make the end of the trip. When we started traveling, we always brought to much stuff with us. We learned you don’t need that much while you on the road.

Nowadays we only use one travel bag, a daypack, and a camera bag.

Travel bags

Our go-to travel bag is The North Face Base Camp Duffel (check the latest price on Amazon). It’s a high-quality bag made from polyester materials and is light-weighted. Its weather-resistant, the bag has shoulder straps and padded carry handles. So you can carry it as a duffel bag or as a backpack which makes traveling to different places around the world very easy. We prefer this bag over a backpack because you have one big compartment where you can organize your luggage with packing cubes.

And with 90L more than enough space for your luggage. We even use one bag for the clothes for both of us! This travel bag comes in different colors, and you can lock the zipper with a travel lock, so your items are safely stored.

Daypacks

We like to use backpacks, which we can use every day. Even when we’re not traveling and just go somewhere, they come in handy. I used a lot of backpacks over time, and I developed an ideal list of the most essential elements for my favorite backpack;

  • Fitting size (backpack must have the right fitting size for me and my girlfriend, so we can both use it)
  • Quality (need to resist traveling in different circumstances)
  • Weatherproof
  • Airline proof (need to be able to function as hand luggage)
  • TSA proof (need to be able to lock it and pass airport security easily)
  • Enough space with different compartments
  • Laptop compartment

For around 10 years, I used a backpack of Dakine when I needed to bring a bunch of stuff. I can’t find the exact backpack anymore, but it was similar to the Dakine Explorer (check the latest price on Amazon).

I used it almost every day. In the end, I really needed to replace it, to keep our stuff safe during traveling.

So we did a lot of searching and testing and came up with what we feel is the perfect daypack for everyday use, in every situation!

We’re using The North-Face Borealis Laptop Daypack (check the latest price on Amazon).

It can fit a lot of our things, including a MacBook Pro 15 inch, in the special laptop compartment. The backpack fits perfect and weighs only 2.6 pounds, which is not the lightest backpack out there but still easy to carry on. You can use it as carry-on luggage in plains, and it’s easy to lock with a TSA travel lock.

Camera backpack

When we’re on the road, we’re filming a lot. We love to make documentaries and learn more about different cultures during traveling.

We invested a lot of time selecting the best camera equipment because we didn’t want to bring to many stuff on the road. You can read about our setup here.

When we finally bought all our equipment we took it to the store to select a new camera backpack.

We decided to buy a backpack because it is easier to use during traveling. A few important requirements for the backpack are:

  • Lightweight
  • Weather-resistant
  • Easy to lock
  • Airline approved (use it as carry-on luggage)
  • Easy to organize equipment.
  • Good quality

We selected 5 camera backpacks which we tested thoroughly and decided to buy the Lowepro Flipside 400 AW II (click for the latest price on Amazon).

This backpack fits all of our camera gear, and with the big flap that is on the body-side, it’s extra secure. The front-flip is easy to lock with a TSA lock. The backpack weighs only 3.3pounds, which is very lightweight for a camera backpack.