The best travel backpack for 2020

If your vacations involve endless terminal corridors, busy subway platforms, cobblestone alleys, and fourth-floor walk-ups—all in a single day—we prescribe a travel backpack. And after carrying multiple packs across thousands of miles for more than three years, we recommend the REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 – Men’s and the REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 – Women’s for travelers who don’t mind checking a bag. The Ruckpack has it all: a rugged exterior, a capacious interior, comfortable and adjustable straps, and a removable daypack.

Though it may be possible to get these picks into an overhead compartment, they’re really designed to be checked luggage. If carry-on is your only intended use, we have other recommendations.

Our pick

REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 - Men’s

REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 – Men’s

The best travel backpack for people with longer torsos

Thick padding and highly adjustable straps make this the most comfortable and easy-to-fit pack sized for people with longer torsos.

REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 - Women’s

REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 – Women’s

The best travel backpack for people with shorter torsos

Thick padding and highly adjustable straps make this the most comfortable and easy-to-fit pack sized for people with shorter torsos.

With any backpack, getting the right fit is crucial. This is where the REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 – Men’s and the REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 – Women’s really shine. Each version comes in two sizes, as do our previous picks (and current runners-up), the Osprey Farpoint 55 and the Osprey Fairview 55. But the thickly padded, stowable straps on the Rucksack are also fully height-adjustable, whereas those on the Osprey packs are not. REI says both Ruckpacks, which are made from rugged, ripstop nylon and guaranteed for up to a year, hold about 63 liters (despite their name), which gives you noticeably more space than our other picks while still keeping the overall dimensions manageable. The main pack unzips like a suitcase, and a week’s worth of clothes, underwear, extra shoes, and toiletries all fit easily inside. The daypack, which mounts to the front of the larger pack in a marsupial pocket, has room for camera gear, daily essentials, and a small laptop in a built-in sleeve.

Runner-up

Osprey Farpoint 55

Osprey Farpoint 55

Larger daypack sized for longer torsos

Although it’s comfortable enough, this backpack is not as adjustable as we’d like. It does, however, have the most spacious removable daypack of any of the backpacks we tested, as well as a stellar warranty.

Osprey Fairview 55

Osprey Fairview 55

Larger daypack sized for shorter torsos

Although it’s comfortable enough, this backpack is not as adjustable as we’d like. It does, however, have the most spacious removable daypack of any of the backpacks we tested, as well as a stellar warranty.

The Osprey Farpoint 55 (which is marketed toward men) and the slightly smaller Osprey Fairview 55 (aimed at women) are still excellent backpacks—they’re just not quite as comfortable or as adjustable as the newer Rucksack. As with all of our picks, these bags have stowable straps and can be fully unzipped like a suitcase. Like the Rucksack, this bag is made from strong ripstop nylon, and each version comes in two sizes (the larger of the two holds 55 liters, the smaller 52 liters). However, the daypacks on both the Farpoint and the Fairview are larger than the one on REI’s Rucksack (even though the bags have less capacity overall), and Osprey offers a lifetime warranty, the best of any of our picks.

Budget pick

Highlander Outdoor Explorer Ruckcase 45+15

Highlander Outdoor Explorer Ruckcase 45+15

For less-frequent travelers

Offering many of the same features as the pricier bags we tested—a removable daypack, stowable straps, a main compartment that opens like a suitcase—the Explorer is a great deal if you don’t mind sacrificing some comfort, durability, and warranty support.

If you’re not sure about this whole “traveling with a backpack instead of rolling luggage” thing, the sub-$100 Highlander Outdoor Explorer Ruckcase 45+15 gives you a great opportunity to try out the concept. This highly adjustable unisex bag has all the features we liked in our other picks, such as a detachable daypack, stowable straps, and a front zipper that lets the bag open like a suitcase. But it’s made of cheaper polyester fabric, which isn’t as durable as the nylon in our other picks, and it lacks any sort of official warranty support. Also, the daypack is too small to hold most laptops. This bag has all the features you could want and need from a travel backpack, but you may end up having to replace it sooner rather than later.

Everything we recommend

Our pick

REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 - Men’s

REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 – Men’s

The best travel backpack for people with longer torsos

Thick padding and highly adjustable straps make this the most comfortable and easy-to-fit pack sized for people with longer torsos.

REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 - Women’s

REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 – Women’s

The best travel backpack for people with shorter torsos

Thick padding and highly adjustable straps make this the most comfortable and easy-to-fit pack sized for people with shorter torsos.

Osprey Farpoint 55

Osprey Farpoint 55

Larger daypack sized for longer torsos

Although it’s comfortable enough, this backpack is not as adjustable as we’d like. It does, however, have the most spacious removable daypack of any of the backpacks we tested, as well as a stellar warranty.

Osprey Fairview 55

Osprey Fairview 55

Larger daypack sized for shorter torsos

Although it’s comfortable enough, this backpack is not as adjustable as we’d like. It does, however, have the most spacious removable daypack of any of the backpacks we tested, as well as a stellar warranty.

Highlander Outdoor Explorer Ruckcase 45+15

Highlander Outdoor Explorer Ruckcase 45+15

For less-frequent travelers

Offering many of the same features as the pricier bags we tested—a removable daypack, stowable straps, a main compartment that opens like a suitcase—the Explorer is a great deal if you don’t mind sacrificing some comfort, durability, and warranty support.

I’ve spent the majority of the past five years traveling the world. I’ve lived and worked in 40 different countries across five continents, including spending months at a time in various European and Asian countries, and in Brazil and Australia, among other places. That whole time I lived out of a backpack.

Before I started my extended adventures, I had traveled in Africa, China, and throughout Europe with a variety of terrible backpacks and luggage, so I know what’s best to avoid. I’ve also met dozens of travelers from all over the world and have talked about backpacks with them—and some were also testers for this guide.

A selfie of the guide writer with the Rock of Gibraltar in the background. He is wearing sunglasses, headphones, and has a travel backpack on.
Geoffrey Morrison at the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. Photo: Geoffrey Morrison

In addition to covering travel gear here at Wirecutter, I write about travel and tech for CNETForbes, my personal site BaldNomad, and The New York Times (Wirecutter’s parent company).

Because I am but one average-size man, I recruited some help to test out the packs: five men and five women. Most of our testers are also experienced travelers.

A travel backpack is for people who want to travel around the world unencumbered by heavy, slow-moving wheeled luggage. An internal-frame backpack in the 50- to 65-liter range has more than enough room for all the possessions you need to travel anywhere in the world for an indefinite amount of time—as long as you’re okay with doing laundry once you get to a destination. Whether it’s clothes, a camera, and a laptop for work as a digital nomad (like me) or clothes, shoes, and gear to enjoy the day life and nightlife everywhere you go, you can fit all of it (though not your entire wardrobe and office) in one of these packs. (If you’re going to carry heavy jackets, going-out clothes, multiple pairs of footwear, or other bulky gear, you may want something a tad bigger). A travel backpack is perfect for someone who’s backpacking through Europe for a few weeks or months. For someone who wants the freedom to walk from the train terminal to their hostel without hating life. For someone who wants to be able to explore a city without having to find a place to stow their luggage, and who doesn’t want to be miserable lugging it across cobblestones and down tiny alleyways. It is not for business travelers who would like to maintain appearances, nor is it for outdoor enthusiasts looking to spend six weeks hiking in Patagonia.

However, a backpack can be a very personal choice, like picking out a wallet or a purse: You know what you want, and that might be different from what someone else wants. Still, there are some common traits that make a good travel backpack—and that turn a good one into an essential piece for travelers. I used what I learned in my years of near-constant travel, plus what I found out from other travelers I know, to come up with what we think most people would want in a travel backpack. Some aspects might seem obvious, others counterintuitive, but when you’re living out of something you carry with you, the experience rapidly fine-tunes your sense of what you want and need.

If you’re not sure yet how to consolidate your stuff into a single travel bag, check out my columns on why you should pack light and five things you can leave at home. More than any other travel advice, packing light is by far the most transformative. It is the greatest gift you can give yourself, other than the actual travel. Travel gets easier and better with minimal luggage. I can’t overstate this.

If you prefer something that rolls, check out our guide to the best carry-on luggage. And if you want something that you can carry on your back for shorter periods of time, that’s business-casual-friendly, and that you won’t ever need to check, see our review of the best carry-on travel bags.

There were at last count at least 80 trillion different types and styles of backpacks. No one guide could possibly cover them all. To make matters murkier, if you look into reviews and articles about traveling the world with backpacks, there are no hard lines between what constitutes a travel backpack and what constitutes a backpack that you can use for travel. Based on my experience and research, we decided that a travel backpack is something that can hold between 50 liters and 65 liters, with an integral, removable daypack; that has an internal frame with a hip belt; and that has some sort of cover to contain the straps, for easier storage on planes and trains.

A travel backpack is not a “spend several days away from civilization” backpacking backpack for the wilderness. Those hiking backpacks are similarly designed, but they place greater emphasis on things like ease of access to stuff you’d need on a trail (such as tools and snacks), weather protection, and lighter weight. They minimize use of heavy-duty materials and zippers, and they have a host of external straps and pockets that make them less likely to survive being checked and abused by airline baggage handlers. They also tend to be expensive, because lightweight, water-resistant materials don’t come cheap. For extended-travel use, backpacking backpacks have other annoying qualities, including that they tend to load only from the top and are sealed with a drawstring. This design saves weight and means there’s one less thing to break. But it’s a total hassle when you want something from the bottom of the bag, because you have to unload and reload the entire pack.

Similarly, a travel backpack is not a shapeless duffle bag that offers no support. A duffle is the cheapest way to haul a bunch of stuff onto a plane, but the ergonomics are ill-suited to walking around a city. A fully loaded backpack, even a small one, easily weighs in at more than 20 pounds. My old Farpoint 55 usually hovered in the mid-30s, though that included a DSLR, three lenses, a battery pack, a laptop, a 360 camera, and other work-related gear. Regardless, that’s a lot of weight to put on only one shoulder.

Adding backpack straps to a duffle can help, but that’s still inferior to having a fully supported internal-frame pack that distributes the weight onto your hips, which are much stronger than your back and shoulders. Frameless bags can pack more gear into a smaller space and are more likely to fall within carry-on size restrictions, but if you’re going to be doing a significant amount of walking, you’ll want something with a frame.

An image on all of the items the writer included in their travel backpack, with a flashing numbered key to identify the items.
All of this fits into one 55-liter package, with room to spare. Everything above and to the left of the main pack fits in it, and everything to the right fits in the daypack. Photo: Geoffrey Morrison

The picture above was taken of the Farpoint 55 in 2016, but all of this would easily fit into our new pick, the Ruckpack 65, too. Because all of my electronic gear was stolen in 2017, I now have a lot of new items compared with what you see here, but it’s roughly the same amount of kit.

Here’s what I bring (and this is our standard kit for testing):

  • Main pack (the command module, or CM, if you will)
  • Daypack (the lunar excursion module, or LEM)
  • Pair of walking shoes or sneakers (along with the shoes I’m wearing)
  • Five shirts, one pair of shorts, one pair of jeans (not shown because I wear them in transit), one merino wool underlayer
  • Warm hat (because my head lacks insulation)
  • Five pairs of underwear, five pairs of socks, one extra T-shirt for laundry day, one bathing suit (I really recommend travel cubes)
  • Rain jacket in an Eagle Creek bag
  • Various adapters, camera batteries, chargers, etc.
  • Various toiletries, vitamins, etc.
  • Osprey rain cover
  • Razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.
  • Well-worn flip-flops
  • Travel towel
  • UE Roll portable Bluetooth speaker
  • Prescription dive mask
  • Merino wool jacket
  • Inflatable pillow
  • Smartwool half-zip mid-layer
  • Sun hat (because my head hates sun)
  • Extra travel adapter for daypack (daypack is a carry-on)
  • Pen (vital!)
  • Asus T100 Chi (a 15-inch MacBook also fits in all our picks)
  • GoPro batteries and filters
  • Earplugs and noise-cancelling headphones
  • Sunglasses
  • GoPro
  • Kindle
  • Writer Emergency Pack
  • USB Battery Pack #1
  • USB Battery Pack #2
  • Backup headphones
  • iPod Classic (because you can’t always stream music)
  • USB charger
  • Sigma 30 mm f1.4 (with a wireless mouse to its right)
  • Canon DSLR

Finally, we believe that traveling with a minimal amount of stuff helps you enjoy the trip more, but you shouldn’t feel like an ascetic if you don’t want to. A bag in the 50- to 65-liter range has room for all your essentials, leaving some breathing room for souvenirs, creature comforts, and personal gear. For any extended travel, the key is this: You can’t bring it all with you. So don’t. You’ll have to do laundry, so bring a week’s worth of clothes or less. Literally no one will notice if you wear the same shirt twice in one week. Nearly every place you go will have laundry.

If you’ve never traveled this way, it can seem daunting. But it’s actually easier than you’d think, and the benefits of doing so are legion. I’ve done all of my traveling in the past five years with a 55-liter backpack (and a 15-liter daypack, but that’s all work stuff). I tend to overpack a bit, but 55 liters lets me carry everything in the list above. This varies a bit depending on where I’m headed, but not by much. Some travelers can get away with a 25- to 35-liter bag, but at that point, they’re doing laundry basically every few nights, which isn’t ideal.

One feature we considered crucial for a travel backpack was an integral daypack: the LEM to the main pack’s CM. I have found this to be incredibly useful and convenient in my travels, and I wouldn’t buy a travel pack that didn’t have one. Many of the travelers I’ve shown this feature to liked the idea, though most didn’t know it was an option. Basically, your clothes and such stay packed in the big bag at the hostel, and you take your camera, laptop, and other necessities out with you for the day—all without having to repack. When you’re in transit, you have the option to wear the daypack in the front (which personally I can’t stand), or attached to the main pack and out of the way.

One of the most important aspects of choosing a backpack is getting one that actually fits your skeleton. This doesn’t have a direct relation to your height, though in a general sense, most taller people have longer torsos than most shorter people do. Then again, I’m 5 feet 11 inches, and my torso is 21 inches. Our own Tim Barribeau is 6 feet 3 inches, but his torso is 17 inches. Hollie, one of our testers, is 5 feet 4 inches, with a torso height 1 inch shorter than that of Carolina, who’s 5 feet 2 inches. REI has a guide on how to measure your torso height, if you don’t know yours.

That means measuring your torso and making sure that the bag you want can fit someone your size are both vital steps. And even then, there’s no guarantee that the pack you want will fit and be comfortable until you try it on. To choose the most comfortable fit, check the specs, since both versions of our main pick and our runner-up come in two sizes that also have different distances between the shoulder straps and hip belt.

For our first version of this guide, we narrowed down our choices to 11 possible contenders. For that initial round of testing, I poked and prodded the different packs to sort out whether they had any obvious flaws or issues. For this update there were only two new packs that sparked interest. To test out the newest contenders, I carried one on a three-day trip to San Francisco and the other on a week-long trip to Seattle and Portland, as well as on a three-week visit to several islands in the Caribbean.

To test that first guide’s round of packs, I hijacked a friend’s party to have everyone there test the finalists (thanks, Stephen and Carrie!). This coincided with another friend’s visit from London. So all told we had 10 people: five women, ranging from 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 6 inches, and five men, ranging from 5 feet 6 inches to 6 feet 2 inches. Two of the men and two of the women were not heavy travelers. The rest had traveled a lot using a mixture of luggage types.

We tested each backpack for overall fit and comfort. If anything annoyed or excited a tester, I made a note of it. We didn’t do any long walks or hikes with the packs, because this was deemed to be less important given the focus of this guide. Also, if the fit is right, all of these packs have all of the features to make them comfortable (padding, wide straps, and, in most cases, a suspension system).

Tallying up the winners was mainly a matter of disregarding the packs that people most disliked.

Our best travel backpack pick in dark green, on the back of a person standing outside amid trees and shrubs.
Photo: Rozette Rago

Our pick

REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 - Men’s

REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 – Men’s

The best travel backpack for people with longer torsos

Thick padding and highly adjustable straps make this the most comfortable and easy-to-fit pack sized for people with longer torsos.

REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 - Women’s

REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 – Women’s

The best travel backpack for people with shorter torsos

Thick padding and highly adjustable straps make this the most comfortable and easy-to-fit pack sized for people with shorter torsos.

The REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 – Men’s and the REI Co-op Ruckpack 65 – Women’s are the best travel backpacks because they’re comfortable to wear and highly adjustable. And they have enough space to keep you supplied for a week—or more—of travel. As with those of our other travel backpack picks, the Ruckpack’s daypack attaches to and becomes part of the larger pack—to get you from the train station to your hotel or hostel. The main pack’s straps can be stored behind a zippered panel if you want to check your bag. (Overall, the Ruckpack’s dimensions—like those of all of our picks in this category—make it technically too large to qualify as a carry-on, but you can, of course, detach the daypack and bring it on board with you.)

The biggest advantage the Rucksack has over the competition is its thickly padded and highly adjustable straps. Specifically, you can adjust the shoulder straps for height, ensuring the correct distance between those straps and the hip belt for your torso. So getting a good fit, crucial for any pack like this, should be easy for just about every torso size. Additionally, as with the Osprey Farpoint 55 and the Fairview 55, the men’s and women’s Rucksack models both come in two sizes. In the men’s model—available in black and a drab olive green—the medium size is for torsos between 18 inches and 20 inches, and the large is for torsos between 19 inches and 21 inches. In the women’s model—available in black, a fairly light green, and dark green—the small fits torsos between 16 inches and 18 inches, and the medium fits torsos between 17 inches and 19 inches. All are made from 210-denier ripstop nylon.

One of the primary reasons the Ruckpack is our pick over the Farpoint and the Fairview is that the Ruckpack has a bigger main compartment—even though all of the bags are similar in their overall dimensions. It also has more organizational pockets, both inside (three of which are accessible via external zippers) and outside (on the hip belt, for instance). This is especially convenient if you want to quickly stash items or get to them without having to open the main compartment.

Even though light packers can fit everything they need for a months-long journey in the Farpoint 55 (I’ve done it for years), it all fits more easily in the 8-liters-larger Ruckpack. We decided that most people would prefer the extra space in the main pack for a bigger, more hoopy towel, backup lederhosen, or an emergency kimono. This extra room doesn’t make the Ruckpack significantly bulkier or more difficult to carry. In fact, due to the better straps and adjustability, we found it easier to carry over long distances than the Osprey.

A closer look at the strap material of the REI pack. It has different types of padding at different point on the straps.
The Ruckpack’s shoulder straps are easy to adjust vertically via a hook-and-loop design. Photo: Rozette Rago

The Ruckpack also has numerous well-thought-out features that make it easy to live with on the go. There are storage straps to attach items to the exterior. The main zippers are lockable (though the ones on the day pack aren’t, oddly). There are handles on the top and the side to aid in tossing it in the back of a cab or above the seat on a train. And as with the Osprey packs, the Rucksack has a rain cover hidden in the bottom, and the whole face opens to allow you easy access to your stuff.

REI has a one-year “100% Satisfaction Guaranteed” return policy. If you don’t like the bag, the company will replace it or refund your purchase. This is not quite as epic as Osprey’s lifetime guarantee, but you’ll certainly have long enough to discover any issues with the pack.

We were impressed with the initial fit and design of the Ruckpack, but living with a bag on the road is always a more crucial test. I brought it with me on a week-long trip by train to Seattle, and for three weeks island hopping across Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, Barbados, and Antigua. Initially, I thought the smallish daypack would be a dealbreaker, given how much hardware I tend to bring with me while walking around. But very few people bring as much gear with them in a daypack as I do. So the larger main pack seems a better option for most people (check out our runner-up pick if you are interested in having a larger daypack, though).

I liked the greater adjustability and larger size of the Ruckpack enough that I chose it—instead of my beloved and well-traveled Farpoint 55—for a four-month adventure across Asia and Europe. I’d lived out of the Farpoint for five years of traveling through dozens of countries, so replacing it was a big deal.

I don’t like the Ruckpack’s daypack as much as the larger one on the Osprey, but I tend to carry far more in a daypack than most people. As a photographer, I carry three lenses, a DSLR, a 360 camera, a USB battery, headphones, a laptop, and so on. I can just barely fit everything I need into the REI daypack. I use a Microsoft Surface Go, which fits just fine, but it would be difficult to fit a larger, traditionally sized laptop, because the pack is only 10 inches wide. REI calls the space a “tablet” sleeve, though a 13-inch MacBook does fit (just barely). You can fit a larger laptop in the main pack, of course, and there’s a pocket for that. Although the pouch on the front of the daypack is ostensibly there to hold a water bottle, if the interior is filled, it’s hard to fit anything in the pouch. The Osprey daypack, conversely, fit everything comfortably, plus it had a water-bottle pouch on each side.

Also, the zippers of the daypack don’t have the standard holes for easy locking. You have to thread the lock through the holes in the pull tab instead. Not a huge deal, but it’s an odd oversight.

The only other issue is with the zippered panel that holds the straps in place during “flight mode.” It feels like it’s one size too small. Not only is it difficult to close, but when it is closed, the seams stretch more than you’d expect, given the build quality of the rest of the pack. It’s like buying a brand new SUV and finding out the floor mats are from a Mini. Not a dealbreaker, but worth mentioning.

Our runner-up travel backpack pick, the farpoint 55, on the writer's back. He is standing outside, looking to the left of the frame, and wearing sunglasses.
Photo: Carolina Matamoros

Runner-up

Osprey Farpoint 55

Osprey Farpoint 55

Larger daypack sized for longer torsos

Although it’s comfortable enough, this backpack is not as adjustable as we’d like. It does, however, have the most spacious removable daypack of any of the backpacks we tested, as well as a stellar warranty.

Osprey Fairview 55

Osprey Fairview 55

Larger daypack sized for shorter torsos

Although it’s comfortable enough, this backpack is not as adjustable as we’d like. It does, however, have the most spacious removable daypack of any of the backpacks we tested, as well as a stellar warranty.

The Osprey Farpoint 55 and the identical (but sized for smaller torsos) Fairview 55 are lightweight, easy-to-carry, full-featured travel backpacks with the best included daypack we tested. They’d been our main pick since the first version of this guide came out, three years ago, but they’ve been outclassed by the superior padding of the straps and adjustability of the REI Co-op Ruckpack 65. The main pack is also a little smaller overall than the Ruckpack’s main pack, but the daypack is larger and easier to live with—travelers who plan to cart lots of extra camera gear or other daily essentials may especially appreciate this. The Farpoint is available in a dark gray or red, and the Fairview comes in a light gray or a tealish green. (We tested both models with people in a diverse range of sizes, but because the only differences lie in the torso-length sizing and color, the remainder of this review will focus on my experience with the Farpoint.)

A person with blue and purple hair, facing away from the camera, modeling the Osprey Fairview, our runner-up pick for people with shorted torsos.
The Fairview has the same construction, capacity, and layout as the Farpoint, but it comes in different colors and is sized for smaller torsos. Photo: Geoffrey Morrison

The Farpoint is made from thick, sturdy-feeling 210-denier mini hex diamond ripstop nylon, similar to what the REI Co-op Ruckpack uses. Its big zippers are lockable. Its shoulder straps and hip belt are wide, but not as well padded as those of our other picks. Like the other travel backpacks we considered, the Osprey has a cover (it stores in the bottom of the pack) that you can zip up to cover the strap when checking the pack as luggage. Thick padded handles on the top and side let you carry it as hand luggage in a pinch.

As with our other picks, the front of the Farpoint zips open, allowing access to nearly the entire interior of the bag. This pack doesn’t have many organizational pockets compared with most others we tested (a common Osprey shortcoming): There’s just a single pocket behind the lid.

The daypack is one of the Farpoint’s best attributes. Though it, too, is a little short on organizational slots and pockets, it is the biggest integrated daypack we found. It easily holds a 15-inch MacBook and is comfortable to wear over long treks. It zips onto the main pack, a method we found to be sturdier and more elegant than the Ruckpack’s pocket-and-clip method. And it’s doubly secured by the main pack’s compression straps. Alternately, you can clip it to the shoulder straps and wear it on the front of your body.

The Farpoint has 3-inch-wide straps. However, they aren’t nearly as well padded as the Ruckpack’s straps, so the Farpoint is not as comfortable over long distances. The daypack’s straps are the same size as the main pack’s, and they’re wider than the REI daypack’s straps, which makes hauling heavy gear over long walks easier. But the REI daypack’s straps are better ventilated.

The Farpoint comes with a lifetime warranty. Osprey’s All Mighty Guarantee states, “Osprey will repair any damage or defect for any reason free of charge—whether it was purchased in 1974 or yesterday. If we are unable to perform a functional repair on your pack, we will happily replace it.”

The Farpoint has also been thoroughly tested. It’s the pack I’ve used for nearly all my travels for the past five years, long before I wrote the first version of this guide. Other than some sun bleaching on the daypack, I’ve loved it. However, I think most people would prefer the better straps, adjustability, and slightly larger main pack of the REI Co-op Rucksack.

The Osprey Farpoint 70 and Fairview 70 are just slightly larger versions of their 55 counterparts—anything we’ve said about the Farpoint 55 and the Fairview 55 also applies to them—and they would work well for those who want to go with the Osprey but need more room in the main pack.

The writer modeling the full budget travel backpack.
Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald

Budget pick

Highlander Outdoor Explorer Ruckcase 45+15

Highlander Outdoor Explorer Ruckcase 45+15

For less-frequent travelers

Offering many of the same features as the pricier bags we tested—a removable daypack, stowable straps, a main compartment that opens like a suitcase—the Explorer is a great deal if you don’t mind sacrificing some comfort, durability, and warranty support.

The Highlander Outdoor Explorer Ruckcase 45+15 is not as comfortable or durable as our other picks, so we wouldn’t recommend it for frequent travel. Still, this Highlander Outdoor model matches the Ospreys and the REI Ruckpacks in all the main features we like: It has a removable daypack, stowable straps so you can check the backpack as luggage, and well-padded straps. If you want to see whether this type of packing fits your traveling style, this pack is the perfect, less-expensive entry point.

The straps on the Highlander Outdoor are well padded, and perhaps best of all, the shoulder straps are adjustable, so it can fit a wide range of torso sizes. It fit both our tester Carolina and me just fine, though it didn’t fit as nicely or feel as comfortable as the Ospreys or the Ruckpacks. However, it costs a fraction of the price of our other picks.

The daypack element of our budget travel backpack pick, worn by the writer.
The Highlander’s zip-off daypack is a bit smaller than we prefer, and it’s not as comfortable to carry due to the straps’ coarse texture. Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald

So why aren’t we recommending it for everyone? Well, the daypack is small; it’s similar in size to the daypack that comes with the REI Ruckpack, but it lacks that pack’s more comfortable straps. The pack straps also have a coarser texture than the Farpoint’s, and the zippers feel of a lower quality. And its 600-denier ripstop polyester exterior fabric won’t hold up as well over time as the nylon exteriors of our other picks. A lot can be forgiven at this price, but looking at the materials, it’s clear what the extra money buys you with the REI Co-op and Osprey packs.

Highlander Outdoor also doesn’t offer any sort of official warranty: Its website merely says, “If you have purchased a product which has a manufacturing defect or has broken and needs to be repaired, please refer back to the retailer you bought it from in the first instance. If they cannot resolve your problem then please use our Contact Us page to get in touch with us.” But because the company is based in the UK, it could end up costing US customers more to ship the bag there for service than the bag itself is worth. It’s not quite as simple and comforting as REI’s one-year “100% Satisfaction Guaranteed” policy or Osprey’s “All Mighty Guarantee.

The writer illustrating the adjustable features of our
The Highlander offers a lot of adjustability—including torso length adjustment—so you should be able to dial in a good fit. Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald

Finally, Highlander doesn’t seem to have any US distribution (other than online), so it seems you can’t go to a store to see whether you’ll find this bag comfortable. Yes, you can return it, but that’s an extra level of hassle for most people. It’s a good backpack at a great price, especially for infrequent travelers. For more seasoned globetrotters, though, we think the REI Ruckpack and the Osprey Farpoint and Fairview are better.

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