The 4 Best Carry-On Backpacks for Budget Travelers — Sweet Distance (2024)

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You want the best travel carry-on backpack for your next adventure.Well we've got a good place for you to start. We've been traveling the world for two years using only carry on bags. This has helped us avoid checked bag fees and forced us into a more minimalistic lifestyle. We recommend carry on bags for anyone considering long term travel as it'll make moving around much easier. Read below to see the results of the trials and errors we've come across from our years on the road. These are our favorite carry on backpacks available on the market for 2015.

Details: $113.00 | 46L | perfect |Buy HERE

After years of testing, trials and errors we finally ended up choosing the Ospreyas our main bag for our two years of nonstop travel around the world. As far as I'm concerned this is the perfect carry on backpack. They made it as big as they possibly could while still meeting the airline requirements allowing this bag to carry all of our gearacross the world without paying anychecked baggage fees! The average checked bag is $50 and at 3 flights per month... so we've saved over $1500 this year alone from this little wonder.

Ospreyhas a cult following as a brand for their insane attention to detail and quality behind their products. This pack has TONS of small compartments hidden throughout for your cables/ electronics. It's also one of the ONLY bag of this size to include a padded hip belt for extra comfort. Trust me you'll need a hip belt, it was actually one of the key reasons we ended up choosing this as our main bag.

But the true beauty of the Ospreylies within it's build quality and customer service. Any time I've had a question I was able to get through to a kind real human being from the company to accommodate my needs. Not that you'll need any customer service as this bag will likely last your entire life without any issues or breaks. It feels incredibly sturdy and is made from a very thick material that has never shown any signs of wear after my years of use. Not to mention it's one of the best looking backpacks I've ever seen making me feel slightly less awkward walking city streets alone at 4am after a long bus ride.

Finally, you can rest assured knowing your investment will always be safe. They offer a the famous 'Osprey Mighty Guarantee'that ensures they will repair your bag for free for life. Basically once you buy this bag you have a perfect bag that's going to last you your entire life without ever having to pay airline checked bag fees again. There are other options on the market for carry on backpacks but none can compare to the Osprey Porter 46. The only reason we'd recommend a different bag would be if your budget can't handle it, in which case we recommend you read below for cheaper options under $100.

The bag consists of one large main compartment, a flat front pocket and a small front pocket. It is a front loader, which means you can pack the bag like a suitcase lying it down flat, since the zipper opens up to about 70 of the circumference. WAY better than any top loader - don't we all hate looking forever for the other sock?

With it's mere800 grams (1.5 lbs) Dinictis 40L Carry onallows you to pack even more and still not exceed the carry-on demands for weight. On the other hand this light weight is largely due to the bags soft frame, which for some is a minus, since it doesn'tprovide much shape.

The big minuses are the lack of a waist band, leaving only the adjustable shoulder straps as a support, and its lack of dividers or other controlling parts in the maincompartment. A lot of people complain that the lack of zippers/dividers/elastic bands leave all your belongings to tumble around freely in the main compartment. This problem is easily solved using travel cubes, though. Using cubes, like eBags Packing Cubes, lets you divide the content of your backpack into easily manageableseparate compartments.

When it comes to functionality the TLS Mother Lode rocks the scene of compartments. In this bag you can find a compartment for each one of your items, keeping everything nicely separated and in place. Boasting a detachable bag for toiletries, a foldable water holder and a hidden ID-card compartment this bag lives up to its reputation as the swiss army knife of travel bags. Throw in lockable zippers, and you have the perfect backpack!

Being a long term traveler the nice organization options really does it for me. On the other hand a few people has reported, that although the bag has a waist strap (another plus) it can feel slightly uncomfortable. And it indeed is the heaviest bag on the list. But wether this is an issue is up to the individual.

Another heads up: Do not get this bag if you're expecting thunderstorms on your trip. The polyester material looks sexy and is very durable, but it is not good with rain as it soaks the water rather than repel it.

This extremely light-weight backpack is loved by many travellersfor several reasons: First of all, it is sooo comfortable because of the nice, padded shoulder straps and the great waist strap. To make it even more comfortableOsprey sells two versions of it: a M/L (for people 5'8 or taller) and a S/M (for smaller than 5'8). If you are shorter (under 5'3) it can be hard to find any backpack that fits your frame. Well here you have your soul mate! The S/M version of the Osprey Farpoint 40 is no less than perfect for the shorter traveler. The alloy frame provides an even stronger hold.

The backpack consists of two main compartments inside the bag and a small zippered pocket in the front, as well as two mesh water bottle holders. I could wish for more compartments, although the great quality of the backpack largely makes up for this downside. Some people also find it annoying that the compression straps lock in front of the main compartment zipper, making access more difficult than it should be.