How to Choose a Backpack (Without the Guesswork)

Have you ever bought a backpack online that looked perfect, only to find it was too small, uncomfortable, or impossible to pack for your trip?

Choosing the right travel backpack means picking one that does more than look the part. The wrong size can leave you struggling to cram in your essentials, and poor support can turn a few hours of carrying into sore shoulders. 

The best one depends on how long you’ll be travelling, what you’ll be packing, and whether you’ll be carrying your bag on a plane.  This guide will help you choose a backpack you will actually enjoy using for years to come.

1. Choose capacity based on your trip

Before you start looking at options, consider the duration of your trip, the destination's weather, how much you will pack, and which airlines you will fly.

Trip	Recommended capacity	Suitable for
Day trip	10 - 20L	Sightseeing, commuting, daily essentials
Weekend  (1 - 3 days)	20 - 30L	Weekend breaks and short city trips
4 - 7 days	30 - 40L	Carry-on travel and most week-long holidays
1 - 2 weeks	35 - 45L	Longer holidays or destinations requiring bulkier clothing
Long-term travel	50L+	Backpacking, camping, or gear-intensive adventures

Typically, a 20 - 30L backpack is enough for a weekend trip for most travellers, while a 35 - 45L backpack works well for one to two weeks. For longer trips, you may need 50L or more depending on your packing style.

2. Backpack fit

2.1. Frame type

It defines the bag's shape and how the weight moves with you.

• Internal-frame backpacks make it easier to walk through airports or busy streets without getting off balance. 
• Frameless backpacks are lighter and easier to compress than the rigid frame type, but require careful packing to keep you comfortable. 

If you like flexibility, a backpack like our ADV 42L and ADV Pro 42L comes with a removable Aluminium frame sheet. When you want support for heavy loads, add it. When you want to reduce the weight for short-distance walking, remove it.

2.2. Ventilation

One of the most important factors in choosing a backpack is ventilation, especially if you are travelling in summer or visiting hot, humid destinations.

You may not notice the frame of your backpack right away, but you will probably notice a sweaty back after an hour of walking through a city. Even a light load is heavy when the heat builds up between your back and the pack.

We recommend choosing one with a suspended mesh back panel or foam channels to allow air to flow without sacrificing support.

2.3. Torso Length

When choosing a good backpack, pay attention to your torso length: from the bottom of your neck to the top of your hips. Two people of the same height might have completely different torso lengths, and the same backpack might fit one person perfectly and feel awkward on the other.

A backpack sized for your torso length puts the shoulder straps, hip belt, and load lifters where they naturally belong. If the torso is too long, the backpack can pull away from your back and shift its weight onto your shoulders. If it's too short, the hip belt often rides too high and struggles to support the load.

Learn more: How to Fit Your Backpack for Comfortable Travel?

2.4. Waist Size

The most common misconception is that the shoulder straps carry most of a backpack's weight. In fact, a correctly fitted hip belt should do most of the work.

A comfortable hip belt shifts much of the load away from your shoulders and into your lower body, where your stronger muscles can work more efficiently. That’s why experienced hikers can carry heavy packs for hours and don’t have to readjust their shoulder straps constantly.

If the hip belt is too loose, the backpack might sway as you walk. If it is too tight or sits above your hips, it can create uncomfortable pressure instead of improving support. Sometimes the waist belt makes a far bigger difference than tightening every other strap.

2.5. Women-Specific Backpacks

When selecting a backpack, it’s easy to get caught up in the labels “men’s” or “women’s.” But the labels really aren't as important as how the backpack fits your body.

A comfortable backpack should sit naturally on your shoulders, keep the weight balanced, and feel stable when you walk. Adjustable shoulder straps, a supportive back panel and ergonomic design are often more important than whether a backpack is marketed to a specific gender.

That’s why CabinZero backpacks have a unisex design that fits a wide variety of body types. Rather than separating distinct men’s and women’s collections, we focus on lightweight construction, balanced proportions and adjustable features that allow each traveller to find their own comfortable fit.

3. Consider The Weather

Imagine you're packing for a weeklong trip. In the summer, you might only need T-shirts, shorts, and a light jacket, and they can all fit in a small backpack.

Take the same trip in winter, and you’re likely packing a heavy coat, jumpers, boots, gloves and other cold-weather clothes and gear. The backpack that was roomy in July suddenly isn't roomy enough.

When choosing a backpack, always keep the weather where you are going in mind. If you’re planning, you can check weather apps like AccuWeather to get a sense of the temperature and how much rain to expect on your trip.

4. Choose Based On Your Packing Style 

The same trip can require very different backpack sizes, depending on how you like to pack.

Some travellers only want to pack the bare essentials. They pick versatile clothes, do laundry on longer trips, and don’t mind buying toiletries or other small items when they get there.

If this sounds like you, you can often get everything you need into a smaller backpack, which is also easier to manoeuvre.

Some people like to bring it all from home. They pack an extra outfit for each day, full-sized toiletries, an extra pair of shoes, or things “just in case.” This provides peace of mind but takes up more space and usually requires a bigger backpack.

In our experience, not everyone can start with a small packing list. Instead, you learn from many trips and gradually downsize.

5. Consider Airline Carry-On Restrictions

Planning a multi-stop trip? Be sure to check your backpack's dimensions and capacity. Not all airlines have the same rules about cabin baggage, so a backpack that fits perfectly on one flight could be too big on another. The shape and size of the backpack can vary for the same capacity depending on the brand.

See Our Guide: Backpack or Suitcase?

6. Useful Features to Look For

It's easy to be impressed by a backpack with dozens of compartments and technical features. In reality, less is more. Focus on the features that matter most to you.

6.1. Pack access

Before you start comparing fabrics or compartments, ask yourself: how do you tend to pack?

If you like to see it all at once and unpack neatly at your destination, a clamshell-opening backpack will probably feel much more intuitive. It opens like a suitcase, so you can reach things from any side of the bag without dumping everything out first.

Top-loading backpacks cater to a different breed of traveller. They pack up fast, have a cleaner design and often do better outdoors, where durability matters more than convenience.

6.2. Pockets

Again, personal preference plays a big part here. Some prefer a minimalist approach, a huge compartment with few pockets, whilst others may gravitate to one with many pockets for their bits and bobs.

Pay attention to:

• Quick-access pockets for your passport, boarding pass, wallet, buds, etc.
• Laptop compartment/sleeve for your laptop.
• Side pockets can be handy for water bottles or brollies.
• Hidden/security pockets, which are often positioned against your back to store passport, wallet, or phone.

Lay out what you will pack and decide where you want to put it in your ideal backpack.

6.3. Safety aspect

Busy airports, train stations, and tourist attractions are where you'll appreciate thoughtful security features the most. Hence, it’s wise to pick a backpack with lockable zips to help keep your belongings secure while you're on the move. 

7. Test Before Buying

You can spend hours comparing specs, but the best way to know if a backpack fits you is to feel how it feels on your back.

We recommend going to a physical store and trying the backpack on with some weight in it. A bag that feels good when empty can feel very different when filled with travel essentials. Try walking around for a while and see if the weight feels balanced or starts pulling on your shoulders.

Even when shopping online, you can still make a more informed decision by checking for the backpack's dimensions and adjustment options. Another tip is to read reviews from travellers with similar body types or travel habits. 

At the end of the day, no spec sheet can tell you how a backpack will feel on your back for real - only trying it can. Please stop by our store and try one on before you decide.

Let’s Choose Your Ideal Backpack!

No single backpack works perfectly for every traveller. Choosing a suitable one involves a combination of factors, from capacity and fit to weather, organisation, and the way you move through the world.

This article shares practical ways to choose a backpack so you can avoid common mistakes like buying a bag that's too big or uncomfortable. Please comment below if anything is confusing. And finally, thanks for reading our blog!

Ha Ngan