Best 40L Backpack: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Yours for Travel!
“On a family trip to Hawaii, I packed a huge suitcase full of things I thought I would need for the next 7 days. At the airport, I checked in my suitcase and flew to Honolulu. When I landed there, I was told that my suitcase did not land with me. The airline staff could not figure out how and where my bag disappeared. I was forced to survive on the clothes I bought from the hotel gift shop for the whole week. After that experience, I promised myself that I would take a carry-on bag with my essentials no matter where I go”.
Have you ever had such a baggage loss fiasco during your travels? Then, you surely understand why you need a carry-on backpack for your travels. After experimenting with various sizes, we have concluded that 40L is the best travel backpack size as it the ideal size for carry-ons. Most airlines allow it. Moreover, it is large enough to let you pack your essentials without breaking your back!
Here is what you need to look for in your 40L backpack:
Your backpack should load from the front and not the top
A good travel backpack should load from the front and not the top.
What is a front-loading backpack?
A front-loading backpack is a travel backpack that opens from the front like a regular suitcase. You will be able to place it down, open it from the front and pack it like a suitcase. It gives you quick access to all your gear and makes travel a lot more comfortable especially at airports and hostels.
In contrast, a top loading backpack is packed from a hole on the top of the backpack. Once it is fully packed, you can’t easily access the items at the bottom without digging your way through everything on top. It can be especially annoying especially at airports if you have to unpack everything on top to reach the items at the bottom
Your backpack material should be water-resistant and lightweight
Although your backpack doesn’t have to be 100% waterproof, it should at least be water-resistant for drizzles and light rain showers. The material should also be easy to clean, dry quickly and not remain soggy for too long.
Our backpack experts at Standard Luggage have designed a high-quality backpack that is water-resistant, lightweight and comes with an added rain cover for extra protection during heavy downpours. Heavy rains are very common in tropical travel destinations like Bali, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.
Our backpack will also be extremely useful in rainy cities like London, Seattle, and Portland where wet weather is a part of daily life.
40L backpack with lockable zippers
While you may not be too worried about someone stealing your dirty laundry, losing things can still be extremely annoying when you’re away on a trip.
Even if you don’t carry too many valuables for your trip, you would most likely take a laptop, tablet or camera.
Get a 40L backpack with lockable zippers so that you can lock up your things when you’re staying in hostels. Or in another scenario, you may buy too many souvenirs from your trip forcing you to check your backpack in. A dishonest handler may just take a thing or two from your bag.
When buying locks for your backpack, make sure they’re TSA friendly locks so that they can check your bag without having to break open the lock. You can buy your TSA lock on Amazon or large retail stores like Walmart and Target.
40L backpack with a laptop compartment
Many of you are probably digital nomads hopping from city to city or frequent business travelers who fly from place to place to meet with clients and potential partners.
A travel backpack with a laptop compartment will get you from destination to destination with ease without the extra laptop bag.
Get a backpack with a padded laptop compartment to protect your laptop from dust and mishandling.
Standard’s 40L travel backpack comes with a cushioned laptop compartment that can be accessed through a separate zip. That way, you don’t have to put all your gear out on display when you take your laptop out at airports for security check-in.
40L backpack with padded shoulder straps and hip straps
This might seem unimportant to you but a travel backpack without comfortable and adjustable straps can cause a significant amount of back strain.
In addition, comfortable and padded hip straps allow for some of the load from the shoulders to be distributed to the hip region.
Try the backpack on at the store before you buy it. If you purchased it online, try it on at home and adjust the straps to let it sit snugly on your back. If it doesn’t sit well or feels uncomfortable, return it.
40L backpack with safety whistle
“I once landed in Florence with a friend. All reasonably-priced hotels were booked because of a local festival. Since we were heading off to Milan the next morning, we decided to spend the night outside the railway station. There were a few questionable people hanging around and I wished I had something to alert people nearby just in case something went wrong”
When you’re traveling, you may find yourself in unsafe situations on occasion. In such cases, it is always useful to have a backpack with a discreet safety whistle. You never know when you may need it. Safety whistle allows you to alert nearby people for help if you need it.
40L backpack with a water bottle pocket
It is important to stay hydrated when you’re on the go. Dehydration can make you more susceptible to illnesses during your travels.
If you’re an eco-conscious traveler, get a backpack with a water bottle pocket so that you can carry your own reusable bottle instead of buying disposable bottled water wherever you go.
To make it worse, single-use water bottles are also more expensive, and the costs will add up!
The days of poorly constructed backpacks are over. The modern traveler has access to excellent backpacks made with high-quality components and travel-friendly sizes. Say hello to Standard Luggage’s new and improved 40L backpack. We stand by our quality and offer a lifetime warranty and satisfaction guarantee.
