Are you going full-time travelling?
Exciting!
Did you just get a new backpack?
Wohoo, that’s pretty much like buying a property, since it will be your home for the foreseeable future!
But now you are looking at the backpack, with all its fancy features and pockets and zips and you wonder… how on earth will you ever lock this octopus??
Well, we’ve got you covered.
This article is super short, because the solution is easy and simple.
Read on to find out how you can keep your backpack safe on your travels – despite the fact it has about 10 different access points!
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Here’s a little bit about our journey, if you are new here! If you know us, feel free to skip this part.
After leaving our old life in Scotland in March 2022 (it rains too much there), we travelled full time for almost 2 years. Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Well, it was. If you think that carrying overpacked backpacks in 45°C heat around streets that aren’t even on Google Maps is fancy. And that’s just 1% of all the fun we had! 😆
During the 2 years we volunteered in Italy and Bulgaria (free travel while learning new skills, anyone?), explored other amazing European countries and backpacked Southeast Asia.
And, of course, we researched and planned everything ourselves, because you gotta keep the budget low, right? If you are like us, you’ve come to the right place, because we want to share all the useful tips and info with you!
Excited? Good. Let’s get into it so you can go on your own adventures too!
Backpack tip
If you haven’t got a backpack yet, we have two tips for buying:
- Do lots of research (now honestly, did you know we were gonna say that??)
- Invest into a good brand, especially if you are planning on using it for years
We researched lots, more than we ever planned, because Mirka really struggled and we couldn’t find a backpack that would work for her.
But in the end, we found two awesome Ospreys that we love:
- For Daniel we got Kestrel 58l
- For Mirka we found Fairview Trek 50l
The problem
When you travel, you have to keep your backpack safe.
One of the things you should do is keep it locked when it’s not on your shoulders.
Just as you would with a suitcase.
That means keeping it locked when you are dropping it off at the check-in at the airport. Or putting it below the bus into the luggage compartment. Or leaving it in some broom cupboard in a hotel after you check out, to pick it up later (usually referred to as “luggage storage”).
The problem? Backpacks often come with many pockets and, therefore, many access points.
Now, you can lock all the pockets individually.
But:
- Getting anything out of your backpack will be a “fun” task
- Your backpack will be heavy with the added weight of 25 locks (exaggeration, but you get the point)
- You will look like a numpty and probably make more of a target out of your backpack
Trust us, there is a better way to keep your backpack safe.
The solution
Get a backpack cover.
If you are thinking: “Wait, what??”, we get it. Let us explain.
A backpack cover is pretty much just a bigger bag that keeps your backpack safe when it’s being transported in any way, other than on your shoulders. Or stored somewhere potentially not secure.
The best part?
The backpack cover comes with just one big zipped pocket, so if you want to lock it, you only need one lock!
Now, you might be wondering how you get one of these handy backpack covers.
That’s what we are here for – we’ll tell you!
Option 1: your backpack might come with one.
For example, Mirka’s backpack, being labelled “adventure travel backpack”, came with a cool Stowable AirCover®. It works as a protective bag on transport, but also doubles as a rain cover. Super handy!
So when choosing your backpack, make sure to check all its features, and double check the rain cover/backpack cover situation too.
Side note: while this post is focusing on backpack covers, you do need a rain cover too, so make sure your backpack comes with one and if not, buy it.
Option 2: buy a backpack cover
Daniel’s backpack, while amazing, only came with a standard rain cover.
We tried travelling without the protective backpack cover, but it just wasn’t working.
The solution?
Buy a backpack cover for your backpack.
This is pretty much like a big holdall (duffel bag) that will keep your backpack safe as you travel.
If you are struggling to imagine it, check out this one we got from Decathlon for Daniel’s Osprey.
It’s a great value for money and works really well, so we would definitely recommend it.
Here you can see both our Ospreys in their backpack covers. Mirka’s is the one more to the left, it’s the cover that came with her Osprey and Daniel’s is the Decathlon backpack cover on the right.
This photo is actually from an airline staff member who sent it to us when our backpacks went missing!
It’s a long story, but let’s just say that when our backpacks got lost on the way from the USA to Asia, we were glad they were secured in their backpack covers. Cause they went on quite the adventure without us!
What to keep in mind when buying a backpack cover:
- When buying your backpack cover, make sure to get one that is the correct size for your backpack. Check for the size in liters.
- Make sure the cover folds easily and can be packed away – this is why you shouldn’t use an actual holdall, unless it is actually packable. You have to be able to put it away somewhere in your backpack (such as your top pocket), so it’s easily accessible and doesn’t take up too much space.
- It goes without saying that, aside from being packable, it should also be light. You don’t want to be carrying any unnecessary grams with you.
Daniel’s Decathlon backpack cover has a pouch integrated into the bag. This means it folds into itself and turns into a nice, neat pillow-like little bag.
It also comes with a long strap, so he can carry it on his shoulder, for example around an airport (this is only possible if you are smart and don’t overpack like we did).
Bonus tip
The backpack cover has so many other benefits too, aside from letting you lock your backpack.
Extra benefit 1: It keeps your backpack and all its bells and whistles safe
If you have ever seen a backpack strap get caught in the doors of a bus or the conveyor belt of an airport luggage carousel, you know what we are talking about.
The backpack cover will keep your straps away from all the danger. Same for any fancy parts like plastic buckles which could break when handled poorly. The backpack cover will protect them, even if just a bit.
Extra benefit 2: It keeps your backpack clean
Do you like your new backpack? So nice and shiny, right?
Well, it won’t be soon.
Honestly, sometimes it takes just one flight and your backpack can show up on the luggage carousel looking like a toddler that just discovered muddy puddles.
You don’t have to be a clean freak to think that it’s yucky, to wear something on your bare shoulders that was being rolled around in the dirt just a few minutes earlier.
It’s something many new backpackers don’t consider if they’ve always travelled with suitcases before.
If a suitcase gets dirty, it’s fine:
- You are not actually wearing it on your body
- You can clean it pretty easily once you get to your accommodation
It’s not that easy with a backpack, so if you do want to keep it at least a bit cleaner, get a backpack cover.
Extra benefit 3: It keeps your backpack dry
Say you check your backpack in at the airport. Say it starts absolutely bucketing it down as the bags are loaded onto the plane. Say your backpack gets soaked and stays like that for the 10-hour flight ahead of you. Say you don’t want a backpack cover now. 😉
Extra benefit 4: It comes with a name tag pocket
This might not be the case with all backpacks, but ours have their little name tag pocket inside the backpack. You know the bit where you can put your contact details, in case your backpack decides to take a different route than you? But you always forget to put the contact info there and hope the bag doesn’t actually go missing?
Now, having the contact details inside your bag is great for security, because it means every other travelling Joe at the airport can’t read your details as you stand in the endless queue at the check-in desk for 2 hours. (bring a paperback Joe and stop reading other people’s personal detailsl!!)
But if your backpack is lost and also locked, tough luck, no one will be able to access your contact details if they are inside.
Alternatively, if they are able to access them, it does mean a stranger has to root through your backpack to find the contact details, and let’s face it, no one wants that.
So, when picking your backpack cover, get one with a little pouch for contact details on the outside.
The one from Decathlon we mentioned to you has it, which is perfect.
And then write your details and fold the paper or put it in facing inward, so Joe can’t read your details.
If you liked this travel hack, make sure to check out another of our simple safety tips – the one doc to rule them all.
And if travel tips and tricks make you as excited as a little kid with a candy floss in a theme park (or an adult. No judgement here. Love candy floss, love theme parks), we have a whole section of those, so go have fun, you wild animal.