Collection: Front-Loading Backpacks

A good travel backpack should carry like a backpack but pack like a suitcase. Your travel bag should be front-loading like a suitcase and open side-to-side like a book.

Most travelers start off with a hiking backpack because that's what they've seen "backpackers" carrying. I made the same mistake on my first backpacking trip.

But hiking bags don't work for travel because they're top-loading like a garbage bag. Every time you need something from the middle of your bag, you have to dump out everything above it, get what you need, then repack your whole bag.

You shouldn't be unpacking and repacking your entire bag every day of your trip.

The solution is a front-loading travel backpack. With a front-loader, you can open up your bag and see everything at once just like in a suitcase. Every item of clothing is right at your fingertips. By opening to the side, your bag will be easy to open and pack on a bed or luggage stand.