How To Select The Perfect Pack For Your City Break

Hand luggage may sound minimalist, but its boxy shape and deceptively large volume makes it much more generous than it may seem, especially if you are only away for a few days. With the option of wheels, handles or shoulder straps, small bags are highly mobile, and a great way to travel light with lots of space for clothes and comforts.

Using hand luggage to avoid the charges of hold luggage is also a great way to keep the cost down when flying. Many airlines allow for surprisingly large items of hand luggage, however make sure you check the dimensions and weight limit of your allowance before you arrive at the airport.

Hold luggage gives you the space to pack most of you kit. For some, the extra space of a large multi-day bag is the best option, especially when there is going to be minimal carrying involved.  Many are designed with stable and smooth-running wheels, so apart from the odd lift into the car or off the baggage claim, they are the ultimate cruisers of the baggage world.

However, they are not without their limitations and uneven or muddy ground can render them cumbersome and inconvenient. If you, therefore, suspect that you may encounter such obstacles you could be better off with a duffel bag. These tough all-rounder’s come with a shoulder strap or even with rucksack straps, making them a popular and adaptable choice.

A daypack is a great choice for an urban adventure. Easily big enough for all the accessories of a typical tourist, the humble rucksack has remained popular and largely unchanged for a reason.  Day packs are generally between 10 and 35 litres, so give you plenty of room to pack in everything you need when exploring the city.

Daypacks are comfortable and stable with many pockets to keep valuables safe and organised. Despite being connected to your back they are also relatively safe and secure. Their limpet like design clings to the body and resists opportunistic bag snatchers, or in particularly busy areas such as the metro or markets they can be swung over one shoulder and clasped under the arm.

Sometimes referred to as courier or messenger bags, these slim and discreet options are a good alternative to the classic rucksack. With enough volume for a day about the city they’re good in crowds and many have partitions for organising your gear.

They’re also much more stable than you may think and many have a hip belt that can be slung around the waist when cycling or running for that train. In addition, their positioning on your body means that unlike a traditional rucksack, they provide great ease of access without having to be taken off.

The Bum Bag is slowly reclaiming lost ground from its once lofty position as the pinnacle in practical fashion-wear. Its image may have fallen foul of an 80’s Lycra clad identity crisis, but this personal haulage system is small, compact, secure and discreet.  Bum Bags can once again return as a traveller’s best friend. Some are slim and simple, tucking under clothes, whilst others have embraced bold innovations. From bottle holsters to stretch-fabric side pockets, the Bum Bag is coming back in a big way.