Luggage and Backpacks for long term family travel

How to Choose the Best Luggage and Backpacks for Long Term Family Travel

Having the right travel luggage can make a big difference in your travel experience. If your luggage is too bulky, you can’t fit all the luggage in your car, or you can’t easily carry it then you are not going to enjoy everything else as much. We recently changed mostly backpacks and we have 1 larger rolling bag. These bags are the ones we are currently using and so far they’ve all been great. They are budget friendly and have all held up nicely.

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My Husband’s Bag

This is a 90L duffel bag that that can also be used as a back back. This can fit a lot of stuff and it’s really durable. It must be checked but has been a great large bag that my husband can easily carry.

Carry On for Electronics:

We have been using this bag mostly for electronics and as a carry on. It’s a nice looking bag with lots of different options and functions. It’s small enough to fit under most airline seats if not fully loaded and can be carried multiple ways. If you want a convenient bag with style, this is your bag.

50L Backpack:

This is a great backpack or it was, until we left in in Copenhagen. I like it so much we plan to order another one. It has plenty of pockets and my 6 year old can carry it comfortably (if not weighted down too much). It’s sturdy and can be used as a carry on.

60L Backpack:

This is my bag. It can hold a lot and will need to be checked when full. It’s so far been sturdy and generally it’s easy to carry for the amount of weight that it can hold. There are many pockets and great places to stash things for easy access.

Day backpack and extra under seat bag

We use this bag for our younger kids on the plane and then as a day bag when we do our day trips. It can be folded to a compact size if you want to pack it as a spare (for souvenir room) . The one we have is very sturdy and has put through a lot of abuse. The price is great.

Kids Small Backpacks

We also like to have a small backpack for our 3 year old. It helps her feel more independent and she’s responsible for her own things. If you’re looking for more information on Toddler bags check out this article here.

Rolling Bag

We bought our larger roller bag at TJ Max but this is the one we use. I’d love to be able to downsize enough to leave the rolling bag at home but so far it hasn’t happened.

This bag has been put through a lot of abuse in the year we’ve had it but it’s still working just fine (except for a little wobbling in one of the wheels). It’s easy to maneuver for the size. You will need to be careful over packing. It can hold much more than the airplane check in weight limits. It’s pretty stylish too.

Other Checked or Rolled bag Options

We don’t have one of these but these are also really good options if you would rather have roller bags over backpacks.

I recommend getting a hard sided one with multi-directional rolling (it’s generally more convenient to roll the bags upright then having to lean them over). It also nice to have one that stands on it’s own and you don’t have to lean it on anything.

Packing Cubes

Also consider getting packing cubes. We currently are not using them but they are on our list for next time. Packing cubes are a definite travel hack for many long term travelers trying to cut down on space.