Volunteer Advisor backpack reviews volunteer travel backpacks

Volunteer Travel Backpack Reviews

Unless you are going to be staying in a city in the same place for the whole of your trip, you will need luggage that has a lightweight frame, is comfortable and convenient to carry, and has pockets and sections for ease of access to obtain important documents, clothing or medication. A good, sturdy backpack is an essential item for the volunteer traveller, especially those who are going to be on the move or travelling to more remote destinations, where more ordinary luggage just will not be appropriate. As I have said if you are teaching English in an urban area for the whole of your trip with no intention to travel far beyond your location, then an ordinary suitcase will probably suffice, but if your intention is to travel, investigate and indulge your sense of adventure, then you do need a backpack!

It is important that you buy a backpack that is right for you. You know what you are taking and how much room you might need. It is amazing how much stuff you can fit into one of these backpacks, yet you will also have to make some tough choices about what to sacrifice and leave behind. That is all part of the fun though! You will probably need at least a 65 litre backpack and if you can purchase one with a smaller rucksack attached as part of the backpack that would be ideal for short trips away from your main base locations. I ended up taking an 80 litre backpack which included a zip away section, and found this gave ample space to carry essential clothing, medicines, documents, foods and more.

Backpacks do get heavy, it's inevitable when you see how much you end up cramming into them, so before you travel do try and get used to the weight of the backpack and, most importantly, adjust the straps so that it is comfortable to carry and support on your back. You may also wish to consider buying a lock to secure the most important parts of your backpack or rucksack when travelling.

We review below some of the best backpacks, which are not always the most aesthetically pleasing, but practicality is the most important consideration when travelling abroad as a volunteer to remote parts of the world, and in any case, after a few weeks of travel, your backpack will not look much like the shiny, new item you started out with. Apart from being comfortable to carry, you need to consider waterproofing features, ability to attach objects to it (such as sleeping pad/equipment), number of pockets, accessibility to different parts of backpack, and any security features of the backpack.

Haglofs Hub 6510 Backpack (65 litres + 10 litres)

This is a sturdy Haglofs backpack which has a spacious carrying capacity of up to 75 litres, 65 litres in the main backpack and a further 10 litres in a smaller pack which is attached to the front of the backpack. This detachable section is handy for daytrips or any travel when you do not need to carry your full backpack. It has received good reviews for its lightwieght yet strong design and positioning of the access points to the main part of the backpack. This is a good size and comfortable backpack for more extended travel and volunteer trips abroad. Some features of this Haglofs backpack include:

Find out more about the Haglofs 6510 backpack here.

If you are looking for a slightly smaller version of this well made backpack then you might be interested in the Haglofs Hub 5510 backpack which incorporates a main pack with capacity up to 55 litres and a separate detachable pack with capacity of up to 10 litres. This gives you a carrying capacity total of up to 65 litres. It includes all the features listed above too. Click here if you'd like to find out more.

Lowe Alpine Travel Trekker Pro Backpack (70 litres + 17 litres)

This is a good value traveller's backpack with plenty of space to carry your most necessary possessions during your trip abroad. It consists of two parts, the main backpack which has a carrying capacity of up to 70 litres, and another detachable bag section with a capacity of up to 17 litres. So in total you have a backpack capacity of up to 87 litres, which is ample for the majority of volunteer travellers. For it's size, this backpack's price is certainly very good value and it has an adjustable back system to help ensure you are more comfortable when carrying heavier loads. It has a number of essential features such as the following:

You can learn more about this Lowe Alpine backpack here.

Lowe Alpine Travel Trekker Pro ND Womens Backpack (60 litres + 16 litres)

There is a slightly smaller version of the good value backpack described above, which is specifically designed to fit and be used by women (pictured left) . It has a very large total carrying capacity of up to 76 litres, with a main compartment comprising 60 litres and a separate detachable section of 16 litres, which can be used as a bag for day trips, or any other convenient use where necessary. It is called the Lowe Alpine Travel Trekker Pro ND and includes all of the features listed in the description for the Lowe Alpine backpack above. You can find out more about this womens backpack here.

Caribee Dakar Travel Backpack (75/85 litres)

The Caribee Dakar travel backpack is a good quality backpack at an affordable price. It is well built and designed to be comfortable to carry with an adjustable harness. It has a carrying capacity of 75 litres which is expandable to 85 litres. This capacity includes a 28 litre detachable daypack which is attached to the front of the backpack. The daypack has a number of storage pockets and harness attachment clips. This is a popular backpack which is not surprising given the price, and the important basic features it offers, which include:

If you are interested to discover more about the Caribee Dakar backpack, click here.

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