Why I don't carry a day pack

 

 

In general, for a trip, we tend to carry at least a carry-on trolley bag, which is often paired with a backpack that we use as a day pack.

These day packs backpack are usually used to carry random stuff like water bottles, jackets, cameras, etc.

So these are quite useful.

But I usually don't carry one with me when I travel.

Why don't I carry a day pack?

I visited Japan in the summer (check my post here) and I had some challenges in adapting to the heat and humidity.

At the time, I made the decision of taking a cabin-size wheeled trolley with me plus an almost-empty 20 liter backpack.

The plan was to carry the trolley with me to the aircraft, put it in the overhead bin compartments and store the 20 liter backpack with essentials (like a book or a jacket) under the seat.

Then, arriving in Japan, I would leave the trolley at the hotel and use the 20 liter backpack as a day pack.

I would then use the backpack to carry water, a jacket, swim shorts and put souvenirs in.

However, I quickly found out that the 20 liter backpack was almost always empty and I was only carrying a 1.5 liter water bottle inside...

So, it was only making me carry weight and making me sweat even more.

With this experience, I decided that on my next trip I would take the 20 liter backpack as my only bag and a compactable 10 liter backpack to use as a daily pack ONLY if I needed it.

The objective was to leave the 20 liter backpack at the hotel and carry nothing else with me.

This experience was a success - without a daily pack I really felt light and free to explore the city, run to any transport or stop at any location.

And because I was traveling with only a 20 liter backpack as my main bag, I wasn't weighted down if I wanted to see something before I went to my hotel drop off the bag.

What are the benefits of not carrying a day pack?

Not carrying a day-pack has some advantages. In my opinion, these are mainly 3 advantages:

1. Carry less weight

Carrying less weight is excellent.

You may think it doesn't make all that difference if you carry only a small bag, but it does. There's nothing compared to walking around without anything on your back.

After several hours, even the lightest backpack will start to cause discomfort in your shoulders and creating a "sweat-river" in your back.

If you don't carry a backpack you will not have any back discomfort and reduce a little bit the effect of sweat.

2. Total freedom of movements

If you don't carry anything on your back, you will have total freedom to explore the place you are in. You can run for transports, you will not feel heavy to climb a hill, you can be inside a packed bus without the fear of someone stealing your bag, and you can use your two hands to grab yourself to avoid falling when the bus accelerates!

Having total freedom of movements, in my opinion, makes us enjoy our trip a lot more.

3. Not looking like a tourist

Everyone has stereotypes, and when almost all of us think about a tourist we think of someone wearing a backpack.

So, if we can avoid, if if just a little, looking like a stereotyped tourist, I think that is a good thing.

In my opinion not looking like a tourist is good for 2 reasons:

1) you'll draw less attention to yourself which makes you a little bit safer.

2) you'll fit in better with locals.

But what about my stuff, where do I carry it?

Well, let's discuss first what I take with me during the day of a tourism trip.

Aside from the clothes I'm wearing, I usually carry a wallet (a small one!), sunglasses and a smartphone. Obviously, I don't need a backpack for any of these.

Then I have the extras, which are things I may carry with me during the day, but I don't always have them on me or I don't take in every trip. These are usually: a water bottle, a tripod for my smartphone (to take better pictures :) ) and a sweatshirt (plus a jacket, if necessary).

It is totally possible to carry all this in pockets and in your hands. Particularly the tripod, which, whenever I bring it, I'm constantly using it to take picture, so no need to put it inside anything, I just hold on to it; and the sweatshirt, which I only take with me when the weather requires it, so in most cases I end up wearing it (either always on, or intermittently).

Regarding the water bottle, this is my biggest challenge. 

Sometimes I opt for buying water in supermarkets so that I don't need to carry anything at all, or if I want to carry water, I have a trail running water flask, which I try to fit in my back pocket (check my post on this here).

But if I want to carry all this with more comfort inside something that doesn't weight me down I use the fanny pack!

Source: Eastpak fanny pack from amazon

The water flask fits well inside the fanny pack and you have something to carry it in, without being weight down by a backpack.

What is the one secret to not carry a day pack?

Well, in my opinion, is just taking the essentials, which to me are the sunglasses, the wallet and the smartphone. If the weather requires it, just put on the sweatshirt, and if you get hot, just hold it for a while and that's it.

Think about it. How much do you actually carry when you're walking around in your own city?

My answer to this question is always the same: sunglasses, wallet and smartphone (and keys... :) ).

What if I want to buy souvenirs?

Well, I always take a compactable 10 liter backpack with me inside my main bag. I use it whenever is necessary, which is when I need to carry more than the essentials I just described, or if I want to go shopping for souvenirs. 

That is the beauty of this type of backpacks. They do not take up any space in your bag and when you need them, they are there.

Conclusion

Carrying a day pack may be useful to carry your daily gear, however, I felt it was only making me carry weight and sweat more, when, often, I just had a water bottle inside. 

In my opinion, not carrying a day-pack has 3 advantages:

1. Carry less weight.

2. Have total freedom of movements.

3. not looking like a tourist.

My travel essentials are a wallet (a small one!), sunglasses and a smartphone and I try to carry all these items in my pockets.

But if I want to carry all this with more comfort inside something that doesn't weight me down I use the fanny pack!

If I need to go souvenir shopping, I just use a compactable 10 liter backpack that I always take with me inside my main bag.