I’m not a backpacker. Not a backpacker in the sense that I travel around the world for months at a time and live out of my backpack. But I am a traveler that loves traveling with a backpack. I love carrying my belongings on my back (and some in the front as displayed in this “turtling” photo above) than tugging them behind me in a suitcase.

But business travel doesn’t always lend itself to backpacks. Business travelers “must” carry briefcases, garment bags, suitcases and the like. They “must” exude an aura of professionalism, competence, leadership and command strength and attention. Stereotypically, backpacks communicate: immaturity, drunkenness, penny-pinching, slovenly appearance and general inexperience.

In short, business travelers aren’t supposed to travel via backpack.

I say,

Screw it

On my most recent business trip I took my new backpack out for a spin – the Voltij GuerillaPack (I’ll have a full report about how the bag held up later this week). And in said backpack, I packed…

• A suit jacket and trousers
• 3 dress shirts
• necktie
• dress shoes
• and the usual casual clothes for when work was done.

It turns out, business travel via backpack is just as practical as travel via roller board suitcase (but the backpack is more fun). Here’s what I discovered:

• Navigating through airports is easier since I don’t need to worry about the suitcase behind me.
• My dress clothes were no less wrinkly coming out of a backpack than they are in a suitcase.
• Backpacks have more pockets and storage spaces to put things like shoes, toiletries, dirty laundry and other small items. Suitcases have just one, giant container to hold everything.
• I get this giddy feeling inside me knowing that NO ONE would suspect a full suit inside that backpack. It’s so rebellious!

Have you ever traveled on business with a backpack? Would you ever? Share by commenting.

I’ll see you out there…!

Visit the adventures with ben online store for travel ebooks