Did you come back for the remaining four “secrets” of backpacks? We are delighted! In the first part of the article you learned that backpacks can easily outsmart thieves, carry more than they seem, easily change their volume, have a soft spot for hiking poles and are definitely neither boring nor silent. However, let's not keep you in suspense and dive into the remaining features.
6) Backpack or suitcase? How about both in one?
If you are flying soon and considering whether to take a suitcase that you will have to drag behind you everywhere, or a backpack that won't meet the maximum allowed dimensions for carry-on luggage (backpacks are usually narrower and taller), we have good news for you! Recently, carry-on backpacks have become a hit, adapted to the dimensions of cabin luggage, allowing you to get maximum volume within the given limits (e.g., CabinZero Classic Ultra-light or Lowe Alpine Lightflite AT Carry-On).
However, if you don't want to give up the advantages of either a backpack or a suitcase, there are bags that combine the benefits of both. You can roll them on wheels like a suitcase or, after pulling out the hidden straps, carry them on your back (e.g., Thule Crossover 38 or Vaude Sapporo). Another combination is represented by luggage that merges the advantages of a backpack and a shoulder bag – they have backpack straps that can be hidden, and a detachable “messenger” strap (e.g., Thule Subterra 40, or Lowe Alpine AT Carry-On). With all these multifunctional helpers, you can easily handle any situation, and higher weight or uneven terrain will no longer be an obstacle for you.
7) Backpacks have a camel's soul
Are you looking forward to summer? Hot sun, cool water, forest shade... The sweltering months require higher fluid intake, and if you are on the move, the need to drink will increase with every step. During strenuous hiking, it is recommended to take a sip every 15 minutes. However, so you don't have to constantly take off your backpack and pull a bottle out of the side stretch pocket (e.g., Husky Minel 22), you can take advantage of a hydration bladder, i.e., a water bag with a tube from which you can comfortably sip while walking (e.g., CamelBak Antidote Reservoir 2 l). Many backpacks are directly designed to carry these bladders. Inside, usually along the back, you will find a flat pocket where the hydration bladder is hung (most often with Velcro). The tube is led out through an opening intended for this purpose and then attached to a loop on the shoulder strap (e.g., Corazon Voyager 28).
8) Although it doesn't seem like it, backpacks aren't afraid of rain
Water, however, is not always our ally. If it leaks into your backpack and wets your things, clothes, documents, and laptop, you probably won't be singing a song of joy at that moment. :-) Backpacks, however, can teach us that we can get along with water in any weather. A significant portion of backpacks are to some extent waterproof (e.g., Thule Paramount or Patagonia Black Hole 25), which means they heroically withstand a certain amount of rain. To improve their water resistance, you can use impregnation.
Against heavy rain, however, you need more than just a promise of heroism. With backpacks that have a separate rain cover (e.g., Deuter Futura 22), downpours or high humidity will no longer be your enemy. Rain covers are also reliable protection against mud and dust if you are moving in a wilder environment. The rain cover also serves as an insulating pad when you need to place your backpack on a dirty or wet surface, and ensures you a peaceful sleep under the stars, without fear that you will wake up in the morning with soaked or damp things. If the backpack does not have a rain cover, it is possible to buy one separately in the corresponding volume range.
9) They don't know binary code, yet they get along well with electronics
If you carry a laptop with you, you surely know that together with accessories and other things, it is not exactly the lightest load. So, if you want to save your hands and don't want to unevenly load your back with a shoulder bag strap, laptop backpacks can be a welcome helper. The priority is, of course, the protection of your electronic companion. There are various types of padding and special protection built into the laptop pocket, which most often guard the corners and edges of the computer against impacts (e.g., Everki Versa or Thule EnRoute Triumph 2).
Laptop pockets also differ in access. Some are located directly in the main compartment (e.g., Dicota Backpack Ride). Other backpacks have a separate laptop pocket, which can be accessible from the top (e.g., Deuter Giga) or from the back (e.g., Lowe Alpine AT Carry-On). If you are looking for something extra, true champions in this regard are backpacks that have a pocket accessible through the main compartment, but which also has its own zipper, and thus access without the need to open the entire backpack (e.g., Thule Paramount). Some backpacks even have a separate removable laptop sleeve (e.g., Deuter Giga Pro or Thule Subterra 40).
Anyone who carries electronics often is surely all too well 
familiar with one special superpower of all cables – constant tangling. If you are not the admirable exception who has found a hobby in untangling knotted wires, choose backpacks with organizers for electronic accessories. These are equipped with many pockets, loops, and Velcro straps for attaching cables, for example from a power bank, so you can conveniently charge your mobile phone or tablet while on the move (e.g., Heys TechPac or Thule Subterra 23).
Backpacks hide many other surprises, and the article would be an odyssey if we revealed them all to you. However, we believe that the taste of what we consider the most useful was truly nourishing. And if you are interested in more, continue reading our blog, advice center, and follow our Facebook.
