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Backpacks on Wheels Not Good For Serious Hiking

I other get asked questions about the kind of backpacks young people who are going to be travelling for several months (4-6months) should carry.

Because the new rolling backpacks have become so popular many inquire about whether this is a good option for the long haul.

 Given the four to six  month period a person will be on the road, I definitely do not suggest you get one on wheels.

Those products are excellent for people planning a 2-4 week vacation, where actual backpacking is only a small part of the way they will get around.

The backpacks on wheels, or convertible backpacks as they are often referred to, are perfect when carried over rough cobblestones for a block or two, or up and down stairways in metro undergrounds, but they are not made for prolonged packing.

Firstly, the wheels and frame they are attached to are an unnecessary extra weight on someone’s back over a few hours of hiking.

Secondly, good hiking backpacks will conform to the curvature of the spine of the person carrying it. A pair of bendable rods will often be found in the back portion of the backpack, which will be shaped ahead of time to fit that curvature.

Waist and chest straps not always found on the rolling convertible backpacks, help keep body alignment and spread the pressure of the full backpack over a larger area of the body.

To not have the quality backpack at the outset could result in longer term back pain that could have been prevented by investing in the right style of backpack from the beginning.

My addiction to travel began many years ago, long before there was even a concept of backpacks with wheels.

Today backpack engineering helps distribute the weight your are carrying thoughout the stronger parts of the body.

The rolling backpacks have an important place, but not on the backs of young people who will spend many hours per day with the weight of their entire trip over their shoulders.

Ron Pradinuk is president of Journeys Travel & Leisure SuperCentre www.journeystravelgear.com. His blog is www.thattravelguy.ca.

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