I never thought the question how to pack your belongings will be a subject to talk about. When I grew up, a suitcase was the obvious travel companion and whenever it was taken out of the darkness excitement was in the air.

Even when I did my first steps in going overseas, I never gave it another thought. I went and bought a suitcase.

It was only when my younger brother travelled to South America when I realised there are alternative ways to packing and it wasn’t before I had my own travel-related company that I realised the question backpack or suitcase is an important issue. Suitcases evolved since I was a child, but apart from being a bit lighter and equipped with wheels, which I have to say make life easier, the basic is the same.

Imagine how frustrating it can be to try and squeeze a hard-case suitcase into the already packed to the limit boot or into the small space left for personal belongings in a campervan? Because let’s face it – if we have the leisure of space, as we have if we take a suitcase, we tend to find things to fill that space with (only to find out later you did not even touch half of what you took).

The first thing you should ask yourself is what kind of travel are you about to do? Are you going on an urban weekend getaway or are you planning on a six months travel hitch-hiking your way around?

Then you need to think about the activities you are about to do. There is no point in taking along a backpack, in addition to your suitcase, if you plan on doing long tracks which will require a big enough backpack to carry all the gear with you. In this case you are better off thinking carefully about what you pack as this is a skill you MUST learn when travelling the great outdoors.

Here is a list of ‘why’ and ‘why not’ to consider when deciding about the baggage you will take to your next travel.

Why suitcase?

Space! Space! Space! You can take that jacket you know you will not wear just for the tiny chance you might wear it and even take you all-time favourite sleepers. Why not? It’s not like you carry it on your back. Which brings me to the next point.

You don’t carry it on your back!

If you have special items you take with you a suitcase can protect it from being damaged.

Why not?

Remember the Space! Space! Space! ? Well, it’s a trap. You packed too much and now you have a heavy suitcase, threatening to explode and you can hardly move around the smooth airport floor so imagine what will happen if you have to walk down the street.

Suitcases has a tendency to break when thrown out from the plane into the baggage collection area.

Why backpack?

The major benefit of a backpack is you have both hands free, which will allow you to hold your iPhone and update the world as you walk or to hold on to your two children who are still jet-legged.

It forces you to keep things to the minimum. It’s a ‘built-in’ feature of a backpack. As you carry it on your back and assuming you would like to be able to walk, you need to keep it light. Take only what you will need and use.

It is squeezable and therefore if your travelling wheels are small or you have limited luggage space a backpack can be squashed.

It wasn’t until I started tramping myself when I realised how convenient a backpack can be. Though I have to say, trying to find my socks lying at the bottom of the pack, in the dark with 2 kids sleeping all over and the three of us are in a 2 person tent, probably isn’t the best advertisement for backpacks, but this has more to do with me forgetting to take a torch then with anything else… (note to self – never forget the torch when camping).

Why not?

This one is obvious – you have to carry it on your back… First time I put a 60L backpack I learned how a turtle feels when on his back.

The limited space is creating a problem if you are a high-tech traveller. The SLR camera and laptop will not have a spare room unless you travel really light (yes, I have seen such examples, and no, I do not want to talk about it).

It stops you from buying things. Not sure whether this is a ‘why’ or a ‘why not’ point. As much as I think our society is putting too much emphasise on consumer goods, I also understand why we would like to take home things that will remind us of the great experiences we had. Perhaps you can leave the shopping to just before boarding the plane back home.

What is your experience with luggage when travelling? Add you comment below to share your story and travel tips with us!