Can you believe it — after using a rolling (shoulder-bag) carry-on for my entire life, I finally switched this week to a backpack. In my own case, I finally did the math: The instances in which I truly ROLLED my briefcase were so few, they probably added up to less than 1% of my use. When I’m flying, I always clipped my rolling briefcase onto my overnight bag — which also rolls! What was I thinking? : ) By switching to a backpack, I lost the weight of the entire rolling mechanism. What’s more, I picked up a backpack designed with a special section for cameras and other fragile gear. In my case, I choose a Manfrotto MB MA-BP-TRV, which they call their “Advanced Travel Backpack.” See it here…
https://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-MB-MA-BP-TRV-Advanced-Backpack/dp/B00KKNNYIW
It was more money than I wanted to pay, but still less than replacing the rolling briefcase I had been using for years. So what about you? Are you a rolling carry-on guy/gal? … or have you switched to a backpack too? Click “Comment” following the web version of this item to tell your own experience.
I’ve never liked rolling bags for fragile gear. When you’re rolling them, you get a lot of shock coming from the ground that’s being projected into the case, and the stuff that’s being carried in it.
A couple of additional things about backpacks:
– When you’re carrying it, it’s a lot less obvious that you’re carrying technical gear, and may make you less of a target for thieves. Also, it’s harder to grab a backpack than a bag that’s carried over just one shoulder.
– Make sure you carry the backpack on both shoulders (not just one). With that amount of weight, carrying on just one shoulder is *really* hard on your spine.
The one trade-off on backpacks is weight. Everything that goes in there adds weight, and you have to resist the temptation to throw lots of small stuff in there.