It depends on what you’re wearing. Synthetic jacket? Backpack is OK. Wool coat? Sports coat? You can dress however you want, but why did you chose that way in particular man
I like the Osprey Daylite Tote because it’s a convertible backpack<->tote so you can switch. Also qualifies as personal item on low cost airlines
Wait what does the jacket you choose have to do with backpacks?
It has to do with the “fashion language” and what each item “is speaking”.
To me, a synthetic jacket speaks “trekking” (even though you can wear it anywhere, not necessarily trekking), a backpack is also “trekking”-ish so it matches in my head. But if you have a tailored wool sports coat with clean silhouette lines, which speaks “city”/“elegant”, and you slap a synthetic (or any for that matter) backpack on top it clashes to me. I guess it would also wear down the more delicate wool weaves from friction.
Say, I wouldn’t want to wear a backpack with something like this or this
But to me it would be more fitting with something like this or in general when trekking around somewhere.
Again, do what you want - I concede that backpacks are more comfortable. To me it just looks better with certain clothes and worse with others.
As a 40-something dude, I need a new backpack. Its got holes in it near the zippers and has seen about a decade of daily use. Backpacks are awesome.
Edit: current one is a Targus, any suggestions?
I’m pretty bummed that when I evidently turn 100 years old, I’m going to no longer appreciate backpacks.
Have my crown

Ngl, having a backpack and a hoodie feels kinda like a hacker 😎
Personally I’m on Team Satchel, Team Messenger Bag… and also unironically think fanny packs should come back.
But yes. Mobile storage compartments that are wearable?
Pretty good idea, generally.
While we’re at it: GIVE WOMENS PANTS REAL POCKETS
Fanny packs are back in Germany for a few years now, but nobody wears them like a fanny pack, they were them across the chest.
Aren’t those crossbodies then? Uniqlo has a really popular line of them, and they’re pretty if you don’t need to carry that much
It’s an evolution of the fanny pack.
I wear one like that in New Zealand and nobody seems to think it’s weird or anything, or maybe they just don’t care cos I’m old now 😅
I sometimes move it to around my waist if I need to take my jacket/jumper off, or if my shoulder gets sore from the slight extra weight, or to wear it with a backpack as well.
I used to use a satchel but found it’s often a bit too bulky and makes my shoulder sore sometimes, however I’m finding the fanny pack is a bit too small, hence adding a backpack.
I’ve never been to Germany, but… I am glad that at least somebody, some people agree with me.
I’ve worn a fanny pack like that before, sort of like a very small messenger bag, but roughly over one side of my chest… it was a social faux pas, for some reason, despite being incredibly practical.
Oh, I have a laptop bag that reminds me of a messenger pack. I carry it around my shoulder, pretty neat for my S10 FE+
Unless you have pockets with zippers, fanny packs are great for riding roller coasters if you’re only carrying a fanny pack’s worth of things. Especially one that can sit unnoticed under your shirt, since staff will sometimes make you take it off if it’s obvious.
If outward thought me anything, backpacks are cool and stay hydrated.
If Outward taught me anything, it’s that everything in the outside world will kill you and it’s best to just stay home.
Looking forward to the sequel~
I’m wanting to play Outward, any tips for a survival newbie?
Imagine being so scared of what people think of you that you refuse to use a backpack even when you need to carry a bunch of things.
Is anyone really, though?
I travel for work professionally. 99% of the time I’ll travel exclusively with a backpack to carry my essentials, or honestly just carry everything if it’s a <3 day trip. Its very hard to yank a backpack off someone when both straps are on, it’s very ergonomic, it frees my hands to hold my phone/boarding passes/passport/food, etc etc.
Backpacks are the objectively superior travel and everyday bag, honestly.
When I was on the travel circuit I always did a carry-on and a backpack. The backpack was usually full of job related equipment so there wasn’t much room for clothing etc. The carry-on was enough for trips of up to 2 weeks.
As I was in agricultural fields and hot temps everyday in all sorts of countries, full changes of clothing was required plus at least one laundry stop before I came home(phytosanitary rules and all). My carry-on often weighed in at 40lbs or more on those trips.
And where do you put your clothes ?
You change your clothes, right ?
…in the backpack?
How can you fit your EDC and your clothes in a single backpack ?
(I’m genuinely asking)
Get a bigger backpack. I also assume they’re talking about 3-4 day trips at most, so “clothes” is just shirts and underwear (maybe a pyjama). Add a small wash bag (pro tip: get those small refillable airplane bottles for shampoo/soap/conditioner) and you’re good to go, with plenty of space for a laptop, charger, phone charger, wallet etc.
Oh, ok
I just found it weird since fitting my clothes for 4 days would require a large hiking backpack and taking that everywhere would be kind of annoying
If you tightly roll your clothes before packing them, then stuff them into a ziploc to do the poor man’s vacuum seal, you can dramatically reduce the volume of your clothing.
Source: I moved everything I own with a 2002 Honda civic across the country and still had room for a passenger.
Edit, The US specifically. Anyone can hang out in an overfilled car for 5 hours. This was an 18 hour trip.
For a 2-3 day trip i don’t need many clothes. 3 sets of underwear, socks, and work polos don’t take much space and easily pack around my laptop and hand tools. I’ll usually re-wear my slacks.
Any longer and I’ll pack more into a carryon, especially on plant visits where I need steel toed shoes and PPE, but usually use the hotel laundry to cut down on total bulk.
Easily, if it’s a large enough backpack. For 3 days of clothing, it doesn’t even need to be large. I mean what do you need, some assortment of care products (available in small packs, usually, so don’t take a ton of space), maybe a razor and hairbrush, toothbrush (negligibly tiny anyway) and then 3 days of clothing don’t take that much space unless you change your pants (not the british kind) or sweatshirt every day. And even then a large-ish backpack could fit it.
I went on a 5 day trip with just an average size backpack and laptop bag, and that included bringing the laptop. And headphones. It was pretty tightly packed but worked Clothing doesn’t take that much space if you fold it and compress a bit.
Thanks for the explanation ! Yeah, I couldn’t not change my trousers or tops everyday-
Where else am I going to keep all my Linux installer USB sticks, the bundle of cables that comes in handy every year or two, or the stuff I printed at work for my family that I need to take home?
As it was told to me when I was young, “The more things you need to carry everyday, the less important you are. The less you need to carry everyday, the more important you are.”
Sadly, there is a kernel of truth there.
I used to be friends with an EMT. They’d be carrying 80+ pounds of medical equipment everywhere they went just in case something happened and they weren’t on route. Heaviest backpack I’ve ever seen.
Grand scheme I’m sure you’re right, but to the few people they saved by carying that bag, I’m sure they’re one of the most important people in the world.
Well no. Where would we be without janitors and people who repair shit. “Importance” is subjective. Ich would much rather have one person who repairs my car and need a lot of stuff, than 100 Managers.
Define “important” in this context.
It’s the best way to carry laptops which a lot of workers need to use these days.
Op is not german
You know what you can also carry inside a backpack? Bags. And inside those bags? Even more bags. Basically, you can carry infinite carrying capacity in your backpack! 🙃
I put a bag of holding inside another bag of holding, and I’m not responsible for the resulting black hole eating through the kitchen.
Actually, it just creates a pocket dimension. They should update those dnd rules /s
I admit: I get Bag Envy when I see something that looks durable and has a plethora of pockets. My bag is weak and puny, but this bag I see before me is epic.
Am I the only one?
No, always. I have a really good waterproof 12L bag with the rollup top clip thingy. It will survive any rainstorm. It just doesn’t have pockets and that’s objectively more useful to me than being guarded against something that will happen maybe twice a year.
The bag envy is real
I just never stopped using them since childhood. Why would I give up on it? It’s ergonomic, it relies on strong spinal muscles allowing one to carry heavier weight, keeps one’s hands free and unloaded, doesn’t press against one’s neck like shoulder bags do, and is very hard for someone malicious to take off someone.
The only downsides I can see is that I cannot keep it in sight, meaning I should mind my surroundings not to hit anyone, and it can also be opened without me noticing (although Bobby bags solve this in particular).












