Traveling to Southeast Asia gives you an opportunity to pack light. You don’t need the multiple layers like in North America or Europe and can do without bulky sweaters and jackets. With just a little planning, you can fit everything in a carry-on backpack.
Enjoy the freedom of walking off the plane and directly into your first adventure without milling around the baggage carousel while hundreds of suitcases and backpacks crawl past you.
Deciding which bag is absolutely perfect for the type of travel you want to do can be tricky. Thankfully, some bags are better than others, while some bags are practically designed for Southeast Asia.
What to Look for in the Best Southeast Asia Travel Bag
Is your trip to Southeast Asia getting closer and is panic setting in? Did you realize that your trusty backpack is too flimsy for a laptop and your suitcase too cumbersome to take as a carry-on? If you’re a bit unclear about where to begin looking, you’re not alone.
Southeast Asia presents many unique problems for a traveler, especially those who want to travel light but pack more than a few shirts and a toothbrush. You want your bag to be durable enough to withstand abuse to protect what’s inside.
Toughness is important, but the ease of use is also a must. You should not be slowed down by your suitcase or backpack. Not here. Enter Standard Luggage.
Standard Luggage: Who Are They?
As a company started by crowdfunding, Standard Luggage proved that creative and logical solutions will always win in the travel market. In an industry that depends on busy professionals, adventurers, and techies, what matters is the creativity and integrity of a product.
This crowd cut their teeth transporting sensitive personal belongings through all of the world’s airports. Cheap gimmicks and promises don’t work here. This is why travelers helped to fund Standard Luggage. They helped them help them.
Features of Standard’s Carry-on-Backpack
Standard Luggage’s carry-on backpack is perfect for Southeast Asia for many reasons. Reason one: Your bags should be hands-free. Trust me—you’re going to use your hands a lot here, but not to carry or drag your luggage. You will hold on for dear life on a motorbike taxi and wish you had extra hands. And you will probably find yourself on a motorbike taxi more than you realize.
The padded back ventilation adds a lot of relief to walking around in Southeast Asia and helps to combat any discomfort brought by humidity and high temperatures. The weather comes with the territory, and it’s best to be prepared.
Also, nothing screams “unprepared tourist” like fumbling through a hiking backpack for documents, reservations and who knows what else? Their carry-on backpack has compartment dividers that are dead easy to use and won’t’ let you lost in your own bag. And your papers won’t look like they’ve been through a few monsoons.
The carry-on backpack has an amazingly versatile design. It comes with everything a backpack should, like a hip belt, water bottle pocket, backpack straps, and a rain cover. But it also ventures into the business travel territory with a laptop sleeve, padded handles for an almost briefcase-like feel, and a shoulder strap so you can use it while walking through an airport or anywhere else where you need to access documents quickly.
Product Specifications
For something that is a generously sized carry-on, Standard Luggage’s Carry-on backpack is very light. It weighs only 3.7 lbs. It’s expandable, which will come in very handy if you’re one of those people that always come back with more than they brought.
Here are some simple specifications:
- Volume: 35L zipped and 45L when expanded (a whole 10L difference!)
- Weight: 3.7 pounds
- Laptop Pocket: Fits 15.6″ laptops
- Bag dimensions: 21.5 x 13.5 x 7.5 in when zipped and 21.5 x 13.5 x 9.5 when expanded
Why We Love This Travel Backpack for Southeast Asia
The weather can be wet, the terrain hard, and your life will happen quicker here. Standard Luggage outdid themselves in matching their carry-on backpack to these conditions. Personally, one of the most surprising things on this already amazing bag was the safety whistle.
Thankfully, I never had to use one for its intended purposes, but let me just say it can save you hours of looking for a lost travel companion in a very busy outdoor market. A few blows and they come running to you, embarrassed and relieved at the same time.