Backpacks
A backpack carries weight on both shoulders, which is why it stays the most practical bag for travel days that involve stairs, uneven pavement, and long queues. The trade-off is capacity against access: the bigger the pack, the more it holds and the harder it is to reach anything sitting at the bottom.
Three constructions cover most needs. Everyday and laptop packs open flat against a padded back panel and suit commuters and students who get into the bag several times a day. Travel packs open like a suitcase and take a cabin’s worth of clothing, for one-bag flyers. Packable daypacks fold into their own pocket — the second bag you only need once you have landed.
Every backpack we carry in the Philippines is stocked through official distribution, so warranty is honoured locally and repairs are assessed here rather than sent overseas.
Shop by Brand
Gregory · Hedgren · Herschel · JanSport · Osprey · Delsey · Topo Designs · Travelon
Buying Guide
What size backpack do you need?
Match litres to the length of your day, not the length of your trip. Around 20 litres holds a laptop, a jacket, and lunch — enough for a commute or a day out of the hotel. Between 30 and 45 litres is the one-bag travel range, roughly a cabin bag’s worth of clothing without becoming awkward to lift into an overhead bin. Cabin dimensions and weight limits differ by airline and get revised, so confirm your carrier’s current allowance before you fly.
How should a backpack sit on your back?
Loaded weight should rest between your shoulder blades and above your hips, never hanging below your waistline. Shoulder straps should follow the curve of your shoulder without gapping at the top, and the sternum strap stops them sliding outward as you walk. Once a pack is over roughly 30 litres, a hip belt starts doing real work — it moves load off your shoulders and onto the strongest part of your frame.
What actually protects a laptop?
A suspended sleeve — padded, and lifted off the base seam — keeps the machine from taking the impact when you set the bag down on concrete. Size the sleeve to your laptop rather than to the largest one it will accept, because a loose laptop slides and lands on its corner. A luggage pass-through strap on the back panel is worth having if you regularly stack the pack on a suitcase handle.
What handles Philippine weather and crowds?
Water-resistant fabric and coated zips will get you between buildings in a habagat downpour; nothing short of a sealed dry bag survives a genuine soaking, so keep electronics in a pouch inside the pack. For crowded
terminals, markets, and commutes, look for lockable zip pulls, slash-resistant panels, and a pocket that sits flat against your back where nobody can reach it while the bag is on.
What to check before you buy
● Shoulder-strap anchors: bar-tacked into a reinforced panel, not sewn through a single layer of fabric.
● Zips: run smoothly when the bag is packed full, not just when empty.
● Base panel: a second layer or a moulded base, since that is the surface you will set down a thousand times.
● Back panel: ventilated foam or a suspended mesh if you carry the bag for more than twenty minutes at a stretch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy travel backpacks in the Philippines?
Travel backpacks are available in the Philippines at The Travel Club, online and in stores nationwide. The range covers everyday, laptop, travel, packable, and anti-theft backpacks, all stocked through official distribution. If you would rather try one on load before deciding, use the store locator and bring the laptop you actually carry.
Should I use a backpack or a suitcase for travel?
Use a backpack when your route involves stairs, uneven pavement, or public transport, and a suitcase when you are moving heavier loads across smooth floors. A backpack keeps both hands free and carries weight through your body; wheels carry the weight for you, but only where there is a surface to roll on. Travellers doing island transfers or multi-stop trips usually end up owning both.
How do I know if a backpack is well made?
Check three points that fail first: the shoulder-strap anchors, the zip pulls, and the base panel. Straps should be bar-tacked into a reinforced panel rather than stitched through one layer of fabric, and zips should still run cleanly when the bag is packed full. If something does give out later, our Repair Hub assesses the repair here in the Philippines.
What size backpack works as a carry-on?
Most one-bag travellers land between 30 and 45 litres, which approximates a cabin bag without becoming difficult to lift overhead. Cabin size and weight limits are set by each airline and are revised from time to time, so check your carrier’s current allowance before you fly. If you are also checking a suitcase, a 20-litre daypack is the more useful bag to bring into the cabin.
What backpack should I use for work and travel?
Choose a panel-loading laptop backpack with a suspended sleeve, an organiser section, and a luggage pass through strap. The pass-through slides over a suitcase handle so the pack stops sliding off between the taxi and the gate. If you carry a laptop more than three days a week, put back-panel padding ahead of extra capacity — you will feel it daily.
Do anti-theft backpacks actually work?
Anti-theft backpacks deter opportunistic theft by removing the easy openings — hidden or locking zips, slash resistant panels, and pockets that sit flat against your back. They will not stop a determined thief with time and tools, which is the honest limit of the design. They earn their keep in crowded terminals, markets, and commutes; elsewhere, ordinary awareness does the same job.
Are backpacks bought at The Travel Club covered by warranty?
Yes — backpacks bought at The Travel Club are covered by the manufacturing warranty of the brand that made them, honoured locally. Terms differ by brand and proof of purchase is required, which is why receipts can be stored through the Receipt Storage service. Keep your receipt from day one, then start a claim through the Repair Hub.
