I mean, have you ever imagined traveling around the world with one backpack? To be able to witness all of the cultures, taste unfamiliar dishes, and hence enjoy as many scintillating sights as possible, 60 liters worth of things should be sufficient for traveling. Sounds pretty impossible, doesn't it?
But this is the enticing truth: using a 60L backpack is not going to be any challenge; rather, it can be an experience, as countless other people are using them. Imagine carrying multiple bags, jockeying for space on a bus, or standing in line waiting for a flight at an airport. Yet, it is possible to take an amazing and adventurous trip and spend less money than you thought.
As we kick off this guide, we are going to tell you how to get into traveling on a budget. From knowing where to hunt for that perfect travel pack to learning how to pack like a pro, we've got you covered. You will also find the right gear for long-distance travel, get educated on traveling strategies for any kind of weather, and learn how to travel with minimal weight while still having all the connectivity that you need. And having said that, are you ready to lose additional baggage and embrace endless opportunities? So, let's explore how you can travel around the world with 60 liters of essentials on your back!
Carry-on Backpack Guidelines for Air Travelers
It is necessary to be keen and aware of the respective regulations and arrangements for smooth travel with a 60-liter backpack by airlines, TSA, and other authorities. Here is a rundown of what you need to know.
Restrictions on Size and Weight
Size Limits:
Airlines usually have standard size limits for carry-on luggage, typically not exceeding dimensions of roughly 22 inches long, 14 inches wide, and 9 inches high (including handles and wheels).
Some airlines may have slightly different dimensions, so check with your specific airline. For example, American Airlines now requires that personal items must fit under the seat in front of you and cannot measure more than 18 x 14 x 8 inches. Here’s a comparison of size restrictions for some common international airlines:
|
Airline |
Maximum Dimensions(inches) |
Maximum Dimensions(cm) |
|
American Airlines |
22 x 14 x 9 |
56 x 36 x 23 |
|
Delta Airlines |
22 x 14 x 9 |
56 x 36 x 23 |
|
United Airlines |
22 x 14 x 9 |
56 x 36 x 23 |
|
British Airways |
22 x 18 x 10 |
56 x 45 x 25 |
|
Lufthansa |
21.7 x 15.7 x 9.1 |
55 x 40 x 23 |
|
Air France |
21.7 x 13.8 x 9.9 |
55 x 35 x 25 |
|
Emirates |
22 x 15 x 8 |
56 x 38 x 20 |
|
Singapore Airlines |
22 x 18 x 10 |
56 x 45 x 25 |
|
Cathay Pacific |
21.7 x 15.7 x 9.1 |
55 x 40 x 23 |
Weight Limits:
The weight limits for carry-ons vary widely from airline to airline. Most of them range from 15 to 22 pounds (7 to 10 kg); therefore, check with your airline about weight specifications to save yourself the trouble of incurring extra fees or checking in your bag at the gate.
|
Airline |
Weight Limit (lbs) |
Weight Limit ( kg) |
|
American Airlines |
22 |
10 |
|
Delta Airlines |
15-22 |
7-10 |
|
United Airlines |
22 |
10 |
|
British Airways |
26.4 |
12 |
|
Lufthansa |
17.6 |
8 |
|
Air France |
26.4 |
12 |
|
Emirates |
15-22 |
7-10 |
|
Singapore Airlines |
15-22 |
7-10 |
|
Cathay Pacific |
15-22 |
7-10 |
TSA Security Checklist: What to Be Aware Of
Liquids Rule:
This rule specifies that all liquids, gels, creams, or pastes in your carry-on bags must comply with the TSA's 3-1-1 rule. The maximum allowable size of each container is 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters), and all containers must fit in a single quart-size, clear, resealable bag.
Restricted Items: Don’t Bring These in Your Carry-on
General Bans:
- Guns and parts of guns.
- Flammables such as gasoline and lighter fluid.
- Explosives and explosive materials.
- Corrosives, such as acids and alkalis.
- Things for self-defense such as pepper spray and stun guns.
Specific Bans:
- Gel-type candles.
- Aerosols (most of the time).
One Limit for Cabin Bag:
Such airlines are forcing their one-cabin bag limit to expedite the boarding process and reduce the crowding in overhead compartments. Thus, you might be required to check the 60L backpack if it isn't under the new dimension and weight restrictions.
With these provisions and familiarization with the different rules of the airlines, you are not going to have trouble carrying this 60-liter backpack with you.
New Requirements for 2025
Starting in 2025, airlines are anticipated to make their blanket rules on the implementation of increased measures on carry-on baggage. Included in these developments is a restriction on the allowed measurement size of carry-on luggage in well-off measures of security and efficiency, as well as increased limits on carry-on baggage.
On international flights, the new standard for bags will be 22 x 14 x 9 inches; this is lower by 21% than what most of the airlines would have been ready to accept by now.
Backpacks as carry-on luggage: The Complete Pros and Cons Guide
Traveling the globe with a 60-liter backpack as carry-on luggage has its pros and cons. Here is the whole list of all the pros and cons:
The Pros of Traveling with a 60L Backpack
The world can be traversed with a 60-liter backpack due to its major benefits. Hence, it is adopted by many world travelers for their journeys. Some of the major pros of having a 60L bag are:
Freedom to Move Around
No Checked Luggage: A 60L backpack allows you to travel without much hassle. You won't have to worry about losing your bags or waiting long at baggage claim, making you more mobile.
Flexibility: You can easily switch back and forth between buses, trains, taxis, etc., without the worry of dragging multiple bags along with you.
Convenience and Speed
Good Movement: A 60L backpack is quite easy to put on and carry around, allowing you to navigate through crowded spaces like airports, train stations, and city streets.
Quick Access: With many 60L backpacks featuring several compartments and pockets, quick access and better organization are ensured.
Cost Saving:
Avoid Paying Baggage Fees: Save on the costs associated with the baggage fees charged by airlines for checked bags if you carry a 60L bag as your travel luggage. It is great for budget travel purposes.
All luggage must be in one bag: This is a common policy among airlines regarding carry-on luggage. This means you cannot take any additional baggage to be checked in.
Good Weight Distribution:
A good design will help distribute the weight from your shoulders and hips when carrying a 60L backpack compared to many small bags, so you will not find it bothersome to use for hours.
Analysis
The benefits of traveling light using 60L backpacks compared to the drawbacks of carrying multiple bags on a journey:
|
Aspect |
60L Backpack |
Multiple Bags |
|
Freedom of Movement |
No checked luggage for easy navigation |
More baggage to look after, risking the loss of items |
|
Convenience |
Quickly access essential items and good route navigation |
Requires much more strategy, slowing movements |
|
Saves Cost |
No baggage fees due to a one-bag policy |
Possible added fees for extra bags |
|
Weight Distributes |
Weight evenly while carrying, making it comfortable |
Uneven weight makes it more difficult to carry. |
To utilize the features of a 60L backpack with the utmost potential, don't forget to grab a lightweight power bank such as the BLUETTI Power Bank X20 to facilitate organization and increase the usage time of devices. As a rule of thumb, do not forget that while a 60L backpack can be a perfect option for a carry bag, it is worth verifying the policies of particular airlines concerning size and weight limits.
The Cons of Traveling with a 60L Backpack
A 60L backpack is often considered a versatile option for travelers, offering a good balance of capacity and portability. However, it comes with its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to efficiently using the available space. Let’s break down the packing limitations and explore solutions to make your travel experience smoother.
Limited Variation
While a 60L backpack provides ample space for most travelers, it does require careful planning to maximize its use.
Versatility Restrictions: For longer trips, the number of items you need (like clothing, gear, and personal essentials) tends to increase, leaving little room for extras like souvenirs. This can make it difficult to accommodate diverse needs, especially if your travels span different climates or activities.
Efficient Packing Strategies: Even with packing cubes and compression sacks, you might encounter "dead space" in the bag, which can make organization tricky. Overstuffing the bag to fit everything may lead to accessibility issues, as unpacking becomes tedious.
Pro Tip: Prioritize multi-purpose items to reduce the variety required. For example, opt for clothing layers that work well in both warm and cold environments.
Compression Challenges
Using compression sacks or tightly rolling your items can create unintentional gaps within your pack.
Dead Space Issues: Compression sacks can squeeze clothing and gear down to a small size, but the irregular shapes they create can leave unused space inside the backpack, making it harder to achieve an efficient layout.
Packing Balance: Unevenly packed items may compromise weight distribution and comfort, especially on long treks.
Pro Tip: Use small, flexible organizer bags or pouches to fill gaps in your pack. Lay heavier items close to your back, while lighter items can go at the top or along the sides to ensure better weight distribution.
Carry-On Challenges: Fitting a 60L Backpack for Flights
While a 60L backpack provides enough room for most travelers, its size can make integrating it into carry-on or under-seat storage on planes challenging.
Size Limitations for Flights
Most airlines, particularly budget carriers, have strict size and weight restrictions for carry-on baggage. A fully-loaded 60L backpack often exceeds these dimensions, which means you may need to check it in or rearrange items if it doesn’t meet their carry-on criteria. Smaller planes, especially regional flights, tend to have even tighter space restrictions.
Pro Tip: Before flying, confirm the airline's carry-on size limits and pack accordingly. If your 60L bag is borderline, use compression straps to reduce its dimensions where possible.
Weight Distribution on Planes
Instability Issues: Storing heavier items at the bottom of your backpack might seem logical, but when attempting to fit the bag under a seat, this could make dragging it out more difficult.
Overhead Storage: Due to its size, a 60L backpack often ends up in overhead storage, which can be less convenient if you need access to essentials mid-flight.
Pro Tip: Create a smaller "in-flight essentials" kit (like a pouch or drawstring bag) that you can remove from the backpack and keep under your seat. This minimizes the need to access the main backpack during the flight.
How to Pack Smart: Maximizing Your 60l Backpack’s Potential
Choose the Right Backpack
- Many Compartments: Prefer a spacious backpack with several compartments and pockets, as this makes it easier to separate and organize items.
- Padded Compartments: Use specialized compartments to ensure every item is well-padded, similar to those used for fragile electronics.
How to Maximize Luggage Space
- Using packing cubes: They keep your belongings organized and maximize space. They help compress clothes and keep things organized and separated. Different types of items should be kept in separate squares (e.g., clothes, toiletries, or electronics) so that finding what you need doesn't require unpacking the whole bag. You can fit more into your travel kit since clothing inside packing cubes is compressed and retained.
- Use compression packs: Use compression bags to create more space in your luggage, especially for bulkier items such as jackets and sweaters. Pack your garments into the compression bag, seal it, and roll them up to squeeze out the air. This can greatly minimize the size of packed items stored at home.
- Strategic packing methods: By using strategic packing methods, packing can be done more efficiently. Rolling clothes instead of folding them can save space and reduce the wrinkles caused in clothes when packing. This is especially good for t-shirts, pants, and casual wear.
- Plan your packing list: Stick to the essentials and reduce your packing list to only items you will need for your trip. This helps to avoid too much bulkiness and weight. Select clothes that can be combined to create different outfits. Different combinations can easily be made with fewer items.
Organizing Personal Belongings
A 60-liter backpack should have compartments and pockets to organize personal belongings. Here are some detailed tips for organizing your backpack for easy access to essential items — toiletries, travel documents, and electronics:
Organized by Category
- Toiletries: Pack all your toiletries into a small toiletry bag or waterproof pouch. Ensure that storage is easy to reach, either using an outer pocket or the designated compartment.
- Travel Documents: Store your passport, boarding passes, and any other important travel documents in a secure but easily accessible pocket. You might consider a document organizer or a dedicated travel wallet.
- Electronics: Your laptop and all other electronics should be packed into a small padded compartment or sleeve. Protection is needed from being bumped and moisture.
Digital Copies of Important Documents
Cloud Saving: Store important electronic copies, like your passport, visa, and travel insurance, in a cloud service so that they can be accessed even when physical copies are stolen or lost.
Essential Tips for Backpacking
Staying Connected on the Move
Traveling is all about moving around, and it makes sense for you to want to stay connected for navigation, communication, and memory-keeping purposes. You might require a portable power bank to keep your devices alive. This is where the importance of having a piece of rechargeable equipment, like the X20 Portable Power Bank by BLUETTI, comes in handy as a travel companion.
It has a huge output power of 288W with a capacity of 153.6Wh, allowing you to charge almost everything from one device to another, right from laptops like the Intel Core i9 to other high-performance processing engines.
The X20 has four ports for connections, one of which is a 100W USB-C port. Thus, four devices can be charged all at once. This feature is ideal for travelers who want to charge all their gadgets at the same time.
Traveling can be done easily with the BLUETTI portable power bank. It keeps you plugged in and running, regardless of where you travel.
Moving with a 60L backpack through airport security
Pass through airport security with your 60L backpack using the following smart tips:
- Strategic packing.
- Using packing cubes.
- Keep liquids accessible.
- Wearing bulky items.
|
Item |
Location |
|
Liqueurs |
Top Pocket |
|
Electronic Equipment |
Easy access section |
|
Garments |
Main compartment |
|
Shoes |
Backpack’s bottom compartment |
Remember, if you have a backpack, it is included in your carry-on luggage, so you should carry it according to the size allowances set by airlines. Keep valuable items in pockets that can be easily accessed for removal during screening. With airline approval, passengers may also carry up to two spare larger lithium-ion batteries (101–160 Wh). So don’t forget to take your power bank.
Outdoor adventure preparations
When outfitting oneself for a trip with a 60L backpack, keep the following in mind:
Lightweight, multi-purpose clothing;
- A compact sleeping bag.
- A portable water filter.
- A first-aid kit.
- A headlamp.
Pack heavy items closer to you while keeping light items towards the outside for safety and convenience of travel, as this allows for proper balance and less strain at the end of long hikes.
Urban exploration tips:
As you enjoy urban adventures, take care of your valuables.
- Use anti-theft measures.
- Carry a daypack.
- Make use of public lockers.
|
Urban essentials |
Purpose |
|
Compact Camera |
Capture Memories |
|
Portable Charger |
Power devices |
|
Reusable water bottle |
Stay hydrated |
|
City map/app |
Navigate easily |
As you roam urban destinations, remove all non-essential items from your bag. This will lighten your load and reduce the chances of misplacement or theft. Be very observant so that you are aware of your surroundings, and keep all your valuables in a safe place.
Conclusion:
Traveling with only a 60L pack is not just possible, but it should also be liberating and an enriching experience. As you have learned through all of this, travel with the essentials. This power station is well-suited for powering appliances and charging your devices on the go, yet small enough not to compromise your ideals of traveling light. BLUETTI again makes things easier with this X20 portable power station.
The whole adventure of traveling with a 60L backpack around the world is proving to be quite thrilling while testing one's will towards minimalism and flexibility. With smart packing techniques, multipurpose equipment, and masterful light traveling strategies, you are good to go through different climates and cultures without a lot of luggage. Remind yourself of which bag makes a traveler's experience successful, as well as all the other things that include wise preparations, traveling, doing laundry, and taking care of your health on the road.
This entails the adventure of minimalist traveling and the use of a 60L backpack. Apart from this, every device will have an energy source during the trip with the BLUETTI Handsfree2 Portable Backpack Power Station. Live with only what is essential and enjoy the flexibility and ease of travel when moving light. Therefore, just grab your pack, keep it organized, and get ready to explore the world with nothing but what fits in your trusty 60L companion. The world awaits you, so go out and explore with freedom and flexibility!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I Take a 60L Backpack as a Carry-On?
Whether you can take a 60L backpack as a carry-on depends on the specific size and weight limits of the airline you are flying with. Most major airlines, such as United, Delta, and American Airlines, have a maximum carry-on size of 22 x 14 x 9 inches (56 x 36 x 23 cm), while Southwest Airlines allows slightly larger dimensions of 24 x 16 x 10 inches (61 x 41 x 25 cm).
In terms of weight, most airlines do not enforce a strict limit for carry-on luggage but typically recommend keeping it under 40 pounds (18 kg) for ease of handling. Given that a 60L backpack generally exceeds the standard carry-on dimensions, it may not comply with the size restrictions of most airlines. It is advisable to check with your specific airline for their policies, as some may allow larger bags if they fit in the overhead compartment.
Q. Is a 60L Backpack Big Enough for Traveling?
If packed properly, a 60L backpack can be sufficient for a longer period. It should be able to easily carry clothing through different climates, toiletries, and travel accessories. The organizing packing cubes can be maximized by layering and using every pocket available in the backpack. This allows travelers to pack all necessities without mentally burdening themselves, making it a great option for tours.
Q. Can a 65L Backpack Be for Carry-On?
The standard size restrictions for carry-on luggage are around 22 x 14 x 9 inches (56 x 36 x 23 cm) for most airlines, which is usually too small to accommodate a 65L backpack. Traveling with a 65-liter backpack comes with a few difficulties, such as overhead compartment space in terms of fitting and additional fees if checked in and deemed oversized. Though spacious for long travels, it does not fare well for use in congested airports or tight spaces. Therefore, it is not advisable to use a 65L backpack as a carry-on.
Q. How Many Liters Should a Backpack Be for Carry-On?
A carry-on travel backpack ideally has a capacity of about 40 to 50 liters. This size will usually suffice for carrying essentials for at most a week's trip. For 2 - 3 day trips, a 30 to 40-liter bag will usually do. Individual needs will determine the amount of clothing required for both climates, as well as the need to carry other equipment or personal items. Ultimately, one chooses backpacks based on the given airline carry-on dimensions, which makes travel not only simple but also convenient.
