Being a fan of Ogio bags,  I chose the company’s Excelsior backpack for my travel carry on.

It has several pockets for quick and easy access during travel. My laptop or iPad is safely tucked away in the padded pocket with additional sleeves. I am also able to stash a few essentials when needed. There is room for a couple favourite magazines, phone charger, medications, passport, snacks, pens and extra glasses. It’s like having my office on my back. 

The straps are padded so they’re easy on my shoulders when all loaded up. There is an adjustable sternum strap which is essential for weight distribution when you have slightly overpacked your backpack, as well as a padded handle on the top if you wish to give your shoulders a rest. The two mesh side pockets are great for storing a water bottle or extra snacks and the luggage pass-through handle on the back of the bag easily slips over my Ogio suitcase’s extended pull handle when rushing to drop off my luggage or exiting the airport after picking up my suitcase, hopefully, from the carrousel.

The featherlight, 39.3-litre Excelsior backpack weighs less than one kilogram and is approximately 49.5 cm x 34 cm x 23 cm deep when fully packed. It comes with a limited lifetime warranty and is available at Motovan.com. It retails for $93.95.