Backpack vs. upright carry-on

My husband and I have a three-week trip to Japan planned for late March-early April. We have a lot of train travel in store.

We currently own two Briggs %26amp; Riley 20'; upright carry-ons that we use for travel. This will be our first time moving around on trains. I%26#39;d like to know if it would be advisable/worthwhile to invest in two large backpacks in lieu of the carry-ons. We already have a daypack to use. We%26#39;re more concerned about moving our primary luggage from one place to the other.

I know it is possible to forward luggage, but we would prefer not to. We generally pack light, this is more a question about whether the hard uprights will be awkward for traveling on trains. That is, whether or not we should pay for the backpacks.

Thanks in advance for your help. The forums have been very useful in planning our trip.

Backpack vs. upright carry-on

There is a photo of luggage space on a shinkansen on this page - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2274.html

Backpack vs. upright carry-on

Backpacks are generally easier for a couple of reasons. One is the obvious: you can carry them around. The other reason is that a backpack can be more easily stuffed in a locker or a rack on a train.

John W.

I seem to recall a lengthy discussion on this topic at some point in the past, and people had very strong opinions either way. But when you%26#39;re talking about 20-inch pieces, I don%26#39;t think you will have any trouble at all. They will probably even fit on the overhead rack on the subway. Where you get into trouble is with suitcases that are 24 inches or greater. You will definitely not have any trouble at all on the shinkansen, and will probably be able to find station lockers for them if desired (although that%26#39;s always a bit of a gamble). If anything, big backpacks are a more of a nuisance on crowded trains like subways because they stick out and take up too much space behind you when you are standing up. (I usually put wear mine on the front in such situations.)

If it fits into the overhead bin on a plane, it should fit very very easily on a train in Japan. Bigger is ok too, but not as easy. If it has wheels, it will be easier to carry around.

A 20'; upright carry-on with wheels is not big at all. You should have no problem moving that around.

The benefit of having a backpack is you free up your hands to do other things while walking around. However, an upright roller with wheels is usually easier to pack and you can typically put more inside.

Thank you all for the quick responses. I think we%26#39;ll stick with what we have, rather than shelling out for backpacks to replace our carry-on rollers.

I agree with Sammy. I traveled all over Japan multiple times with a Hartmann 22'; mobile traveler (roughly the same size). The wheels come in real handy when you%26#39;re tired. The drawback is the carrying volume per pound is much smaller than with backpacks.

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