[trying hard not to laugh] Why is a suitcase easier to steal? Anyway, it really depends on how you are going to travel. If you more or less expect to simply haul your stuff from train station to a hostel (hotel) and back, rolling duffel is more convenient (and in my opinion looks less out of place). On the other hand, if you think that you will carry your stuff around a lot, that do it in a backpack. And you don’t want a backpack so large and heavy that you’d be constantly thinking about it either.

Lots of posts on this – run a search. IMO, I prefer the backpack to rolling something around. And a regular suitcase would be a nightmare.

I’d take a backpack. I’ve done Europe with both, and would never use a suitcase with wheels again. The cobblestone in Europe can be a nightmare.

Triple true. Having to haul your crap around on your back makes you think twice about what you’ll really need and what you won’t need. But if you decide to go for a rolling bag, make sure it has large round rolling wheels (like 3" dia)—not those tiny little casters (maybe 1" dia) which are the worst for cobblestones. Big rubber wheels are quieter, too.

nivid is right, those European cobblestone streets can really pose a problem. Plus, if you want to avoid alot of funny looks at hostels, I would sggest using a backpack In my humble opinion, travelling with wheeled luggage while "backpacking" through Europe and staying at hostels, is somewhat…inappropriate. No offence, this is just my opinion. I liken it to staying at hotels, and having someone carry your luggage around for you. However, there are many reasons why one would use wheeled suitcases, such as having a bad back or something.

Like previously mentioned, you quickly learn what you NEED to pack, and what you can live without. Plus, remember you really only travel with your big pack from city to city and hostel to hostel. The rest of the time you just leave it in your hostel room. I suggest you bring a daypack with you to carry around your valuable during the day. Some backpacks come with zip-off daypacks, so you might consider buying one of those. Also, some backpacks are specifically designed for the female traveller, such as Eagle Creek’s Maiden Voyage 70L. "A modular travel pack for the twenty-something female traveler staying in hostels and traveling by train" (http://www.europeanp…)

I would also suggest that before you go, you pack your bag with everything you plan to take, go for a walk with it on, then, if too heavy, remove some stuff, until you have it with a weight you can handle. Also, they WAY you pack can have some affect on the weight. Try different packing strategies. Once you have it all worked out, spend some time going for walks with it on in order to adjust yourself to it. If you have a good backpack with good hip belts, you will hardly notice it. Properly wearing the pack is KEY! Sorry for rambling on Hope this helps!

Cheers

I personally prefer a rolling suitcase because of my back problems…It really depends on how your trip is planned
cheers
howie
turok46368@aol.com

im going to go with a rolling duffle this time…but im only taking ten kilos in it…my toiletries etc will go in a smaller backpack carry on ..which ill use for day trips if i have to ..otherwise i take a big soft purse that lugs a lot of non valuables like brochures and souvenirs

packing methods is important like roy says…check the websites on packing techniques..u have to make sure the heavy things dont go to the bottom of ur pack ..thats so heavy and uncomfortable…

if u take a roller duffle…have a good run round the store with it b4 u buy it …make sure the wheels dont tip round corners..makes a huge difference…mine is an antler brand..145 aussie dollars..ive taken it for a short trip and was really pleased that it behaved…and i could carry it down stairs if i had to
weight is the key ..and reconsider if ur planning to take lots of shoes..b4 i bought my duffle i lay out all my stuff to see how much i needed…most stores will let u take the bag home and try it out and exchange if u need to

NO SUITCASES!!! pain in the butt to wheel even on london streets!the strap cuts off ur circulation and its ghastly to wheel across roads and stand on median strips!

8 weeks worth of clothes is really one week’s worth(with washes) so do coordinate ur wardrobe..if something only goes with one other thing ..dont take it..i usually take basics that go with everything…black brown and red..( good for pics!)

quote: It would probably be easier to steal the suitcase right ?

If you are going to visit cities or landmarks that have lots of stairs, you will regret bringing a suitcase with wheels!

I agree with Roy on this one. And that web site of his has a lot of great stuff including its self-titled backpacking book.

Some thing to consider that can go wrong with anything that rolls are the wheels. I’ve seen them break. Lots of people have taken rolling bags/packs/duffels with them, but I’ve seen many of them struggling with their broken-wheeled luggage shortly after arrival. The packs that have wheels on them are a great idea, but when they break it can become uncomfortable. They aren’t usually nearly as comfortable as a true backpack with a good harness, nothing beats that. If you’re planning on spending 8 weeks, I’d say bring a backpack because you’ve definitely crossed the line between vacation into actual travel. True it requires travel to go on vacation, but actual travel is a whole new ballgame.

When one travels for an extended period of time a backpack can be adjusted to distribute the weight between hips and shoulders to one’s liking, and at times one can even forget it’s there.

Again, check out the website roy_grace mentioned, there is a great book that covers a variety of travel advice. It also has some of the best packs on the market available.

Cheers