Today I received my new Fjallraven Kanken Maxi Backpack in the mail and I’m super excited!
I had been looking for a new bag for a couple of months. My old backpack was about 15 years old and was shedding the waterproofing on everything I put in there so I was reluctant to actually use it when I needed it.
I also needed a new piece of luggage. We’ve been doing more bus and train travel since we decided to try to go car free back in December. Having a hands free, subway turnstile friendly, easy to carry piece of luggage has become infinitely more important to us!
It turns out that there is a sea of options to get lost in when it comes to backpacks and travel packs. Who knew?
Then, I decided to book a flight on a discount airline called Newleaf. They charge for checked luggage. They charge even MORE for carry on luggage. If I wanted my cheap flight to stay cheap, I’d need a bag that was 17″ x 13″ x 6″.
That was when the field really thinned out and the Fjallraven Kanken Maxi backpack came out on top.
I’d read that it was durable and comfortable. It unzips all the way around like a suitcase so I can see everything inside at once. It fits the strict Newleaf personal bag dimensions AND it expands from 18L to 27L for extra room when you need it!
It’s a little pricey at $129CAD, but knowing how long I kept my last backpack and how uncomfortable my last couple of trips had been luggage-wise, I knew it would be a good buy.
But I’m cheap, so I decided to wait for a sale.
But then I had some bag buying money thrown at me, so I bite the bullet and made the buy.
I’m super excited to be able to 1. carry my trunk on my back and 2. put KonMari folding to the test to be able to pack all the clothes I’ll need for a longer trip in this small bag.
If you’re wondering why I had bag buying money thrown at me or about the backpack, you can check out this YouTube video I made. Yes. I made a YouTube video as requested by a family member about this bag. So, check it out and then convince me to make many more videos.
What About You?
Do you have a favourite bag you carry everywhere? Do you try to travel light too?
Updates!
This post was originally published with no affiliate links. But then I had some requests, so:
Fjallraven – Kanken Laptop 17″ Backpack for Everyday, Super Grey
April 13,
We’ve actually had a chance to try the backpack out for travel and it has surpassed my expectations. Especially when combined with packing cubes!
I took my daughter on a one week trip on the train to visit family and everything we NEEDED fit in this backpack! (we also brought a little child size backpack full of comfort items plus a reusable shopping bag for our winter layers on the way back. Spring!)
Here are some videos of me packing for the trip using the Fjallraven Kanken maxi backpack:
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