Rolling bag vs backpack

barbara,, I have taken one RS tour, the 14 day one too( but a Family Tour, does same places as regular 14 day one) .
Everyone had a rolling bag. It worked well, except in Venice where we had to leave the bus on the mainland, and take the boat to Venice, and then walk to our hotel,, all those cute arched bridges you see,,well I would say 90% of them are actually stairs that go up and down,, not a ramp! So in that one place you had to carry your bag up and down about 3 bridges till we got to our hotel( yours may be different so perhaps less bridges) ,, everyone, including the kids, managed fine. I will tell you one thing I did,, my dd and I combined the stuff we needed for the 2 days into one of our bags and left the other one on the bus.A few families did similar. I guess my point is simple, use your regular back pack if you wish, if you are happy with it why change? But, if you decide to get another bag, I would just get a regular rolling bag,, I have heard the wheels in the back is not that comfy.. plus it does add extra weight to the bag .

I own both. The convertible backpack has worked the best when we have traveled in Europe since we did it on our own and often found ourselves trekking through metros, city streets, up and down hills, etc. However, the roller bag is a dream in airports (I use it almost exclusively when I travel here in the states where I'm more often than not picked up at the airport) and provides a little more structure. My husband and I pack one of each now when we go abroad. We find that extra structure protects our wine purchases now that they won't let them into carry-on!

Barbara, I own both the RS Rolling bag, and a convertible carryon, and have used both numerous times. I haven't had any experience with the RS rolling backpack, but I have used a different brand of rolling backpack type bag one time, and would never do it again! Generally, when traveling independently and using public transportation I exclusively use the convertible carryon backpack. However, when I went on a 14 RS tour I used the rolling bag and it was perfect! No need to carry it on my back at all so worked really well. We were on a bus for the entire tour so it just had to be loaded / unloaded off bus, and sometimes carried up a few flights of stairs. My experience with a roller/backpack was that it was heavy, and wheels dug into my back while carrying it. Maybe the RS bag is better about that however.

We are similar to Amy. We use backpack style in Europe and rolling in the US. Between rough streets, no curb cuts, narrow, crowded streets, stairways, etc. we find it much more convenient to use the backpack style in Europe.

I don't like the rollers with backpack straps. The extra weight makes it less carryable and the wheels can make it uncomfortable. I use a convertible and my wife uses a roller. Each of us are happy with our own choices. Sometimes I'm jealous in airports but otherwise I like my choice. My wife's has the bigger urethane wheels and she seems to be able to get it whereever she needs to.

I have a Victorinox roller bag with backpack straps and love it. The wheels do not dig into my back when I carry it as a backpack, as I am narrow enough to fit betwen them. However, the straps are inconvenient to fish out, and I haven't used them since a trip to Venice (for the reasons Pat mentions---the bridges). For short distances or a few flights of stairs, I just carry it. Yes, it is heavier than a bag without wheels would be, but I just call it exercise and skip going to the gym that day. I do love being able to roll through airports.

The weight differential between the two types of bags is a great issue to us. As I've said, "I'll take a wheelie when I need a trailer behind my wheel chair.

Thanks for all your thoughts. I still have to decide whether the ease of getting thru airports outweighs the extra 2 lbs of bag weight. I appreciate your comments!

Hi barbara Been on gas tour and Bulgaria. Pretty much everyone had rolling bag.
S

We have switched from the convertible rollers to only rollers, as we can now wear a daypack and pull the bag. Even in Venice where some bridges have ramps and some don't, rollers aren't a problem.

I think that Rick's backback bag that converts to a roller is new to the market. It sounds great, however. I use Rick's packing list. I'll pack it, then take about a third of what's on the list out. Lighter is better.

I am having to decide between my light 19" roller bag and my new backpack convertible roller bag (Rick's Autobahn bag). The Autobahn weighs 1.5 lb more. I expect to roll it almost all the time, but we did have an occasion once in Scotland when the bus dropped us off about a half mile outside of town along the main highway and we had to hoof it on a gravel path. That was when I wished I had straps. Is an extra 1.5 lb. worth that kind of eventuality again? I have until Apr 2 to decide.

I actually own all three types: a roller bag, a convertible backpack (old) and a roller/backpack. These days I almost always use the roller bag. I like the roller/backpack option if I think I might be forced to handle both bags (a roller and the roller/backpack) myself which has happened when I either had really small children or took along my 85 year old mom. I don't use the roller/backpack all the time for the reasons you mention. It weighs more and holds less for its size due to the backpack straps. That said I am about to use it for a 3 week trip because it is smaller than my other roller bag and I think it is all I will need. My roller is 22 in, the roller/backpack is 21. If I had a 21 in roller only, I would take that. For me, I try to use the smallest bag that I can. Are you definitely getting a new bag and trying to decide between a roller with or without the backpack option? I think I also had a tendancy to want the backpack straps when I made the switch from the convertible backpack, but now, I would only get the roller bag.

I just took Rick's rolling backpack to the UK for 14 days. It was the perfect combination. I used the wheels on the street and in airports, but when I needed to climb stairs, the backpack straps were ideal. I am not very strong, so the smaller size and light weight made it possible for me to lift the fully packed bag over my head to place in the airplane bins. (I was not able to do this with my old roller bag.) I had plenty of room to pack for a four day conference (including business attire) and another 10 days of tourist activities. I am going to Germany and Poland this summer for 15 days, and I plan just to bring this bag.

I have usually used a backpack in Europe. But various travel partners have used a wheelie with few problems. I decided that about 90% of the time on a self-planned trip and about 98% of the time on a tour, a wheelie is fine. Plus, for me it was getting tiring lugging my bag on my shoulder (2 years ago, it was weighed at the airport, returning after a 3 week trip, with lots of souvenirs at less than 12 kilos--but it was still a pain.) I also disliked constantly taking my bag off and on my shoulders as soon as it was time to move (e.g., getting off a train.) So I got the RS. If you don't mind the weight of the wheels, the few ounces for the straps shouldn't make much difference. I think I can spare a couple of pounds for the wheels to make the trip more enjoyable. I'll be using it for a month this year, if anyone has questions then, I'll be glad to share my experiences.

On my first trip to Europe, I originally used a suitcase with back pack straps and it was a non-ergonomic nightmare. There were times when I actually fell backwards. Next trip, I purchased a hiker's backpack, and it was ergonomic heaven....and boy could I jam plenty in it. then the days where carry on restriction set in, I was afraid to check my backpack because I did not want the internal structure damaged by poor handling luggage handlers, so I bought an osprey porter 60, which is ergonomic like a hiker's backpack, easy to carry on, like a roller bag, and it packs like a suitcase (as opposed to the top loading hiker bag). My problem is that it makes it tough to bring a lot of things back, so it needs to be checked on the way back. So this year, I think our carry on days may come to an end and we considering checking large roller bag luggage. The osprey porter makes a great carry on but it limits me from bringing much home. It is not a roller, I know that rollers take up some room so that it can fit the proper dimensions of a carry on. That is why I never bought one. I always liked to have my hands free as I maneuver new territory.
Not sure if I answered your question but just wanted to give you a schematic of what bags have been in my life and why I am thinking about checking bags next time.