What Can You Fit Inside Your Bag? A Backpack Sizing Guide.
It’s often hard to know what you can fit in a certain sized backpack, especially if you’re buying it online. While litre capacity guidelines give a rough indication, how does that translate into real-life stuff? And, how big is 24 liters anyway? To help out, we’ve put together a backpack sizing guide, including packing lists and images of what you should be able to fit into the most popular sizes out there. There are 16-18 litre backpacks, 24-26 litre backpacks, 32-34 litre backpacks and over 40 litres.
What can you fit in a 16-18 litre backpack?
While 18 litres is considered a compact size for a backpack, don’t let that fool you. If the backpack is built well and is fully utilized, you should be able to fit lots of essentials into it. Here’s a packing list of what you can fit into a 16-18L backpack:
- Keys
- Passport
- Wallet
- Sunglasses
- Pen
- Headphones
- Make-up
- Powerbank
- Cords & Cables
- Pocket Notebook
- Tablet
- Book
- Umbrella
- Water bottle
- Perhaps an 11’’-13’’ laptop (depending on dimensions)
What might this look like in real life? Here’s one example…
The pictured Citysafe CX backpack has a 17L Capacity. Shop this style here.
What can you fit in an 24-26 litre backpack?
24-26 litres is considered a medium-size backpack and is probably the most popular bag capacity out there. It’s great for taking to school or work, depending on the styling, and can also be a great travel pack for taking on a plane. Here is a potential packing list for that size depending on where you’re headed.
- Up to 15’’ laptop
- Rolled-up jacket or sweater
- Some snacks
- A4 Notebook
- A Magazine
- Keys
- Passport
- Wallet
- Sunglasses
- Pen
- Headphones
- Make-up/Toiletries
- Powerbank
- Cords & Cables
- Tablet
- Book
- Umbrella
- Water bottle
What might this look like in real life? Here’s one example…
The pictured Venturesafe G3 32L backpack has a 32-liter capacity. Shop this style here.
What can you fit in an 40+ litre backpack?
Anything around the 40-45 litre mark should still be carry-on compliant depending on the dimensions and the airline. They make for great travel bags when you don’t want to check in luggage. Even if you’re a heavy packer, you should be able to take a 45L pack away for a weekend. A light packer could easily do with a bag like this for a week. With that in mind, here’s a packing list for what you can fit in a 40+ backpack.
- Up to 15’’ laptop
- 2-3 spares set of clothes
- A spare pair of shoes
- A warm jacket
- A towel
- Make-up/Toiletries
- Headphones
- Powerbank
- Cords & Cables
- Tablet
- Some snacks
- A4 Notebook
- A magazine or two
- Maps
- Keys
- Passport
- Wallet
- Sunglasses
- Pens
- Book
- Umbrella
- Water bottle
What might this look like in real life? Here’s one example…
The pictured Venturesafe EXP45 anti-theft backpack has a 45L Capacity. Shop this style here.
Hopefully this guide has helped you understand what you can fit into a specific capacity backpack. Of course, everyone carries different things, so apply your own necessities to similar-sized items above and you should be able to get a good sense for your personal needs.
Safe travels!
This article is adapted from Pacsafe’s Travel Blog.