Try to fit everything in one bag if you can. This will leave your hands free to gesture in exasperation, wave for cabs, wave away dogs, rickshaws, and street mimes. You never want to be trapped by a street mime.

Luggage with wheels, hard sides, garment bags, monograms, etc. can all be very nice, and will make you look more respectable. But real luggage is only a luxury if you can afford to live the lifestyle. You will pay the price in sore shoulders if you are not willing to pay for the taxis and rental cars that make this fashion tolerable.

The backpack is with good reason the most common choice for young travelers and students. Having a load that is light enough and compact enough to carry a few blocks can be more than just an airport convenience. It can mean the difference between seeing Paris from the streets, or being forced to watch the activity from the airport or train station because it is too much work to tote your suitcase all over. What kind of backpack is another choice. The main decision has long been internal vs. external frame style packs.

An external frame pack is more comfortable for long and intensive backpacking. It allows the weight to rest more comfortably on your hips and gives ventilation to keep you cooler. It is also handy for clipping things on to the outside with carabines or other clips. An external frame pack will also allow you to expand your load more, by tying extra bags onto the frame. This is almost always necessary as the traveler accumulates mementos and gifts. There are several problems with this sort of pack, though, which make it the less popular choice. A large frame distributes weight more evenly and comfortably,but it also weighs more than an internal frame. Its metal bars will catch on train doors and luggage racks, making it more difficult to navigate. External frame packs are also usually larger, and some airlines may not allow them as carry on baggage. In fact, due to their irregular shape, they may not want to accept them as checked luggage either.

The internal frame style has become far more popular for several reasons. The internal frame pack, which means that the bag looks like a large school backpack, has rigid bars running vertically at the back of the bag, where it rests against your back. They are well padded, and shaped to ride comfortably, so this is not as painful as it sounds. Most backpack manufacturers now make several types of internal frame backpacks that you will be able to check through airports and stow on trains easily. It is hard to abandon the convenience of complicated bags. Exterior pockets, zip off fanny packs, water-bottle carriers can all make life a little bit convenient. But you will pay for every complication on your bag. Simpler designs are less likely to catch on hooks and doors when entering and exiting buses, trains, etc.

By having everything enclosed it is also easier to secure your pack, many of them now come with zippers which can be padlocked. There are also ways to engineer locks with a small length of chain or cable, which can also allow the traveler to secure his or her pack to a fixed object. Nothing is ever 100% secure, though, and anything short of chain mail can be quickly razored. Locking systems on soft bags serve to keep honest people honest. A securely closed pack requires that the thief be willing to commit to crime, and have come prepared, and there is little to be done to dissuade such a thief except constant surveillance and a handgun (and you probably don't want to bring a handgun). Many packs are now made with the traveler rather than the backpacker in mind. Some have few or no small external pockets, which makes them easier to secure. Many have side handles for airport and bus maneuvering, and some even have wheels (this is not your hippie uncle's backpack).

A small backpack or large fanny pack is ideal once you have arrived at your destination. A daypack should be comfortable enough to wear all day and large enough to hold a guide book, a camera, and perhaps a snack. Having these items stowed out of sight will allow you to look a little less like a tourist, and thus to avoid both the possible hassles and the social stigma attached to being a tourist. Most hotels and hostels will have some sort of facilities to store your valuables, even in developing countries. Communication networks are well developed among travelers. Hotel owners know this and will do their best to protect their reputation in even the most isolated places. A positive or negative review in a popular travel guide can make a huge difference for a small business dependent on tourism. Governments know the importance of protecting the reputation of the tourist industry. Most countries take traveler's complaints very seriously.

The most important thing to remember is to PACK LIGHT. This cannot be stressed enough! One way to encourage yourself to pack light is to pack your bags and then carry them around the block once or twice. Go grocery shopping in your backpack, sleep in it, wear it to class or out on dates. Ask yourself not whether you could carry it if necessary, but if you are likely to enjoy scenery and culture while doing it. Then go through your bags again and take out all those suddenly unimportant items. Be reasonable about the clothing you expect to need. The chance that you'll need to dress up much may be unlikely. The best general rule is to bring the nicest durable outfit that you can afford to destroy. Almost anything can be purchased in almost any part of the world, so you don't have to carry a full supply of everything you think you might need. Clothing should be lightweight, drip-dry and wrinkle-proof (knits, permanent press, cotton), dark colors (hide more dirt), mix-and-match items (for more variety). Make sure that you've looked into the social norms of the place where you are headed. Sometimes being properly attired is more than merely "going native." Dressing inappropriately is inconsiderate. Will shorts and t-shirts be out of place? Should bare arms be avoided? Find out before you go! Put heavy, durable objects at the bottom of the bag. Large flat items against your back will be most comfortable and space efficient. Pack daily necessities near openings. Use small drawstring bags to keep things organized.