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In this honest Mountain Warehouse backpack review, I’m sharing my love for my trusty Traveller 60+20-litre Rucksack.
This was my pack of choice for many years, and is still going strong despite being several years old. I genuinely think the Traveller 60+20-litre Rucksack is the perfect backpack for first-time travellers!
Choosing the right backpack for long term travel or a Round-the-World trip is a serious decision. Your backpack can be your best friend while you’re away – or your worst enemy. An uncomfortable, heavy or poorly made one could genuinely ruin your trip!
Before I left for my first backpacking trip several years ago, I did a ton of research. I also asked lots of other travellers in order to find the best backpack for me. Several years and multiple trips later, it’s still serving me brilliantly…
READ MORE: Best Backpacks for Female Travellers
Disclaimer – Mountain Warehouse sent me this bag free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I used it for YEARS and genuinely loved it!
Mountain Warehouse Backpack Review
This post is all about the Mountain Warehouse Traveller 60 + 20 Litre Rucksack. The pack has been around for several years, and remains one of the store’s most popular backpacks. Designed specifically with travellers in mind, rather than for use by hikers and campers, this pack is PERFECT for long term travel.
At around £60*, this is a really reasonably priced backpack and perfect for those whose budgets are tight.
Hopefully, this Mountain Warehouse backpack review will help you decide if the Traveller Rucksack is right for you…
*Check the latest prices HERE!
What Size Backpack do I Need?
Deciding on the right size was the hardest part of selecting my backpack. Lots of travellers I know travel light, with a carry-on sized backpack at 35L or less. It sounds fantastic in theory, but in practice, travelling with only hand luggage just doesn’t work for me.
The best travel backpack size is around 50 to 60L. This should be large enough to carry everything you need, but not so big that it’ll make life impossible for you on the road! I settled on 60L, which has suited me fine over the years. It’s not carry-on sized, but it’s also not so big that I turn into a turtle. And I can fit everything I need for any trip length in a 60L backpack.
Mountain Warehouse Traveller 60 + 20 Litre Rucksack
The aptly named Mountain Warehouse Traveller 60 + 20 Litre Rucksack
Capacity and Size
The traveller is a 60+20-litre rucksack. That means that the main bag has a 60L capacity, but also comes with a detachable 20L day-pack. In total, you have the option of 80L storage space.
I rarely use both bags together, because a whole 80L of stuff on my back turns me into a snail! But it’s nice to be able to attach them together when I’m checking the luggage in for a flight. The day-pack can also be clipped on to the straps so that it can be carried on the front if needed. “Double-turtling” is a great way to even out the load!
What I love about the Mountain Warehouse Traveller Rucksack is the comfy hip belt and the adjustable, padded shoulder straps, which mean that the bag fits me perfectly and the weight is spread across my whole body. It’s a surprisingly comfy backpack – as long as you’re sensible about weight distribution and don’t fill it with more than you’re capable of carrying (something I learnt the hard way).
Unzips all the Way Round!
But here’s what makes the Mountain Warehouse Traveller 60 + 20 Litre Rucksack the perfect backpack for long travel. It unzips all the way around, instead of opening just at the top.
Sounds like a small detail, but it’s one that makes a huge difference. Remember that sinking feeling when you realise that what you need is right at the bottom of your backpack? Not any more! A bag that opens all the way around, suitcase-style, is a backpacker’s best friend and genuinely makes life so much easier on the road.
Other Awesome Features
Another great feature is the free rain-cover, tucked away into one of the many pockets the Mountain Warehouse Traveller Rucksack has to offer.
Shockingly enough, rain isn’t a phenomenon exclusive to England, and wherever you travel on your RTW trip you’re bound to encounter a downpour at least once. The rain-cover has come in handy time and again, not just when it rains but also as a handy protector for the outside of my backpack when it’s in the hold of a bus on long journeys.
As I said, there are plenty of pockets, plus a separate zipped compartment at the bottom of the bag.
Better yet, there’s a zippable cover that tucks all the straps neatly out of sight, for ease when checking the bag in for a flight. Airlines usually ask you to tighten and tuck in all the straps when you check in a bag – which can ruin your perfectly-set-up strap adjustments – so being able to zip them all away ready to fly is a fantastic option.
Mountain Warehouse Backpack Review – an Update
The Mountain Warehouse Traveller 60 + 20 Litre Rucksack is seriously durable. It’s had to be, to keep up with me as I’ve lugged it all over the world.
My backpack has been dragged up steps and thrown onto buses, kicked under dorm beds and dropped, squashed, and taken out into all weathers from dry desert heat to jungle humidity. It’s even served as a seat MANY times. After 7 years of use (as of 2021), I really am happy to recommend this fabulous backpack as the perfect choice for long-term travellers with a lot of stuff to carry.
I’m convinced that this is the best budget travel backpack out there – it certainly ticks all my boxes! The Mountain Warehouse Traveller Rucksack
I hope this Mountain Warehouse backpack review helped! If you have any questions about the Traveller 60 + 20 Litre Rucksack, scroll down to leave a comment.
This bag looks similar to one I used about ten years ago, can’t remember the make, but it zipped all the way round so was really good for packing and then finding stuff. Try and stock up on those miniature toiletries before your trip – you can always buy stuff when you are there, but they take up less room and are lighter than normal sized bottles. Don’t forget padlocks for your zipped pockets too!
Hi Emily, just found your blog, off to south america in a few months so shall read your other posts, was just wondering how your mountain warehouse bag and boots held up as have seen a few bad reviews about them!
Hey Tess! How exciting for you – do you know which countries you’ll be visiting? You should also take a look at my other site, BackpackSouthAmerica.com, which has some more informative posts – it’s still growing but it may help!
The rucksack fared brilliantly on my trip – since South America I used it again on my trip to Vietnam and it’s still going strong. I love that you can unzip and open the entire main compartment, rather than rummaging through from the top – makes things so much easier. But it also means that you have to pack a bit neater to stop everything spilling out when you open up the rucksack – I recommend getting some packing cubes (you can check out my review of the eBags ones) to help keep things organised.
The boots didn’t quite survive the trip, but I blame myself and the environment rather than the boots themselves. I took them to extremes, got them soaked through a few times when walking in heavy rain or falling into rivers, wore them in snow in Bolivia, strapped them to the outside of my rucksack to save space, and generally just didn’t look after them. By the end of the five months there was a pretty big hole in the side of one boot and the material was kind of warped. The soles were still in good condition, and I think if they were better looked after they would have done a much better job!! My replacements were from Mountain Warehouse’s Extreme range, and I’d recommend these rather than the boots. You can read the review here: https://www.emilyluxton.co.uk/product-reviews/south-america-walking-shoes/. Depending on what you’ll be using them for, you’re probably better off taking walking shoes rather than boots, as they’ll be lighter and smaller – making them easier to carry around!!
But I do recommend Mountain Warehouse products, especially the rucksack – which was fantastic, sturdy, and survived one hell of a trip!
Good luck with your adventures – it’s going to be awesome :)
Hi, thinking of buying this for a trip to Bangladesh, i just wondered if it is possible to lock the bag with a travel padlock? thanks
Hi Olivia! Thanks for getting in touch. The bag has a normal zip so it’s entirely possibly to padlock the zips together – as long as it’s a normal padlock and not too thick. You’d need two though as there is a separate zipping compartment at the bottom of the rucksack which connects to the main compartment. You could also consider one of the PacSafe slash-proof mesh bag covers, like this one
, which would completely cover your bag and make it totally safe!
Hope that helps!
Hi, I have been looking at the Traveller Rucksack and I am wondering how it is in terms of security, is it easy to fit traveller locks etc?
It’s just a bog standard rucksack in those terms. There are zips which can be padlocked together pretty easily – but the rucksack itself is made from canvas type material which could be slashed. Personally, I keep all valuables in my daypack (which is an anti-theft one – https://www.emilyluxton.co.uk/product-reviews/travelon-backpack/) and leave the rucksack unlocked.
Hope that helps :)
Hi,
I don’t suppose you have the dimensions of the backpack do you ?
I am wondering if it would fit as cabin baggage to save paying for checked luggage!
Thank you :)
Amazon has it down as 71 x 41 x 21 cm, not sure if that’s exactly right but I’d say it’s definitely too large for cabin baggage. It’s a big rucksack, I think hold luggage only!
Hi Emily!
I was wondering if a 13″ laptop would fit into the small daypack or would it be too much of a squeeze with not much protection?
Great post, thanks for the tips!
Emma
Hi Emma! It’d definitely fit in the daypack, I used to have a 15″ laptop which I carried in there. You’ll want to invest in a padded laptop sleeve though :)
Hope that helps!
Hi I am looking to get this bag but do you know how much the weight is of the bag?
Hi Demi!! According to Amazon it’s 2.8 Kg, which sounds about right to me. Not a heavy bag really :)
Thank you so much for this review. I have been umming and arhhing on a backpack for my first travels in a few months time and I was drawn to this one right at the start. I thought I would keep my options open and keep looking etc… but this review has really confirmed my decision to purchase.. right now! thank you very much.
Oh YAY that’s awesome! I really do genuinely recommend this backpack – especially for first-timers. It’s a good price, it’s sturdy, and it does the job! I’ve moved on to a slightly fancier wheeled backpack these days for most trips, but I still have the Traveller Rucksack and it’s still going strong.
Thanks for the review. I am considering this backpack for my first backpacking trip next year. Did you get the women’s fit size or normal unisex size? I’m 5ft 4inc woman and not sure if I should go for women’s fit backpack or normal one size?
When I bought it there was only one unisex size so that’s the one I have. I’m also 5’4″ and it was fine for me but I always felt like if there was one thing I’d improve it would be to give it a women’s shape. So if they have that option Id go for the women’s one :)
Hi I’ve got this backpack and wondering of you leave the day pack attached when checking it in to the hold? I need to but worried it may not be allowed.
I’ve never done that myself as I always use the day pack to carry my valuables. However, they attach securely so I think it should be absolutely fine – once they’re attached it’s essentially one large bag. Hope that helps :)