Backpacks in the summer?

0FF TO NEVERLAND

DIS Veteran
Joined
May 7, 2018
I am trying to decide what kind of backpack to get for my upcoming trip. This seems very difficult. I am debating on if two straps are going to make life even more hot!

Just need something to put the essentials in that doesn't feel extremely heavy, and works well for the summer, and waterproof

Figured something off amazon.


Any suggestions?

Thanks
 
7D3E3C5B-5B4C-429A-8E89-4944CB7EF5AF.jpegNot sure how much you want to spend, but this is the Kate Spade one I took last week. It was the perfect size, not too big and not too small. It converts to a crossbody if you get tired of wearing it as a backpack, and it also has a handle to just carry it if needed. Also, we got caught in heavy rain one night, and while it was soaked on the outside everything stayed dry inside! It’s sold at Nordstrom, Amazon and several other places...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B078Z2MXYL?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title
 
I prefer a crossbow bag to a backpack when it's hot. I have a Baggalini that I really like; I think the style is called the Messenger Bagg. It's big enough to hold the basics like a water bottle, wallet, sunglasses, small emergency poncho, cell phone, etc. but it's not too big.

Backpacks cover most of my back and just make me feel hot. I'd rather have just one strap across my body and have a whole backpack touching my back.
 
How about one of those small nylon sinch bags with the thin straps, like Nike? They’re light weight and good for holding the essentials
 


My wife will happily carry a full sized back pack in that awful summer heat. Me, I carry what I can fit in my pockets (I do wear cargo shorts) and occasionally carry a camera bag, but not every day.
 
View attachment 336404Not sure how much you want to spend, but this is the Kate Spade one I took last week. It was the perfect size, not too big and not too small. It converts to a crossbody if you get tired of wearing it as a backpack, and it also has a handle to just carry it if needed. Also, we got caught in heavy rain one night, and while it was soaked on the outside everything stayed dry inside! It’s sold at Nordstrom, Amazon and several other places...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B078Z2MXYL?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title


I 100% agree on this. I have the tropical print one and it's wonderful. And if you go to the kate spade site, the often have sales so it can be affordable.
 


I’m all about the single strap sling backpacks.

They don’t fully cover your back and you can just slide them around to your front when you need to retrieve something.
 
I was using lightweight crossbody not backpack but this year i'm thinking of switching to a large kipling wristlet i found online on amazon.
 
Not sure how much you want to spend, but this is the Kate Spade one I took last week. It was the perfect size, not too big and not too small. It converts to a crossbody if you get tired of wearing it as a backpack, and it also has a handle to just carry it if needed.

Oh, this looks great and I wish I had seen it for a weekend where I needed a backpack last month. At WDW, I could see using this as I do not always carry a bag, but this would be great.
 
View attachment 336404Not sure how much you want to spend, but this is the Kate Spade one I took last week. It was the perfect size, not too big and not too small. It converts to a crossbody if you get tired of wearing it as a backpack, and it also has a handle to just carry it if needed. Also, we got caught in heavy rain one night, and while it was soaked on the outside everything stayed dry inside! It’s sold at Nordstrom, Amazon and several other places...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B078Z2MXYL?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title
This is adorable! I wonder if they have these at the Kate spade outlet stores
 
I think this leads to the bigger question, what do you carry in your backpack?

For us it is sunscreen, perhaps a towel and a couple of bottles of water. Very often ponchos.
 
I took a backpack my first year and I think it almost killed me. It was SOO hot! And I promised myself I wouldn't fill it but of course it was packed to the gills with treasures. Since then, I've always taken a crossbody bag and I love it! I'm a notorious over-packer and I still manage to pack all my "park essentials" (they're not really essential but I swear I might need 40 ibuprofen in one day! What if I drop 36 of them?)
 
I don’t know what I’ll do when my kids totally outgrow their strollers! I love having storage-on-wheels.
Sooooooooooo true! We have also started looking at something to replace our stroller:( It's so easy to have our ponchos, snacks, waters etc. in our disney bag and then just keep it in the bottom of the stroller. DH and I both dislike wearing/carrying a pack.
OP - We are not a fan of full size backpacks. I cannot count the number of times our family has been hit by someone with one, especially in lines that go back and forth or in stores:( People just do not realize how far they stick out when their moving and turning.
 
How about one of those small nylon sinch bags with the thin straps, like Nike? They’re light weight and good for holding the essentials
I use this type of bag and it’s perfect.

Mine is Adidas and I love it because the straps are a little wider, and it’s double strapped, so it really distributes the weight. It also has two water bottle pouches in the sides, and a front zipper that’s lined with a soft material, which is where I keep my phone.

https://www.amazon.com/adidas-Allia...dpPl=1&dpID=51Qlpsf5B-L&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1
 
If I were going to bring a backpack, honestly I think my only requirement would be that it be small. I've got a mini-backpack I bought in WDW as an add-on in 2015 that I like for a daypack at conventions and so forth. It's not the highest quality in the world, but it being small means I'm more likely to exercise self control and limit how much I carry in it.

For the parks, though...tbh since last fall's trip to DL, I think I'm a convert to fanny packs. We started out wearing them as intended and then discovered that they're much more comfortable if you loosen the strap, put it up over one shoulder, and use it as a small crossbody bag. It's enough for an external battery, sunblock, that kind of thing. If I thought I might need a jacket or a heavy-weight poncho I might consider a slightly larger bag.
 
I use a simple drawstring/cinch backpack I bought at Disney years ago. Basically, you pull the straps and it cinches shut.

It isn't huge or heavy, and it holds quite a bit. (Water bottle, sunscreen, wallet/small purse, etc.)

Mine is the same as this but mine is a neon rainbow checker pattern: Link
 

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