My Backpack is My Loyal Companion

Through the time period of six years, my backpack was the only constant in my life

We’ve hiked the alps together. We traveled through six African countries. We flew several times across the globe. We walked through the busy streets of Bangkok and explored the rainforest in Malaysia. We stayed in hostels all over the world and slept under the African sky. It’s been a long journey. Yet such a memorable one.

I don’t know what I would do without you. My loyal companion.

My backpack.

The selection process

When I originally planned to buy myself a hiking backpack it wasn’t meant for hiking. Not in the first place at least. I was planning on backpacking through several African countries in 2014 and needed something to put my stuff in. Since there aren’t many tarred roads in the places I went to it was obvious that a trolley was not an option.

It had to be a backpack.

But I was quite picky when it came to choosing the right one. I didn’t want a big one. The bigger your backpack is the more stuff you end up taking with. And the more stuff you have to carry on your shoulders.

I read a lot of blogs and articles about backpacks. How to find the right backpack, which is important. Not all backpacks are the same. Not all human bodies are the same.

I ended up going to stores to try on various backpacks. Feel how they lie on my shoulders. See how my body feels the weight of the luggage. It was a good choice to try them on.

I chose in the end a backpack I had to order online. Can’t remember why. They either didn’t have my size, my color or shape in the store. As I said. I was quite picky. For a reason.

It wasn’t just about finding a backpack. I knew it was going to be more than just a normal backpack. It meant for me “how to find the right travel companion”. Since I was a solo traveler.

My backpack

Various points were important and the reason why I chose the one I have.

• The size. As I said. The backpack shouldn’t be too big. But I have to fit all my stuff in it. Everything I need for a seven month trip across Africa. I decided to take a 40 liter plus ten. Plus ten means I can open up the top and add some more stuff in case I need it. 40 liters means you can only take clothes for seven days with you. Not more.
• The shape. I chose a female version which means the backpack is more narrow, but taller. The weight sits on the hips instead of on your shoulders. For all those who have stronger hips than shoulders, this should be the right choice.
• The color. If you read this article about my favorite color yellow you should know how important yellow is in my life. Of course, I wanted a yellow backpack. Of course, there are yellow backpacks out there. But the color wasn’t my first choice. Size, shape, and quality were more important. I made a compromise by buying a brown backpack with a yellow flower on it. Thinking back at where I put my backpack down and where it traveled, it was surely a good choice. By now a yellow backpack would have been brown anyway. And my brown backpack is still brown. Still looking good.

The start

The start was easy. Maybe not for my parents. But for me and my companion. We were ready for the world. We were ready for Africa. I was 21 and my backpack just born. Young and strong.

In Ghana, I had to give him away quite a lot. When I traveled with the local buses they put him often on top of the bus. My backpack. Just held together by some rope. Surviving in the heat for hours on top of a minivan. Sometimes I got him back a bit dusty. But never broken.

Most of my trips I didn’t take the backpack with. I left him at my “home” wherever I had my home by that time. I had some hidden pockets in the backpack where I would find months later safely hidden money or other valuables.

I did a hiking trip along the coast where I carried him every day. Walking through soft sand and tropical rain forests. Carrying my valuable items among thieves and friendly locals.

The trip across Africa

When I left Ghana I didn’t leave my backpack anywhere anymore. Almost every day we stayed in a new place. In a new surrounding. We moved a lot around. My backpack and I.

We traveled through the Serengeti and watched stunning wildlife. We did a 48-hour train ride to the neighboring country of Zambia. We traveled to the desert and traveled by boat through the world-famous Okavango delta. We did a road trip through South Africa before it was time to fly back home.

The following years

I started my next journey with my backpack. When I first got to Namibia I planned on staying for three months. Therefore I had my companion with me. I ended up living there for several years. Together with my backpack. And some more stuff. I collected over the years.

I traveled back home to Europe and did a five-day hiking trip through the alps. Staying on different cottages high up in the mountains. Carrying all I need every day in my best backpack.

I moved to Thailand. With my backpack. Traveled to islands and famous beaches. Drove on the scooter through the hustle and bustle of Chiang Mai. Together with my loyal companion.

And even years later. I still have him with me.

Back in Germany

I decided not to buy a car. I was thinking of getting a scooter since I loved getting around with my yellow bumblebee in Thailand, but I still don’t have one. I only have my bicycle, my inline skates, and my two legs to get from one place to another. Here in Germany. Therefore it is quite obvious that my backpack is again survival kit number one.

On the bicycle. With my backpack. On the trains. Buses. By foot. Always with my loyal companion.

I came home yesterday from a city trip. Too late to catch the last bus home. So we had to hike back. Five kilometers up the mountain through the forest. Guess who was glad to have a backpack instead of a trolley. Definitely me.

The future

I have so many plans for us. To travel to more countries. Travel to different places. To explore the world. As soon as the world allows us to go out again I will promise you — my loyal companion and I will be on the road again.

We will be waiting for more adventurous trips. For more challenging hikes and other fun activities.

And I will not go without him. I will not go without my backpack.

My loyal companion.

Thank you for all the weight I put into you. And all the stress I put onto you.

Thank you for always being there. Thank you for being there when I had nobody I knew. When I was in a place I didn’t want to be in.

Thank you for being my safe anchor.

Thank you for always having space for all my stuff. All my burdens you had to carry along.

Thank you for still staying strong and always being ready for the next adventure.

And thank you for staying the same. In these fast-changing times, it is good to have something to rely on. Something that doesn’t change. Something that does stay the same. It gives me a feeling of safety.