After months of debating, it’s finally all booked. You’re going to spend three months of the summer travelling to exotic destinations and ‘discovering yourself’ through ill-advised flings and excessive amounts of local beer.

However, one key decision that perplexes all travellers awaits – suitcase, or backpack? Fortunately for you, The Tab have weighed up the pros and cons of both, so read on to become enlightened.

Suitcase

Pros

• Easier to pack and unpack
• Can fit more in
• Fragile items are safer
• A lot easier to transport (wheels)

Cons

• Can be embarrassing, as you won’t be taken seriously as a ‘traveller’
• If the hostel doesn’t have a lift, you are pretty screwed trying to get a massive case up the stairs

Backpack

Pros

• Look like a proper traveller
• Much easier in hotels with no lifts
•  Often has a detachable backpack, which is very useful

Cons

• Harder to pack, especially if it opens from the top
• Can get really heavy
• Hard to put on

What the experts say:

“I would advise travellers to take a suitcase with an extendable handle and wheels for any overseas trip. Firstly, suitcases can be packed in a very organized manner so that anything is easily accessible once you hit your hotel room. Wheels and a handle allow for easy transport, whether into a hotel, a coach in the morning, or out onto a sidewalk to catch a cab to the airport. Additionally, suitcases offer better structural protection of anything remotely breakable or any souvenirs picked up in your travels.” – Jordan Allen,  ContikiTour Manager, USA